5 Signs Your Customers Have Questions You Aren't Answering You may be causing confusion somewhere in the customer journey. And confused customers don't buy.
By Sujan Patel Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
When you come to my website, the first thing you see is me, a description of what I do and a button that encourages you to click on it. There are no surprises, no guessing where you should go next. I've laid it all out right in front of you.
Related: The Difference Between Customer Service and Customer Experience
Not all businesses make things this clear. Some have too much clutter on their homepage, overwhelming visitors with information. In fact, 75 percent of consumers polled in research by Stanford said that they judged a company's credibility by its website design.
Such lack of clarity doesn't apply just to websites. This could be a problem in your emails, your sales process, even your physical stores. And a lack of clarity is troubling, because it confuses your customers, and confused customers don't want to buy from you. You need to make sure your business is focused on ensuring a positive experience. That means making sure no customer question is left unanswered.
Not sure if your business is suffering from a lack of clarity? If you recognize any of these five signs, there's a good chance your customers are confused.
1. Your website stats seem off.
We tend to assume that most people know what to do when they come to a website. But if your website is unorganized or cluttered, customers may not know where to go when they get there.
Related: Why a 'Personal' Customer Experience Is Critical to Your Business' Success
Maybe the customer wants to call you, but your contact information is buried. Or maybe he or she wants to purchase a product directly off your site, but the checkout process is too clunky. If something on your website is off, your stats are going to show it. You'll probably see a lot of visitors but not a lot of return visitors, and the amount of time they spend on your site may be low.
So, how do you fix it? Go through your website with a fine-toothed comb. Have someone unfamiliar with your site go through it and give you feedback. Put yourself in your customers' shoes and look at the site from their perspective. How can you make their experience on your site as smooth as possible?
2. The customer is indecisive.
When customers are in the decision phase, you want to do everything you can to seal the deal and push them along with their decision. If they're waffling or can't seem to make that decision, there's something wrong.
It could be that they don't have all the information they need. If they're confused about something, it's your job to set their mind at ease. Make sure you're open with your customers, and offer help with any questions or concerns they might have. FAQs, live chat options, videos and product resource pages can help tremendously here.
3. The customer doesn't know how to use the product.
Is there one question that keeps coming up again and again from your customers? If you're constantly getting the same question about your product or service, the answer needs to be clearer.
Customers shouldn't have to call in to your support team for simple issues. You need to make it easy for customers to use your products and services. That means offering to help set things up for them and properly onboarding and training them in your product's use. The more you can prepare your customers and anticipate their needs, the more satisfied they'll be.
4. The customer is complaining.
According to a survey by American Express, seven out of ten consumers in the United States have spent more money to do business with a company that offers great service. Excellent customer support is key to the success of your business, and without it, customers will be unhappy.
When customers are unsatisfied with the level of service they're receiving, you'll hear about it. If you're getting a lot of complaints or seeing a lot of product returns, there's probably something wrong.
To avoid getting an earful, you need to get to the root of the issue and find out the cause of your customers' unhappiness. Is it your customer service team? Slow shipping times? Or something deeper? You may be causing confusion somewhere in the customer journey.
5. Sales are down.
If you aren't selling, something is wrong. It's as simple as that. If sales are consistently on a decline, you need to go back and find out where the problem is.
Customers want to know what they're getting into when they make a purchase. You need to make it clear what you offer, why customers should buy from you and how exactly they can go about buying.
Related: Why Customer Experience Is Your Key to Success
The key here is clarity. Customers aren't going to jump through hoops to purchase your product. You need to guide them through the sale by ensuring their questions are answered before they've even asked them.
How do you avoid customer confusion? Share your tips in the comments below:
