How to travel and socialize with your visitors
The ability to share. Let your visitors take you with them. The web is social now, so jump on that bandwagon right away. Users expect to be able to put content in their pockets for later, or broadcast the things they like or are passionate about. Give them the option with familiar icons, such as YouTube for videos, Twitter for short bursts or shout-outs, or Facebook to indicate they simply like something. Content inevitably gets passed along, so facilitate that process. You stand to gain traffic in larger increments if you continually provide items of value.
Maps and directions. Be where you're needed. If a customer can buy your product or service in a physical location, then you should consider being mobile in some way. Be there when they need you. There are myriad ways to do this, and you can start small by providing maps and directions. But be prepared to get more sophisticated in the coming years as consumers and phones become more demanding when it comes to mobile capabilities. And, whether mobile or not, use Google Maps and/or other common mapping tools. Help customers find their way to your door in a familiar way.
Feedback portals. Don't be afraid of letting customers talk about and rate your products. Be confident that you're building good products or delivering good service, and then allow your customers to get vocal. Ultimately, the likelihood of people completely dissuading prospective customers from buying your products is minimized by the customers simply helping those prospective customers decide what is best for them. You'll find that you have fewer returns, better conversion rates (until this becomes a norm among all of your competitors), and more satisfied customers because their expectations were set in customer-speak rather than hyperbole.
A personal touch. Don't forget to highlight what is important to your company through social bookmarking, blogs, blog rolls, custom search engines, or other tools. Loyalists want to know what's on your mind or what's in your world. Let them know what you're watching, what you think is interesting, and ultimately, what is shaping your decisions about how you serve them as you continually improve product development, customer service, or operations.
Communication tools. Lay the groundwork for rapid, open communication to your customers, the media, and the public, should you ever need it. Start a blog and use Twitter, if you don't already. You need a social media strategy for a few reasons: to build fans and communicate with your loyalists, and to quickly handle crises should they arise. It is difficult to start these types of communications in the middle of a crisis, so you need to lay the foundation so that you can truthfully and openly respond to issues in real time. Be kind and open now, and it will yield dividends when you get into hot water.
