5 Ways to Create a Better Online Customer Experience

In today’s digital world, your customers are interacting with your business in more ways than just in-person visits and phone calls. They’re interacting with you online – whether through your ads, your website, your social media channels, and more. 

So, how can you create a positive customer experience across all these online entities? Here are five questions to ask yourself to determine whether or not you’re presenting a positive online experience for your customers.

Is Your Website User-Friendly?

There’s nothing more off-putting than a website that isn’t user-friendly. Your customers and potential customers want to be able to navigate your website to find out what you do, where you’re located, how they can contact you, and more. They also want to be able to view your website on their mobile devices or tablets. If your website doesn’t have this information readily available or isn’t mobile-friendly, 85% of users will leave your site.

What to do: Make sure your business information is easily accessible on your mobile-friendly or responsive website.

Are Your Listings Updated & Accurate?

The only thing worse than a bad website? Outdated or incorrect local listings. Have you ever searched for a business on Google Maps, set your GPS for that location, and arrived there to find an empty storefront because the business moved? It’s not fun.

What to do: Save your customers from this experience by claiming your business profiles on top listings like Google My Business and updating your business information on other directory listings.

Are Your Search Ads Going to the Right Landing Pages?

If your text ads are taking searchers to an unrelated landing page, you probably aren’t creating a positive customer experience for them. Searchers click on your ads because they’re interested in what’s being advertised. Don’t mislead them with sneaky text.

What to do: Make sure content and keywords from your text ad are present on your landing page. If you’re advertising a free consultation, your landing page should include a form for a free consultation. This will also help decrease your cost per click and improve your ad placement.

Are You Active on Social Media?

An active social media presence can help you create a positive experience for your customers. Consumers enjoy interacting with local businesses on social sites and use it as a resource to see the latest updates, specials, and what’s happening with their favorite businesses.

What to do: The first step is to establish a strong Facebook or Twitter page for your business, ensuring it features your complete business information (like your website, phone number, and address). From here, you’ll want to build a long-term strategy to engage with your audience and a consistent posting schedule.

Are You Managing Your Online Reputation?

We can’t talk about customer experience without talking about reviews! While online reviews don’t always paint the full picture, they do give users an outlet to share their positive experiences or vent their frustrations.

What to do: Monitor online review sites to see what customers are saying about your business and use these tips for responding appropriately. Try to resolve issues for unhappy customers and use customer feedback to improve your business both online and offline.

Creating a positive experience for consumers online boils down to approaching your online marketing through a customer-focused lens. At Bonshaw, we’re always thinking about how your customers are finding you, contacting you, and interacting with you online, so that we can tweak your marketing strategies to be more appealing to your audience.