Electronic Retailer - September 2012 - 58

1. One tick of the clock can make the difference between getting or losing the sale. A good customer experience is a quick and convenient one. When customers want something, they want it quickly and with as little effort on their end as possible. How your organization fares in those two areas determines the level of customer satisfaction. Most organizations know this. Unfortunately, they don’t always put it into practice when it comes to responding to online customers. For example, you have a high-end piece of exercise equipment that you have heavily invested in long- or shortform advertising. You can drive those potential customers directly to your website and capture the lead information. If they have any questions or drop out of the shopping cart before completing the order, you call them back with the most highly trained agents. When it comes to responding to online leads, speed matters. We’re not talking hours here. We’re talking minutes; even seconds. Why does speed make such a big difference? There are several reasons. With a quick response, you have the opportunity to speak to your customer when their interest is at its peak. The more time passes, the more excitement wanes. Other considerations begin to creep into mind – cost, need, practicality, etc. Additionally, a quick response may enable you to speak with them while they’re still on your website. This reinforces their interest in the product by giving a voice to your brand. Finally: the longer you wait to respond, the more likely the individual will move on – to a similar or alternative product, or a competitor’s website. That’s why you need to strike when the iron is hot. 2. The human factor: How people make a difference. Despite the importance of a quick call, speed is not the only difference maker. Your strategy for online customer response should involve more than simply making quick contact; it should involve providing an optimal customer experience across the board. As much as making a fast dial can impact results,
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so can the people representing your organization on the line. Fact is, every lead is different. People have different questions, concerns and needs. Your online responders need to be well trained and versed in all aspects of your brand so they are able to provide each customer a personalized experience. When a customer’s first contact comes from a skilled, confident individual, it immediately enhances brand value and opens the door to increased revenue through upsell and cross-sell opportunities. By using their experience and product knowledge, they can make product recommendations, creating a stronger connection between the consumer and your brand. To provide the best response and customer experiences, state-of-the-art call center technology can be integrated to ensure online leads are always routed to the most skilled and knowledgeable representatives available. Additionally, real-time dynamic scripting can tailor scripts to individual callers to provide more relevant marketing offers. 3. Data is golden: What the numbers can accomplish. When setting up a web-generated response system you have the chance to collect and analyze data. Many organizations fail to take this step. Don’t make that mistake. Data is a powerful commodity and can help you better reach and engage customers in numerous different ways. Collected data can be used to: • Create customized callback strategies for online leads. • Use “best time to call” information to increase efficiencies. • Track trends and best practices to increase efficiency. • Better profile your leads/target audience. • Tailor appeals, offers and upsells to individuals. In addition, developing an online lead response strategy also gives you the opportunity to incorporate a system to monitor your online lead intake and response in real time. This allows you to make adjustments on the fly and respond to changes in online lead volume (as you would to fluctuations

electronicRETAILER | September 2012

18/07/12 6:49 PM

Electronic Retailer - September 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Electronic Retailer - September 2012