Due to the bombardment people are constantly faced with via marketing and advertising, they are less inclined to trust brands. Rather, people will actively seek out reviews and the opinions of others, and will make judgements based on this information.

With brands and companies all claiming to be ‘the best’ or ‘just what you’re looking for’ how can consumers make informed decisions purely based on the information that brand or company provides? People are not afraid to do a bit of digging and research to find the details they need to make a decision.

As a result, your interactions with your customers count, every time! No matter if you’re having a difficult day at work, or you’re stressed, or you haven’t had time to launch your online strategy; ultimately your customer only cares about their experience with you. You are creating a lasting impression through every interaction, and one slip up could potentially mean not only losing business with that one customer, but with other current and potential customers.

This knock-on effect can also work the other way of course. If you are able to provide outstanding service to your customer, be it over the phone, through a super-efficient, user-friendly website, email, or face-to-face, and yes, even through your digital presence via AdWords and Social Media, or even a combination of these channels, you can leave a lasting impression. Your customer has the capability of spreading (and digitally sharing!) their positive experience with others, therefore sending likely customers in your direction.

Keeping all the above in mind, you need to ascertain the best way to communicate with your customer is. A fantastic way to look at the scenario is to simply give them what they want. If they’re searching for reviews and opinions, integrate these in your online marketing strategy. This will help you to personalise your message, creating an image of a company or business which is sincere in its approach.

Another key opportunity you must take advantage of is with every interaction you engage in, is at the conclusion, ask your customer for feedback. What could you have done to make the process simpler? What else could be implemented in your service to guarantee customer satisfaction? If you don’t ask the questions, you won’t get the answers you need.

If you do stumble across an unsatisfied customer, think about what you can do to turn this experience around. People who take the time to give feedback want to be recognised, and if they have something to complain about, they’re letting you know because they want you to solve it. In terms of gaining positive reviews from your customer, this is a beautiful moment which can work in your favour. In attempting to solve your customer’s dilemma, the effort you put in to your after-care solutions will enable you to solve it for them.

Through recommendations and positive reviews, building a following for your business will permit you to enhance your digital presence. Consumers will begin to notice your business name and brand, and in turn will allow you, and others, to influence them to ‘click’ your link.