My question: "So your orders have been suffering? What are your average weekly orders now compared to when orders were good?"
Most common answers: "Well, I have an enormous client base."
"My hits and visits are off the charts."
"I get lots of email."
"Im selling a wide range of products, just not enough of them."
"No one else is selling what/how I am selling."
My usual reply: "That's not what I asked you."
It's a very common e-commerce trap to fall into in thinking that each and every past customer you have sold to will remain loyal to your store/site. Even if you provide the most comprehensive and feature-rich customer service imaginable, you should never forget the fact that your site is NOT their favorite flavor of ice-cream. You are NOT the one that fits them best, and that, chances are, you will NOT be remembered more than a few days after they received their order from you. In other words, run your online busoness with the motto, "THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CUSTOMER LOYALTY".
Yes, yes, as with everything, there are exceptions to the rule, but if you start lying to yourself in that customers come back to you just because you are you, then you can break out the shovels for an early business grave.
Internet buyers follow a strict policy of "What have you done for me lately?" and live by this policy thanks to the magic of their keyboard and mouse. Gone are the days where you had a captive audience because your store was in the most popular mall, on the strip, at the center of town, next to the McDonalds, etc... Nope, these days you are floating around in the gassy haze of multiple search results and ponderous ads with the hopes that the occasional word of mouth will work for you. It is too easy to fill a cart and dump it. Insanely simple to open multiple browser windows or tabs and compare you to your competition (and you DO have competition).
Once your site/services and policies are good ("good" being the best you can hope for in an ever-changing internet) you will need to treat every customer as your first. I will spare you the speech about customer service and groveling (see my "Circuis Show" posts for that stuff), but instead remind you that new customers need to be shown who you are and repeat customers need to be constantly reminded, otherwise they will forget and go somewhere else. You are to ALWAYS be researching. ALWAYS testing. ALWAYS preparing for the next season, holiday, event, or whtever it is that drives customers to your particular corner of the internet. Never stop and never assume that you have done enough. As soon as you do, the customers disappear.
The economy bad? Think that's why orders are suffering? Thats the first step in self-denial. Economy good or bad--there are always people out there with money. Stop sitting back and pretending that you are the only or the ultimate destination for your products or services.
I may be sounding a little preachy (you should hear me at meetings with clients like you) but these points really need to be driven home. Loyalty does not exist when it is easier to be disloyal. The masses take the path of least resistance and best price. Keep this in mind in all your strategy and you will have a fighting chance at winning that customer again.