How to Meet Your Next Customer - Part 1
Updated: Sep 22, 2021
It Starts With Your Online Presence
Meeting your next customer in the modern world has as much to do with your online presence as your physical location. And if you're new to the game, you may not know where to start.
But don't worry. Good Business Practices cross over into the digital world - they just get applied a bit differently. Here are 5 easy steps to get you started.
Meet your next customer through these 5 steps:
1. Welcome
2. Engage
Welcome
There are many ways to welcome someone into your brick-and-mortar location. But with more and more businesses setting up shop in the digital world, how do you show that same welcome to your next potential customers?
Language Words are important. These days the words in the digital space can make or break your company's reputation. But instead of focusing on the language taboos, focus on language that welcomes, invites, and includes. This is one of the easiest transitions from a physical brick-and-mortar business to online, but you'll stand out if you remember it. A memorable physical greeter or a sales rep with great phone skills makes connections for your company and builds up trust with your customers. It's the same way online. Build in the language of welcoming people in. Make sure to check all your digital customer touch-points: - Online front pages - Customer portals - Social media profiles
Tone Tone is one of those things we don't think about until we don't have it. It's not what we're saying. It's how we're saying it. Saying the same thing in an email or on a web page as you would in person is hard because we're missing a huge auditory cue. How can you translate that to the digital world? Incorporate some Audio or Video. - Try a short video greeting on an About Us page - Interview a customer in a podcast - Post a behind-the-scenes video on YouTube or your Google Business Page
Photos Optics. People look at the photos and then see the words. A photo can show who your company is, connect with an audience, and even welcome them in depending on what kind of photos you share and where. Think shared humanity. We're drawn to groups that we feel safe in. Sometimes that means family, the camaraderie of shared experience, or even shared interests or hobbies. Simplified: we are attracted to the familiar. Take this opportunity to update your photos to welcome more groups of people into your business. With one photo, you can share that different groups of people are welcome faster than you could write a press release, and more believable than adding it into your mission statement.
Accessibility How accessible is your website? Is it manageable for people who are color-blind? How about those who are trying to access your site with ADHD? Are there simple steps and processes, or is your site confusing for the non-tech savvy? Just as a brick-and-mortar entry would be wheel-chair accessible - you want to create a warm welcome by upping your site's accessibility. - Create an easy-to-navigate website - Fill out the alt-tag or captions of any photos/images - Make sure any text is legible in size, color contrast, and font choice - Build simple steps to: find your location, buy your products, ask a question
You can use your skills for welcoming people into your business by making some edits, additions, and updates to your online touchpoints today.
Remember: Language, Tone, Photos, Accessibility.
I feel more welcome already.
Meet The Author
Sue from Skavlem Designs
When I make a design, I think – What can this do?
These designs don’t just exist. These designs DO. They work hard alongside you and your business. These designs are levers. They are sales. They are engaged customers. They are brand recognition that gets you that meeting.
Top 3 things I love to do: Read. Paint. Snowboard.
