As we Embark on a fresh year it really pays to reflect on some of the fundamentals of marketing a small business and it all begins with creating the perfect customer experience.
A perfect customer experience will keep the customers coming back time and time again; it can turn first time customers into lifelong customers. Customer experience should be included in your marketing strategy and should be one of the main aims of your business. So how do you make sure your customers are getting this perfect experience? Read on to find out.
A bad experience results when customers’ expectations aren’t met. One way to fix this is to communicate well to your customers and set the right expectations for them. If the customer knows exactly what you offer and what to expect from a transaction with your business, they won’t ever be disappointed as long as you stick to your word.
Along with setting accurate expectations, you can combine this with high value. First point out to customers the main benefit they will receive by using your company. For example ‘Saves time’. Then back this up with a secondary benefit, for example ‘makes your parties truly memorable’. This will create a higher value for the customer and it also gives you a back up if the first benefit isn’t carried out. If someone was to complain that your company didn’t deliver on ‘saving time’, you could then respond that to make the party truly memorable it takes time to evaluate the best option for their needs.
When training your staff make sure they are good at dealing with people. Think of all staff as working in the marketing department; whoever has contact with customers has a chance of ruining the customer experience. Make sure you clearly communicate to your staff what you are able to deliver to customers and remind them to make it their top priority to provide the customer with the perfect experience.
Another thing that you must do is map your touchpoints. Touchpoints are any department or staff member who comes in contact with customers. A good way to do this is to list every department and how they come into contact with customers. Then make sure each touchpoint is designed to create a better customer experience. Handwritten notes in orders or on invoices, follow up tips on how to get the most out of the product they recently purchased and a simple tool that customers can use to vote on how good or bad of a job you did are all examples of how to make touchpoints lead to a better customer experience.
Based on a thorough understanding of your business and an examination of the market your product resides in, Clarity Marketing can develop a targeted marketing and communications strategy and extensive plan to develop your business. Clarity Marketing & Communications will work with you to develop your goals with maximum impact. See more here.