Today’s consumers have a louder voice than ever before, and one disgruntled customer can damage a company’s reputation significantly. Every business should work to ensure customers walk away satisfied enough to come back, as
How-To Videos
The humble how-to video can bring you closer to your customers following a purchase. While some buyers may be able to take that smartphone, tablet, or blender straight out of the box and work magic, others will be less savvy.
How-to videos are an outstanding educational option, and far more engaging than a dense, jargon-filled instruction manual. Customers can simply bring your catalog of how-to videos up, find those covering their product (or specific features), and receive the help they need.
Sales assistants in retail stores are face-to-face with customers, and can give full demonstrations. This is impossible when selling online, and even offering guidance over the phone lacks that all-important personal touch.
With how-to videos, customers can receive in-depth help with their products at their own leisure. Because these are pre-recorded, viewers have the freedom to pause and rewind until they’ve solved their problem.
You can build an entire library of how-to videos covering your full product catalog, and include links to these in customers’ confirmation emails so they can get familiar with their purchase before they actually receive it.
FAQ Videos
The FAQ section is a staple of modern business websites. Customers can use these to find vital information ahead of a purchase, including delivery details, payment processes, and more.
However, having to scour lengthy FAQ sections can be frustrating, particularly if there are dozens upon dozens of topics. Customers may find it easier to just get in touch via email or social media; every one of these requests deserves a response, yet this takes time away from your employees that could be better spent elsewhere.
Creating FAQ videos is a more convenient, time-saving solution in the long run. Initial hours and possible expense will be required in the production process, but once you have high-quality recordings covering the most frequently-asked questions, you can put them together in a library.
Customers can access the information they need in a more personal, dynamic manner than simply reading it off a page. Links to the videos can be sent as responses to customers over social media and email, taking them directly to their solution without your team needing to issue the same responses endlessly.
Live Video Chat
Live chat is becoming more common on commercial websites. This tool enables customers to begin a real-time conversation with a support agent simply by clicking a ‘chat now’ button. While they may have to wait a couple of minutes before the dialog begins, this tends to be faster than sending an email or completing a query form.
However, the vast majority of live chat is text-based. This means conversations can be somewhat slow, with both parties required to wait while the other types their response. Customers with poor eyesight or who struggle to type will be at a disadvantage, but feel reluctant to seek phone support due to call charges.
Live video chat is a much faster, simpler alternative. Customers are face-to-face with support staff, enabling agents to read body language and judge the caller’s temperament appropriately. Visual aids can be used to solve problems, too.
Support staff will be able to process calls faster, leading to higher productivity. Certain video chat software development kits (SDK’s) enable seamless integration of video into your business app or site, and a ‘click to call’ button provides instant, crisp connection to your staff.
Customer Review Testimonials
Review sites and social media empower consumers with the ability to share experiences with a particular business – good and bad.
This could make managing your online reputation a challenge, but displaying customer review testimonials on your site is one effective way to demonstrate how customer-focused you are. These may be just a few lines or several paragraphs detailing a buyer’s positive purchase process with your brand.
Testimonials are usually text-based, but this requires trust on readers’ part, as anyone can simply fake positive feedback. With video review testimonials, real customers can discuss their experience in a convincing, engaging manner.
Avoid any temptation to use actors or to stage video testimonials. Viewers will no doubt be able to detect a script or to tell when something is just too polished to be authentic, which will only do your reputation more harm than good.
Create video testimonials of around 20 – 30 seconds, and upload them to your website. You can share them across social media on occasion, but doing so too often will tel consumers you’re using social media as an advertising board only.
Webinars
Sharing information with customers can help to show your brand’s commitment to transparency. In-depth how-to videos are one effective technique (as we’ve already discussed), but hosting webinars is another.
Webinars can cover almost any topic you like, but they must be of interest to the consumer. This may include live, real-time tutorials on a new or popular product, with your own experts on hand for demonstrations. You may prefer to take questions from customers instead, with your employees answering them.
Webinars are another way to show your business’s human side, showcasing the characters behind your products and services.
Webinars tend to offer further use after they’re finished: you can cut them into two or more different sections based on the areas covered, and add them to your video library (including your FAQ catalog) for future reference. These are then free to share with customers as responses on social media, too.
Video can transform your business’s customer service, providing a more engaging, convenient communication platform. By integrating video into your website or mobile app, you can give customers the power to connect with your brand at any time, whether for real-time or recorded support.
Have you considered how video could revolutionize your business?
