How to use digital technology to get closer to your customers

If you want to succeed in business, you need to get close to your customers and stay there. Thankfully, technology makes this much cheaper and easier. 

When you’re close to your customers, you stand a far better chance of serving their actual needs, you don’t rely on guesswork. And you’re more aware of the problems your customers face, so you’re better placed to solve them. 

Building customer trust and loyalty  

Staying close to your customers encourages their trust and loyalty, reducing the risk that they’ll buy from someone else, while keeping you aware of what they value and what influences their buying decisions. This can also enable you to spot opportunities, develop new products and services, and grow as a business. 

Technology’s supreme power to enable businesses to establish and maintain strong, long-lasting customer relationships is one of its key benefits. And many customers expect to have a close relationship with the small businesses they buy from. So, how could your business use technology to strengthen its customer relationships and ultimately sell more? 

Understanding customer needs and preferences  

One of technology’s great advantages is the deep customer insight it can provide. For example, CRM (customer relationship management) software allows you to store detailed customer data, including their preferences, your communication with them and their purchase history. This enables you to communicate with them on far more personal level, which can lead to a much stronger relationship.  

Similarly, website analytics and email marketing platforms reveal valuable information about customer habits/behaviour, wants and needs, as well as which content best engages them. Email marketing platforms also allow you to segment your customers and send content that feels more relevant to them. Customers react more favourably when they feel that you’re taking a specific interest in them. 

Technology also makes it easier to build customer communities around shared identities, values or tastes. Online groups and membership platforms can allow customers to connect not only with your business, but also with each other. And when customers feel part of something bigger, their relationship with a brand/business strengthens. Many small businesses excel at creating online communities and sell more as a result. 

Better communication through digital channels 

Strong relationships are built on excellent communication, with technology making it easier to speak to your customers and have a presence in their lives. Social media, enewsletters, messaging apps and building online communities make this straightforward and inexpensive. And when you get it right, familiarity breeds trust, the foundation of all good relationships.  

Whereas previously businesses spoke and customers listened, they can now comment in real time via social media, and chat live online, with many businesses now using AI-powered chatbots. When businesses respond quickly in the right way, customers feel heard and valued, which also strengthens relationships. 

Technology has also made it easier for businesses to provide better customer support. Using live AI-powered chatbot tools, automated FAQs and help desk platforms enables businesses to respond faster and more effectively, even in real time. 

Maintaining the personal touch  

When you use such technologies you must still ensure that your customer service feels friendly and personal, while allowing customers to email you or pick up the phone and speak to you should they wish. Customer service that consistently feels supportive, proactive and genuinely customer-focused is key to getting close to your customers and staying there. 

If you want to create and maintain good relationships, you also need to be a good listener. Technology also makes this easier. Whether it’s on social media or review websites, you must listen to what your customers are saying about you and act quickly and decisively if any are dissatisfied. Doing so can turn critics into strong advocates for your business.  

Time to get yourself connected 

When used effectively, rather than acting as a barrier, technology can greatly enhance customer relationships. Don’t just focus on using technology to become more efficient and productive (crucial though they both are), you also need to use technology to become more connected to your customers.  

By using digital tools to better understand your customers, communicate with them consistently, personalise their experience of your business, listen more carefully and enter into a real dialogue, you can create far stronger relationships with your customers. They are more important to your long-term success than just about everything else. 

Tech Adoption for Growth is a government-funded programme offering free, practical digital support to help SMEs and sole traders in the South West get more value from digital tools. Eligible businesses are assessed and then randomly allocated to receive either one-to-one expert support or the opportunity to take part in expert-led workshops. To apply click here.