Seven Tips for Using Technology to Connect with Your Customers
You already know that you need to work hard to maintain consistent interaction with your customer base. Here are seven tips for using technology to connect with your customers.
As a company, you already know that you need to work hard to maintain consistent interaction with your customer base. However, the internet has made it easier than ever to accomplish this without having even picked up the phone or use a stamp. Whether you are business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C), here are seven tips for using technology to connect with your customers.
Tip #1: Use Social Media for Customer Service
One of the easiest methods for utilizing technology to your advantage is by using social media for customer service. Allow customers to reach out to you on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook Messenger to express their happiness or complaints and have a dedicated employee available for handling their concerns. Not only does this help speed up the customer service process as a whole, but it also makes your customers feel as though they are being addressed and heard in a manner that is the least disruptive in their own lives.
Tip #2: Offer Self-Service Options on Your Website
Another method is to offer self-service options directly on your website. Not everyone wants or needs to interact with a representative, and having the chance to take care of things themselves is still a great way to connect. Examples of this process in use can be the option to make changes on an order, schedule or change appointments, update contact information, and more. Plus, most of these are relatively inexpensive to integrate into your current site.
Tip #3: Offer a Downloadable App for Convenience
Depending on your industry, you can also offer a downloadable smartphone app for customer convenience. Apps give customers the ability to handle much of what we’ve discussed above—customer service, self-service actions, and more—but provide a professional aesthetic. Smartphone app development is quite affordable these days, and the platform gives you a great way to continue to connect with your clients in a meaningful manner.
Tip #4: Post Updates or Information to Social Media Channels
For a straightforward way to connect with customers via technology, consider utilizing your social media channels to post updates or other useful information. This probably sounds simple enough, but it can make a significant impact. For example, if you’re changing hours or have a new product offering, post it to Facebook or Twitter. If you’ve worked hard to let customers know that you have these channels available for communication, they are likely already following you and will be happy to hear the news.
Tip #5: Host a Digital Focus Group
If you’re looking to get a better insight into what your customers or target market feels about your business, you can also opt to host a digital focus group. This can be something as simple as an email survey or something that includes video conferencing. There are also many vendors out there who have apps and platforms to make this possible. Instead of having to contact each one of your participants individually physically, technology makes it much easier to get feedback through this type of setup.
Tip #6: Give Customers Sneak Peeks
There are other ways you can connect with customers using technology. Give them a glimpse into your daily business operations by giving them sneak peeks. This can be something as simple as a video that shows what is happening on the manufacturing floor or interviews with key employees. The possibilities are nearly endless!
Tip #7: Provide Special Offers for Email Subscribers
Email marketing is a big part of keeping in touch with your clients, but the real catch is that you have to ask for permission. In this case, it helps to give customers an incentive to provide access to their inboxes. Consider something like a free sample or even a discount on their next purchase. While none of those options are all that different than what businesses have done for decades in terms of direct mail, the added convenience and lower cost of technology have made the process much better.
Reaching out to customers by using technology is easier than ever. Integris offers a variety of services to help make this possible. Please contact us today for further details.
