When it comes to finding the information, products and services they need, consumers are predominantly heading online first. Conventional wisdom has it that when e-commerce grows, stores suffer. But despite the boom in digital commerce, a whopping 74 percent of people still prefer to have an offline, in-store experience at some point in their buying process, per Uberall’s Local CX Advantage report.
This increasingly hybrid customer journey, where online and offline commerce support each other, is a chance to stand out with connected, hyperlocal experiences – no matter the size of your business. Here are five things to consider to implement an effective local customer experience (CX) strategy and win more custom:
Expand your channels
Relying solely on print, broadcast, or direct mail marketing – or the location of your physical business – to drive sales, doesn’t cut it. If today’s digital-first customer can’t find you online too, they won’t choose you.
Ensure customers find your business online and choose you by building websites and landing pages, as well as maintaining accurate and up-to-date business listings on key online directories. It’s crucial to meet people where they are, by using multiple channels to communicate with your target audience.
Enhance customer convenience
Curb-side pickup, click-and-collect, and home delivery are all pandemic conveniences consumers have grown accustomed to. For them, these expanded options are here to stay, and they’ll be basing their future purchasing decisions on the availability of such choices.
Nearly 8 out of 10 consumers have higher expectations of local businesses, including neighbourhood outlets of national chains, than e-commerce websites, so it makes sense for businesses to offer as many service options as possible.
Ensure customers are kept well-informed
We’ve all experienced the frustration of searching online to see if a store is open or a product is available, only to turn up and find out the online information was wrong or out-of-date. Trust matters, with 89 percent of UK consumers agreeing it’s important to trust the businesses they buy from, according to Uberall research.
A key element of Local CX is curating an online presence customers can count on, starting with maintaining the business information updated – opening hours, contact information, offerings, etc. – on every online channel from search engines, social media and directories to map services and your website.
Proactively engage with your audience
Most customer experiences fail to impress, as only 15% of consumers say that their interactions with businesses exceeded their expectations. Hyper-personalised, multi-channel engagement is the secret to Customer Experience success. Whether it’s responses to online reviews, social media posts or website queries, consumers look for friendly and responsive service from real people.
Online interactions are a great opportunity to show your brand’s personality and offer that convenient, fulfilling CX customers are willing to spend more for, according to Uberall’s research.
Empower local teams to connect with consumers
More than half of consumers feel emotionally connected to businesses with a local presence. Empowering your teams to generate content and promote deals specific to their locale, like a bake-off contest, a book signing or special deals, allows your brand to connect with customers at an emotional level.
While that might sound challenging for multi-location brands, it can actually be as easy as pie with one central platform that gives your teams real-time control over how your business shows up online.
Conclusion
A recent Forrester study showed that companies with strong Customer Experience grew their revenue five times more quickly than companies with weaker CX. Whether it’s managing your online presence better, building your local online community or expanding your offerings, brands should view Local CX as a journey. On the road to improving CX, the best place to start is to ask, ‘What does exceeding expectations look like to my business?’
By Paul O’Donoghue, VP Presales Solutions, Uberall
