In our digital age, the Internet is the doorway to customers. From researching products to reading online reviews, people want to feel confident before making purchases. Unfortunately, many brands sabotage themselves by neglecting their digital presence, eroding the trust of current customers and driving away potential ones. To ensure a positive digital reputation, here are six mistakes to avoid.
Customers should know exactly what to expect from your company when they do business with you. This is why it’s so critical to be consistent across all channels and never mislead your customers. For example, if your website mentions a promotional event, your social media channels should do the same. Even more importantly, pricing information should be consistent, as well as delivery and return policies. If customers do not understand the details of your products and services, they will not support your brand.
It can be upsetting to find negative comments on your digital platforms. However, ignoring them is a sure way to lose customer confidence entirely. If customers are in need of service, make sure to answer them promptly. When a case becomes complex, offer to move the conversation to a private channel. This shows the public that you have made an effort to resolve the issue in a way that respects the customer’s privacy. Similarly, your brand should monitor and respond to reviews. Such feedback is essential to improving your brand, and taking the time to reach out to these customers for more information can restore their confidence and give your brand additional insights.
Customers can tell right away if your digital channels have been neglected. It’s one thing to offer inconsistent information, and yet another to omit information entirely. For example, service hours should be clearly posted on all channels so that customers know when they can reach you. If a sales event has passed or a product is no longer in stock, updates are necessary. In addition, customers should never be routed to webpages that no longer exist. Make sure to keep people informed at all times, and don’t waste their time by making them search for answers.
Nowadays, having a social media presence is a must for all brands. If customers see that you are not very active on popular channels, they will assume that you don’t take them seriously. Be sure to provide consistent service by responding to comments, reaching out to customers proactively, and engaging your audience through interesting content.
A website full of spelling and grammatical errors makes your company look careless. In addition, poor website design can frustrate your customers as they will lose time looking for information. Make sure fonts are clearly legible, webpages are easy to navigate, and contact information is posted prominently.
Always keep in mind that the content featured on your digital channels needs to connect with your target audience. Does the language reflect the way your customers think and speak? Are your videos and photos interesting to this audience in particular? Customers need to feel that your products and services were designed with them in mind. For optimum engagement, speak to them in a way that they can understand and appreciate. A positive digital reputation sends the message that your brand is truly professional and cares about its customers. By posting clear and interesting content, responding quickly on all channels, and offering information proactively, both old and new customers will be happy to support your brand.
