What does becoming likable mean for a startup? It’s simple. Winning the missed business congeniality pageant equals building a strong foundation of loyal customers. However, establishments quickly forget about the importance of customers when first starting, due to the fear of overstepping their budget limits.
Believe it or no, on an average American business loses 50% of its customers each year, while 91% of small organizations do nothing to retain their clients. Given the fact that acquiring new clients costs 5 times more than satisfying the existing clientele, and 70% of buying experiences are based on how the consumers are treated, likeability is the first stepping stone for a startup trying to build a market reputation.
So, here are some excellent ways to gain a competitive edge and ensure optimal growth for a startup.
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What do Customers Want?
If you take a look at the Customer’s 2020 study designed to reveal the customer experience industry of the future, it talks about the digital revolution that empowered people with a vast amount of information, to the point where everything revolves around innovations. Modern customers expect personalized experiences and proactive approaches addressing their specific needs. It means that companies that excel at customer experience can expect a revenue increase by at least 4-8% above the market average.
That being said, in order to ensure a delightful experience for the customers, startups need to address the following:
- What is the message that your company’s target audience can relate to?
- Which actions will have the most powerful effect?
- How can you use customer feedback to learn and implement positive changes?
- What areas need to be changed if you want to improve your service?
- How do you anticipate and avoid risks in order to sustain changes?
1. Reach Out
Once you gain a deeper understanding of the customers’ needs, it’s time to reach out to them, and what better way to start than selecting a few preferred channels of communication? According to Forbes, the best social media platforms for startups are:
- Snapchat, Over 60% of Snapchat users are under the age of 24, while 100 million users spend 30 minutes on digesting its content per day. Companies use it for promotions and valuable interviews, as a way of attracting new leads and increasing customer loyalty.
- Facebook, Facebook is mostly used by the audience between 24 and 54 years of age and 44% of users check their pages several times a day. In 2011, the Pew research suggested Facebook consumers were more trusting, which remained true to this day. Touted as the most preferred social platform, this channel is packed with watchful spectators who judge the business according to its Facebook reviews. Therefore, this is a crucial social media platform for creating a strong presence and building a rapport with new-age consumers.
- Instagram, A platform with 500 million users, 59% of whom are daily Instagram consumers. In the past few years, this has emerged as a favorable platform for startups because it creates an opportunity to bond with the audience right from the beginning. Posting visually enticing images and short videos to introduce users to the whole process of a brand’s development is a smart strategy that every startup should be aware of.
2. Be Transparent
It’s not enough to create social media awareness, as the online posts and message behind them count the most. A UCLA study revealed that when it comes to likeability, the first associations are “sincerity, transparency, and understanding.” Companies that don’t display their true intention fail to earn a good reputation.
Every organization should have an interesting and pleasing outlook that customers can relate to. Use a bit of humor and support it with valuable information. Ask questions and let them share feedback.
It is key for a startup to understand that personalized experiences and likability depend on human touch, which then generates a bigger social following. So decide which topic and tone best suits your brand and then initiate sharing.
3. Information Sharing
The Internet is bursting with information, so how do you truly make an impact on your target audience? As the main focus should be on covering relevant topics and offering useful information, it’s recommended that businesses create their own unique content for their blog section and share it on social media. Nowadays, the customer expects immediate and accurate answers, so having a help/FAQ page on the company’s site is a must.
Nevertheless, there is yet another productive alternative. Are you aware of the learning management system(LMS)? A SaaS LMS is an affordable and cloud-based tool that helps in daily teaching and learning activities. You can use it to communicate information and give product training to your employees.
Once the content of choice is added and uploaded in the preferred format, this e-learning system will allow you to track which users are completing the training you have set-up. Feedback is also included, hence, you can measure the training effectiveness and get informed about common products about the products or services. So, look for the best SaaS LMS providers because they can raise the company’s credibility. How? With an intuitive, guided, and simple customer support optimized for a global market.
4. Stick to Your Promises
Again, there is more to becoming more likable than being positive, responsive, and informative, startups also need to keep their promises and claims. There are no shortcuts to building a market reputation, just focus on providing consistent service. Any deal you offer needs to be honored, as trust is a two-way street.
People demand respect and count on the support they rightfully deserve. Since the buyers are investing their hard-earned money in your products and services, they expect quick solutions to their issues and complaints. Hence, regular updates, assistance, and on-time helps should be in place, because an astonishing 89% of customers get frustrated if they need to repeat their problems to multiple representatives.
5. Get Involved With a Community
Many customers prefer local businesses over large corporations. Acting locally and getting involved with a community will humanize the business and respond to consumers’ needs much faster and better. Attend local events, festivals, community meetings, and charity events. In fact, consider making a contribution via volunteering. It won’t cost you a penny while the buyers and employees will feel more connected to your company.
Summing up
It’s not rocket science to understand that more consumers will offer you repeat business and stay loyal to your brand when you make efforts to offer them the best. After all, this is what we all prefer.
“It takes 12 positive customer experiences to make up for one negative experience.” So why not start with a satisfying service while raising your startup from the ground up? After all, a large group of loyal fans is just the competitive edge the company requires to attain success.
