Not long ago (remember the 80s?) customers didn’t have a ton of ways to get in touch with a business. You could call, send a letter, or show up in person. But the web has opened up a lot of new channels for communication. What are the top ways your customers are contacting you now? And how are these modes of communication changing?
Here’s an assessment of the methods customers can use to contact you, ranked by our rough assessment of the value of each method. Of course, your mileage may vary so the best approach is to measure the volume of inquiries you are receiving through each channel and, just as importantly, how often you are earning new business through each.
Note that we are focusing here on businesses providing a service. If you sell a product, and you do it online, your ecommerce system will be your primary driver of all business. But still, don’t neglect the sales opportunities you will have when customers contact you in these other channels as well.
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Phone
Wait, aren’t we a web company? What are we doing saying that phone calls are the most important contact method for your business? Truth is, on average, the most serious customers who want your service are still going to pick up the phone. Of course, you’re going to get lots of other phone calls to your business too, but it’s important to understand how many of your sales leads still come from your phone number. Trackable numbers for both online and offline marketing investments can be a good way to get a handle on this, followed by a system in your office to note conversions from phone calls.
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Website Contact Form
It can be a big step for many customers to pick up the phone. Maybe they just have a quick question and don’t want to get into a conversation. Maybe they’re not available during your business hours. Maybe they are intimidated. Whatever the reason, your website contact form is a goldmine of new leads. Treat every inquiry as a vital opportunity to convert a new customer.
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Email
This is a close follow up to your website forms. Since we never recommend publishing email addresses (even general “info@” mailboxes) on your site itself, email becomes a popular channel of communication after that initial phone call or website form contact. If you send out regular email blasts (and we recommend that you do), replies to these blasts can be another valuable source of ongoing customer contact. Make sure anyone in your business who emails customers or potential customers is friendly, knowledgeable, and focused on encouraging that customer to take the next step.
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Social Media
Social can be a great channel to keep in touch with customers and make new connections. A lot of your business’s work here revolves around brand impressions and keeping your company in the minds of your customers. In our experience, customers who contact companies through social media generally have a very specific problem they want to solve. Only rarely does a customer contacting you through social media directly result in a new sale, but be on the lookout for opportunities such as advertising specials or announcing new products/services to more directly drive new business.
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Review Sites
Similar to social media, your customers may use review sites to leave positive and (hopefully not too much) negative feedback. We’ve written extensively on the importance of reviews and how to handle negative feedback you receive. Even if a review seems like nothing but a rant, recognize that in some way every review is about a customer’s attempt to connect with and provide feedback to a business. Even if a review isn’t directly addressed to you, think of it as a customer contacting you and reply appropriately.
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Live Chat
We have a few clients using this on their sites. It provides another opportunity for potential customers to get in touch, and it can be much more convenient and less intimidating than picking up the phone. Generally, we see potential customers asking many of the same questions in live chat programs, such as “do you offer X?” and “how much does Y cost?” Having templated responses ready to go will minimize the investment in staff time needed here. Note that if you offer live chat, you must be ready to respond immediately. If you have no one on it during nights and weekends, make sure this is programmed not to display on your site during those hours.
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Text Messaging
A few companies are exploring ways for customers to send text messages to businesses to ask questions and request services. In the medical field, we like what we see TigerText doing – providing a secure way for patients and potential patients to get in touch with doctors. Even though text has been around for a long time and usage of text messaging continues to increase, we have yet to see a lot of our clients willing to open themselves up to this level of interaction. If current trends hold though, today’s teens absolutely will demand that a company offers easy communication through texting. It may be just a bit on the horizon for smaller businesses, but it’s approaching quickly.