An online business should improve its customer service, particularly if it has not been around for a while and has yet to establish itself. Even brands that are recognizable worldwide are pouring resources to satisfy their customers.
Each unhappy client could potentially leave and look elsewhere. In other words, losing a customer to the competition is not healthy for the overall business success.
Thankfully, there are multiple ways to improve customer service. If you feel like the current strategy is not working in favor of your business, consider the following suggestions.
Perks
A happy customer will be returning to support your business. And one of the best ways to make your customers happy is to offer them various perks. For example, you could provide free shipping options or special discounts.
You could reward your most loyal customers with custom merchandise. T-shirts, hoodies, phone cases, and other print-on-demand products work great as complimentary gifts. This guide on entering apparel business online will reveal how to create your own print-on-demand products.
Of course, you cannot sacrifice the profits for perks too much. However, if there is some room to maneuver and offer a little bit in return to the customers, you should take those opportunities and use them to make your clients happy.
24/7 customer support
Another way to improve the service quality is to have customer support available 24/7. And keep in mind that this includes more than just live chat on your website. Social media profiles, and emails should receive an immediate response as well.
In 2020, 44% of shoppers used their smartphones to shop or research while in stores. Therefore, you should also accommodate the needs of those who prefer mobile devices, that is, answering phone calls.
If you cannot guarantee 24/7 with your current employees because of the work hours, hire someone from different time zones and have them cover these shifts.
A failure to receive a response could lead to a potential customer leaving the website and not bothering to return because there was nobody to answer their questions.
FAQ page
An in-depth FAQ page is one way to fill the gap of potentially not having 24/7 customer support. Besides, you should also consider the fact that some website visitors would rather look for information themselves instead of waiting for a response from customer support.
There is also a group of people who are anxious about making a phone call, particularly if they have to talk with a stranger.
Your FAQ page should have the most important information to accommodate the needs of both new and familiar customers. In case there is no FAQ page on your website, and you have no idea how to create one, look at some of the available examples online for inspiration.
Customer reviews
Some people may end up on your website because a friend or a family member referred them there. Some may find it via organic search because you have invested enough in search engine optimization.
However, just because they have stumbled upon your website, it does not necessarily mean that these site visitors will be eager to purchase from your right away.
According to Spiegel, the likelihood of someone purchasing goods or services increases by about 15 percent if there are anonymous reviews next to the product or service. And the likelihood is even higher if some of the reviews were written by verified purchasers.
Sure, if the reviews are negative, then the effect will be the opposite. Though that depends on the product itself, having great customer service could be a good incentive for someone to leave five stars instead of four stars on their review, meaning that it is also something you should consider.
Optimized website
Since you are selling online, you should not underestimate the importance of having a properly optimized website with the necessary features. It starts with simple elements, like the search bar function and social media icons. Missing even these insignificant parts of a website could cause problems.
And when it comes to more important matters, like mobile optimization, intuitive UI, product pages, then you or the person in charge of developing the website should do their best.
Imagine product pages that lack proper descriptions or high-quality photos. If someone is interested in buying from you but ends up on a page that does not provide the necessary information, the odds are that this person will leave the page.
Lack of alternative payment methods is also a common issue. If your website only accepts credit cards, expect to see many abandoned shopping carts because people will not complete the process.
Meanwhile, online stores that add services like Skrill, PayPal, Payoneer, and even crypto as a possible payment option are bound to attract more customers.
Employee training
Employee training is the last thing on the list. Custom support employees should not get complacent and continue improving themselves to provide the best possible shoppers’ experience.
Be it data collection and analysis in collaboration with other departments or practicing to use new work software – the more time people working in customer support spend increasing their repertoire, the more successful your online business will be.