Customers have to come first. When making a decision of any kind, from communication to presentation, always ask the question:
‘How does this benefit Our Customers?’
Too often companies and individuals get caught up in their own goals, opinions or values and make the customer a secondary consideration. This can be as simple as a manager or CEO deciding to make changes on advertising and branding based on their favourite colours or something that relates to them, instead of considering what will resonate with the audience or makes sense for the product.
It should go without saying that customers should come first, but it is something that many companies are clearly struggling with, not only in presentation but in their communication strategies as well. When engaging and interacting with customers try to keep their perspective and priorities in mind while trying to achieve the desired outcome.
Don’t Overwhelm Customers
Often when customers visit a website they can feel overwhelmed with information. Sometimes companies feel compelled to put every feature and benefit of a product or service in front of a customer to help them make an informed decision. In truth, when this occurs, customers are often put off by this and can feel like it is too much trouble to bother with. Show, don’t tell. Use visual images to simplify things and connect with your customers. Use clear calls to action, showing them what they should do to get the information they need when making a buying decision.
Poor navigation on your company website can make customers give up without even trying. Anything that is not simple and clear or concise is a step in the wrong direction. Too many menu items or complicated functionality is just frustrating and makes people feel impatient.
Don’t Create Barriers to Sales
There are few things more frustrating than feeling like it is too difficult to give someone money. Convenient bill payment options are very important, especially since many consumers are used to the ease of use of websites like Amazon. If your payment system is too complicated then customers can lose patience.
Position yourself to take as many forms of payment as possible and make payment options convenient for your customers. This may include making PayPal an option for your customers or even accepting mobile payments.
Understanding Client Mobile Experiences
More and more people are relying on their smartphones and now there is an expectation of being able to interact with a company’s website using mobile devices. Improving customer experiences means considering all of the ways they interact with your company and products. Creating positive mobile experiences is a very important part of this.
Customers need to be able to easily use and navigate your company website even when using a mobile phone. There is a growing trend towards mobile ecommerce with more and more consumers being willing to make purchases directly using their smartphones, and mobile payment options are increasing. Ensure you have an attractive and easy to use mobile version of your site or a responsive web design.
Engaging with Customers via Social Media
Many companies do not realise that they are doing social media wrong. Social Media gives you a unique opportunity to communicate with your customers. The beauty of it is that this communication isn’t just one way. Many companies only use social media to promote their message, much like they would in traditional marketing instead of using it as a true communication platform. Social Media can allow companies to understand how customers really interact with their brand and actually listen to what they have to say, while addressing their issues and pain points.
How to Pinpoint where your Company needs help
Specialist market research analysts can give your company valuable insights into the things you are doing right as well as what you are doing wrong. Employing the help of a reputable market research team can help you gain an unbiased and balanced insight into your business. Taking any emotion out of your decisions will benefit your company as a whole.
The data that they gather will show you what needs your focus and how you can adapt your business to bring the best possible customer experience to your clientele. Marketing Sciences Customer Experience will make sure that you understand all aspects of your market and how customer retention and engagement can be improved.