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Online feedback is critical to the success of any business or organization. It is important to know and understand how customers are feeling about products, services, customer service, employees, and specific processes within the company. If customers are not satisfied, then they will simply take their business elsewhere, most likely to a competing business. A very inexpensive way to receive feedback from both loyal and new customers is relatively simple if you use your online resources. Below are 4 suggestions for staying in-touch with customers online:

1. Online Customer Surveys

In order for your business to keep making money, you must keep your customers satisfied. The only way for you to know the level of satisfaction you are giving to your customers is if they tell you! Online customer surveys are a great way to give customers an opportunity to express how they are feeling about a specific product or service. Have them rate their satisfaction on a number scale and give them a space to give feedback in their own words. Compile this data and come up with new marketing strategies based on the results.

2. Contact Forms

Even if a customer is satisfied overall, they may see some areas of your business that really need improvement. For example, if they loved the product they received but a customer service representative at a hosted call center was very rude to them-how do they report this? This is where internet contact forms come into play. Sometimes people call customer service to complain, but where do they go when they need to complain about customer service? Online contact forms are a good way for customers to talk to a company when phone representation is lacking.

3. Social Media

Facebook and Twitter are your instant online conversation with consumers. Moderation of your Facebook Page and Twitter Feed is critical in keeping your clients happy and being good at social media. In today’s world, more and more people are voicing their opinion, whether good or bad, to companies via social media. If companies aren’t represented on these mediums, they are basically invisible. Take advantage of these FREE applications and you will see real results. It will also be the faster way for clients to communicate with you online.

4. Utilizing Online Polls

When a business considers releasing a new product or service, they have to think about how customers will respond.  Creating an online poll on the front page of your site will be a great place to gather data. Giving a customer something to vote on is a good way to gather an estimate of how many people would buy the product or invest their money in a specific service. You can then use this feedback to help decide whether it is a good financial decision to move forward.

Customers enjoy knowing that a business they invest their money in truly cares about them. They like to have a voice when it comes to the decisions that are made about the business and they like to know that they are being heard. By giving outlets for consumers to go to online, you are showing your customers that you care about what they have to say and that you are listening to them. In the long run, you will hopefully develop long term relationships with customers and thus gain brand loyalty.

Knowing how to write a blog involves understanding some basic do’s and don’ts. Below are listed some of the more grievous mistakes to avoid.

1. Boring Headlines

You could write the most useful and informative blog, but if your headline did not attract attention, it would never be read. It is far too easy to spend your time and effort on the content, but when it is all done, you must make the effort to find a headline that will “pop” and bring traffic to the site. Check out the blogs that are successful and model your own headlines after theirs.

2. Unbroken text

There is nothing more discouraging to a reader than to see a paragraph that never seems to end. Getting the reader to the site is most of the battle, and no one can afford to drive off their readership with an intimidating block of text.

Make use of small paragraphs, bullets, lists, and other methods that are appealing to the eye. The idea is to deliver the information quickly. If you cannot identify the purpose for a sentence, remove it. Your readers will appreciate your clarity.

3. Marketing laziness

Successful business blogging requires making use of the available marketing tools. Use social media sites to get your blog out there. The more you get involved in the blogosphere, the more attention your own blog will receive. Link your blog to other blogs. Comment on related blogs, linking your own blog in your helpful post. Friend successful bloggers on social media sites. Give others the opportunity to get involved with your blog with comments or even guest bloggers.

4. Advertisement Overkill

If your reader feels that you are more concerned with the advertisements on your page than the content of your blog, they will quickly be turned off of your site. Knowing how to blog effectively means knowing how to find the balance necessary between providing useful information and advertising (leaning toward the former). The relationship that must develop in order to get faithful readers will not develop if they feel that the blogger’s sole purpose is to make money.

5. Inconsistency

Your blog must posses a consistency. The trust that is built between author and reader is greatly strengthened when all aspects of your website are unified. From pictures uploaded, to content, to layout and design, let your message be clear and theme unified.

6. Missing Contact information

Help anyone who wants to get in touch with you. Create a tab on your website that lists your basic contact information. If a reader ever feels the need to reach out to you, you want them to be able to do so easily. Providing your contact information is also a simple way of vouching for what you write.

If you have come across any other blogging mistakes which I have not mentioned here in your blogging experience, please post it on your comments.

Content Marketing is a blanket term for Internet marketing that incorporates high-quality, value enriched content that generates profitable customer action. Additional benefits include building consumer trust, brand loyalty, as well as customer expansion and retention. The content shared in websites, blogs, social media sites and advertising links has the potential to influence the consumer decision-making process. Content quality can literally make or break an online presence.

Adapting the literary checklist of the Five W’s (and one H) of Who, What, Where, When, Why and How to the process of creating quality content, serves to establish guidelines for modern day marketers. The alignment of these guidelines with the marketing goals, as well as target market interests, helps to insure that the content created will drive the actions desired.

1.) WHO – Who is the target market that the content is trying to influence? As with public speaking, formulating content around a thorough analysis of the target audience is essential to eliciting a positive response.

2.) WHAT – What are the key needs, influences and motivations of the target audience in relation to the information that the Internet Marketing company is capable of offering? The information being shared is in essence an offer; the most effective offers are those that directly fulfill a specific need. Choosing topics that meet the needs of the target audience will serve as a guide for content development.

3.) WHERE – Where is the most relevant information found? Beyond an extensive analysis of the target audience, taking stock of the content offered in the marketplace, especially from acknowledged success stories in the same industry, is a worthwhile next step. This will help to ascertain the hot topic issues being addressed and more importantly, what is not being addressed that can serve as a basis for your own content development.

4.) WHEN – When is the best time to consider content marketing strategies? A good indicator is when there is the time and resources available to engage in expanding the consumer base through a variety of online channels. A diversified marketing approach, whether traditional or online, has proven to yield greater returns than a solitary strategy. Online marketing has grown as a result of the number of internet opportunities available for employing action-generating content. These include websites, blogs, social media sites, advertising links, videos and audio-image presentations.

5.) WHY – Why does the target market need or want this information? This is a critical question to ask when developing content. The answers will help to shape the content, as well as the format in which the content will be offered. Why is an important interrogatory in recognizing any gaps in relevant information, as well as preventing a glut of content on topics that have been overly addressed.

6.) HOW- How do I draw the target audience to the content? A diversified advertising approach should be planned within the content marketing strategy. Quality content can draw and keep an audience, but should not be relied upon solely for the most effective results. Promotion begins with notifying the current customer base and requesting they share the content with their own networks. Paid advertising should be incorporated, as well as notifying the traditional and online media via press releases.

So often, success can be as simple as merely asking the right questions.

You are invited to comment on this post. Do you have any suggestions for content development?

Boost Your Small Business with Strategic Blogging

Blogging is not just for ranters anymore. More than a soapbox, when properly utilized, blogs become a powerful marketing tool. They can drive traffic to your site, develop leads and contacts, and establish a sense of rapport and community with readers who them become customers. Here are some ways to get the most out of your business blogging.

The personal stuff

1. Establish a blogosphere presence. Gain credibility. Read related blogs and make insightful comments. Become a part of the community by spurring and participating in discussions. The more you post insightful (as opposed to self-promoting) comments, the more aware of you and your blog both the authors and readers become. With your consistency, they will identify you as a voice of authority in your chosen niche. Most importantly, do so with character. Be positive. Be respectful. Never berate another person or use profanity. Both are unprofessional and reek of immaturity. Rudeness is a sure-fire way to send readers running the opposite direction. Nothing turns off another reader faster than anger and insult. It’s okay to disagree, but do so in a way that invites discussion, rather than the reverse.

2. New discoveries are good. Your discoveries are good. Be excited about them. No matter the subject you choose, be brave enough to write original content. Don’t talk about ‘what’s out there’. Write from your own particular viewpoint. Share things you have learned personally. However, remember you are writing a business blog, so keep out the clutter of your day-to-day. Think to yourself, “If someone asked me how my day went, what would I share?”

3. Reveal your own personality. The business is not writing the blog. Neither is the computer. You are. Allow your personal voice to sound in the readers’ heads. It amazes me how intensely readers come to not only identify with but also feel a sense of ownership to compelling, genuine bloggers. Those are who they follow, whose blogs they must check every day with their morning coffee, whose comments sections they delve into and add to repeatedly. These are the blogs they share on Facebook and Twitter. These are the blogs they personally endorse. Whether you’re writing about marketing strategies, use instructions, or the best way to utilize a particular product or service, be yourself. Know what you’re talking about, but don’t sound like a technical manual. Who actually reads technical manuals anyway?

4. Sound intelligent. Take the time to edit and re-write. All writers live for the times when the words simply flow from their fingertips, as if they are taking dictation. However, I have found that when this happens with me, what comes out is not always coherent. I need to to proof the grammar, spelling and content for it to make sense. What you have to say is important. Do not distract your readers from your ideas with bad spelling and poor sentence structure. Proof your work, and your message will take center stage.

The strategy stuff

1. Redefine your perceptions of blogs. Give blogging grown-up status in your marketing tool kit. Blogs are accessible 24/7/365. They do not intrude on your customer’s time or blare white noise which is easily tuned out. However, they do provide an excellent means of disseminating information. Again, referring to popular keywords, set a content calendar. List different ways each category means something to your business or product and write about it. Set aside time to research and write your blog, rather than ‘when I get around to it’. Add compelling calls to action.

2. Identify your blog’s purpose. Is your blog meant to drive traffic to your business website? Use traffic data to determine the best keywords and content to use in your blog. Are you blogging to generate leads and conversions? Blog about products and services and include links to forms and other calls to action. What about community? Do you want your business or product to get talked about? Write blogs that invite discussion. Be friendly. Ask for comments. Get people believing in you and they will share with their friends. Social Media Examiner delves deeper into this subject.

3. Use captivating headlines. Keep it short, concise, and snappy. Some bloggers take an irreverent approach. If that suits your personality and your target demographic, go for it. However, establish a line you won’t cross and stick with it. Know your audience. Show off your expertise. Don’t call your (or your company’s) maturity into question. Be fun, but not foolish.

4. Get the word out. Use social bookmarking to bring readers to your blog. Every time you post, submit that information to social bookmarking sites, such as Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon and Furl. Remember Twitter and Facebook as high-traffic sites. Include a short but compelling description and the URL.

5. Increase your exposure through guest blogging. Contact bloggers in the same niche and invite them to post on your blog. Ask to write posts for theirs. Make sure links to your blog are included on their page to drive traffic to your site and vice versa. You can find out more about guest blogging etiquette here. Guest blogging can be a win-win situation, but make sure that you choose bloggers of like mind. Again, it goes back to character. In the information age, once data gets out there, there is no calling it back, and it can stick around for a very, very long time. Research your counterpart before you to commit to a blog you will later come to regret. It’s your and your business’s reputation. Protect it.

To sum up

Believe in your business and say it through blogging. Share your excitement by using the mediums both familiar and comfortable to your clients. More and more customers research their decisions, so put your product information at their fingertips. Use keywords and popular content to get grabbed by the search engines, but find new and innovative ways to go about it. Tell the world something it doesn’t know. Remember, your viewpoints are unique, and that is something no other blogger can provide.

Most companies design their websites based on what they think customers want and need, not what customers actually say or otherwise indicate they prefer. This lack of listening to customers’ needs leads to ineffective websites that offer a poor user experience.

The good news is it really isn’t all that difficult to figure out what your customers are looking for in your website. All of the tools are right at your fingertips. You just have to listen.

• Listen up—Most customers provide you with feedback all the time, even though you may not even realize it. In their emails, phone calls, and online reviews, customers provide hints as to the things they like and dislike about your company and your website. It’s important that you’re always listening, and even more importantly, you need to act on what you hear.
• Search box—I’m a big fan of search boxes on websites. Not only do they improve the user experience by allowing the customer to find what he’s looking for fast, but they also give you key insight into which information most people are searching for. Track the searches on your website’s search box, and optimize your website to make that information as easy to find as possible.
• Social media—Are you connected with your customers on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media outlets? If not, what are you waiting for? If so, what are you getting out of it? Social media is a powerful tool for gaining insight into your customers’ preferences and way of thinking. By listening to them on these social media channels, you can glean more information about what they’re looking for out of your company and your website.
• Web analytics—A good web analytics tool is invaluable to webmasters. Web analytics don’t just show you how visitors arrive at your website; they also show how people behave when on your site. This makes it easy to identify the most popular pages on your website as well as the worst pages that cause visitors to abandon your website. You can take this information , and optimize your website to provide a better user experience.
• Keyword popularity—A lot of times, we optimize a website for what we believe are the keywords that our customers are searching for. Over time though, your web analytics may show that certain keywords are more popular than others, and you may even find a significant number of visitors are arriving to your website from keywords you aren’t even targeting. This can help you target the right keywords that deliver quality traffic.
• Live customer service—Many websites now have live chat customer service. This allows website visitors to interact and chat with a real customer service representative while on your website. Pay special attention to the questions your visitors ask, and tailor your website to effectively answer these questions so visitors don’t have to dig for the information they need.

Does your website truly meet the needs and wants of your visitors?