How Small Businesses Can Improve Their Customer Service Online

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ― Maya Angelou

She may not have been talking about sales and customer service when she said it, but that oft-repeated quote by Maya Angelou certainly rings true for anyone hoping to build their business by providing good customer service.

Just how important is good customer service to the health of your business? Consider the results when people feel poorly about you. According to market research firm Harris Interactive, “89% of consumers have switched to doing business with a competitor following a poor customer experience.”

Many business owners believe customer service begins and ends with face-to-face interactions. Instead, you should challenge your assumptions about where and how good customer service happens. Your business may be bricks and mortar, but the majority of transactions today have some component that takes place online. This could be a Google search used to find a local business offering a service or product, an email inquiry to begin the sales process, a link clicked on a mobile phone to place a call to your business, or possibly a message sent to you via Facebook or Twitter.

Think about it. When was the last time you picked up an actual phone book to look up a business? In many cases your customers (especially the younger ones) are seeking you out online first. It makes sense for you to make their impressions of you online form a positive part of the overall customer service experience you deliver.

Your website is the first point of contact for many customers.

You’d be surprised how many businesses neglect even the most basic aspects of their website. Useful content that answers client needs, plus easy-to-use site navigation that leads customers to the information they’re looking for quickly is vital. An informative frequently-asked-questions section can help provide answers to the simplest questions. Well-illustrated guides, or better yet, video how-tos and demos can assist with more complex issues and help accelerate a customer’s decision-making process when they’re considering a purchase.

Making sure customers can find your contact information easily wherever they land on your website will help avoid frustration and lead to more positive experiences. Using an automated calendar app to help set appointments will speed up opportunities to connect offline, where larger sales often happen, and reduce back and forth email chains.

Live chat: make being online more personal.

Another way of improving online communication and customer experience is by offering live chat through your website. You’ll be able to make a more personal connection, answer any questions in real time, and potentially move to the next step in the sales process. There are many affordable options for offering live chat including Facebook’s own chat app that connects to your website via your Facebook business page.

Customers are on the go. Mobile is where it’s at!

Surprisingly, we still see too many websites that aren’t properly optimized for mobile use. With so many customer searches taking place on smartphones and tablets you can’t afford to ignore their importance in the online experience. Make certain your website resizes and configures for these devices and that images are appropriately sized for fast loading. If your website uses Flash, STOP! A large percentage of mobile devices don’t support Flash for delivering content, which means you may not be fully visible to much of your potential audience.

If you suspect your website isn’t performing properly or delivering the value it should, find out how you can fix that. Contact us to discuss a website audit.

Opinions matter. Encourage positive customer reviews.

Customer service opportunities don’t end after the sale, either. Customers who are pleased with your business will tell others. Some of them do it online through review sites like YELP!, Trip Advisor or even directly via Google and Facebook ratings. As much as possible, you should encourage these satisfied customers to share their experiences.

Of course, the ones who aren’t pleased are even MORE likely to tell others. Especially online. If you’re monitoring such things, you can do damage control by offering to resolve problems and providing your side of the story where appropriate. In that way, you have an opportunity to convert that customer’s negative experience into a positive one while showing others that you care enough to try.

You’ve got mail! Make Email work for you.

Want repeat customers? Get their email and send a follow up of thanks and offer helpful tips and suggestions along with notifications about new product and service offerings plus special offers. As much as we love social media, we still acknowledge the value email has as a customer service tool. You shouldn’t underestimate its power either. Imagine if you could send out anniversary reminders, service notices, and other messages tied to dates that are significant to your customers’ needs? Setting up an automated email marketing system can help maintain contact and keep you top of mind with your customers.

What amazes us most about email is how often we hear small business owners saying the same thing: “I don’t want to annoy anyone.” Trust us, you won’t. Not unless you’re truly bad at it, and even that can be fixed with a little common sense and training.

Join the conversation on Social Media.

Just as with review sites, social media gives customers an excellent opportunity to rate your business and make recommendations and referrals (positive or otherwise). As people become more comfortable with social media, many are using it as a means to reach out to ask questions about your products and services. It’s important for you to monitor the platforms where your audience is most likely to find you. Responding quickly will help you convert prospects into customers and keep potential problem issues from blowing up into viral fails for your business.

Making online service more personal pays off.

Unless you’re a 100% online ecommerce business, you’re not going to replace the personal touch in delivering customer service. However, there’s no reason why your online presence, in all its forms, shouldn’t be more personal and customer-oriented. When you accomplish that, you’ll feel more confident that your prospective customers and existing clients will be satisfied with the customer service experience they receive from you. Ultimately, how you make them feel about you will lead to more business, better referrals, and repeat sales.

Want to learn more ways to build your business? We've created a free guide called 6 Key Focus Points For Website Success to help you understand how to get better results online.