It is all well and good to focus on lead generation and ensure you set up all your channels with call to action buttons but who in your business is monitoring these channels?
LAST WEEK I EXPERIENCED A GOOD AND BAD ONLINE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
First, the good. Let’s call them ‘Company A.’ Company A had a great website, clearly outlining the solution to my problem with lots of impressive customer reviews and testimonials. I’m sold. I clicked on the ‘book an appointment’ button and their workflow was seamless. I received a phone call the same day to confirm my requirements (loved the offline approach!) and followed up with a confirmation email with appointment details. Done. Happy customer before anyone had even set foot at our home.
And the not so good. Company B had a top search ranking website and information about their services which mirrored my criteria and saw me to hit the ‘contact us’ button. Their form was quite detailed, but I took the time to fill out the fields and my specific requirements. Submit and silence. A week later, still nada. Zip. Nothing.
Hmm should have called you say. Yes, possibly but applying the same principles would you have a business phone and not answer it?
In good faith, a technical glitch. Maybe. I have experienced that before.
SO, WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE US?
If you are going to take the time to create and maintain a website and social channels which speak to your target audience, educate them on your goods or services and convert them into customers, make sure someone is monitoring the generated leads and actions them in a timely manner.
In a fast-paced society with people digesting bite-sized content at an increasing pace show them some good old-fashioned customer service.
If a customer walked into your store, would you ignore them? I would hope not. There’s a potential sale standing right in front of you.
In the same vein, if a prospective customer takes the time to search online, review your content and submit an enquiry, make sure someone’s on the receiving end ready to execute.
HELPFUL TIPS:
- Make sure you personally test your call to actions on your channels. Fill out the form, click the book an appointment button and follow the customer journey yourself. Did it work? Was it easy? Did it achieve the desired result?
- From experience, use a variety of emails too. Use your work and personal emails and get a friend to give it a go too.
- If you’ve been in business for a while or your website is a few years old, do a quick audit once a quarter, just to make sure your customers are still having a seamless user experience.
- If you’re not generating any leads or enquiries, it might be time to assess your online channels. How are they performing? Do you need to make any changes or improvements to reach your business goals and win new business?
Your online brand presence and lead generation are essential as the online space continues to evolve. Don’t be afraid of it. Keep on top of it, reach out for help and ensure it works.
With that I’m off to test my online call to actions and reluctantly continue my search for another Company B service provider.
