An online presence is critical to launching and maintaining your business, but many business owners miss out on ways to get your name and your product lines out into the world. Depending on the goods and services you sell, it may be hard to share your expertise in just a blurb. However, by going in-depth on your industry knowledge, you can gain the respect of potential customers.
Research
What’s your target market? Who are you hoping to thrill with your goods and services? If you’re planning to sell decorative home products, are you looking to spread a particular message, offer simple storage options to minimalists, or thrill the maximalists with a bit of dash?
Trends come in many forms. There’s a trend, such as de-cluttering, that may have a guru and many followers. There’s also the backlash, such as maximalists, who love all their books and knick-knacks and have no interest in getting rid of them, are in the market for more, and really need another shelf unit. Are you planning to be part of a movement, part of the backlash, or are you interested in being a guru?
Share Your Expertise
You can build your brand as a guru by offering your expertise in a blog or a post on social media, including professional sites such as LinkedIn. If you believe there’s a middle ground between being fully decluttered and loving all of the bits and bobs that collectors can gather over time, be sure you put in the work to get your ideas out there.
If you’re an organizer, display your work in quality photos with loads of light. Should you have the chance to help a doll collector or a gem and mineral expert show off their belongings, hire a professional photographer to show off your work in a museum quality light.
Promote Your Excellent Follow-Up Service
Because your services can include both procurement assistance and work in-house, get testimonials at the time the work is done and schedule a follow-up. Especially for in-house work, having testimonials that discuss your second and third projects for particular clients will boost confidence in your business and your expertise.
You may have people trolling your website for information, but when it comes time to place the order or schedule an appointment, you face site abandonment time and again. If possible, ask your clients for a photo of their project and a quote. Even better, find out if your clients will serve as a reference and offer a portal where existing clients and potential clients can chat anonymously.
Gather and Act on
Not every client is going to be happy, and this is your time to grow. Gather and track how it’s acted on. Be certain to note the source of the dissatisfaction and be willing to reduce the weight of complaints on issues that were out of your control.
For example, if you shipped it on time but the shipping company failed to make the delivery, it’s not your fault but you will need to address it. You may also need to make a change in your shipping defaults if a particular region is hit with poor delivery results regularly.
Additionally, you want to track complaints about any poor verbal exchanges or inappropriate email responses. People can buy items online from anywhere in the world, and even those who strongly believe they should buy from their home country will turn away from that opinion for the right price.
However, positive connections over the phone or via email will matter for years to come. Loyalty is about being heard, and being heard is about being part of a community. Poor customer service gets a lot of chatter and may light up your social media s for a time, but good customer service means that repeat customers will come back to your site or store even if you’re less convenient or more expensive.
As business moves more and more to e-commerce, shoppers still need a way to feel connected to the world of retail. Your skill set as a presenter and an expert will have an impact, as will your choice to manage unhappy customers effectively.
