With the holiday season upon us, 82% of small businesses surveyed last month by Constant Contact indicated that loyal customers are the No. 1 way to grow their companies, followed by online marketing tools (66%), a stronger economy (50%), and skilled employees (47%).
How do these companies earn that loyalty? Well, 90% said by offering a great product or service; 60% cited sustained customer communications through email, and 49% through social media channels.
Growth is defined differently among small businesses:
57% of respondents defined....