10.4 Know what your customers want

Remember that your Web site should be a dynamic communication tool. Users today are conditioned to use the Web as a where-to-turn resource, where they expect up-to-date news, information and tips related to your product or services. Users will also use the information provide to compare you with others, specifically your competition. For you, it’s also another opportunity where you can promote your services and serve the community. There’s nothing gained by having a Web site that posts dry, out-of-date content. Keep a pulse on what kind of information about your product/services customers are looking for, and how and where they expect to find it. Don’t be too quick to list the areas where you feel you’re strongest—remember to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and ask what they want to ask: “What’s in it for me (WIIFM) to visit this Web site?”

An effective site should:

• Recognize the needs of all who will use your site, vendors, customers and yes even employees, and direct each to the content that will interest them most.
• Be easy to access, read and use with well-thought-out content, useful links, e-mail addresses or phone numbers.
• Provide helpful information on how to keep customers coming back

Make your visitors feel confident about choosing your organization as a provider for the product or services for which they are looking.

Give your customer a positive experience

Knowing what your customer wants to see on your website is only half the challenge. In today’s quick to find, instant gratification environment, your customers not only want to find information on your services and product quickly, the want to share it and have a positive customer experience when the do. A positive experience is one that not only gives your customer their needed information but one, when your customer do contact you via a web chat or internet phone, they have something positive to say afterwards. This gives customers a incredible ability to quickly and easily influence others as well as providing instant feedback into your customers buying patterns and feelings about your site and company.

If you can better understand your customer, their needs and objectives you will better understand how to measure and track the “voice of the customer”. Why? This will foster a better customer relationship and will provide you with two outcomes: (1) having your customer extend your marketing without additional cost and (2) having customer based testimonies on their experiences that will increase your companies’ reputation of the products or services you offer.