Unhappy customers can be a detriment for small businesses. In today’s data-driven world, it’s easy to think about your customers as data points rather than as people. Yet the customer experience is the single most important factor that defines whether buyers 
continue to do business with you over time. In fact, unhappy customers can compromise your online reputation and deal a serious blow to your bottom line. Here’s a closer look at the formula for customer happiness and quick tips on how you can integrate serving your customers with your digital marketing efforts.
What’s the real cost of an unhappy customer?
Online reviews are a great opportunity to promote your business when you’re doing well. But they’re highly damaging when customers are unhappy. In fact, 80% of customers won’t buy from a business with negative reviews. What’s more, it takes ten positive reviews to counterbalance one negative one. Customers aren’t just taking their complaints to the web. Negative experiences also have a dramatic impact on word of mouth.
Unhappy customers are three times as likely to tell their friends and family about negative experiences. Dissatisfied customers and clients not only take away their business, but they eliminate future streams of revenue by spreading the word. Therefore, it’s essential that you focus on providing customers with the best experience possible and addressing problems when they arise.
Digital marketing steps you can take to improve the customer experience
While it may not be immediately obvious, there are a number of steps that you can take as a digital marketer to improve your customers’ overall experience with your business. Here are just a few ideas that are getting traction with small businesses around the US:
Offer discounts and coupons:
The economic climate is still challenging for many families. Purchases don’t always come down to price. But often a discount or a coupon is enough to tip a person over the edge of waiting to buy and into action. Providing a small discount is also a smart way to show your appreciation for repeat customers. As usage of mobile devices grow, offering coupons is also an important strategy for staying relevant. One study suggested that as many as 47.1 million Americans use their smartphones to look for coupons before making a purchase.
Provide high-value information:
The content marketing revolution has offered businesses a creative way to connect with customers. By offering high-value information, you’re giving something important to your audience that doesn’t cost a ton to create or market. Helpful content can come in the form of thoughtful blog posts, interviews, podcasts, eBooks, and how-to videos that relate to your business and to your audience’s most urgent concerns. Not only does providing high-value information help your customers in a meaningful way, but it builds your brand and reputation as a thought (and action) leader in your industry.
Respond proactively to reviews:
Claiming your review pages on sites relative to your industry, such as Yelp and TripAdvsior, is another critical way that you can make customers happy. As customers organically share their reviews about their experience with your business online, you want to be able to monitor and respond to them. When you take ownership of your business page, you’ll be able to ensure that your contact information and hours are accurate. You’re also able to customize your page with additional details such as images and product pricing. When customers leave positive reviews, you can take the time to thank them. If negative reviews are posted, it’s possible to reach out and try to resolve the situation proactively.
From time to time, customers are unhappy. Whether you genuinely made an error or something happened beyond your control, knowing about the situation and being able to address it are important. Your digital marketing efforts can help by building a strong relationship with your customers through great content, offering incentives that show your appreciation, and keeping an open line of communication.
Are you a business owner in that’s interested in connecting your digital marketing efforts to a better customer experience? Contact us at Be Locally today to learn more about how our experienced team of SEO professionals can help you strategically manage your response to unhappy customers and keep your online marketing campaigns on track.