Models such as <\/span>CPaaS<\/span><\/a> can help you to draw disparate forms of communication together to form an effective marketing strategy. The tips in this guide will also help you to communicate effectively and build your customer base.<\/span><\/p>\n What exactly does e-commerce mean for your brand? You\u2019ll want to understand this first and foremost. Consider what kind of website you should run, and what kinds of social media you should be utilizing. With so many options available, you need to tailor your e-commerce approach for the most effective customer relations.<\/span><\/p>\n Seek out recommendations, reviews, and experiences related to other brands in your industry. Have a look at what customers believe they\u2019re doing right – and wrong. When marketing your brand, draw on customers\u2019 experiences and frustrations to exemplify what makes your brand special. Customers feel valued when their experiences are at the forefront of a brand\u2019s commercial strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s always useful to research <\/span>the demographics of your customers<\/span><\/a>, and there are several ways you can do this. For example, sending a follow-up email once you have completed your service to the customer can help you to understand their likes and dislikes. Public polling is easily done over social media, too. Making your customer research visible demonstrates transparency and honesty. Above all, it shows customers that you care.<\/span><\/p>\n Lastly, remember that customers come to you because they\u2019re interested in the product or service your brand provides. Show the same interest yourself on your online platforms. It\u2019s not enough to just self-promote – demonstrate your competency and experience by showing your knowledge of the wider industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Share general entertaining content, invite discussion with your customers, and cultivate a clear \u2018brand personality\u2019 through your online presence. The key to successful e-commerce is marketing <\/span>with<\/span><\/i> your customers. The online world allows for a uniquely reciprocal business-customer relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n Chances are, as your business expands, you\u2019ll have an increasing number of contact avenues for your customers. In addition to telephone and email service, you can open up to various social media websites.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s great to be widely available to your customers, whatever their preferred method of communication. However, it can be difficult to maintain an even level of service across so many different channels.<\/span><\/p>\n Train and equip your customer service<\/a> team so they\u2019re able to competently deal with a range of requests. If your team members have varying skills, <\/span>skills-based routing<\/span><\/a> is one way to resolve queries more effectively.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s also important for your team to communicate with one another, ensuring cohesion of service across various channels. You may want to consider a <\/span>hosted contact center<\/span><\/a> as a method of achieving this. The <\/span>top call center providers<\/span><\/a> will have a variety of special options to maximize your service level.<\/span><\/p>\n Social media can be a useful customer service channel. Customers will leverage its public-facing nature to get quick service. Keep a constant eye on your social platforms in case you\u2019re tagged by a customer. You should aim for a near-instant response to social media customers. Responsiveness indicates to any potential customers that your brand offers great service.<\/span><\/p>\n Most social media platforms will also have instant messaging available. <\/span>Building live chat into your own website<\/span><\/a> is a proven method of increasing sales, but you should be utilizing social media messaging as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If your brand has a social media presence, customers will be messaging you anyway, as it\u2019s a clearly available avenue, so you may as well be prepared. The instant back-and-forth of live chat affords the opportunity for the \u2018human touch\u2019. A few friendly emojis will go a long way.<\/span><\/p>\n A strong customer service infrastructure will help you give excellent service throughout each customer\u2019s journey. This is the magic touch that tells customers how much you value their patronage, and will secure them as a repeat customer.<\/span><\/p>\n Referral marketing<\/span> should be one of the cornerstones of your e-commerce strategy. The Internet grants you access to an incredible number of customers across the entire world. The downside to this? These same customers will have access to an incredible number of competing brands. They might succumb to <\/span>choice fatigue<\/span><\/a> before they\u2019ve even seen yours.<\/span><\/p>\n A referral is testimony from trusted family and friends with experience of your brand. Word-of-mouth referrals are a <\/span>huge purchase motivator<\/span><\/a>, so it\u2019s essential to use this in your e-commerce strategy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Social media is an easy and effective channel for this. Posts will always have \u2018share\u2019 options available – make sure these are highly visible to your customers and encourage their use. Each time someone shares one of your posts, they\u2019re exposing your brand to a new audience.<\/span><\/p>\n One way to maximize referrals is to offer incentives to existing customers when they share your brand. For example, if an existing customer provides you with a friend or family member\u2019s email address, you can reward the customer with a coupon when that person makes a purchase. Or, enter everyone who shares a given post into a prize draw. The possibilities are endless. Above all, you want your customers, both new and existing, to know that you appreciate them.<\/span><\/p>\n Using your product or service as a basis, cultivate a brand identity that appeals to your customer base, and emphasizes your USP. When your brand\u2019s \u2018personality\u2019 aligns with your customers\u2019 values, they\u2019ll consider your brand an extension of their own identity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This naturally leads to referrals, as your customers will be keen to share the things that are important to them. Maintain a consistent and appealing service ethos, and your customers will soon become champions of your brand.<\/span><\/p>\n \u2018Review culture\u2019<\/span><\/a> is a fixture of the online market. Who among us doesn\u2019t make at least a cursory check of online reviews before trying a new brand? Sites such as Yelp and Trustpilot are sometimes wielded like weaponry by disgruntled customers, and not without reason.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The unfortunate truth is that a few bad reviews may outweigh swathes of good ones. Every single customer has the potential to make their experience internationally public. It can sometimes feel like you\u2019re under the microscope.<\/span><\/p>\n Customer reviews are almost always based on the service you provide. Make sure your customers have an <\/span>excellent purchase experience<\/span><\/a> to draw out satisfied reviews. Customers should be able to leave reviews easily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ensure your brand has a presence on major review sites, and link to these in pertinent places on your website and social media. You could also send a follow-up email to customers who have purchased from you.<\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, bad reviews are inevitable as your brand expands. Whether or not they\u2019re justified, your brand should be responding to as many bad reviews as possible – ideally all of them. This will demonstrate your transparency, honesty, and commitment to great service to your potential customers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Resist the temptation to argue in review responses, even if the customer\u2019s claims are blatantly wrong. Instead, invite the customer to contact you to resolve their issue. Of course, if you\u2019re \u2018trolled\u2019 by egregiously offensive reviews, work with the host site to get them removed.<\/span><\/p>\n Psychological research<\/span><\/a> has shown that it is far easier for most people to process images than text. The combination of visuals and audio activates several different areas of the brain, making videos a highly memorable medium.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Videos are stimulating and attention-grabbing. They lend a lease of life to your brand\u2019s online presence, in a way static text and images cannot. When you talk to your customers through regular videos, they\u2019ll feel that they\u2019re interacting with a living, breathing brand.<\/span><\/p>\n Live streaming<\/span><\/a> is a particularly fun way to engage with your customers. As the name implies, a live stream allows real-time interaction with your customers. It\u2019s an exciting event for your customer base – your \u2018brand community\u2019 – to look forward to. You can use live streams to unveil new products and features, answer customer questions, and discuss industry-relevant topics. For a more informative take, you might want to <\/span>record a webinar<\/span><\/a>. This is also ideal for informing your business partners and colleagues.<\/span><\/p>\n However, live streams can be fairly resource-intensive. A great deal of planning and prep is required so you\u2019re prepared for any eventuality. It may not be feasible to host regular live streams, but you can still upload videos to interest your customers. A brand YouTube channel is a good place to collate all your video content, providing a fount of information for potential customers.<\/span><\/p>\n Try and maintain a regular upload schedule. Vlogs, especially in combination with a written blog, are a good way to keep your customers invested and up-to-date. As well as talking about your brand, chat about your industry in general to show off your knowledge and capabilities. You can use the editing, graphics, and sound choices to embody your brand\u2019s personality.<\/span><\/p>\n Online advertising is a powerful industry, and a crucial moneymaker for your online business. You should be <\/span>finetuning your SEO practices<\/span><\/a>, not only so you get on more people\u2019s radars, but also to attract high-quality advertisements.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brightpearl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/image2-1-1.png\")
<\/p>\nUnderstand Your Customer Base<\/span><\/h3>\n
Provide Excellent Customer Service<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brightpearl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/image5.png\")
<\/p>\nSpread the Word With Customer Referrals<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brightpearl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/image3-1-1.png\")
<\/p>\nMake the Most of Online Reviews<\/span><\/h3>\n
Videos as a Marketing Tool<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brightpearl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/image1-1-3.png\")
<\/p>\nUse Advertising Effectively<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.brightpearl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/image4-1-1.png\")
<\/p>\n