Customer needs and expectations are rapidly evolving and the gap between what a customer expects from an enterprise-sized business to a small or medium business has never been narrower.
With the prevalence of eCommerce and digital offerings, customers expect businesses to meet them where they are – in person or online – regardless of the product or service. The lines have truly blurred between what sets one business apart from another, so the best way to stand out is through exceptional customer service and digital experience.
Research from Zendesk’s CX Trends 2024 Report shows that:
- 81 per cent of customers will make another purchase if they have a great experience.
- After one bad experience, 61 per cent of customers will switch to a competitor.
- After multiple bad experiences, 73 per cent of customers will switch to a competitor.
Delivering a great customer experience can lead to greater visibility for a business, positive customer reviews and referrals – which in turn create more revenue.
As customers search for more meaningful interactions across multiple channels, how does a small business meet these expectations with limited budgets and resources?
Automation
The never-ending list of administrative duties like invoicing, billing, pay roll, accounting, marketing, scheduling and managing appointments go on and on.
Many small-business owners find that they have so much to do and such little time to do it. They become so bogged down with administrative tasks that they can’t work on the business itself. Automation allows you to connect with customers in an authentic way, while reducing your workload.
Most small businesses don’t have the luxury of a marketing team, an accounts receivable team, a social media team, or a customer service team. Most of the time it’s one or two people juggling these duties to ensure the business stays running.
Automation allows your business to send personalised messages and market to your customers effectively without requiring any manual involvement in the process.
Digitise your communication
Did you know that 93 per cent of customers will spend more with your business if you communicate with them on their preferred platform?
Building a digital presence is a challenge many small businesses face when resources are tight and scarce – but it is possible!
So, how do you choose what channel is right for you and your customers?
- Build a website. It may seem like an obvious choice but having a strong website will meet your customers at the crucial intersection of their search journey. Offering additional benefits such as booking online will mean instant bookings and customer growth.
- Leverage social media. Social media channels are the best platform for small businesses to establish a digital presence. By identifying which channels your audience prefers, you can tailor your content to reach them where they are. Automating content through scheduling is a cost-effective way to ensure a steady stream of content that keeps the conversation going and your business front of mind.
- Optimise for SEO. Increase your visibility by appearing higher in organic search results. Make it easier for consumers to find you and make your website as visible as possible on search engines like Google, Yahoo! and Bing. You can do this using SEO best practice, such as understanding which search terms your customers are using to find your website, creating content that includes these search terms and reducing any duplicate content on your site.
Remember, the main goal for digital transformation is to alleviate the pressure of business administration and digitise the tasks that are taking up time and resources and keeping you up at night. It will also improve your clients’ experience by using their preferred method of communication in line with the expectation of online convenience in 2024.
