Understanding the future of online channels, and the impact of online channels on the requirements for competing effectively in today’s business world, requires companies to take a critical eye to several aspects of their organization, from sales to marketing to customer service and support.
There are four key challenges that companies need to address at each stage of this continuum.
Leveraging online channels as a key sales channel
The fundamental role of the internet as an online sales channel will continue. To maximize the effectiveness of online sales strategies, companies need to be aggressive in the tactics they employ in traditional areas such as search engine optimization, as well as in emerging areas, such as pay-per-call methods.
Nevertheless, companies should be vigilant and weigh the pros and cons of issues such as sponsored advertising and the role of aggregators in the market.
Using viral and word-of-mouth marketing
Viral and word-of-mouth marketing are becoming more important. Driven by factors such as information overload, decreasing trust in mainstream media methods, and the prevalence of technologies to connect with friends and family (such as blogs), consumers are increasingly apt to rely on interpersonal communications to influence their purchasing decisions. Understanding the increasing level of influence that such networks exert should underpin any online market strategy.
Providing superior online customer service
As competition for customer mind and market share heats up in many industries, companies have the opportunity to differentiate themselves by providing top quality online customer service online.
Easier said than done, providing superior customer service online requires a delicate balance between identifying and diagnosing problems, resolving the issue, and providing customers a reason to come back. Top of mind for companies today is how to ensure that their online customer service experience keeps pace with consumers’ continually rising expectations.
Creating interactive, personalized tools for consumers
As use of the internet and related technologies, such as mobile phones, iPods, and other handheld devices become more embedded in consumers’ lives, the next iteration of online channels is likely to evolve much more rapidly into tools for consumers to leverage in various aspects of their lives.
Increasingly, the use of online channels will shift toward fostering long-term customer relationships. This long-term vision moves beyond focusing on transactional or one-time interactions to include the use of online channels to connect people, information, and technologies to create highly interactive and personalized online experiences.
