Imagine relaxing with your favorite Netflix show after a long day when, suddenly, your internet connection goes down. In place of your show are a spinning wheel and black screen. You reach for your cell phone and ask Google about your connection loss. Google recommends your provider’s help page, and on this page, you are greeted with a site that is not optimized for mobile and content that does not answer your question. Frustrated, you look for a customer service number to dial instead.
This scenario, and many others like it, offers tremendous opportunity for improvement. Creating a positive and easy customer service experience promotes a happier, more loyal customer — and using digital marketing tips and tools can help. Creating content for the customer, developing a content strategy and testing and optimizing are key digital marketing tools that can help you create an excellent customer service experience for your users.
1. Create content for your customer’s point of view.
Many years ago, people searched for information in an encyclopedia using concise words and definitive topics. Now, people search online using questions such as, “how do I connect my DVR to my remote” instead of “DVR setup.” Your content has to speak the same language as your customers — they are human and want a human response to their inquiries. Creating content that is too technical can frustrate visitors. Simplify and humanize your content to generate a more straightforward, positive customer experience.
Find out the most common questions that your customers are asking and ensure the answers are easily found. Don’t make assumptions about your customers here — dig into some real data. Implement a chat window and proactively ask visitors what their question is, and talk to your customer service representatives to see what people are calling in for the most. Use this data to train your support reps and put that information front and center. Having this information readily available can ease some of the frustration already felt by a user seeking customer support.
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2. Let the customer choose how they interact with the content.
Every customer is different: some are visual, some are verbal. Some are using mobile search on the go, looking for information fast, while some are at home on their laptop, looking for something more in depth. Having options available for the customer allows them to decide how they want to fulfill their needs and own their own experience. Having an article, FAQ page and video all assisting with the same issue may seem redundant, but it opens the door for people to digest the information in their own way.
On this note, it is also important to have your content optimized for different platforms. The customer is looking for a seamless experience whether they are on their computer, tablet or cell phone. One person can have a multitude of devices to view your content on, so it better function consistently.
3. Test and optimize.
Once your content is ready to go, it’s time to test it out. User experience (UX) and A/B testing are fantastic for working out the kinks on your site. Keep in mind that you are not going to get everything right the first time — plan on letting the data speak to you and having to pivot and change quickly.
Know what your specific goals are when testing. It can be overwhelming when there is so much to watch, listen for and learn, but remember what you’re trying to affect. Are you shooting for shorter customer service calls, fewer pages on the site or helping people find content quicker online? Measure that specific goal that you have in mind cleanly and adjust as needed to move that goal forward. It’s okay to break a couple things on your way to achieving your goal.
Today, it is more important than ever to provide an excellent experience throughout the entire customer journey. Digital marketing doesn’t have to be just about attracting and selling, but it should also be used to maintain the customer relationship long-term. Providing an excellent support experience can be just what you need to maintain a more satisfied customer overall for a longer period of time.
