Make It Easy
One of my favorite marketing suggestions is for a business
to make the buying experience easy for the customer. If the customer does not
have to jump through all sorts of hoops or over many obstacles, they will
actually enjoy buying from your business. They will then tell everyone else how
easy the experience was, often saying that they enjoyed the process and had
some fun doing it.
There are businesses that make the customer buying experience
very memorable. However, there is good memorable and there is bad memorable. We all want to be known
for the good memories that we give our customers, not the bad ones. Therefore,
we must provide a buying experience that the client remembers as pleasurable
and good, not as something that they never, ever want to go through again. It should
be a purchase, not a death march.
Does this mean that we must wine and dine our customer
during the buying process? Of course not, unless that is the product that we
provide. We must give the customer an easy route to the conclusion of their
purchasing process, making it as easy as possible, and maybe making it
enjoyable, or even a fun experience. It should not be exhausting or frustrating
to the customer.
Perhaps every customer starts at your website. Is it easy to
navigate; is it easy to read? Is it easy to locate, or is it the website
address difficult to type into your browser? Can they find your product listing
and prices easily; can they pick out their purchases quickly and check out in a
straight-forward manner? Do you accept various methods of payment, and does the
customer feel secure in providing their information to you?
If you have a storefront operation, some of the same
questions apply. Is it welcoming, easy to locate, safe to venture into, and
well-lighted especially if you are open at night? Are your offerings displayed
so that they may be easily perused, well-marked as to price, and readily available?
Is your staff helpful, knowledgeable, and pleasant to your cliental? Is the
purchase process quick and easy, and if the items purchased are heavy or large,
do you deliver or at least assist out of your store?
In either situation, is there a way to follow-up with you if
there are questions or problems? Can the customer ask questions and receive
answers in a swift manner before, during, or after their purchase? Do you state
your policies regarding purchases, shipping, and returns clearly and simply? Have
you ever asked others to review your website, or store, and give you their
opinion of it from the outsider’s point of view?
Have you ever asked your customers their opinions, or have
you ever asked your former customers? Is your delivery staff friendly,
non-threatening, and able to complete the tasks required in an efficient, but professional
manner? Can they answer questions, make adjustments if necessary, and resolve
issues on the spot? What is your procedure if there is a mistake on your part,
if there is an error on the customer’s part, or if there is a broken, or
missing, portion of the product in question?
All of the parts of the customer buying experience are
important to a business’s continued success. Your customers will return to buy your
products or services if their experience is pleasant and enjoyable. If it is
not a good experience, they will not return for whatever you have, and will
also never refer anyone to you. They will be your greatest advocates if you
make it easy for they to buy from you, but will drive prospects away if they
have a difficult buying experience. You want them to be happy, and satisfied,
customers and marketing advocates.
What is the experience of your customers? Have you ever
asked them, especially the ones that did not remain clients? We all need happy,
satisfied customers to prosper and succeed. Please leave me your comments, or
email me at Jim@JimTeasley.com,
or call me at 360-314-8691.
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