The Power of A Negative Experience

In light of last weeks post that highlighted yet another powerful review site ( Google + Local) I think it's an appropriate time to take another look at the importance for every business regardless of size, age, market or reputation to the impact of  poor customer experience and the inevitable level of customer dissatisfaction that typically ensues from these experiences.

Over the years there have been many studies done on this topic but perhaps the best known and widely quoted is the TARP study.  In it, it was found that out of every person who receives a negative customer experience and complains about it, another 25 people who get a similar experience don't.

Now as frightening as this statistic is, the story just gets worse. Consider that each of the twenty six people who have received this poor service or experience on average goes and tells around ten people who in turn go and tell another five people.

Do the maths on this and you'll see that for every complaint you actually receive, around 1300 people will know about it. In reality if you are lucky the one complainant will be early on before so much damage is done, and if you're unlucky it may come much later in the piece before you can start to address the situation and fix what ever has gone wrong.

Perhaps that is enough data to scare every one in business and motivate them to consistently deliver true and meaningful levels of customer service and support.  But in closing if you need one more little spur than here it is.  The TARP study was done in 1999 some 13 years ago.

So tell me what particular modern day phenomenon did't exist then that most people have access to today. Answer:  Social Media. The perfect tool to eviscerate any business failing to achieve adequate standards of customer care and comportment.  Perhaps Wednesday Addams said it best with her now famous line:
 "Be afraid, be very afraid".

Until next time, good luck and good marketing.
Regards,
Daniele.

Another Major Review Site in the form of Google+ Local

As a continuing trend to the evolution of review sites you will now be able to write up to date consumer reviews based on your experiences, using the Google+ Local review site.  

For example If you visit to a local franchise and are blown away by them or alternatively very let down, you can review the quality of their products, service and the general experience you get through dealing with them.  

You will be able to have a choice of  "poor - fair," “good,” “very good,” or "excellent" categories.

 Google will then take the raw review data and process the individual ratings into averages and factor them into the business' precise 30-point score that shows up in Google+, Search and Maps.

You can start providing to the consumer universe by logging on the Google+ Local icon in the left navigation bar, search for a local spot and click "Write a review.” That's it. So go to it and start reading and reviewing till your heart's content.

Until next time, good luck and good marketing.

Regards
Daniele

 

For Small Businesses, Half The Business Now Coming From Social Media

Amazing results from a recent study conducted by Northwestern Academic, Professor Rich Gordon and Syndio Social CEO Zachary Johnson, that set out to determine  how websites regardless of size interact on the web. To achieve this, the study looked at  links between over 300  based news sites and looked at analytics data and referral sources for 100 of them.

The results of the study were both copious in number and importance, but beyond this, there were some pivotal findings for business owners and managers with respect to social media is now such an important tool in promoting businesses regardless of type, size or location. 

The most revealing findings were as follows:

Access to Key Social Media Sites Are Vital to Generate Traffic

The study clearly showed that the big boys such as Facebook and Twitter drive more than half of all referred visits for small business sites, three times the percentage of larger sites. Facebook, specifically, was shown to be extremely important to smaller sites.

The bottom line here is that the waiting is over, if you are in business in 2012 and beyond you need to get on board. Game over.

Drive Links and Traffic First to Get Links and Traffic

You need to send links outwards first to other websites to respond. Give to get as they say.

The laws of reciprocity apply here as they do in the rest of the universe.

Smaller Sites Rely on Traffic From the Local Ecosystem More Than Larger Sites

The study wanted to understand how fit into the larger local system of sites. For example, do sites owned and operated by the same organization tend to link to one another more than they do outsider sites? If yes, what percentage of their traffic do those links make up?

On this the research clearly showed that the share of traffic that smaller sites get from other related niche sites more than 10 times as great as that of larger sites. 

This clearly underpinning the importance for SMEs's to integrate with the local community landscape. Simply put if you are a local business you need to become apart of the local e-landscape and participate in the discussion, sharing and general participation.

The implication for SME's is to start to ramp up strategic alliances and other forms of cross promotion activities to drive the synergy between you.  

And until next time, good luck and good marketing.

Regards
Daniele.

LinkedIn Endorsements Now Available

No doubt by now you will already have seen the new LinkedIn Endorsements feature being put to use in recent weeks, whereby you have been asked to endorse connections based on specific skills that you feel they possess.  This practical feature now makes it easier to recognise them for their skills, knowledge and expertise.

Essentially with a single click you can endorse your connections for a skill that they have listed on their profile or recommend one they haven’t added yet. so for example if a specific connection is a wonderful presenter and orator you can endorse them for that.

To endorse your connections is very simple. 

• On the top of a connection’s profile, you’ll see recommended endorsements for them. You can suggest additional skills as well.
• You can also endorse them from the new Skills & Amp; Expertise section that now showcases these endorsements.

If anyone endorses you, LinkedIn will notify you via email. As well, you can  also scroll to the bottom of your profile page under “Skills and Expertise” to see the faces of people who have endorsed you in the various areas of skill either you or they nominated. You can also accept any new skills recommended by your peers that you may not have thought to include on your profile. At any stage you can also add a new skill by clicking on “add a skill” on your profile page. 

So what are you waiting for, go to it and start endorsing those that deserve it and until next time, good luck and good marketing.

Regards,
Daniele