Service-based business owners face a new generation of customers. In the age of social media and online shopping, customers expect busin...
Service-based business owners face a new generation of customers. In the age of social media and online shopping, customers expect businesses to deliver an unprecedented high-level of service online and offline. You must stay available around the clock. And create a personalized experience for every customer. As a result, many owners try to conquer this problem with an increasing number of applications. These all perform individual tasks inside their company.
On the Small Business Radio Show this week, Rachel Schapiro discusses how the proliferation of different applications to run your company can actually be hurting it. Schapiro serves as Product Marketing Manager at vCita, the all-in-one platform for small business owners,
Rachel advises small businesses to use technology. It helps deal with the fact that they are already strapped for time and resources. She adds that technology can “help companies build and maintain better relationships with their customers”. For example, just consider service businesses. Here technology does the “heavy lifting.” And this allows them to help customers 24/7.
Rachel believes business owners need to manage and excel at customer experience. This needs to happen at many different “touchpoints” within the sales cycle. As a result, she explains that the marketer has “no rest” to keep their pipeline full. The average business owner needs to seek out new customers. Then get them to choose their business over the competition. They need to deliver the service as expected. Then leave a positive impact. Finally, small businesses must handle administrative tasks like billing and collecting payments. And make sure the customer comes back for more. According to Rachel, technology is not about taking away the personal touch but adding to it by delivering that extra wow moment when it is needed.
Too Many Apps
Too many companies are using multiple applications for different functions inside their company to solve this problem. Rachel reminds us that small business owners need to make sure that the apps are working for them and not the other way around with all the notifications and updates are needed. She says that “it can take more time to maintain an app then the usefulness you get from them.”
Rachel believes that businesses need to use one application that can manage the entire experience for the customer from marketing, to sales, to the post-purchase experience. She says you need a platform to connect the dots and see the bigger picture. All owners want to understand the entire history including all the sales transactions, every interaction and how they found your company; this creates a seamless experience for the customer as well when they contact you.
Finally, owners should fight the tendency to add people when they grow. Instead, look to automate routine tasks with this type of technology before adding overhead expense.
Listen to the entire interview on the Small Business Radio Show.
Image: Depositphotos.com
This article, "Why Having Too Many Apps Running Your Business Will Hurt You" was first published on Small Business Trends
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