From Click to Happiness: Perfecting Your Website's Customer Service Journey
- Sebrinia Welch
- Oct 6, 2023
- 6 min read
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Throughout any adventure, there are bound to be obstacles that forces one to pause and consider what can be done next:
Perhaps they are stuck and are not sure what the following step is,
Maybe they have questions and need answers before moving forward,
Or could it be that something has gone wrong and they need some help fixing it?
Those that come to help are seen as heroes and become a positive highlight in the story, while trips where no one comes to assist or give guidance can make someone feel lost or abandoned, forcing them to either remember it as a negative experience and/or make the decision to discontinue the path they are following.
Just like in real-life scenarios, the online customer journey hinges on moments of uncertainty. A potential customer or supporter who encounters questions or hesitations about a product, service, or program will look for answers. How a small business or nonprofit responds (or fails to) can make or break their overall experience with the organization.
Meeting Your Audience Where They Are At
"66% of customers expect companies to understand their needs"1
Using the marketing funnel as a tool to understand the overarching process your potential customers and supporters are going through can be helpful in assessing what experience they could be having while interacting with your organization.
As you build your digital presence with your website, there a number of opportunities where you can meet your target audience, depending on the stage they are at.
Awareness: Where potential customers or donors first learn about your organization.
Have a well-set up menu at the top of your website, giving visitors easy access to the important aspects of your small business or nonprofit.
Design a responsive website that adapts to the devices your visitor is using. This means you are making sure to build a mobile-friendly website.
Consider accessibility elements to allow all audiences to use your website and access the information you offer - provide alt text for visuals, use contrasting colors between text and background, develop consistent navigation or think about multilingual features.
Craft a strong homepage that showcases who you to make an impactful first impression.
Consideration: Where they are weighing their options, considering whether or not to get involved or purchase something.
Anticipate their needs by answering top questions in your content, whether that’s having detailed "Product" pages, a robust and informational "About" page or building specific Customer Service or policy pages.
For visitors that have additional questions or concerns, make it simple to reach you with a contact form, phone number, or live chat function.
Build their confidence with your small business or nonprofit by showing they can trust you to produce a quality product or service.
Decision (or Conversion): This is their “I’m in!” moment, either making a purchase, booking a service, submitting a donation or volunteering.
Give them a sense of security when they make their purchase or donation with follow up communication containing receipts, tracking numbers or confirmation emails.
Eliminate their hesitations with transparency and solve for potential problems by publishing clear guarantees, trials, solid refund or exchange policies.
Loyalty: The ongoing relationship after the purchase or donation, where repeat purchases happen and satisfied customers or supporters become advocates.
Be open to improvement by asking for feedback through surveys or evaluations.
Foster a sense of community by encouraging your customers or supporters to give testimonials or leave reviews.
Continue building a relationship by following up after some time to check in and see how they still feel about the product or service. For nonprofits, send impact data or newsletters that update your donors on the outcomes of their donations.
If “70% of the customer's journey is based on how the customer feels they are being treated,”2 then I think it is safe to assume that building your website (as well as your digital marketing strategy!) around your potential buyers and supporters is the best way to connect and engage back with them.
Top 5 Elements for Strong Customer Service and Experience
It’s important to think about what encounters your visitors may have when they show up to your website and how you can enhance their experience throughout the entirety of the relationship they have with your small business or nonprofit.
Here are few elements to consider as you work on your website:
1. Ensure Two-Way Communication: Encourage confidence that there are real humans behind your organization and provide peace of mind that they’ll be able to connect with someone, if they have any concerns or issues. Depending on the resources and the number of people you have working, this could looks as simple as having a detailed contact page with a phone number, social media links and a contact form, to something more comprehensive like a live chat, chatbot function, or support ticket system.
2. Publish Clear Policies: Transparency is another way to bring assurance and reduce the doubt of your visitors, especially as they teeter towards the edge of making their decision. Fear is a powerful feeling, so find ways to decrease any of them - if you provide a service, show that their satisfaction is top priority with a guarantee. If you offer a product, provide a 30-day trial or state your refund and exchange policies. As a nonprofit, deliver a clear process for volunteers or donors by informing them exactly what they can expect from your organization and what next steps are. All organizations should also consider publishing a strong privacy policy.
3. Offer a Knowledge Base: As we’ve heard before, knowledge is power, so anticipate your audience’s questions, address them directly, and provide easy access to it. Information can be delivered through an frequently asked question (FAQ) page, blogs, forums, community boards, how-to guides, instruction manuals, or webinars and trainings. Make it uncomplicated to find by linking directly to the information or creating a dedicated "Resource" page in the header menu.
4. Provide Avenues for Feedback: Signal to your customers and supporters that you value them and are always looking to improve by offering ways they can provide feedback. Add surveys, pop-ups or feedback forms to gain information about their experience with both the products/services and with your small business or nonprofit as an organization.
5. Walk in Their Shoes: The best way to see what experience your potential customers or supporters are going to have, is to walk through the journey yourself. Take time to walk through your website on each type of device (mobile, tablet and desktop) to make sure it functions the way it’s supposed to, test your checkout or donation process to ensure your payment settings are working, and check that your communication responses are sending correctly and promptly (do your contact forms work or does a receipt or confirmation email automatically send after check out?).
RESOURCE: Guiding your “Customer Service/Experience” Strategy
As you build a strong customer service and experience strategy, remember to think about your target audience at every stage of the customer journey: what do they need from your small business or nonprofit to feel like they are secure, confident and connected with your organization?
For long-term success, building loyalty is the goal rather than just making a one-time purchase or donation. While you do not need to answer all the following questions, do make sure that what you offer in terms of service and experience motivates them to continue engaging with you and advocating for your small business or nonprofit.
1. Who is your audience?
What are the common characteristics of your website visitors?
Are they tech-savvy or might they require more traditional methods of communication?
Would a live chat feature be beneficial?
Should you prioritize an email support system, phone support, or both?
2. How can you make the contact process effortless?
Is your contact form user-friendly and free from unnecessary fields?
Are your customer service contact details (like phone numbers or email addresses) easily accessible from every page?
3. How can you convey transparency and authenticity?
Do you have customer service success stories or testimonials you can share?
How can you reassure visitors about their privacy?
If you’re collecting personal information, how do you ensure users that their data is safe?
4. What are the most common inquiries you receive?
Can you address these through a detailed FAQ section?
Should you have a knowledge base or resource hub to provide answers?
5. Are there industry-specific concerns or you should address?
For nonprofits, are there frequent questions about how donations are used?
For businesses, are there recurring product-related questions or concerns?
6. How can you continuously improve?
Should you have a feedback system in place for users to rate their customer service experience?
How often should you review and update your FAQ or knowledge base?
Do you have a process in place to manage and respond to negative reviews or feedback?
7. Is your support responsive to different needs?
As many users might access your site via mobile devices, how seamless is the experience on smaller screens?
If you have a diverse audience, should your customer service pages be available in other languages?
Can you ensure visual elements are accessible to all?
By ensuring a focus on customer service features and a visitors experience, you are crafting a robust foundation for your digital marketing strategy. In today's online world, exceptional service not only enhances your online reputation, but also guards against shifts to competitors. At its core, exemplary customer service fosters trust, enriches your visitors’ experiences, and cultivates lasting loyalty and engagement.
1 Source: Hubspot
2 Source: McKinsey via Industry Analysts
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