80% of Business leader think they do a good job serving customers – 8% of customers agree
This is a pretty staggering statistic. What can you do about it?
1. Start with your product or service. This is the reality
of your customers experience with you. Where the rubber hits the road as it were. Know what your customers want and give it to them. Then provide great service to back it up.
2. Create a format for dialogue with your customer. Their feedback will help you get it right. Listening and responding to them will also build trust, loyalty and credibility around your brand.
3. Understand and capitalize on the technology that customers are choosing as a vehicle for interacting with the market place. Today, that means the internet, social networking, blogging and so on. Stay on top of what people are saying about you and be a part of the conversation.
4. Don’t abandon your customer after sale. Engage and educate them so they receive maximum value from their purchase and will look to you to meet future needs.
5. Speak the language. Understand the power of peering on the internet and the shift in the definition of our brand into the consumer controlled realm. Consumer behavior is being literally transformed right now and old methods for marketing, advertizing, sales and distribution are not enough. Be open minded and creative about your business. Be prepared to shift. Develop the mindset that allows you to evolve with the demands and expectations of your customers.
What do shoppers want from E-tailers:
The short answer is MORE! Customer expectations are growing at a rate that is equal to e-tailers abilities to meet them. That means that your standards are being set for you by companies who have hopped on the high speed technology train and are heading out of the station. Get on board!
1) Give your shoppers a hassle free return policy.
2) Encourage engagement and feedback from your customers and then respond. Implementing review capability has been shown to increase conversion rate by up to 49%
3) Create the right space. Ensure that your web site is an easy place for your customer to spend time. Beware of navigational roadblocks on one hand or being overly transactional on the other. Shoppers want to browse and be somewhat entertained on their way to a purchase.
4) Remember that engagement is a two way street. Your customers expect to hear back from you. This can mean a lot of things. Intelligent feedback on your site which interprets your customer’s preferences and feeds them information consistent with that. Recognition and special offers to existing customers, blogs, forums and many more.
What are you doing? We’d like to know.
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