6 Simple Customer Service Strategies That Will Leave Your Competitors in the Dust

Increase Retention And Conversions

Welcome to the new age! The information age! You can do almost anything with the swipe of your finger, from your phone. You can be anything! And, You can buy almost anything!

If you’re feeling frazzled by the business world changing at what seems like the speed of light, you’re not alone. If you were born before 1980, like I was, you’ve ridden the waves and tides of change along with me.

Holy cow! What a trip!

• Through the 80s, where we had no clue what the internet was. Clunky DOS operated computers were making their way into our schools. Cell phones were just hitting the market. They were big beastly things with huge battery packs.
  
• To the 90s, when we just figured out what the internet was. Faster smaller computers and the internet worked their way into our schools. The first smartphone hit the market.
  
• Around 2010, smartphones started infiltrating our homes. Suddenly, everyone’s plugged into their phones 24/7.
  
• Then, enter 2020 and the pandemic! Just when we thought we’d seen it all! And, the best and possibly the worst is still yet to come.

The world around us is changing rapidly. The way we interact with each other via social distancing. The way we do business. Massive retail chains are closing up stores.

Costar Group announced that a record breaking 12,200 U.S. brick and mortar stores closed up shop in 2020. Coresight estimates that about 10,000 will close in 2021.

While storefronts are closing at unheard of numbers, E-Commerce world wide is growing at unprecedented rates. Statista reports over 4 trillion worldwide in e-commerce sales for 2020. An increase of 671 billion from 2019. What’s more… Online sales worldwide are estimated to be over 6.5 trillion by 2023. That’s a 2.5 trillion increase in three years!

But, some things never change. One thing that isn’t changing is the way your customers expect to be treated. Whether you’re doing business offline or online, your customers demand a good customer experience or they’ll go somewhere else. In fact, 89% of consumers have switched to a company’s competitor because of one poor customer service experience. Source

I’ve worked in customer service for over 20 years. From retail and convenience store chains to restaurants. I hate to admit it, but I’ve seen it all. From the happiest customers to the pissed off red in the face customers.

Through all this, I’ve learned a thing or two about how to keep your customers happy. All in all, your customers will keep coming back if you give them a good experience. If you don’t, well… you know the story. The average American will tell 15 people about a bad customer service experience. But, will only tell 11 people when they’ve had a good experience. Source

I’m going to let you in on a little secret… If you treat your website like a brick and mortar storefront, where you’re working with customers face to face, you’ll be way ahead of your competition. Here’s six tips and tricks to get your customers past the landing page and well on their way down your sales funnels.

1. Get rid of your instant popups as soon as they hit your landing page.

• Now, you might gasp at the thought of this. And, you’re probably thinking… well, how am I going to create a lead or get an email list to market to? Keep in mind we’re treating your website like your storefront.
  
• Imagine, walking into a store and having someone in your face demanding your name and email address before you can finish reading that sign outside. That sign outside could be comparable to an article or a link for a purchase they followed into your site.
  
• No one likes pushy salespeople just like no one wants to give you their email address before you’ve gained their trust. So, how do you gain their trust? Well, that’s where UX (User Experience) comes in. You cater to them.
  
• Polls show that 2/3 of customers are willing to share personal information with companies – but only in exchange for some perceived value. Source
  
• Once you have an email address, please don’t spam it. Don’t send more than one email a day.
  
• I’ll let you in on another secret… UX is just customer service in another form. Don’t rely only on your customer service team to provide great service. Your customer wants to feel like you’re catering to her as soon as she enters your site.

2. Focus on your user.

• So many landing pages start out by telling your story. Your companies story or your products story. To put it bluntly… Unless you’re showing that your brand values and supports your target customer’s ideals, move it to an About Us page. Don’t put your company or product history on your home or landing page. Your consumers want to know how your company or product is going to benefit them and support their values.
  
• Do you have something they want or need? They can tell if they want to stay on your page within seconds. If you have what they’re looking for and it’s easy to navigate, they’ll move to the next step. Helping them find what they’re looking for and making it easy should be a huge priority. Most of the time they’re not going to read boring copy, especially if it’s all about you. It becomes a time waster.
  
• Imagine… walking into a store and being greeted by someone telling you all about themselves instead of greeting you and asking you if they can help you find something. The thought of this is appalling. Most people would turn around and walk out… Your website is no different.

3. Fix your loading time.

• I’ve worked jobs where we were required to greet incoming customers within 10 seconds of entering the store. According to Jason Little’s article on The Daily Egg, you don’t even have that long on the internet. If your page doesn’t load within a few seconds, your prospective customers will bounce. He suggests using a platform like GTMetrics to figure out your loading time.
  
• Have you ever walked into a seat yourself restaurant and waited for what seemed like forever before you were even acknowledged. Maybe you got up and asked for a server. Most people get up and walk out. Your loading time needs to be instant. Just like you expect to be greeted almost instantly when you walk into a store or restaurant.

4. Make sure your ads are strategically placed & don’t overdo it.

• Don’t have too many ads. Have you ever clicked on an article or product link that seemed interesting, only to be absolutely bombarded with ads? I’m talking popup ads. So many ads that you can’t read the content or get to the product through all the ads. This screams SCAM CITY! And, is so unfriendly to your readers.
  
• You might have really interesting content or products. But, no one wants to navigate through Ad City to get to your stuff. If you’re trying to make money through ads, make sure they’re strategically placed or hyperlinked and relevant. Having too many ads on your site is practically begging your consumers to bounce.
  
• Imagine, walking into a store and being greeted by someone telling you that everything you need is at another store, before even finding out why you entered his store. Not, only is he trying to send you to one other place but multiple other places. At the same time! Having too many ads is like asking your consumers to hit the door before they even have a chance to look around your site.

5. Provide easy access.

• Broken links and technical errors make it impossible for anyone to get to your site. You might have the best product or blog out there, but no one can get to it because it’s like going down a bumpy country road to get to your storefront.
  
• Just like no one is going to drive 10 country miles through bumpkin city down dirt rocky roads to get to your storefront. No one is going to try to navigate around your technical issues.
  
• Your dream clients and customers could be sitting at your doorstep but can’t reach you because of technical difficulties. Make it easy for them to get to you.

6. Put your consumers first.

• Remember, the customer is always right. Even when he’s wrong, you treat him like he’s right. This is the golden rule of customer service.
  
• Whether you’re selling products or services or blogging. Keep this rule at the forefront of your mind. Respect your customers. Give them what they want and need and they’ll keep coming back. Because, after all, it’s all about them.
  
• Listen to their complaints. Complaints are a way for them to communicate to you what they want. Make sure you listen. Engage them on social media, especially if you have ads circulating. Make sure someone is monitoring and responding to comments on every post or ad that’s out there.
  
• One of the first things I learned way back in the day was that without consumers, you have no business. No business equals no pay check! Make your customers happy. Put them first.

Remember, customer service starts from the time someone walks into your store. It isn’t just when they have an issue or need help and they have to contact your customer service department. From the first words written on your landing page, to the time they buy from you. You should be there showing them that you’re happy they stopped by and you value their business. If you treat your website like your storefront, keeping your customers in mind, you’ll be way ahead of your competition.

Think about the way you want to be treated when you enter your favorite store. Ask yourself.. Why is this my favorite place to shop? Is there something I can replicate on my website to give my customers a similar experience? Chances are… you can. You might need to hire a copywriter to help with landing pages. Or, a UX analyst to provide analysis for user experience. In fact, it will take a team. Looking at your website with new eyes is just the first step.

Let me know what you find. I’m always interested to hear what you, my readers, have to say.