The Last Word: Customer Solutions Profit Ideas

In my previous post, I offered some tips on how companies that enjoy successful customer experience/customer service reputations in “classic” or traditional modalities can extend that to also develop an outstanding customer experience in their online properties.

Now I want to go beyond this list of basics and suggest that a really great online experience needs to also have the following:

• Reflection of not just the graphic representation but the customer service philosophy of the brand.

• Dialog with customers that is active, outgoing and engaging and that fully engages them to provide feedback on their levels of satisfaction and ideas for improvement relating to their customer experience.

• Surveying of competitive online customer sales experiences that identify new site launches as well as features and functionality that might make your site obsolete. Also, anything that presents your site as lacking when compared with the organic and ever changing nature of the internet.

Online channels might be less expensive than bricks & mortar but it requires more attention and consideration than many are giving it, particularly in light of the growing preference on the part of customers to at least conduct some (if not all) of their buying consideration process online — and hopefully, on your site!