Few things hurt an e-business like bad customer service. But paying attention to what customers say about your product or service is an effective way to build and maintain a strong marketing strategy. Your e-businesses can improve and promote products and services by listening to customers share their needs and wants, and taking necessary steps...
Few things hurt an e-business like bad customer service.
But paying attention to what customers say about your product or service is an effective way to build and maintain a strong marketing strategy.
Your e-businesses can improve and promote products and services by listening to customers share their needs and wants, and taking necessary steps to address customer feedback.
Feedback
No one is going to be as honest as an unhappy customer. They will provide insights into any internal processes that need to be fixed.
Transparency and willingness to accept their criticism can only generate goodwill on your behalf.
E-commerce businesses can solicit feedback in the form of customer satisfaction surveys.
Customer feedback surveys shed light on areas of business that are working or not working.
Additionally, they provide you an opportunity to ask why customers continue to use your brand and not a competitor’s.
They provide insights into customer loyalty, helping you better understand what your competitive edge is: pricing, word-of-mouth, delivery, or – hopefully – all of the above.
Or they could help you see that your competitive edge isn’t as sharp as you want it to be. You might see that customers stick with your brand only because there are no other options.
But beware: as soon as there is an alternative choice, customers are likely to jump ship. Surveys position your e-business to create long term, positive change and true competitive edge.
Testimonials
Testimonials – or customer satisfaction stories, as many companies now call them – provide an especially valuable marketing tool to help build a client base, retain current customers, and improve the reputation of an e-commerce site.
Today, more and more consumers read online reviews before deciding on a purchase. Testimonials posted to your website, in the form of reviews, can act as referrals, providing potential customers with reasons why they ought to invest their time, trust, and money in your brand.
Build a reputation for providing exceedingly positive customer service experience. After asking clients or customers to complete a survey, invite those with positive responses –those who might be brand advocates – to submit a brief satisfaction story.
If customers are frequently returning to your site, consistently rating you highly, and providing you with a high net promoter score, then they are probably very satisfied with your brand. And, generally, satisfied customers are only too happy to pass on a good word about a business.
A testimonial from a happy customer will build trust.
Including real responses from real customers in your marketing materials can persuade prospective clients of your brand’s value.
Potential customers see that you have an existing customer base who are appreciative of your product or service and are only too happy to say good things about you.
Transparency
More and more shoppers share complaints on social media and review sites. And these reviews directly correspond with a business’s success.
The overwhelming majority of today’s customers are influenced by online reviews. Therefore, in today’s social market place, bad worth-of-mouth can easily damage an e-business’s reputation, resulting in lost customers. But savvy e-businesses can turn complaints into opportunities.
Taking action to address problems and then posting the results can engineer trust, showing customers that your business cares. In other words, criticism can become an opportunity for positive advertisement.
Sustain or rehabilitate your reputation by methodically surveying customers to research problem areas. Don’t be afraid to share with customers where you’ve made mistakes, what you have changed, and what you have improved.
Be transparent.
Transparency suggests you are open to communicating with your clients and that you follow up on your promises.
Effective follow up will make it harder for customers to forget you. And, in the end, you are likely to turn unhappy customers into brand enthusiasts.
