
Your social media pages for your business can almost function as secondary websites–they can include important contact information, product descriptions, and operation updates. Not only should you want to take advantage of this as a business owner, but your business and this relevant information about it should be as accessible and available to your customers as possible, in order to encourage connections and sales. Read on to find out how to increase your business’ accessibility online.
Fill in all the information possible.
It can be complicated to include all your business’ information when initially setting up your account, but not doing so could actually lose you customers down the line. Especially when you’re setting up a business Facebook page, there are lots of places designated to include info about your business’ location, operating hours, and more. Once you have all this information in place, you won’t have to worry about it unless you need to change it, but it will remain accessible to to viewers and customers, which could make a tremendous difference. For example, having this information available could affect if a potential customer knows when your business is open and decides to stop by on their way home.
Answer your messages and comments.
Whether you receive one message a week or dozens, answering them in a timely and helpful manner is key to being accessible to your customers, and the same goes for answering comments on your posts. Customers will expect an answer to their questions, and answering them directly will not only satisfy their need for information, but it will also give you a chance to personalize your answers. If you have a specific product or sale that you think might be relevant to the messenger, responding to them directly is a great way to slide that information in.
Responding to negative feedback is particularly important, because customers who comment or message your business with a negative review are often looking for some type of validation. Whether they want a refund or just want their problem to be fixed for future purchases, responding to these messages and taking the time to rectify mistakes as much as possible can both validate your customers’ feelings while also potentially fixing problems with your business’ products or operations.
Consistently update your pages and accounts.
An out-of-date Facebook page is almost as bad for your business as not having a Facebook page at all. When the information you have listed is incorrect, or your page hasn’t been updated for several weeks, customers and potential customers won’t know if they can rely on your page for accurate information, which could cause them to look elsewhere for products and services. Make sure your accounts are updated at least once or twice a week, even if you’re just posting general photos or information and not a lengthy post. Additionally, make sure that any information about changes in operation due to the pandemic is conveyed clearly as well.
List alternative ways to contact your business.
Sometimes, a visit to your business’ social media accounts isn’t the last step for a customer in contacting your business. For example, they might prefer to discuss their issue over the phone, and are searching for your business’ phone number when they come across your Facebook page or Instagram account. In addition to answering messages and comments, make sure that other modes of communication, such as your business’ email address and phone number, are listed clearly for your customers’ convenience.
Consider ways to be accessible to all.
Being accessible doesn’t just stop at being contactable. You want everyone to be able to read and view your content, so adding some additional features can be helpful. These can include adding Alt Text to your images, captions to your videos, and capitalizing the words in your hashtags (Ex. #SmallBusinessOwner vs. #smallbusinessowner) to make your content accessible.
How does your business remain accessible online for your customers?