Business of all sizes are running differently than they were 10 years ago. With very few exceptions, every business needs to have a website and most need at least a social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and/or LinkedIn.
And there is more, of course. If your business has a wide-spanning visual appeal, Instagram and Pinterest are necessary places to be seen as well. If your business caters to a younger audience, Snapchat is where you will interact with your customers.
How does one keep up with it all? And is it all necessary?
It depends on your business, your customer, and your level of ability to maintain your standards of customer service on each platform.
The Customer is Right in Front of You
It is called on line presence – so you must treat it as you have traditionally interacted when a customer was ‘present’ in front of you.
Let’s start with the basics.
Creating a website or social media page with basic information about your business is the minimum that must be done in order to be found. While some customers may still find you in a phone book or driving by your place of business, most do a search on line while still in the comfort of their home or from their phone.
So, you must let your customers or prospective customers know you exist. Tell them what you offer and where your business is located. Show them how can get what they need from you, and when they can stop in or call.
The information must be easy to find, read, and access.
Beyond the straightforward information type of stuff, you want to offer value to your customer. Descriptions of your products, services or meals. Tips on where these products or services might fit into their lives. “How to” or “Why you should make this purchase” videos and audios.
Think of your interaction on line as though your customer was right in front of you. What would you tell them about your product or service? How would you treat them?
You want your website or social media page to be a place where they want to stay for a while. Just like you would want them to in your brick and mortar.
And you need to make your customer be comfortable and spoken to in an easy going, “we’re here to help” kind of way.
Do You Know What Your Customer Needs?
So how do you know if your website or social media page is what your customer needs? And maybe a little more?
Ask!
Conduct a feedback survey after they visit your website. Or have mystery shoppers view your website. Ask if they found all the information they were looking for. If what they were looking for was easy to find. If they needed more information. And if, when they ‘clicked’ the X to close, they were satisfied.
A customer interaction at your website is as valuable as a face to face. But the comfort level must be even more so to get them to return. And to buy again.
Make sure your site is interacting with your customer and not turning them away!
Next time we’ll talk about how to manage your customer service interactions on social media.
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