Ok, so we know we bang on about the importance of retaining and nurturing customer relationships, but one more time for the people at the back: you need to invest in developing a relationship with your existing customers.
People often assume that means you need to get on Instagram asap, but not necessarily. There’s no one way to connect with your customers. The best way for your business may be via an email newsletter tool or a messaging CRM (don’t worry, we’ll explain it all as we go).
Here is our rundown of the best tools for connecting with your customers.
Best newsletter tools
Email is alive and well in 2021! The Direct Marketing Association has reported that email marketing sees an average return on investment of 4300%. That’s HUGE. It shows that people are still engaging with email newsletters. We previously wrote a blog comparing the top email marketing and newsletter tools available which you can read here.
Tools:
Mailchimp
Mailer Lite
Aweber
Constant Contact
ConvertKit
Best helpdesk software
As your business scales, keeping on top of customer service, and delegating tasks becomes increasingly challenging. Helpdesk software allows you to manage customer service inquiries, and easily assign tasks to your team, so everyone shares a role in keeping customers satisfied.
Tools:
Website chat
We live in an instant society. That goes without saying. As we enter the age of 5G, things are speeding up to a supersonic pace. In this era email is the new snail mail. Who wants to wait a whole 24 hours for a response? Your customers have got your website open, and they want their questions answered now, or else they’re off to visit your competitors.
Users enjoy engaging over website chat because it mimics the experience of popular messaging apps like Whatsapp and WeChat. It allows for natural conversation and issues are resolved in-the-moment.
Tools:
Shopify Chat add on (on Shopify websites)
Zendesk
tawk.to
LiveZilla
Customer survey
The old, trusty customer survey is often overlooked as a serious business option for engaging with customers and receiving feedback. Thanks to review sites and Google reviews, feedback (both positive and negative) is freely given. However, if you want specific insights, you can easily tailor the feedback you receive by creating a customer survey.
Customer surveys are a way of understanding exactly who your customers are, what they value, what motivates them to buy from you. This information is gold dust.
Tools:
Survey Anyplace
Survey Monkey
Typeform
Messaging CRM
SMS CRM messaging is heavily regulated so as to prevent people from being bombarded with marketing messages. Until recently, Whatsapp, WeChat, and the like have been closed to business. But as they tentatively open up, more and more businesses are choosing to dip their toe in the world of messaging CRM. We’re reluctant to fully endorse it just yet, as we’re yet to experience its success or otherwise first hand, but watch this space.
Tools:
Which method is best for your business?
If you’re interested in discovering the best method of connecting with your customers, get in touch. It may be one of the tools mentioned above, or it may be a different method entirely. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.
At jdp we never presuppose your business’ needs. Whenever we take on a new client, we conduct a full analysis and diagnosis of their business. We lift the hood to see how the business operates, its strengths, and areas for growth. We translate our findings into a solution that’s right for you. Get in touch for a free 15-minute consultation, and start adding value to your business.
