Any business owner or manager would be hard-pressed to find “annoy customers” or “drive customers away” on the list of business marketing goals. And yet, companies push customers away almost on a daily basis by utilizing digital marketing practices that make customers leave websites, unfollow social media sites, and unsubscribe from e-mail lists.
These annoying digital marketing practices incite every adverse reaction and diminish the return on the marketing investment. For that reason, avoid these annoying digital marketing habits at all costs or outsource to a firm that doesn’t employ these irritating online tactics.
Website
Playing (unintentional) keep-away
In this era of instant digital gratification, customers (and potential customers) want convenience. They want to research the problem, find options, and move on to the resolution. It is the business’ responsibility to deliver. Every website should be optimized for search engines; for businesses with a service area, search engine technology should also be utilized to get to the top of search engine listings of customers within a 10, 20, or 50-mile radius around the business location. Those efforts should be backed up with regularly-posted and relevant content that answers customer questions and drives online customers to the website.
Having a hard-to-navigate website
Website visitors want to find what they need—and move on. When visitors can’t find what they want, website bounce rates increase, as well as the chance for an e-mail, phone number, and sale. When working on website navigation, organize content from a customer perspective or hire the professionals who can contribute their expert and unbiased opinion.
Slow loading speeds
A one second delay makes a difference. No, that wasn’t a typo. Google recently wrote that a one second delay while loading a mobile website can decrease conversions by up to 20%. This research highlights an obvious truth: website visitors don’t want to wait. A slow website is a major annoyance for website visitors, and a significant reason why they won’t contact or buy from a company. For that reason, contact a professional website design company that can build an optimized website that loads promptly.
Not mobile-friendly
A mobile website used to be a luxury. Today, a mobile website is a requirement for every business. An article published by the Pew Research Center states that 77% of Americans own a smartphone. This statistic is indicative of a change in lifestyle, instead of a fallible trend. Mobile devices have changed the way Americans search for answers to their problems, including in the search for much-needed products and services. Companies shouldn’t ignore that fact; instead they should cater to their customers’ (and potential customers’) needs.
Low quality content
There are a number of criteria that can qualify the content on a website as low-quality. The text could be full of typos, out-of-date, or written poorly. For search purposes, the website should also be optimized for search engines. An optimized website is another essential of the modern age, backed up by statistics that prove that a large amount of Americans use search engines to find information. Companies should make every effort to get their website in the search engine results pages (and utilize local website optimization to get found by local customers).
Online Reviews
Reading negative reviews
Negative reviews are a mutual annoyance for businesses and customers, costing businesses vital sales and driving potential customers away from a company. An article on Business2Community put the number as high as 4 out of 5 customers who won’t buy from a company with a bad review.
Bitter responses
Most review sites give business owners the chance to respond to negative reviews; this can either be an opportunity or a chance to make a costly error. Company managers that respond with an angry response (“how dare you say such a thing?”) not only annoy the customer who leave the review, but every visitor who sees the response. An angry response is an error that has a lasting impact; instead, company owners and managers should take a deep breath and showcase their excellent customer service.
Social Media
Not answering messages
Customers expect prompt responses from companies. Studies have repeatedly shown this, and companies need to be able to deliver. Customers want the information they ask for now, or they move on to competitors that do respond. This fact should dictate the way companies organize their staff; a dependable staff member with excellent customer service skills should be assigned to respond to social media messages.
Posting too much
Regular social media posts are an essential part of every company marketing strategy; posting too much is a surefire way to sabotage those results. Company owners and managers should know the recommended amount of social media posts per day or experiment to find out what frequency is right for the target audience. If the ever-evolving world of digital marketing is overwhelming, companies should outsource the task to a knowledgeable and trusted professional.
Over selling
One of the chief reasons customers stop following a company is because all the posts are about the company and their promotions. Put simply, customers don’t want to be yelled at when they follow companies on social media. Some customers want to be entertained or informed. They don’t want to follow brands that put up a continual stream of posts about products and sales. Instead, companies should strive to post relevant content that applies to their target audience; to do so, this requires a knowledge of who their followers are and what they want to see.
Emails
Unsolicited mailings
Any potential customer can tell you that receiving unsolicited e-mails is a major annoyance. Companies need to be mindful of this when building an e-mail list. Avoid buying e-mail lists or adding potential customers to the list without their opt-in. Company owners and managers should build e-mail lists by offering an item of value, such as a discount, or simply by asking on social media or in-person.
Sending too often
Crowded inboxes are a valuable asset; studies have continually shown that e-mail marketing has one of the highest return-on-investments of any marketing tactic. However, companies look to take advantage of e-mail marketing need to be mindful of over-using e-mail marketing. When planning and scheduling an e-mail campaign, be mindful of the target audience. To determine the right schedule, utilize data on the best time and frequency of e-mails. Regularly review statics like the e-mail open rate to determine what dates, times, and frequency yields the strongest results and return-on-investment.