If you are a small business owner, it is important to understand that customer communication has changed. Customers want to be able to talk with businesses anytime and anywhere they please–and now they can. Modern technologies like QR codes, text messaging and social media messaging allow for better customer service than ever before.

30% of consumers say they shop local for the better customer service they receive from small businesses. I get the feeling that number will continue to grow, since the pandemic made life as a consumer more convenient than ever before. Imagine talking to your grandparents back in the 50’s and telling them that as an adult you would just click buttons on your phone to order and pay for groceries and someone would come and put them in your car. It would probably sound too good to be true to them, but consumers today consider it commonplace. 

Because convenience is such an important part of the overall customer experience, businesses should make convenient customer communication a priority for 2022. 70% of consumers consider convenience one of the most important parts of their experience with a business, so making your conversations easy, convenient and technology-driven keeps your business a tough competitor. 

2022 is here. Is your business set up for success in customer communication? Answer these questions to determine how convenient your business makes communication for customers and what areas you could improve on:

• Does your business use QR codes so customers can scan to chat with you? Whether they want to schedule an appointment or ask a question about a recent service, making it possible for a customer to reach you through a quick, touch-free scan is a great goal to have for 2022. 
• Can customers text you? Nobody likes to use the phone for calls anymore. Providing a way for customers to text you is allowing them to communicate with you how they want and at their convenience, so it’s a big deal. 
• If you have a brick-and-mortar business, is your landline textable? To speak to the previous point, customers want to text you, but you might still have a landline phone in your office. There is nothing wrong with that, but with today’s technology allowing landlines to be textable, there is no reason not to have the best of both worlds!

As the saying goes, “The customer is always right.” That’s why it can be so important to stay in touch with your customers by using up-to-date methods of communication like texting and QR codes. Your business will thank you for being there when they need you most! If this sounds overwhelming or if you just want help brainstorming some ideas on how to keep up with the latest communications trends, then let us know.

For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. If any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add, please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!