Tips for Increasing Customer Satisfaction in an Online Store

If you’re looking to improve customer satisfaction for your online store, there are a few simple ways to get started. Customers appreciate being considered and thought of while shopping. They often respond well to good service, positive interactions, and quality products. If you’ve gotten customer complaints in the past, the best practice is to take those seriously and fix the root issues causing them. Word of mouth is important—especially for online shops, as there are thousands of options selling similar products consumers can flock to. Set yourself apart and check out these tips for increasing customer satisfaction in an online store.

Ship quickly

Because of the effect of big-box online retailers, customers now expect prompt order processing and shipping. If your shipping method is currently coming out of the consumer’s pocket or takes more than five to seven days to arrive at their doorstep, it’s time to rethink your system. Many times, customers may put items in their cart and make it to the checkout screen, only to abandon their would-be-purchases due to a high shipping fee. If you aren’t sure how to lower costs or streamline your shipping method, it can be helpful to talk to a third-party logistics company and come up with a good solution for your business.  As an online seller, you need to ensure that you are doing as much as possible for your customers because your business doesn't offer as much face to face interaction as other businesses. You can read more about how to be effective as an Amazon seller, but if your store is elsewhere online it’s still important for you to meet customer expectations. Increasing satisfaction among your customers is an absolute must and it’s going to be the most important thing that you can do to ensure that you are giving back to customers at any one time. Shipping packages quickly is going to be a hallmark of your business!

Bonus Tip: Package your shipments in an aesthetically pleasing way. Packaging is your customer’s first real impression of your product and can make or break their attitude going into the experience.

Follow up on reviews

No matter the type of review, comment, or post, make sure to interact. It’s easy to hurl insults at a mysterious company without a face—but if you make yourself present and positive, people are more likely to work with you to solve issues rather than simply write off your business’s integrity altogether. When someone posts a positive review, thank them, point out specific parts of their post, and make them feel appreciated. For any negative reviews or comments, try reaching out to the customer directly to see what you can do to right the wrong.

Bonus Tip: Don’t ignore bad reviews or respond rudely; other potential customers want to know you treat your customers with respect and care.

People love interaction; it makes them feel valued and shows your company not only cares, but is also run by real people. Another way to add a personal touch and increase consumer interactions is to be active on social media. Don’t be stingy with your follow button. If a customer follows you, do them a solid and follow them back and try to like their posts occasionally.

All these tips for increasing customer satisfaction in an online store should help get your business on track—or back on track—to having a solid stream of regular customers, as well as an influx of new ones.

Giving Back: Ways to Become a More Generous Person

As the new year rolls around, there are probably quite a few different changes and resolutions you hope to achieve. Whether you want to get your finances in order, save for vacation, get healthier, or sleep more, this new decade is an excellent chance to make some positive changes. One of those positive shifts can be in the form of generosity. Lucky for you, there are several ways to become a more generous person that will both uplift yourself and others around you. Try it out!

Embrace Gratitude

On your road to becoming a more generous person, you must start by embracing gratitude. Make a list of the things that you’re grateful for. It doesn’t need to be long, and it doesn’t even need to be a physical list. But it’s important to realize that, often, the most important step becoming more generous is by spending more time thinking about what you already have and not what you lack.

Commit to One Generous Act a Day

Another quite simple and small way to become a more generous person comes from completing one generous act a day. Every day, make a point to do one generous thing. It can be big or small—from buying lunch for someone who is homeless to buying lunch for a coworker who’s had a rough morning. Daily acts of kindness will build your capacity for generosity.

Give Away Some of the Good Things

One of the best ways to both become more generous and bring more joy into your life is by donating. We encourage you to take it one step further by not only donating the old items that you don’t wear anymore, but by donating the quality items. For example, those essential items that charities need will be even more impactful when they’re good quality.

Start Small

If you’re not used to generosity, then don’t try to dive into the deep end right away. In fact, it’s better to start really small. Give one dollar to charity online or to a person who is homeless on the street. The sooner you get used to donating one dollar, the sooner you’ll get used to donating $5, $10, $20, or even $50. We guarantee that you can afford one dollar to donate. Think about it this way: don’t get your coffee one day and instead donate those five dollars to a charity you support.

Spend Time with Those in Need

Our last tip to becoming a more generous person delves into donating not just your money, but your time. Becoming a more generous person isn’t just about giving away your money but delves into your ability to transform your lifestyle as well. Making space in your life for those who actually need your help is one of the best ways to feed your generosity.

5 Tips for Creating a High-Quality Video Advertisement

Marketing is essential to any business plan. A good advertising strategy can increase sales, customer base, and brand recognition. In our online world, more and more consumers are turning to the internet for their shopping—which means more and more businesses are following them. Video marketing is an effective way to reach customers. Here are five tips for creating a high-quality video advertisement and setting your business up for even further success.

Ways to Advertise Your Business on a Budget

Advertising can be tricky. You need to know what to do to successfully promote your company, increase sales, and raise brand recognition and exposure. Achieving these goals can be costly. Business owners risk over-investing and making no returns on their investment. If you’re a small business owner, understand there are ways to advertise your business on a budget to increase your profit and maximize revenue.

Take Advantage of Online Marketing

Websites, blogs, and social media are all useful tools to market your company. Make an updated website that lists your services and products, contact page, history of your company and mission statement, and blog. Your blog is one of the most important assets. In it, you can post content that will appeal to your customers’ interests. These are ways you can establish an online presence for free. Another idea is to start a personal email campaign and social media accounts. Targeting customers through online marketing is essential for success. An email and social media campaign will show current customers special offers, discounts, and loyalty programs. This will foster brand loyalty and increase your target audience through personal communication.

Network

Branch out to other businesses for potential partners. Building a strong business relationship is fundamental for growth. Go to trade shows, business retreats, or grand openings to scout out and meet potential future partners. You can also take this time to scout out local competitors to see how they operate. It’s okay to network through customers as well. Use referrals to spread your name around. Incentivize customers to reach out to others with special promotions or discounts. This way, you increase your marketing without overspending.

Partner Up with Charities and the Local Community

Use the community to spread your business and raise publicity. Partnering up with charities exemplifies your company’s brand in a positive way. Residents will see your logo or name associated with civil service, which will benefit your reputation. If there are no charities in your community, you can always partner up with schools or youth organizations. Sponsoring local sports teams or after-school groups will better the community and increase your brand exposure.

Use Old-School Advertising Techniques

Like the saying goes: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The same applies to advertising. While keeping up-to-date with technology and software is important, it’s also important to use tried-and-true methods. Using old-school techniques will appeal to older and more niche markets. Specifically, it’s a good idea to use signs. Neon signs offer an energy-efficient, long-lasting, and cost-efficient option to promote your business. Don’t be afraid to take out advertising space in newspapers or magazines. While these won’t have the same reach as an online presence, these traditional methods are tried-and-true when it comes to business success. Remember, online emails and social media posts are temporary and can be deleted. Print advertising lasts longer, since it’s a physical object. In some cases, this can be decades after the original release, thus documenting your business in history.

5 of the Best Lucrative Small Business Ideas

Being one’s own boss is the dream of many aspiring small business owners. Unfortunately, the road to growing a business often includes multiple setbacks and potholes that can derail such hopes—many of which are financial in nature. It’s important to take precautions in order to give yourself the best possible chance of success. A proven way to increase your odds of succeeding as a small business owner is to choose a profession that has proven to be particularly profitable. Here are some lucrative small business ideas to consider starting as an aspiring business owner.

Dental practice

Dental practices are needed in all areas to treat people of all ages. Due to the universal need for dental care, those who open a dental practice shouldn’t have much trouble curating a consistent customer base. While getting into the dental profession requires years of schooling and substantial up-front equipment costs, the return on investment can be steep—especially when considering the high price of dental treatments. Those who start a dental practice have the potential for a highly lucrative career as a business owner.

Personal training

Today, more people than ever are searching for educated personal trainers and fitness instructors to help them reach their fitness goals. To get into the personal training business, you’ll need to take various certification exams to get qualified. After you’re certified, you should begin profiting from your services quickly, as the personal training industry has inherently low overhead costs.

Accounting services

There is a universal need for accounting services among individuals, corporations, and businesses of all sizes. As such, you likely won’t have any trouble maintaining a solid client base, a steady income stream, and consistent growth. This business profession also requires very few overhead start-up costs, which will help you avoid the financially difficult initial phase that derails many small businesses.

Marketing services

Most businesses that are around today recognize a solid marketing strategy’s value and importance. By starting a marketing company, you can help businesses boost their brand awareness and grow—while also growing your business. To keep up-front costs low, marketing companies have the option to work remotely via the internet.

Online tutoring

Online tutoring is a great small business option for a diverse range of people with a wide variety of skillsets. Whether you speak a second language, are a skilled musician, or have a knack for public speaking, there is likely an online tutoring demand for your unique skills and abilities. All you need to do is prove that you’re knowledgeable in your given subject and market your services well to potential clients.

By choosing one of these lucrative small business ideas, you can significantly improve the likelihood that you’ll succeed as a new business owner.

6 Ways to Expand Your Real Estate Business

The real estate business may be thriving, but it’s a competitive field. If you want to be successful, you must know how to stand out among your peers. The key to achieving this is to put time and effort into educating yourself on the different aspects of the field. Whether you’re selling homes or renting them out, we can help advise you. Below, you’ll find a list of tips on how to expand your real estate business.

5 Marketing Tips to Gear Up for Black Friday

Everyone looks forward to Thanksgiving. It’s such a special time to enjoy food, spend time with loved ones… and prepare for a massive shopping trip the next day. Shoppers have more options than ever to cross items off their Christmas lists, and it can be difficult for businesses to know how to stand out from their competitors on one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Following these marketing tips to gear up for Black Friday will separate your business from the pack and ensure you have an influx of costumers.

Tips for Optimizing Your Company’s Website

Modern marketing has everything to do with technology. While a company’s products and services can be amazing, their website can ultimately make or break their success. As such, it’s important to keep your website current and follow the trends as they come. If you haven’t revamped your website recently, now may be the time to do so. To help you get started, we’ve created a list of tips for optimizing your company’s website.

Helpful Ideas for Improving Productivity at Work

The daily grind of working life can wear down even the best workers over time. As burnout starts to set in, workplace productivity can begin to suffer. To stave off against the negative effects of inefficiency, here are five helpful ideas for improving productivity at work.

How to Motivate Your Employees to Be More Productive

When it comes to a career, the goal for most is to work toward success and to never stop trying to grow. We all want to do whatever we can to improve our company and create more opportunities. As the boss, it’s your job to encourage employees to work hard; your business will only succeed if the work gets done, and it’s up to everyone to participate. To help you improve employee performance, we’ve created a guide on how to motivate your employees to be more productive.