Customers today don’t just want to buy a product or invest in a service. They want to enjoy an experience. In the age of social media, online reviews and Internet shopping, it has never been more important for businesses to provide shoppers and clients with a first-class experience. If you’re looking to ensure five-star ratings every time, here is a handy guide.
By Team Savant
Image: Pablo Merchán Montes
Analysing Your Performance
As a business owner, it’s beneficial to analyze your performance continually. You may have an insight into how you’re doing in terms of client numbers and profits, but do you know how your customers feel about the service you provide, or how you’re performing on review sites? Take advantage of analytics and interactive tools, and spend some time reading comments. Evaluating feedback can be incredibly useful because it enables you to build on positive elements and identify areas where improvement is required. Once you’re aware of the issues, you can work to iron them out and ensure customers don’t experience the same problems in the future.
Providing Excellent Customer Support
Now, more than ever before, it’s vital for businesses to provide support for their customers. The pandemic has triggered widespread uncertainty, and people are more likely to have questions and queries at the moment. Buyers want to know how services are working, whether orders are being processed and what is being done to minimize risks. Ensuring you respond to comments and questions promptly can help to increase consumer confidence and maximize the chances of attracting new customers and retaining loyal clients. There are several ways you can improve communication and customer support, including sending out regular updates via email and social media, providing detailed, informative FAQ sections on your website and adding a live chat feature. If you don’t already have a chat room available, look at sites like Click4Assistance. With live chat, you can respond instantly and you can engage with customers around the clock. If you use social media to promote products or services, check your notifications frequently and aim to get back to customers quickly. If you’re too slow to reply, people might abandon their carts or choose a competitor.
When considering customer support options, keep an eye on consumer trends, and think about your ideal buyer. Statistics show that most customers would rather chat online than make a phone call, and preferences for email and live chat are particularly high among young people.
Offering Solutions
At the moment, we’re navigating uncharted waters, and both customers and business owners are encountering challenges and obstacles that didn’t exist prior to the Covid-19 crisis. In light of the situation, it’s hugely beneficial to think about ways you can provide solutions, which will make life easier for your clients. With lockdown measures in place, and many people still reluctant to get out and about, for example, you could diversify your delivery options. If you’ve started selling online, you could offer a contactless click and collect service or home delivery. Adjusting to new ways of working will benefit you now and it will also ensure that you’re able to stay afloat and capitalize on interest from new customers if the situation changes and new guidelines, which include store or office closures, are enforced in the winter.
Simplifying Processes
Image: Blake Wisz
Many of us look to take advantage of quick, easy, convenient ways to buy. Consumers have hectic lifestyles, and they have become accustomed to being able to make orders, book tables or hotel rooms or get a quote for a home renovation job within a matter of seconds. As a business owner, it’s crucial to understand the importance of offering customers simple, swift, hassle-free processes. If you have a website, carry out tests and spend some time on the site to make sure that pages load quickly, the buying process is straightforward and rapid and it’s easy to select delivery options and make payments. If there are areas that need improving, make changes. The most common reasons people leave items behind include high shipping costs, convoluted, time-consuming registration processes and limited payment options. By being up-front about fees, offering guest checkout and providing customers with easy, quick ways to pay, you can increase sales and make your service more appealing to buyers.
A Personal Touch
Every customer wants to feel valued. If you’re looking to entice new shoppers, or you’re on a mission to keep hold of existing clients, there are multiple ways you can make your customers feel like a VIP. One of the simplest and most effective strategies to try is adding a personal touch. Addressing people by name and remembering their birthdays, for example, sets the right tone and makes a positive impression. Statistics also suggest that personalization can increase lead conversion rates. Emails that contain a personalized subject line are over 25% more likely to be opened than generic messages.
Adding Features To Your Website
Image: Morning Brew
Website design has evolved over the years, and there is now a raft of features on offer for consumers. Today, we spend more time online than ever before, and many of us actively enjoy browsing products and exploring category and landing pages. If you’re hoping to drive traffic, boost sales and improve conversion rates, it’s a great idea to consider adding more features to your website to enhance and improve the shopping experience. Think about your ideal buyer and the types of products and services you sell. If you have a clothing collection, for example, you could add video clips from catwalk shows or photographs of real-life customers wearing items, as well as verified product reviews and personalized size recommendations. For repeat buyers, you could also send out suggestions for other products via email or an app based on previous purchases. For a furniture or interior design business, you could offer clients the option to use AR (augmented reality) to enable buyers to get an idea of how different pieces or concepts would work in their home.
Customers today want to enjoy the experience of researching services or buying products. If you’re a business owner, it’s advantageous to prioritize customer experience and to go the extra mile to ensure you receive rave reviews every time. Make your clients feel special, keep an eye on emerging trends, try to solve problems, engage with your customers, add features to your website, simplify processes and add a personal touch.