SMEs may not have the huge marketing budgets of large corporations; however, they do have plenty of valuable opportunities to build superb customer experiences. Here are some ways to consider:

Get your digital assets in place

Make sure your business has a website, set up relevant social media accounts, and consider whether you need an app. With platforms such as WordPress, it is quick and easy to set up a website and other digital tools that your customers will value. When you have created these assets, make sure you invest in them with plenty of quality, relevant content, clear user journeys, and regular research to find out what is working and what can be improved.

Listen to feedback

Today’s customers want to be heard, so give them opportunities to provide feedback and listen to what they say, responding and acting as required. Provide a feedback form and other routes for customers to get in touch and be ready to talk to them properly when they do! Small businesses can offer the valuable personal touch that bigger corporations may struggle to offer, so make the most of it and invest in a great experience.

Engage, engage, engage

Create a great content plan that provides value to your customers, ask them to provide reviews, involve customers in new product development, send out tailored promotions, or reward great customers by inviting them to a swanky appreciation do. Whatever you do, find ways to engage with your customers and show them how valued they are.

Make the most of social media

Social media is free to use and a great channel to engage with your customers. Provide videos that explain how your products and services are used and share details of customer service teams and processes so that customers understand how they can get in touch with you. Offer competitions, insider views, launch details, value-added content and other service-oriented content types that set you apart from the competition.

Always improve

Refine your customer experience processes by constantly reviewing and improving them. Get your customers involved to find out what is important to them; for example, many customers like to have the option to use live chat facilities. These services are low-cost and easy to implement.

Investing in improvement

Customer service improvements often involve investing in new software, taking the time to re-engineer existing processes, holding customer feedback workshops, and building new tailored solutions that integrate with existing systems. Century Business Finance offers attractive and ready loans at low rates and with flexible terms.

Borrow from £25k to £500k for an unsecured business loan for any purpose or from £20k to £1m for a secured loan, which can also be used for building works and is 100 per cent tax deductible. Enjoy interest rates from 4.8 per cent and terms that range from six months to five years, with fixed repayments that allow for budgeting and ease of planning.

Apply in just five minutes

Our online application form only takes a few minutes to complete. We use the information you provide to make an immediate lending decision and the funds can be in your bank account the following day, allowing you to move ahead with your business plans without delay.