By 2020 it is estimated that customers will manage 85% of their relationship with a business without interacting with a human. And with 89% of businesses competing predominantly on customer experience (CX) within a matter of a few years, now might just be the right time to consider the importance of CX and how it will affect your business.

92% of all start-up businesses fail within the first 3 years and a lot of the reasons for this is directly relating to not having the right people involved in the business. 

The uptake of online shopping, social media and contacting businesses via their website has meant that many of today’s business is conducted without the personal interaction of years gone by, but that doesn’t mean your business should disregard the need for having a human touch. 

Magnetising content is content that will draw in readers and potential customers, converting them not only into sales but into repeat clients and brand ambassadors (those that will refer others to you, sing your praises and share your content, increasing your reach and traffic). 

Starting out with your business online can appear overwhelming – what to do, when to do it and what if you don’t have the time and resources to do it all at once. 

As Australia’s largest demographic, the Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964), present a unique challenge for businesses and owners of websites. Because of a high post-WWII birth rate and immigration this generation now represent around a quarter of our entire population. They are wealthier than the younger generations, still utilise print media and the radio and yet are taking up social media at amazing rates – they are a generation not to be overlooked and not to be dismissed out of hand.

In an age where technology can help us get our message to the right person, for a product or service they may want, on a device they are currently using, and that data be measurable, it all still comes down to the quality of the message.

While it might seem like redundant advice – be honest and authentic in business – it seems that in the race to outdo competitors, remain competitive and get more sales, when marketing to audiences, some businesses have lost sight of this but beware – the customers aren’t fooled. 

Customer service has changed with the popularity of online social media platforms, online shopping and just generally the Internet. Now is the time to get your customer service processes up to speed before it’s too late and you and your business is left behind. So what does today’s customer want?

24/7 is the new 9-5

The upside of the internet is that your place of business can be open 24/7 but with that comes an added customer service expectation. While people understand that it’s unlikely your site and social media will be monitored all day, every day they do expect to be able to receive answers to basic questions whenever they want. How do you do this? Simple – ensure that your website and social media platforms have content which is easy to understand and engaging. In additional, an FAQ page is a must – cover all the important topics related to your business such as ecommerce security, returns policies, sizing guides, opening hours etc. (as an extra bonus – FAQ pages are great for SEO purposes and are considered evergreen content, meaning that they do not usually have a shelf life).

While many businesses will swear and declare that they have always been 100% dedicated to their customers and customer service/satisfaction, the cold, hard truth is the opposite. Of late, marketing has been quite ego-centric – ‘we offer the best/fastest/cheapest delivery’ or ‘our product is the best’. We’ve lost customer focus and they have had enough. In order to regain their trust, their patronage, their hard earned money, we need to renew efforts to build value around our customers – not the channel or even the product or service.

How to do this