M-PACT Show, Tips on Building Customer Loyalty and...Pigeon Poo

In case you missed our mid-month update in February, you need to know that we've made a lot of changes to the site in the last month. First: we've implemented a wider page model on most of the web pages, second: we've added a custom search engine powered by Google, and third: we've added a virtual convenience store powered by Amazon. But enough about that, let's get to this month's news.

In this edition, our good friend Dann Whittaker from Dann Whittaker Creative was kind enough to write another article for you. This time Dann offers some simple tips on building customer loyalty that don't require a huge commitment or chain-store affiliation.

Next, we have an article covering a topic that I'm pretty sure the major trade magazines aren't writing about...pigeon poo. Yep, that's what I said, poo. How I came across this story is actually pretty humorous but I'm afraid it's not appropriate for this column. Perhaps I'll blog about it sometime. Until then, be sure to check out John Honjiyo's article on our website.

We hope you find this edition of our newsletter entertaining and informative. As always, if you have something to say, please contact us and let us know. We'd love to have you help push the conversations forward.

Visit Us at the M-PACT Show

GasStations.com will be attending and exhibiting at this year's Midwest Petroleum and Convenience Tradeshow held in Indianapolis, Indiana from March 24th - 26th.

Take advantage of this opportunity to meet us and talk about the industry. We'll be showcasing the improvements to our website as well as listening to your thoughts about the state of the industry. If you will be attending the M-PACT show, be sure to stop by booth #625 to say hi and register to win a free SanDisk MP3 player.

If you are unable to attend this year's show, don't worry, we have you covered too. We'll be taking advantage of modern technology to keep you connected from wherever you are. We'll be snapping photos and tweeting our thoughts and observations throughout the duration of the show. All this will be fed directly to a dedicated page on our site so you can keep up with all the action.

Be sure to read the mid-March update for details about the M-PACT feeds.

Building Customer Loyalty

Want to build customer loyalty but can't commit to an established affiliate program? I'm sure many retailers have that problem, and not just in the c-store industry. Chief Creative Officer Dann Whittaker from Dann Whittaker Creative offers some tips on how anyone can build customer loyalty without the need of a structured program.

In his article on Building Customer Loyalty Dann asks, "What is a loyal customer worth to you?" Ten dollars a week? Five hundred dollars a month? Perhaps much, much more over the lifetime of the individual. Building customer loyalty doesn't have to be expensive, but it will be incredibly profitable.

Be sure to check out Dann's guest article on our website this month. If you like what Dann has to say, go over to the Dann Whittaker Creative website, look for the notepad and subscribe to his monthly newsletter on small business marketing.

Look Out Below...

In this month's featured article, John Honjiyo from John Commercial Services writes to warn gas station and c-store owners about the unsightly and oft-overlooked dangers of feral pigeons.

John Honjiyo, aka The Bird Guy, owns and operates John Commercial Services, a facility maintenance company out of California, which specializes in using humane techniques for pigeon abatement and remediation issues. Honjiyo maintains that more than 80% of c-store canopies may have pigeon problems and not even know about it.

"As the major oil companies shed their company owned sites and sell them to independent gas station owners; the problem becomes more apparent," Honjiyo says. "Independent gas station owners and brokers are less likely to address the pigeon issues at their stations until there is a major clean up problem."

But that approach can be very risky as the price to fix a major problem pales in comparison to the price of preventing a problem in the first place. "There are a variety of options and programs available to “pigeon proof” your site and get rid of pigeons that are within the confines of the city, state and federal laws related to the treatment of animals." Further, Honjiyo claims that addressing a pigeon problem is best left to a trained professional and is not a job for your local handyman.

Be sure to check out John Honjiyo's exclusive article, "You Local Gas Station May Be Hazardous To Your Health". It's a must-read piece for all gas station owners and operators and you can only find it on GasStations.com. Warning: It's not for the weak stomached.

CONFERENCES
Midwest Petroleum and Convenience Tradeshow - Indianapolis, Indiana
March 24 - 26, 2009

NACS State of the Industry Summit - Chicago, Illinois
April 6 - 8, 2009

Brand New Station

Location: New Baltimore, Michigan
Asking Price: $950,000
Inside Sales: $25,000
Gas Gallons: 150,000

Submit Your Website to Our Search Engine

We are looking increase the number and quality of industry websites in our custom search engine. If you have a website that is related to the gas station or c-store industry and would like to be included in our index, please contact us. We'd like to speak with you.