How to Make Your Brand More Available to Your Customers
Engaging your customers and making them feel as though you’re truly there for them creates loyalty and repeat business. Making your brand more available to consumers requires targeted effort and an understanding of what their needs are. Authentic engagement takes time and ongoing commitment.
In a study by PWC, researchers found people are more open to sharing information with a company offering a great customer experience (CX). About 63% said they’d give more personal details to a company with good engagement and service. About 16% would pay premium prices for products and services and have a deeper sense of loyalty.
When you realize the many benefits of making your brand more available and customer-friendly, finding ways to connect with your audience becomes a no-brainer. Smaller businesses or new entrepreneurs may be a little unsure of where to start, though. Here are six ways of creating more engagement today.
1. Add Online Reviews
Online reviews give consumers two ways of engaging with your brand. First, those who already buy your products can share their experiences. Second, people considering a purchase can see what others have to say. Shoppers are much more likely to listen to peer feedback than a description from the seller.
San Ramon Family Optometry grabs reviews from across the internet and adds them to its homepage. This shows potential clients what others like about the practice and gives some peer insight into the business’s CX. Notice how it includes a star rating to show just how satisfied its patrons are.
2. Ask for Feedback
One of the most powerful tools you have for developing customer loyalty is finding out what people like or would prefer to be improved. Send out questionnaires to current clients and ask them for feedback.
The more information you have, the better you’ll understand what your target audience wants. When trying to reach new buyers, you’ll know which elements they care most about and how to address any concerns they have. Surveys are also an opportunity to fix any weaknesses you might have in your customer service model.
3. Share Your History
People love nothing more than a good story. It helps them connect with your business on an emotional level. Dig deep into why you started your brand in the first place. What are your passions? Who do you want to reach? How do you most want to help the local community?
As you pull together your business’s story, you’ll likely rediscover some passions you forgot you had. You might decide to embrace a new cause that ties into your purpose as a brand. Share your struggles, successes, and what you care most about as a person and a company.
Gregory Poole does an excellent job of making its business real to customers by sharing its history. It utilizes a headline to let the user know it’s been in business since 1951, showing it’s reliable and long-lasting. It also shares some information about the types of work it does and how it helps customers throughout the eastern North Carolina region.
4. Focus on Mobile
Recent studies show more people than ever before access the internet via their mobile devices. According to the World Advertising Research Center (WARC), about 75% of internet users will be mobile-only by 2025. If you want to make your brand available to as many consumers as possible, you must focus on a responsive website design.
Consider the different content people look at when visiting your pages. Are videos mobile-friendly? Images in articles must scale to smaller screen sizes, and text should still be readable.
5. Offer Opportunities for Social Engagement
One excellent way of engaging your audience is through social media. Think about the platforms where your customers most likely spend their time. If you have a mix of buyer personas, then your best bet might be Facebook. If you focus on business owners, LinkedIn is an excellent option. For younger demographics, Instagram or TikTok may be your better choice.
Bideawee helps find homes for rescued animals in New York. It showcases its social media presence directly on its website. You can also sign up for its newsletter as an additional way to keep in contact. Since their audience is broad, it has a presence on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It features animals available for adoption on these social media platforms.
6. Host Discussions, Contests and Other Events
If you want to engage your customers and show them you care about their opinions and experience, you must offer opportunities to connect. Host a discussion online and answer questions about your industry. Hold a contest where you ask clients to share images of them using your product or service and award the one with the most likes and shares. Think of other events you can hold, such as a snack time and insider sale.
Make Them Feel Special
Look for ways to show your audience you care about them as individuals. Personalize experiences when you can and go the extra mile. There are many stories of brands such as Trader Joe’s going out of their way to help an individual customer here and there. Be the local business that goes above and beyond, and you’ll develop a rapport no competitor can break.
Lexie is a web designer and UX strategist. She loves taking her goldendoodle on long runs and checking out local flea markets. Visit her blog, Design Roast, and follow her on Twitter @lexieludesigner.
