You May Be Annoying Your Customers, And Not Even Know It

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We all want our customers to like our business. Actually, forget that: it’s better to say that we NEED our customers to like our business. Studies have consistently shown people are more likely to spend money with companies that they, well, like. It sounds simple, and to a degree it is, but it’s also true that some businesses are turning their customers off, and they don’t even realise it. Below, we take a look at a few common issues that customers take exception to, and what you can do to change it.

You’re Not Polite

It’s easy to be all smiles when you just get your business up and running. But after a while, when business is steady, you can begin to take your customers for granted, and when that happens, your customer service standards can begin to drop. There’s no great trick to this: it simply comes down to treating your customers for what they are, humans. You should endeavor to make your customers feel like a friend and to show that you hold their business in high esteem. If you can begin to see them just as a number, then they’ll soon find a new company.

Your Website is a Mess

If you’re mostly operating online, then you might want to check that you’re not guilty of committing one of the cardinal website sins. It’ll depend on who you’re trying to target, but remember that there are large pockets of internet users that object to invasive pop-ups, overly aggressive marketing, and autoplay videos. All of these things might help to drive traffic to your website, but that’s not your end game – you’re trying to bring them on board as customers, not just spend a few minutes on your site. Take a look at your site: if it didn’t belong to you, would you like it?

You Don’t Have Any Values

It’s no longer enough to be in the money-making game. Customers are increasingly conscious of spending their money with companies that hold progressive values, and ones that care about more than just their bottom line. To check that your business practices – and supply chain – would get the approval of public opinion, considering conducting an ethical audit. It’ll make sure that all aspects of your business are in line with your branding. Nothing will undo a company’s hard work quite like a poor ethical standing.

Overpromise, Underdeliver

It’s understandable that you want to create the best possible image of your company. After all, it’s competitive out there, and you need customers to go with you. However, you need to ensure that you can deliver what you promise. It’s much better to over deliver on your promises than the opposite. If you’re talking a big game, make sure you can back it up.

Shady Practices

Finally, remember that people like honesty. If you’re cutting corners, not respecting email opt-out requests, and the like, then you’ll lose all credibility in the eyes of your customers. And what’s that’s gone, it’s impossible to get it back.

Hello, We’re Here To Help You Get On Top Of Live-Chat On Your Website

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Given that you’re selling goods online, it’s likely you browse competitor’s sites often. How better to get an idea of what you’re up against? During such research, you’ve probably come across a few websites which offer live chats. You know the ones. You’ve been on the site for a while and a chat pings from the corner, saying ‘Hello, I’m Sam, and I’m here to help.’.

In truth, this is something you’ll now find from most internet based businesses. And, it’s nothing new. This is a 21st-century version of a staff member asking if there’s anything they can help with. It’s a tried and tested method which shows customers you care. As such, it’s worth incorporating this into your online store. But, before you do, ask yourself these questions to make sure you get it right.

Is your internet up to the task?

First, consider whether your internet is up to the job. The only thing worse than not offering online chat is providing one which loses connection. If your internet drops when a customer reaches out, that’s a lost sale. If this happens a few times, you can kiss goodbye to seeing any benefit here. As such, you should consider working with an IT Consultant like eSudo who can help you get a better connection for your money. Plus, such services offer ongoing support if you do run into glitches. As such, your chat should never be out of service for long. Then, you can sit back and start reaping the rewards of this extra mile.

How long should you wait until advertising live chat?

No customer likes to be bombarded the moment they click on your page. They don’t know whether they need help at this stage. As such, an immediate popup will only put people off. Instead, it’s worth delaying your live-chat. But, how long should you wait? Leave it too long and you may lose the sale. Get it too early, and you’ll annoy people. How you work this may be a case of trial and error. Consider, on average, how long people stay on your site, and how long it takes them to find what they want. Often, 30 seconds or so should be long enough. It’s time for visitors to get acquainted with what you do, and whether they might want your services.

How many people should you dedicate to this task?

It’s also worth asking yourself how many staff members you should set to this task. The thing to remember here is that no one person needs to focus solely on this. Live-chat won’t be going off at every moment of the day. As such, this can become a background task. But, you may want to put this in the background of more than one staff members’ workday. That way, there won’t ever be a time when a chat query goes unanswered. As a rule, then, you want to dedicate as many staff members to this as you can without compromising on workload.

How to properly execute an online review management program

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StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article00As a business owner or manager, if you are thinking about assembling an online review management program, you are already on the right path to managing the reputation of your company online. Properly executing an online review management strategy in order to benefit your company takes some critical thought, training, and repetition, but the payoff is ultimately being able to provide potential customers with professional profiles that are truly indicative of the quality service and goods you provide.

Executing on Your Online Review Management Program

If you are looking to make sure the process you’re implementing is successful, you’ll want to make sure that you are constantly checking in with staff and the results to see what’s working and to detect weak areas early on if any exist. We always recommend auditing your current online reviews prior to putting a new plan in place, so that you can set goals appropriately and log progress against the original values.

As you are setting up your review management program, make sure you also appoint a single person (whether this is yourself, a manager, or another staff member) to head this project. By allowing this program to “free float” between staff members, it is more likely to get dropped by the wayside or slip through the cracks when it comes to execution. Similarly, make sure you are scheduling time each week to review progress.

Once your plan is in place, you’ll want to complete the following steps:

Set Expectations

Part of your online review management program is going to consist of setting expectations, or goals. This could mean that you’d like to have 5 new reviews left on your business’s Google My Business profile within two months.

But setting expectations should also mean that you are clearly outlining that you expect staff to treat customers, clients, or patients with a set level of quality care. Similarly, let staff know that you’d like them to ask each customer for a review and to ensure that they specify a designated professional profile, like Google.

These expectations should also be held for yourself; are you asking for reviews and working to ensure that customers have a positive experience? Make sure the expectations surrounding this program are entirely positive and aimed at bettering the company as a whole.

Follow up with Staff

Once your online review management program has been set into action, make sure you’re taking time each week to check in with staff. Ask them what kind of reactions they get from customers after they’re asked to leave a review to see if an alternative method, like using a reputation management software that sends text messages, may work better.

Make sure you’re also asking staff how they feel! Do they feel awkward when asking? Has one staff member developed a great flow of conversation that leads into asking for a review much more seamlessly? These are details that should be shared and accommodated to make sure everyone is successful.

Review the Results

At set intervals, you will want to make sure that you are reviewing the results. By this point, your goals and expectations should be realistic, so seeing one review gained after two weeks of action shouldn’t necessarily be taken as a failure.

Reviewing results monthly and quarterly may be a good way to see trends and manage outcomes by working one-on-one with staff to develop better methods of asking for reviews!

Five Ways Of Improving Your Customer Retention on Your Website

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As a business owner, you want to maximize your profits of all website visitors, and turn them into returning customers. If you are not yet tracking your visitor statistics, you might want to start immediately. Without knowing what your potential customers are looking for, you can’t adjust your offers to their needs. Make sure that you are focusing on retention, so you get a better return on your online marketing investment.

1. Google Analytics

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article | Five Ways Of Improving Your Customer Retention on Your Website

The first stop for every business owner should be Google’s free Analytics tool. You can simply add a code on your website, and find out where you customers are coming from, where they live, what language they speak, which devices they use to access your site, and much more. You can easily identify your target market, and average customer when looking at your visitors’ demographics. At the same time, you can find out which pages they land on and which ones they exit.

2. Newsletters and Special Customer Discounts

To show your appreciation for your customers, you might want to create special customer discounts from time to time. This will give them a strong enough reason to sign up for your newsletter and get your marketing materials. Make sure you communicate the fact that this exclusive discount is only offered through the newsletter to existing customers.

3. Loyalty Points

A great way of improving your website’s customer retention rate is offering a loyalty scheme. Customers will get a certain number of points for each dollar they spend on your site, and they can build up their balance to exchange the points to discounts or free gifts. People will be more likely to check out your special offers or place a larger order if they know that they get a reward.

4. Sales Funnel Automation

If you would like to effortlessly look after your existing customers, you might want to automate your online sales funnels. Create a website infrastructure that guides your visitors through the process of becoming a loyal customer from the moment they first land on your site. From social media integration to regular updates, newsletters, and implementing a Cost Effective B2B Sales Tool, there are several great ways of maximizing customer value.

5. After Sales Communication

StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article | Five Ways Of Improving Your Customer Retention on Your Website

Keeping in touch with your customers after they placed their first order, and requesting feedback is another great way of making them feel valued and appreciated. Send out customer surveys, invite them to your review pages, and ask them for a rating on Facebook. Send out updates and keep in touch until the item is delivered. If you offer online products, make sure your customers are able to download or access their purchase, and set up a support chat to allow them to contact you whenever they have questions.

Customer service and creating a system that makes your site visitors feel valued can improve your retention rates. You will benefit from higher search engine rankings, due to the lower bounce rate, and maximize the value of each newly acquired client. Make use of modern analytics tools to get to know your customers.

Is the Customer Always Right?

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Consumers and company owners alike are familiar with one of the most well-known sayings in business: the customer is always right. This saying has been used for years on end. It is most often attributed to the Marshall Field’s Department Store (which later became Macy’s), and Harry Gordon Selfridge who worked for Field at the turn of the 20th century and later founded Selfridges, a high-end department store. These two individuals clearly experienced profound business success, which goes to suggest that perhaps there might be some truth or worth in the old saying as a rule to go by. But what does this phrase actually mean and does it ring true in the modern day commercial field? Here’s everything you need to know.

What Does “The Customer is Always Right” Actually Mean?

“The customer is always right” generally suggests that whatever the customer says goes. After all, they’re the one who has final control over the completion of a sale and the turnover of a business’ profit. It’s fairly clever. Think about it. If a business declares that the customer is always, consumers are more likely to believe that they will receive high-end, high-quality service when shopping with said company. It also encourages staff members to offer the best customer service possible, doing everything in their power to meet customer needs. The success off this can be found in any feedback left on your customer focused ecommerce platform.

oes This Ring True?

Now, there are varied opinions on whether this is the best approach to take towards running a business. After all, nobody is ever truly “always right”. Here are the main arguments for and against implementing this ideology to your own company and the way that it is managed and run.

The Customer Is Always Right

You can learn a whole lot from your customers. After all, they are the individuals purchasing what you’re putting out there on the market. One area where customers are almost always right is demand. You need to take a look at what your customers want and cater to their wishes. This is why market research and customer feedback are so important! These are two methods of directly interacting with your potential customers and existing customers alike. By understanding what they’re looking for in products and services, you can tick all of their boxes, which means that they will be much more likely to invest in what you have to offer. Feedback following their purchase and experience with your company also allows you to make changes to your current practice, constantly improving your brand and what it is putting out there into the consumer market! Never underestimate the value of your customers’ opinions and suggestions.

The Customer Isn’t Always Right

Nowadays, customers tend to be a bit more savvy with the business process. You no longer need to be a business owner to know the tricks of the trade. Think about it: anyone can read up on business practice and process, learning what extremes companies will go to in order to maintain a contented and loyal customer base. More abrasive customers will actively use this to their advantage, purposefully complaining and feigning dissatisfaction as they know that by doing so they can get something for nothing. This isn’t all too surprising. After all, if someone knows that they can make use of a service and then receive it for free at a discounted rate simply by uttering a complaint, then a whole lot of people will give it a go. Sure, this isn’t exactly moral. But there are plenty of people out there who want something for nothing and will take advantage. If your company’s policies are too lax or lenient, they will be abused. Sometimes it may actually prove more beneficial for you to put your foot down and lose a customer who isn’t actually bringing much profit to you than to pander to their demands and hand over your wares for free. Certain people cannot be pleased, no matter how much time or effort you put into making things good for them. That or they will be pleased but won’t express their contentment for their own benefit. You should also prioritise good staff members. Demanding or abrasive customers may talk down to your staff or act in an aggressive or inappropriate manner. To suggest that the customer is always right would be to condone this kind of behaviour and marginalise your staff members who work hard to keep your company and brand afloat. Instead, weigh up each situation individually and determine the best outcome on the facts at hand. It is always best to be fair.

As you can see, there isn’t a clear “yes” or “no” answer to the customer always being right debate. The key to success is to take each case individually, assessing it and making an informed decision each time.