The importance of customer service for online merchants

The importance of customer service for online merchants

Whether you’re selling a single product online or have an entire online retail business, you can take your business to the next level. Ecommerce has helped many business owners take their products to customers all over the globe. Not only can you reach people who are looking for what you have to offer in an instant, but you can target your internet marketing activities in such a way that you are able to zone in on your ideal client base.

With an ecommerce website, you have fewer initial capital costs. You don’t need a brick and mortar store and you can run an entire enterprise from the comfort of your own home. What you do need to invest in however, is a solid customer service plan. Customer service is vital for the success of any ecommerce website and here’s why:

There’s a lot of online fraud happening… 

Many people do their banking and make electronic payments online, but they can be a bit more fearful of typing in their credit card details on a website they haven’t used before. If they are able to get a quick reply from a customer service agent (or even engage in an online chat before they purchase), they will be more likely to trust that their products will arrive.

Your customers want to buy from people

The age old saying of ‘people doing business with people’ still rings true, even in the digital age. Online customers still want to be able to engage with real people and not feel they’re throwing their money into the big black hole of the internet.

Need help with your internet marketing strategy or customer service plan? WSI can help. Contact us for more information today.

How to boost your communication effectively with your readers online

Connecting with your readers is vital for your success as a blogger. Knowing how to boost your communication with your desired target audience is vastly important if you wish to better yourself in the game. This is why these few pointers will help you understand how to connect with your reader more effectively and ensure your following grows with you.

Do not make your reader feel stupid 

This point is perhaps one of the most crucial ones to follow. If your reader feels belittled or dumb, there’s not a big chance of them returning to your posts next time. Avoid using acronyms as not everyone knows what they stand for.

Also, never assume that your online reader has prior knowledge about your background. Cracking inside jokes as to what you did in the past, for example, will leave a new reader feeling utterly alienated.

Imagery can be powerful if you allow it to be 

The use of images not only looks aesthetically pleasing to your reader, but furthermore boosts your likelihood of your article or blog being shared, however using any old image won’t do. You need to be sure your initial picture has relevance to the content of your blog

Use your diction to trigger emotion 

Obviously within a blog, your reader cannot see your facial expression nor hear the tone of your voice as to which emotion you may be showing. This is why you now need to be a wordsmith of note and choose the correct words which will trigger the emotions you are trying to convey.

If you need help know where to find it 

Not all people are well versed in the online world. If you wish to be a blogger, but don’t know where to start, don’t give up. Just get in touch with Wsioms today and take a look at our training courses which we offer. Wsioms will help you achieve the blogging goals you wish to as well as offering you other digital skill advice. Contact us today for more information.

Web Design – Taking your brand to your consumers

Web Design – Taking your brand to your consumers

In the past, web design was always considered secondary to expensive offline advertising, promotions and other strategies. This is changing, however, as both brands and consumers are realising the sheer convenience and personal engagement that can occur in online spaces. This is why quality web design is gaining popularity, as brands are realising that the digital sphere offers a platform to nurture mutually beneficial business relationships. And for us, this is another area that our organisation excels in, having helped innumerable businesses succeed in this aspect.

Branding is naturally progressing towards a digital age

Traditional advertising has always been an effective means for brands to communicate with consumers. However, these communications have always been one-way, meaning that the consumer has no power in the relationship. Nowadays though, the online world has opened up excellent opportunities for consumers to communicate back to brands. In this regard, web design can help by turning two-way dialogues into healthy, sustainable business relationships – where brands and consumers both feel they are benefiting.

Web design – Capitalise on the places your consumers frequent

As a brand, you need to communicate with consumers where they frequent often. It’s useless to create amazing advertising, only to place it in a farfetched and obscure location, as none of your consumers will see it. Instead, you need to find out where your consumers frequent and design advertising specifically to connect with them in those spaces. Therefore, as consumers spend more time online, you need to capitalise on this for branding success.

For more details about our top quality web design services, contact WSI OMS today.

How you can use Social Media to Connect with Consumers on a Personal Level

How you can use Social Media to Connect with Consumers on a Personal Level

Social media is a fantastic platform that has greatly advanced the way brands communicate with consumers. Gone are the days of one-way communications when brands would simply suggest that consumers buy their product, and here are the days when brands can personally connect with consumers and discover what target markets really want.

Social Media – Creating dialogues

The primary difference between connecting with consumers through social media and conventional advertising methods is that social media is a platform that offers two-way dialogue. This is far healthier than traditional advertising, since consumers are no longer simply taking in one-way communications, but are actually getting personally involved with the brands they like. These dialogues also generate brand awareness as consumers discuss your service offerings with both you and other consumers. Ultimately, this can be used to really build genuine consumer loyalty.

Connecting in an Environment where your Consumers Feel Safe

As modern advertising continues to force itself into the lives of consumers, with branding and advertising appearing almost everywhere now, consumers are developing filters to block out unwanted advertising. On social media, however, consumers have the option to simply turn off their computers or visit other sites – making them feel far safer and more in control. This translates to more personalised communications and helps nurture genuinely sustainable relationships.

To learn more about our extensive expertise, our experienced team and to find out more about how you can enjoy the great branding benefits of social media, contact WSI OMS today.

Upgrade your Online Presence with Quality Web Design

Upgrade your Online Presence with Quality Web Design

Web design is becoming increasingly popular in our modern times, as a company’s online platform is very similar to their offline physical premises. Consider how a bad website design can make you immediately click away and find a different service provider. This is precisely the same offline, where premises located in dangerous neighbourhoods are far less appealing to visit, compared to premises located in affluent areas.

Web Design to Build Your Online Presence

The fundamentals of web design are to build a site that attracts the visitors that you want to trade with. This means that your site needs to align with your target market’s lifestyles and preferences, while still representing your brand identity effectively. If this sounds confusing or difficult, then you can understand the true value of quality web designers who take on these challenges daily.

The Cornerstone of Your Online Operations

Web design is critical in ensuring that all of your online efforts are rewarded. It is substantially more difficult to convince consumers to go to the store to purchase your product, than it is to simply offer a direct purchase from the comfort of their home. This is the same for all of your online initiatives, as the world is rapidly becoming more digital by the day, and you need to keep up with the times in order to effectively connect with your target market.

For more details about our impeccable web design services, contact WSI OMS today.

Online reputation management: when people complain about things that aren’t your fault on social media

Online reputation management: when people complain about things that aren’t your fault on social media

Social media has become the new customer service centre. Not only do people often prefer contacting a company on social media (as opposed to speaking to someone in a call centre), but they also expect same-day feedback from the brand they’re dealing with.

But what happens when a customer complains on social media and these complaints go viral? What if the complaints gain way more attention than they are worth, for something that isn’t even your fault? This becomes an online reputation management issue because it can quickly escalate to a full-blown crisis management situation. Even if you’re not at fault, you need to handle the situation correctly. Here’s what to do:

Don’t down-play the situation

If you want to show the public that you take customer complaints and dissatisfaction seriously, then you need to demonstrate the seriousness of the issue. Don’t down-play the complaint or divert the blame to someone else.

Publish a response

Draft a response on your blog and website that you can refer people to. If the customer is complaining on social media, it could be hard to write a worthwhile response with limited character counts. Also, when you publish a statement, it gives people quotes and comments to refer to and it shifts the conversation away from flinging back questions and comments on social media to a more professional way of communicating about a crisis.

Don’t delete comments on social media

Allow people to express their feelings and complaints. It’s okay to delete derogatory statements, swearing and online abuse, but don’t delete complaints just because it makes you look bad.

Need help with your online reputation management? Then contact WSI OMS today.