How, you ask. For any business, irrespective of the industry it operates in, happy customers are the source of referral business. They share the gospel about the business to their friends and family. That zero-dollar word-of-mouth-marketing acts as a silent lead generation engine for your business.

In fact, studies by major think-tanks like PwC have concluded that customers are willing to pay more for better customer experience. Simply put, better customer experience translates into more revenue for your business—be it through lead generation or through repeat purchases by existing customers.

But, how does one render a superior customer experience when working with customers virtually?

There are ways to do it right. Some of them are:

Real-time support
Chatbot interactions
Omni-channel support
Customer ratings & reviews

Let’s take a look at each of these points in detail.

01. Real-time support

Google, in their ‘Think with Google‘ article, explains the concept of micro-moments and why it is important in crafting customer journeys. A micro-moment is defined as an intent-rich moment when a person turns to a device to act on a need—to know, to do, or to buy. The to-know moments are those when someone is exploring or researching but is not necessarily in the purchase mode. Similarly, the to-do moments are those when someone wants help completing a task or is trying something new—for example, onboarding support for a new customer.

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Both these scenarios are crucial in the customer’s buying journey since decisions would be based on what kind of information brands deliver to them. Needless to say, real-time information delivery makes a huge difference to the customer’s decision, especially in customer support, and first, when the customer’s grievance has to be put to rest immediately.

It’s here that Podium Webchat can prove to be a brand’s best friend. If you have a website that attracts visitors round the clock, it is not possible to answer their queries 24/7. Webchat can help take over when you don’t have the personnel to man the chat interface. It can collect inputs from users and send automated responses to common questions or navigate them to frequently asked questions.

With Podium, you can also transfer webchats over to text, allowing your customers to be kept in contact with wherever they are, not only when they are tethered to their computer like other chat software.>Podium Inbox is still an important part of the equation.

03. Omnichannel support

Most customer journeys begin with a mobile search, are resumed on a tablet, and often conclude on a desktop. As a result, there could be several variants of the same customer journey. Google found in its study that 90% of multiple device owners switch between screens to complete tasks, using an average of three different combinations every day. The point is, if your customers use multiple channels before they make a purchase, customer support should follow suit.

In fact, according to an SDL survey, holiday shoppers expect consistent brand experiences across channels and devices. So, one of the ways brands can elevate customer experience is by offering customer support across the web, phone, chat, social media, and in-store. To avoid isolating the channels from each other, it can be hugely beneficial for the channels to be integrated, so the process feels simple and seamless. It should absolve the customer from having to repeat their queries to multiple agents or through multiple mediums.

And even if you don’t have elaborate support tools, teams, and processes, you can still deliver a unified experience by connecting various messaging channels—like https://help.podiummain.wpengine.com/hc/en-us/articles/360055680673-Connecting-to-Facebook, https://help.podiummain.wpengine.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500011051082-Connecting-to-Apple-Business-Chat, and https://help.podiummain.wpengine.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500011051081-Connecting-to-Google-Messaging

Any queries or issues can be addressed from a single, unified platform. With Podium Inbox, you can bring all your customer communications into one place, making it easier to manage and respond to customer messages efficiently. It’s a proven solution that helps businesses provide exceptional customer support across multiple channels.

To see how Podium Inbox can transform your customer communication, watch our demo today!

Facebook, Google, and Apple—to a single dashboard that’s accessible to your whole team with Podium. Click the links above to access some Help Centre resources to get you started on creating an omnichannel experience.

The point worth remembering is that multichannel is not the same as omnichannel. Multichannel has various siloed forms of support. Omnichannel, on the other hand, is integrated to provide a seamless support experience.

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04. Customer ratings and reviews

Despite the massive proliferation of online browsing and shopping, customers still have some doubt lingering in the back of their minds regarding placing orders or coming into your business. This is largely due to the lack of physical touch that is usually present in a brick-and-mortar store. There’s also a small element of ambiguity involved in the quality of the product, its dimensions, and its durability.

Customer ratings and reviews are a powerful way to help dispel those doubts. They act as social proof and help your customers make informed decisions. Since customer ratings and reviews are user-generated, they create a higher level of confidence in prospects.

In a way, these ratings and reviews can also help in lead generation. The feedback and suggestions customers offer through their reviews can be considered as pointers for improvement in the product/service. A brand that actively listens to its customers and takes corrective actions will be seen as a customer-centric brand. And customer-centric brands have little trouble in lead generation. .

4 customer experience strategies to augment lead generation

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