Small businesses will often rely on their website for consumers to find them, so this is your opportunity to make a good impression with potential leads or returning customers. Therefore, you want to make sure that the site keeps your visitors engaged and interested.
Few brands aren’t aware of the importance of being engaging on the web, but smaller companies often don’t believe they have the resources or time to be updating their websites on a more continuous basis with fresh and new content.
So what many small businesses do is create a Facebook page and forgo the website. There is no question that Facebook and other social media outlets are an excellent place to begin but if you want to gain the trust of your customer you need a website – it is that important because it shows that you have a company that is established.
You want to make sure that your website experience will match your customer service experience. We live in an increasingly mobile world and so consumers expect the same shopping experience online as they would get in your store. Therefore, it is a good idea to offer a seamless customer experience such as providing in-depth details on your products/services, purchasing information, easy contact, and a way for customers to quickly reach you such as live chat.
You should also personalize your site in a way that works for your business. Enhance your customer experience by tailoring your site to their needs. Don’t use flashy gimmicks. Use big data analytics to learn what it is your customer is looking for when they arrive at your site and then create an experience that pleases them.
Make sure you are using social media as a tool to communicate and engage with your customers online. Social media’s role has changed a lot in the last few years. Not only is it a way to share and promote your content from your site, but it can also be an extension in your customer service – a quick and easy way for your customers to contact and connect with you. You can also reach your customers quickly and in a very cost-effective way, that costs only pennies per customer.
Engaging your customers online is no longer a novelty – something you can think about offering. It is what consumers want and if you aren’t providing it, you need to expect that they will look elsewhere.
Allen Mutum 