Ok, I admit it. I am a raving fan of one of my suppliers.

I tell my friends and colleagues about them.

I have referred dozens of people to them.

I have used them several times, and plan to use them again.

Ashop Commerce is a leading provider of hosted shopping cart software. They offer a complete solution for merchants to sell online.

I ordered my first Ashop after taking advantage of the 10 day free trial (enough time to set up a fully functioning ecommerce site), shortly after I ordered my second, third, and recently the fourth.

So how has Ashop made such a raving fan of me, and what can we learn from them?

1. AFFORDABILITY - Ashop’s shopping cart software is affordable. They charge enough to make a profit, but they know their market place, and where they fit. They know that although you can get free open source shopping carts, some of us are willing to pay for quality.

Lesson - know your market, and what makes an affordable price. Make a good profit, but offer value to make your product affordable

2. EASE OF USE - Anyone can set up an Ashop shopping cart. A quick look at the testimonial page on Ashop’s site is proof of that.

Lesson - Make it mind numbingly simple to deal with you!

3. CUSTOMER SERVICE Ashop bent over backwards to help me succeed. It’s not just ecommerce software, it’s the full service. The last time you contacted your ISP, did you talk to an answering machine, or a real human?

I have never had a business say to me, “Our customer service is pretty bad” Everyone says they offer great service, but how many actually do?

Lesson - Offer genuine great service. Don’t just pay lip service in a contrived mission statement.

4. BE AN EXPERT - I found Ashop by searching for “Shopping cart software” in Google. Guess who was #1 position in the world?

If I want to create an ecommerce website, I want to be shown how to do it by an SEO expert, right?

Lesson - Your customers want solutions to their problems. An expert will get more business than the amateur, and they charge more!

5. OFFER THE TOTAL SOLUTION - Ashop offer a total package. The shopping cart software is just the start.

Lesson - You can’t be all things to all people, but is there any reason you can’t be all things to your niche?

So, yes I am a raving fan of Ashop Commerce.

What business are you a fan of, and why?

What lessons can you learn from them?

Stumble it!