How to get intimate with your customers online
As I pointed out in my earlier post, many businesses underestimate the power of their websites as an interactive tool to build relationships and initiate a two-way dialogue with customers and prospects.
What a lot of businesses don’t realise is that with a strategically developed website you can actually provide, not only an enhanced, but sometimes a superior level of customer service than is possible in the offline world. When delivered thoughtfully, your online presence can work to build and sustain a much closer relationship with your customers, not just 9 to 5 but around the clock and with fewer physical resources. Here are some tips for up-levelling the service customers receive from your website that in turn will help you to make the most out of your online investment.
Unlike a physical shop front, an online store means your doors can be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To make the most of this constant selling opportunity, provide your customers with a wide range of secure payment gateways for purchasing your good and services. Make available different options to suit the needs of online shoppers, such as BPAY, PayPal, credit card, invoicing for regular clients and also payments from mobile devices – a method that is fast becoming all the rage and should start to be addressed, particularly if you’re targeting gen Y.
Provide guaranteed delivery times as well as options like express delivery to add a point of difference that seals the deal for time-poor online shoppers. And finally, to offer extra peace of mind to customers once the purchase has been made, it is a good idea to provide tracking capabilities on products ordered, including estimated time of arrival.
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