Nearly 84% of the small businesses in the United States report being negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many businesses have shut the doors to their physical locations to slow the spread of this dangerous virus. During this time, your main goal needs to be keeping your customers loyal and engaged. Accomplishing this goal will not be easy without hard work and the right tools
Failing to focus on customer engagement during COVID-19 can result in your profitability taking a nosedive. The following are some tips on how to re-engage with your customer in the age of COVID-19.
Make Communicating With Your Business Easier
When a customer has a question or concern about the products/services your business offers, they need to get in touch with a member of your staff immediately. The harder it is for consumers to talk to you or one of your employees, the higher the risk becomes of them seeking out the help of your competition. This is why you need to audit the current forms of communication you have in place to ensure they are both easy for consumers to use and effective.
If customers call your business, you need to find a way to route them to the right department. This will be much easier when using automatic call distribution software from NICE inContact. This software is designed to help customers call into your business without having to be rerouted several times.
Offer Existing Customers Special Discounts or Content
One of the biggest problems consumers are facing while being in quarantine is a lack of disposable income. Realizing the financial pinch most consumers are in and offering discounts as a way to offset these problems is a smart move. By offering your customers exclusive discounts on the products/services they use the most, you can make some money without putting them in a bind.
You also need to think about developing content designed to both information and entertain customers in quarantine. This content can be things like a video detailing how your business is operating during COVID-19 or an article about new products/services you will be launching in the near future. Making your customers feel like they are part of an exclusive group will keep them interested in what your company is doing.
Use Email to Communicate with Loyal Customers
Most consumers prefer to communicate with the businesses they use via email. If you have a large list of customer email addresses, sending customized messages to these addresses is a smart move. Instead of sending out the same generic message to every customer, you need to work on customizing this content. The best way to do this is by segmenting your audience.
Sending follow-up emails to customers that have recently started using your products/services can show them you appreciate their business. You need to send emails about exclusive deals to long-time customers who haven’t been in contact for a while. Customizing the content you send via email to customers can help you increase engagement and grow your bottom line.
Routinely Update the Content on Your Website
Having a business website is a crucial component of developing an online presence. Most of your customers will regularly visit your business website to find out about changes in your product/service line or to get information about how you are dealing with the COVID-19 health crisis. This is why routinely updating the information on your website regularly is so crucial when trying to keep consumers engaged. Posting new blogs is also a great way to attract more attention from popular search engines like Google.
Keep the Lines of Communication Open
As you can see, keeping your customers engaged during this global pandemic will not be easy. However, the hard work you invest will pay off.
