Gabrey Means says, “As a service-based business, while landing new clients is a critical part of the mix, relationships built and nurtured over time is where the real juice is — offering a level of stability and scaleability that’s essential to long-term health and success. Such relationships take care and feeding and are built on more than just a single campaign or project win. They’re the output of trust, partnership and a track record of producing stellar work together. As former marketing leaders for global F500 brands, we were once the clients ourselves, and we’ve... [...]

Shayna Marks says, “Customer Referrals are embarrassing. As several others have pointed out, the act of asking for a referral often comes withuncomfortable consequences. It’s common for customers to experience feelings of shame, embarrassment or awkwardness. Naturally these emotional barriers reduce the odds of getting a referral. But why? What creates these emotional barriers? And why do some customers love to refer the companies that serve them? A study by Advisor Impact found that an overwhelming 98% of customers gave referrals to help their friends and family. Only 2% stated it was... [...]

Baer says, “There’s a reason we come back to the same grocery store each week. It’s the same reason that we return to the same barber, home improvement store, or favorite restaurant. These businesses have created a positive experience, which in turn creates loyalty toward their particular brand. In the retail world, brand experience and engagement are the strongest drivers of loyalty, and the digital world is no different. Design, atmosphere, speed, and problem resolution are all pillars of a great consumer experience, and these same concepts contribute to their digital experience as... [...]

Christopher Ratcliff says, “It is my job to explain in the simplest terms certain digital marketing phrases that may seem confusing, misappropriated or darn well unwieldy. Today we’ll be taking a look at the terms customer experience (CX) and customer experience management (CEM), phrases that in our increasingly consumer-focused and connection-based economy have risen to the top of every business’s agenda. Definition of CX Here are the two different ways marketers refer to customer experience (CX), both of which are entirely related… Customer experience is the sum of all the experiences... [...]

Len Markidan says, “In theory, the “tricks” to delivering awesome customer service are pretty straightforward: Empathy Appreciation Helpfulness Seems pretty easy, right? Just develop these three skills, and you’ll be set. Sure, you can tune these by mastering the “thank you,” or by understanding how things like tone and word choicemake a difference in support. But in practice, delighting customers isn’t so straightforward — what actually works doesn’t always reflect what most of us would assume. There are quite a few counterintuitive truths that can make... [...]

Emma Snider says, “All customers are not created equal. Sure, you might like some more than others, but that doesn’t mean they’re your best clients. Sales comes down to revenue and ROI — so how can sales leaders objectively determine which customers are most valuable? Through a customer lifetime value (CLV) analysis. But calculating CLV isn’t a cake walk — inaccurate data, confusing metrics, and inadequate technology can all block the path. But the organizations that do figure out a customer’s net costs and revenues over their engagement see the benefit:... [...]

Ben Davis says, “I’m at Microsoft Convergence in Barcelona. I’m also in the middle of compiling a report on multichannel marketing. Both of these endeavours leave me bemused as to why I haven’t heard people using the phrase ‘the year of CRM’. Perhaps it just doesn’t have the ring to it that ‘year of mobile’ always did. Perhaps it’s because a lot of the CRM action is occuring in enterprise B2B and isn’t as sexy as above-the-line brand campaigns. Anyway, the point is that CRM, a very traditional concept, through cloud and mobile, is a... [...]

Tim Ash says, “The customer journey does not end when your visitor completes your desired action – and neither should your conversion optimization efforts. It costs far more to get new customers than it does to retain the ones you already have, so it makes sense to plan for customer lifetime value and not just focus on the one-time transaction. Right after the purchase is when customers tend to be most engaged with and receptive to your company. Use these techniques to amplify your brand, strengthen customer relationships and drive incremental sales”. Post-Conversion CRO: Optimizing... [...]

Josh Manion says, “Understanding the customer journey and delivering relevant experiences has never been this critical.  Recent research by eBay and Deloitte revealed that a third of UK and German consumers used multiple channels when making recent purchases, with this rising to two in three for orders over £100. This presents today’s marketers with a unique challenge. They need to deliver customer experiences that are coordinated across all channels, with personalised and relevant messaging and content”. The customer journey & relevant experiences are the new business imperatives ‘Econsultancy’... [...]

Ben Davis says, “High street stores are getting their mojo back, so what can ecommerce do to engage the consumer? Here are just 10 features that help to keep customers engaged on ecommerce websites. If you’ve seen any innovative new features from ecommerce companies, please let us know below. For all things engagement and optimisation, why not attend theFestival of Marketing, in London, November 12-13th”. 10 ways to increase customer engagement in ecommerce ‘Econsultancy’ Blog  [...]