It won’t be a stretch to say that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we communicate has changed. Employees and customers are focusing more on the internet, and both demand information at their fingertips. As a result, businesses need to retrofit their remote communication plan for 2021. With people spending more time online, the best way to maximize engagement is by turning your business website into a communication hotspot.
In this post, we’ll share five ways to make your website a communication hotspot for audiences seeking your products and services or looking for information and entertainment.
Retrofit Your Remote Communication Plan for 2021 by Making Your Website a Communication Hotspot
Effective communication is the key to survival during COVID-19. Even before the pandemic, companies were digitally transforming their businesses by optimizing their online presence. The pandemic merely accelerated this trend and made it a new business norm. During this transition, businesses are retrofitting their websites by turning them into a communication hotspot and optimizing online support.
Here are five ways you can do the same and improve your remote communication plan for 2021:
1. Add Chat with Representatives
With limited foot traffic during the pandemic, customers are looking for some human contact when engaging with businesses. Implementing live chat with representatives can have a great impact on customer experience.
Pros
- Immediate access for customers to place their queries and get real-time responses.
- In 2021, live chat support with representatives can make you appear relevant to clients as they feel you’re truly interested in their needs.
- Live chat is a more affordable solution compared to in-person and phone support and also comes with extensive options, such as file sharing and ticket integration.
Cons
- Customers accustomed to traditional customer service practices might find it difficult
- Unless you’re operating in a single time-zone, you may need to deliver round-the-clock service, which may require more representatives.
2. Surveys
Online surveys have become an essential research method for businesses during the pandemic to learn more about their changing customers. The point is to collect relevant data regarding experiences, preferences, recommendations, and opinions regarding your products or services.
Pros
- Using surveys instead of phone calls or in-person conversations, respondents can answer questions at their own pace without any pressure.
- Data collection using surveys won’t break the bank. You can easily use Google Forms or other platforms.
Cons
- Many users simply choose to ignore or delete surveys.
- Business emails often end up in spam.
3. Questionnaires
A questionnaire is another instrument for collecting data on websites which you should add to your remote communication plan for 2021. Most surveys involve questionnaires as the main data collection method.
Pros
- Using questionnaires is the cheapest way to gather quantitative data. You can distribute them using email.
- Depending on your audience and engagement level, questionnaires are the fastest way to get information.
- Using questionnaires, you can develop new strategies during COVID-19 and follow your audience’s trends.
Cons
- The biggest disadvantage of using questionnaires is the likelihood of getting dishonest responses. Getting the wrong information can negatively affect your business.
- Many users leave questions unanswered, leading to incomplete data.
4. Comments
Blog commenting is a highly effective practice that drives traffic to your website and allows users to interact with each other. With limited foot traffic and customer interaction during COVID-19, this is the next best thing.
Pros
- Increased visibility and credibility.
- Commenting on blog posts can improve your relationship with customers.
- Blog comments can also help you improve search engine optimization since you can add links to them.
Cons
- Negative comments can tarnish your reputation.
5. Reviews
Customer reviews on websites have become an important digital marketing strategy during COVID-19 to influence purchase decisions. With the lack of foot traffic, reviews from other customers can help them decide if a company’s product or service is a good fit.
Pros
- Free advertising.
- Potential increase in conversion rate.
- SEO improvement.
- Feedback generation.
Cons
- Negative reviews can throw off potential buyers.
- Many customers believe that reviews are fabricated.
Conclusion
By turning your website into a communication hotspot, you have a chance to achieve more availability by feeding your sales funnel continuously. With this, you can drive more traffic and sales, answer more queries, and integrate several digital touchpoints.
Like it or not, your website is now your business’s front during COVID-19. So, retrofitting it with one or more of these tools or strategies should an essential part of your remote communication plan for 2021.
