Despite the fresh start a new year typically brings it’s still challenging for business to have a sunny outlook. The “virus” is still with us as are the lockdowns. With vaccinations slowly rolling out, there is light for a slow return to normal, but what is the new normal?
Your customers were always doing their homework before ever connecting with you. They were using Google to find you, LinkedIn to validate you and your website to evaluate you. Now (and forever) customers will refer to your online presence to decide if your company deserves a shot at their business and whether you will be easy to work with.
77% of B2B buyers don’t talk with a salesperson without doing online research first
Source: everyonesocial.com
To evaluate your online presence ask yourself these questions about your company:
- Is your website navigation intuitive?
- Can a customer buy your basic products (and services) easily on your website?
- If your offering is too complex for e-commerce is it clear what you want your customers to do on your website and how to reach you?
- Do your past and present customers speak highly of you?
- Is there an automated follow-up system to thank customers for visiting your website and are you given alerts to a customers’ presence?
- Does the quality of your website align with the quality of your product or service?
Think about how much the world has changed this past year. Last January I would estimate that only half of our customers were familiar with online meeting platforms like Zoom. Now nearly 95% of customers have participated or used a meeting software to communicate, sell and check in on a regular basis. This is a great by product of a horrible pandemic as it gives the savvy marketer the ability to reach more new customers online than ever before.
So how will your business satisfy the new “digital mature” customer out there?
Here’s an easy 3-step process:
- Gather 4-5 customer facing staff from different departments in your company and take them through the above six evaluation questions. It’s important to include inside sales, outside sales and services or support providers as they will each bring an important perspective to the evaluation.
- Ask some of your trusted customers to also complete the above evaluation so you can garner an outside authentic perspective of your perceived value.
- Have your Sales, Marketing and Management teams reviewed and prioritized where the biggest shortfalls are? Base this purely on the potential to loose business opportunities. Once these shortfalls are ranked by importance put a simple plan in place to address the shortfalls complete with timelines and assigned to various contributors and subject matter experts within your firm.
If you lack the team or expertise to overcome some of the challenges internally, consider partnering with an outside provider (like MoreSALES – obvious plug) to help in the evaluation and implementation plan to overcome the shortfalls and get your firm COVID recovery ready.
If your firm is looking to be ready for the next phase of recovery and would like some help objectively evaluating your online presence, contact MoreSALES today at 519-502-5021.
