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How to increase sales by improving your customer’s buying journey?

Tag: customer experience

how-to-increase-sales-by-improving-your-customers-buying-journey

A customer’s buying journey is a path of interactions with the business. It covers all the points from the discovery to the final phase of purchase. In order to make your ecommerce business more effective, it is important to make this journey as smooth as possible. The idea is to stop the customer from leaving midway through the buying process. While every customer has their own unique buying journey, there are certain guidelines which an online business can follow to make the process more convenient and approachable.

Personalize:

As each customer is unique, it is imperative for an online business to ensure that the individual needs of a customer are properly met. This important strategy to attract online customers can take several different forms. You may have to personalize your website linguistically if you are catering to customers from different countries. You may also need to bring about customization for accepting different currencies. Ideally, online businesses should use progressive web apps methodology to give their clients a seamless experience. Personalization ensures that your clients are able to carry out their business in the most efficient manner possible. However, it should also be ensured that your website is still quick to load even after customization.

Attention to Analytics:

Data has become an important tool for online businesses everywhere. Organizations use data to devise new strategies, with an aim to make the buying journey of a customer smoother and increase sales online. It will also help in decreasing payment friction, which is one of the most prominent reasons behind cart abandonment. Another important step to take in this regard is to revamp your checkout page. Your website may also offer the choice to save some of the vital information, so that the customer does not have to add details every time they carry out a transaction. This will save time and energy of the customer.

Make it Interactive and Immersive:

Studies have shown that the customers react positively to online businesses that offer interactive and immersive experience. Since online transactions lack the personal rapport, the ecommerce businesses need to make an effort to replicate the real-life experience to increase sales online. This will also allow the clients to make informed decisions, further reducing the likelihood of incomplete buying journey. This step will also help in optimizing the product return ratio, where the clients had to send back the products which did not meet their requirements. As experience becomes more interactive and immersive, the buying journey will also become more productive.

Also Read: Boost sales conversion with the right payment integration strategy

Offer Assistance:

As online buying journey lack the personal touch, it is important that your website offers maximum possible assistance to the clients. There are several automated tools available in the market for implementing this strategy to attract online customers. Whether you choose to employ a chatbot or install a live chat function, it is highly likely that your clients will appreciate this additional help. These steps will also enhance customer engagement, leading to a loyal client base. Even if your business is not in position to offer 24/7 helpline, communicating official hours to your customers will increase the engagement level.

Identify Pain Points:

Since buying journey is a continuous process, it is important to recognize various pain points which hinder the smooth experience for clients. For some customers, the problem may lie with product discovery while others may face issues while checking out. To resolve these issues, it is important to look at the data generated through these transactions and undertake remedial measures. It is also vital that you update your online business with latest technological tools to boost safety and security.

Also Read: Grow Your Business by Offering Alternative Payment Options

PayTabs

Top Ways to Deal With Unpleasant Customers

During your daily operations, you are bound to come across angry and upset customers. Many times, such anger is justified while other times the real reason behind their irritation is not related to your business. However, in both cases, you need to find ways to calm such clients and win their trust back again. Here are some top tips to deal with such clients and ensure that they not only stick with your business but also bring more revenue to you.

Keep Calm: no matter how worked up or rude your customer is, the foremost rule is that you retain your cool. If a person is verbally abusive then take a deep breath and listen to their problem. This approach will allow you to analyze the problem in a rational manner. If you immediately jump the gun and respond to the client in a reciprocating manner, then the issue is bound to get out of hand. If you are interacting with the person in an electronic manner, then re-read your response multiple times before hitting the send button. This stance will let you re-assess and remain calm. However, keep in mind that you are also responsible for your own safety, so if there is any threat of physical harm then report to the appropriate authorities as per your organizational policies.

Listen & Apologize: even if the customer is angry and rude, they still deserve your proper attention. Listen to them carefully when they state their problem. If you have any doubts or concerns then ask appropriate questions. It is also important that you let the customer vent out. Do not interrupt while they are speaking and let them finish before you offer a solution. This approach builds trust and confidence. It also lets the client know that you are genuinely interested in solving their problem. Whether the problem was on your end or the customer’s issue was not genuine, even then offer a sincere apology. However, in the latter case, you may explain the situation to ensure that the client gets the true picture.

Act Fast: once you are done listening to your irate customers, it is important that you take immediate steps to resolve the issue. If the issue lies within your jurisdiction then resolve the issue as soon as possible. In other cases, escalate it to appropriate persons. You should also ensure that you properly communicate all the steps taken to resolve the issue to your client. This will make your client feel valued. During the process, keep the communication channels open with the client so that they are aware of latest developments. It will also satisfy your customer that their grievances are being addressed in a proper manner.

Remain Firm: as important as it is to be courteous to your client, it is equally important to hold your ground too. Being polite does not imply that you have to concede to each and every whim of your customer. If there are any issues which are either the clients’ fault or some other party’s responsibility then explain this situation in a calm manner to the customer. If the customer is making any unreasonable demand then explain organizational policies to them. However, in all the cases, it is important that your business does not suffer on account of client side problems.

Solve the Problem: it is important that you follow up appropriately that the problem is being resolved in a time-bound manner. Also keep the client updated about the steps taken and listen to their feedback. If a client has some specific concerns then ensure that such issues are explicitly dealt with during the resolution process. However, if the clients’ demands are unjustified that clearly communicate such issues to your customer. In such cases, mutual negotiations may be undertaken to reach a solution which is acceptable to all the parties. Once the issue has been resolved, ask your client for feedback to ensure that the things are settled in a complete manner.

Businesses are now required to provide the highest level of customer satisfaction. In many cases, this may become an odious task. However, with above guidelines you can ensure that your clients are always happy and satisfied.

PayTabs Collaborates with UrbanPiper for seamless online restaurant operations

PayTabs Collaborates with UrbanPiper for seamless online restaurant operations

PayTabs is a leading payment processing company in the Gulf region. The service provider constantly endeavors to fortify its service suite to provide best in class solutions to its clients. Its collaboration with Bangalore-based UrbanPiper is another step in this direction.

The Tie-up

The tie-up between PayTabs and UrbanPiper aims to help clients automate the online operations of their restaurant. Through this collaboration, PayTabs will empower online restaurants to facilitate seamless payments from customers. The partnership will ensure that casual restaurants, cafes, fast food outlets and fine dining restaurants are able to unlock their full potential by making their menus and services available for online ordering and payment. The tools provided by UrbanPiper and PayTabs will ensure that restaurants will be able to benefit from safe and secure payments, track payment history and enable the convenience of multiple alternative methods for customers.

About Urban Piper

The features provided by UrbanPiper ensure that you diversify your business using different aggregators but maintain proper control over them from one location. Another unique feature of UrbanPiper is its centralized catalogue management service. With this feature, you can avoid the hassle of visiting each partner portal for updating your stock and offerings. The integration layer provided by UrbanPiper ensures that you can carry out this task with just one click. The service suite also offers Introspect which is a data analytics tool. This feature is designed to let users carry out their reconciliation in an easy and efficient manner. The centralized tool ensures that you get a comprehensive view of your entire online business, thus achieving the efficiency and speed you need.

If your restaurant business is in upswing and you feel the need to run your own portal then UrbanPiper comes to your rescue. The service suite allows you to set up your own shop easily and you are not required to have any coding expertise for this purpose. With the help of this tool, your customers can place direct orders using your website or app, without requiring the assistance of any third party. There are also many ERP solutions integrated in the suite to let you run your business seamlessly.

Urban Piper can help in increasing the reach of your restaurant business. It has over 7,500 active locations in India and the Middle East. Some of the top brands associated with UrbanPiper are Papa Murphy, McDonalds, Tablez and Americana. Its HUB tool lets the businesses collaborate with their aggregators in a smooth manner. Whether you are working with Zomato or with Swiggy or any other 3rd party channel, you can integrate them in your restaurant Point of Sales system with the help of UrbanPiper tools. It can help you economize as your employees now are not required to manage multiple systems.

UrbanPiper offers an efficient operating system which ensures that you do not miss any order or manual pushing. This system can also help you in efficiently handling multiple tabs. You can also improve your efficiency by broadcasting timely updates. The inventory control feature of the suite allows you to improve your operations by minimizing the possibility of cancellations by better managing the inventory.

The use of UrbanPiper lets you enhance customer value by better managing your menu. You can publish different categories in your menu to make it more user friendly. Further, you can also add taxes, items and charges separately so that your customers can exactly know what they are going to pay. The service suite also lets you carry out quick deployment as UrbanPiper has exclusive tie-ups with several top aggregators such as UberEats, Foodpanda and Swiggy. The suite provides regular updates about new features added to the system so that your business can use these services in a timely manner.

Apart from these features, UrbanPiper also has a robust infrastructure. The service provides 99.95% uptime, so that your business remains online and does not suffer outages. Even in the case of very rare outage, UrbanPiper ensures that you are constantly informed about the progress with regard to the recovery.

About PayTabs

PayTabs is an award-winning, B2B payments solution provider. Having processed the first live payment gateway transaction in June 2014, today the company processes transactions in 168 currencies, safely and securely. Using a tool known as API plugins, PayTabs facilitates seamless integration for merchants across 49 industries to ‘plug and play’ features on to their websites. PayTabs prides itself on offering electronic invoicing services for entrepreneurs and businesses enabling them to save time and enjoy added convenience with paperless invoicing. PayTabs’ vision is to be global in outlook but next door in service, whereby payment products can be customized via different business models to suit start-ups, small and medium organizations, and enterprise needs. PayTabs has dedicated offices in the GCC, especially the UAE & Saudi Arabia and presence in many other locales including Egypt, India & the Philippines.

The Complete Guide for Managing Customer Support Escalations

The Complete Guide for Managing Customer Support Escalations

Offering the highest level of customer satisfaction is one of the main motives of any business. However, despite the best efforts, businesses are likely to face customer service-related issues. In order to manage these problems, it is important that customer support escalation procedures are put in place and are adhered to. Here are the pointers which can ensure that your business addresses the customer service related issues in a prompt and efficient manner.

Structure it Well: A large number of client complaints may be resolved at the first or second level of customer support system. So, it is important to design your customer care system in such a way that the volume at the top level is kept to the minimal. An ideal tier structure may provide answers to frequently asked questions at the first level while the second higher level may service issues such as basic troubleshooting and other complex problems. These hierarchical levels may be equipped with different tools to provide efficient services. The basic level may employ only customer portal while the second level may use phone and live chat tools. On the yet higher levels, you may need to use customer relationship management software for providing solutions to client issues.

Customize the Support System: While the basic structure of customer care hierarchy may remain same across different organizations, it is imperative to tweak the system to suit the requirements of the target customer segment. Some of the important variables in this regard are the turnaround time and the mode of communication. In B2B organizations, time may be a crucial factor and therefore it should be ensured that customer complaints are escalated and addressed in a timebound manner. The communication must be done in a clear and precise manner.

Team Effort: Customer complaint management requires employees at different levels to coordinate their activities. The system requires input from various departments such as IT, sales and billing to provide adequate solutions to customers. For each case, the system should clearly define the role and obligations of each department involved. Team cohesion tends to be stronger when all the members know their roles and duties. Customers will also receive the best possible solutions to their issues when different constituents pool together their expertise and resources.

Maintain Proper Record: As important as it is to have solid redressing system in place, it is equally important to keep a proper record of the issues and their respective solutions. Ideally, the organizations should have a real time monitoring system in place for efficient control. With the help of proper records, the management is in the position to analyze the system and its performance. If there are any lacunae, then the management may take appropriate steps to fill the void.  The analysis of the records is also important to see if the proper procedures are being followed as intended by the management. Thorough documentation will allow the set up of metrics to evaluate the performance in an unbiased and objective manner. These records may also be helpful for future reference purpose, which may help in speedier redressing of similar issues, should they arise in future.

Be Proactive: Customer issue escalation process should be pro active so that the customers are assured of a positive experience. The process should be flexible enough to incorporate frequent and quick changes. This type of performance requires the active support of all the departments to minimize the occurrence of customer issues in the first place. Some types of customer issues management may require face to face interaction. However, you should endeavor to keep this to minimum. The standard procedures should be designed in such a way that there should not be any need to escalate the issues to such level. The communication methods and styles used for resolution should be tailored as per the requirements of the customers.

Customer support escalation management is highly important to ensure a rewarding experience for your clients. It should be organized in a clear and simple manner to facilitate the provision of quick administration of the right type of expertise. You should also evaluate your escalation management system periodically so that appropriate changes may be incorporated.

Top Tips to keep your Customers Engaged

Top Tips to keep your Customers Engaged

Customer engagement is a critical function for any enterprise and is required for taking the business to a new level. It defines the relationship between your clients and your company. With increasing consumer awareness, the businesses are now required to be more proactive in engaging their customers. A successful business needs to anticipate its customers’ requirement and provide them with an appropriate experience. However, it is important to not only engage customers once, but also to keep them engaged for long, so as to build a loyal client base. Here are the top tips to help you achieve this target.

  • Know your Market: In order to create a memorable experience for your clients, it is vital that you know your target market inside out. You need to identify the defining features of your clients, so as to design customer oriented engagement strategy. You can use analytics for this purpose as the thorough analysis of traffic to your website may provide deep insights. The key is to know the factors which motivate your target market to make a purchase decision. Once you have identified your desired client segment and their features, you can modify your existing strategies or design new ones to attract these clients. It also helps to personalize the experience for clients so as to give them a sense of exclusivity.

 

  • Use Social Media: The advent of social media has been both a blessing and a challenge for businesses. But with just a little attention and careful administration, you can use social media to create meaningful experience for your clients. Social media is one of the best channels to share your story with your target market. This strategy comes with an added human touch and thus is able to have a deeper impact. Make sure you are using relevant images and videos to further reinforce your message. Social media websites and apps may also act as a platform for your clients to interact with each other. As word of mouth is one of the best kinds of promotional strategies, do not overlook this opportunity.

 

  • Personalize the Experience: Personalized interactions help businesses build more a sustainable relationship with their clients. While it is vital to understand the entire market, it is equally important to strive and provide a unique experience to individual customers as well. You can do this by adding more dynamic content to your messages. For example, the messages may be coded in such a way that they are addressed to individual clients by their names. Businesses may also approach their clients at a more personal level by sending them auto generated birthday or other relevant anniversary mails. Such interactions may also provide you with valuable data which may be mined for providing better products and services to your clients.

 

  • Make the Entire Team Work: Customer engagement is not a task that can be solely entrusted to your marketing team. In fact, for providing a holistic experience to your customers, it is advisable to engage your entire team. The team may include people from diverse departments including customer care section. The strategy for engaging customers should move beyond mere selling or marketing of goods and services. The businesses need to adopt customer centric approach so that they are in tune with ever changing customer preferences. Once you have your finger on your customers’ pulse, you can design an immersive experience for them.

 

  • Use Analytics: While businesses should aim to create a human bond with their customers, the use of new technologies may also enhance the overall performance of strategies. Analytics will help you mine the data in a more structured manner and may provide you with information which may otherwise not be collected. There is a wide range of analytics tools available these days, which can meet all your budget constraints. These tools can help you in building dashboards and generating reports. You should also note that analytic tools are not only quantitative in nature but may also be qualitative.

Customer engagement is all about creating new ways to remain in touch with your client base. This may require creative thinking and substantial investment in resources. However, properly designed customer engagement strategies can provide a substantial boost to your top line growth.