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Weve been looking at how some non-SEO related factors can really suck up the true value of the SEO itself, and subvert its end goal to make your business money. Inattentive or badly coordinated customer service is something that definitely needs to be sorted out before an SEO campaign starts today we continue our look at the core principles of good customer service, minute by minute.

Laugh … but have you heard someone at your organisation say this?

1. Got a complaint deal with it

If you hear of any complaints from your customers, try your hardest to resolve them to the customers satisfaction, without overly compromising your business principles. In saying that, sometimes a measure of compromise will be necessary to keep people happy you may have to give something away for free that people would usually pay for, for example. Take the angle that you are trying to make up for the customers inconvenience, and know that this sort of attitude will help your business in the long run.

2. Always ask your customers if they need something else

If someone approached you in store and asked where the milk was, youd probably take them there, then wait to make sure they found the brand they wanted. The equivalent in internet marketing is not just directing customers to the Products section from the Home page give them a link to exactly what they need. Then ask if they have any questions about it, or the ordering process.

3. Be positive, be genuine

Learn to be positive about your work, your business and life in general! Greet people with This rain will be helping the grass grow/farmers/health of the river instead of saying Horrible weather were having, isnt it?. Positivity from the start sets the tone for all your customers interactions with your company.

4. Make sure ALL your customer service staff know these principles!

Run customer service refresher courses every so often, preferably with the managers as mock customers so problems can be easily identified. Even if people tend to act a little because they know theyre being tested, it will still help them keep the ideals at the front of their mind. And even in an internet marketing context, it is possible to use training tools like mystery shoppers.

Its a crying shame to see a top Google ranking go to waste through a lack of understanding about customer service. These principles are very simple but they make a real difference!

SEO customer service, customer service refresher, customer service staff, good customer service

eMarketer recently reported on some results from an study conducted by Internet Retailer that show us where eCommerce retailers plan to focus their energy in the future. Namely, site redesigns for SEO, video or streaming media, and better customer experience.

The recent survey, Website Design Strategies and Tactics, shows that 2/3 of eCommerce sites have some site redesign plans for this year. The number one focus for web-only retailers is better organization and updated category and product pages. That also struck a chord with manufacturers of consumer brands. Meanwhile, brick-and-mortar shops said that better SEO was the reason as did Catalog sites. Overall SEO ranked second with 40.2% saying that it was one of the priorities for the redesign.

Most said that it would help boost sales or generate a higher sales conversion and almost 50% were hoping it would attract new visitors and shoppers. Of course if youre going to raise sales youre either hoping for more sales from your current visitors or more visitors right? So that seems sort of redundant.

Lower on the list was to improve customer service. In fact, slightly over 1/3 said this was a reason to redesign. That either means they think their customer service is adequate (refrains from laughter) or is simply not an issue. Having recently dealt with Amazon who sent a payment to me that never arrived and I am still trying to find where it went almost a month later, I cant say I agree with their customer service being adequate. In fact, they cant even tell me where the payment went.

Whats the number one feature that retailers are planning on incorporating into these new website designs? Well lets see, its ReelSEO, we covered the SEO so it must be, video! Yes, 33.2% said that video or streaming media would be added to their sites this year when they redesigned them. Second game user reviews and ratings. Way down the list came some more interesting things for consumers, In-stock availability (sure you can buy that, we dont have it, but we want your money anyway) and alternative payments.

So SEO and video win the day, yet again, huzzah! I think an interesting follow up survey at the end of the year will be whether or not they actually did implement those two things and how its working out for them.

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Source: www.reelseo.com

SEO &#xA0, better customer experience, better seo, customer service, overall seo, sites

Written by: Eric Brantner on March 3, 2010 12:47 pm

If you can improve your customer service, youll increase client retention and create a more positive image for your brand. Simply put, excellent customer service is necessary for growing a successful business. And its not just enough to say We care about our customersyou need to actually show it.

Here are several simple things you can do to transform your customer service from average to extraordinary.

Train your staff to be the bestMichael Jordan didnt become the greatest basketball player of all time just by showing up for the games. He trained constantly so that he could improve his skills and be better than everyone else. The same concept applies to your customer service team. You cant rely on them to be great just by throwing them on the phones every day. You need to spend time training them, helping them learn specific strategies they can use to better help customers and to keep clients happy.

Reward great employeesIf your employees arent happy with their jobs, how can you expect them to have that bright, friendly attitude they need to help keep customers happy? Your employees are your most valuable asset, so you need to make sure theyre happy. You can do this by rewarding employees who do great jobs. This shows them you appreciate their work, and it gives them an incentive to provide excellent customer service.

Get to know your customers on a deeper levelDont just treat your customers like a number. You need to build relationships with your customers. Get to know who they are, what their likes and dislikes are, what their expectations are, and other important things about them. The more information you have, the more able youll be to satisfy them and target them in your marketing efforts.

Show your customers how much you appreciate their businessI dont know about you, but Im much likelier to do business at a company that actually shows me how much they appreciate my business. From extending a simple thank you when a customer makes a purchase to offering exclusive discounts and freebies to loyal customers, there are several things you can do to show your appreciation to customers.

Be willing to deviate from company policyYou can never forget the emotional and personal side of customer service. Dont treat your company policy like its the law of the land. Sure, its an important guideline, but you need to be willing to bend the rules to keep customers happy. This will help you understand the customers pain better, and it will allow you to create a response that keeps them satisfied.

What are some other things companies can do to improve their customer service? Share your best tips by leaving a comment.

Source: www.seohosting.com

SEO better help customers, customer service, customer service team, excellent customer service