Your small business is growing and life is getting hectic. Because of this, you've noticed that one of the first things to go as orders pour in is one-on-one customer interaction. You don't want to lose your customer retention or your customer service because you're not giving them the time they deserve.
The good news is that technology is here to help. Here are the best tech solutions to keep customers feeling like they are your top priority even through your growing pains.
Use Beacons for Better Marketing
What once may have been thought of as intrusive is being touted as the marketing tool of the future. Beacons use location-based Bluetooth technology found in mobile devices to send out text advertisements to customers' phones that are nearby. Statistics show they're working. According to Adobe Digital Marketing Blog, 98 percent of text messages are opened (unlike 30 percent of emails), and 90 percent of text messages are read within three seconds.
While polite, value-delivering emails are still a good source of revenue, these statistics alone should make you consider dedicating some advertising dollars toward text marketing. Beacons also are a great option for live events such as trade shows and location-specific sales events.
E-Commerce Sites Need a Real Phone Number
Your business needs to have a phone number on your website. Email is not the new toll-free phone number. If you have never been in a stalemate with a company that refuses to return emails, it can be endlessly frustrating if your product turns out to be a dud. Build trust and comfort with your customers by having a phone number they can call and talk to a real person. E-commerce sites should see an increase in sales, a decrease in returns and a little more love from Google when they add a phone number.
You can use the Google Voice App to get a free local phone number and have calls sent directly to your phone. The more you can cultivate a personal relationship with your customers, the more success you'll see. This includes replying to every email, rushing important packages and personally answering phone calls from customers. In addition to providing great customer service, listening to customer questions and concerns lets you keep a finger on the pulse of your company.
Know Your Customer Well
Customer profiles, account numbers and order history are only a small part of what customer relationship management (CRM) software offers your growing company, making it one of your most important tools. If you have a physical location, having all the information needed to answer customer questions at a moment's notice will set you apart from your competition and build a reputation for excellent customer service. CRM software also gives you the ability to more accurately and regularly obtain customer feedback, maximize retention and calculate the lifetime value of a customer.
