When starting a business, delivering a great customer experience should be one of your top priorities. While many new business owners focus on developing their product or service, how customers feel about interacting with your brand can have a bigger impact on your long-term success.
In this blog, the UK’s top-rated company formation agent, 1st Formations, explains why the customer experience is crucial for new businesses and how you can make it one of your strengths from day one.
5 reasons startups should prioritise customer experience
Customer experience (sometimes shortened to ‘CX’) is how customers feel about your business based on all their interactions with it. This includes visiting your website, calling your team for help, and receiving their order.
For startups especially, the customer experience is vital. Your first customers help grow your business by buying from you and recommending you to others, leaving reviews, and giving valuable feedback.
Delivering excellent customer service should be a top priority in those early stages. Here are five key reasons why:
1. It builds trust and keeps customers coming back
Customers are more likely to use your services again if they’ve had a good experience. When you look after them, they’re more likely to return the next time they need your product or service.
2. It encourages word-of-mouth
Happy customers often tell others about their experiences. These recommendations are particularly valuable when your marketing budget is limited in the early business stages.
3. You’ll stand out from competitors
You might offer a similar product or service to other businesses, but if your customer experience is better, people are more likely to choose you over your competitors. That’s because customers tend to value their experience and quality of service over price.
4. It gives you helpful feedback
Your first customers can give you helpful feedback on what’s working and what isn’t. Listening to and acting on their reviews helps you improve and grow your startup.
5. It saves time and money
Happy customers are less likely to complain or need extra support. A great customer experience can save you time and build a strong, loyal customer base.
Tips to improve the customer experience in your startup
An excellent customer experience is about creating a simple, smooth, and enjoyable journey from start to finish. Here are some practical steps to improve the customer experience from the start:
1. Always put the customer first
Think about your business from the customer’s point of view. For example, is your website easy to use? Is your pricing clear? Is it easy to get in touch? If something takes too long or is confusing, change it.
Keep things simple and maintain a customer-centric perspective to make it easier for people to trust your brand.
2. Understand the customer journey
Do you know how your customers experience your brand? If not, it’s vital that you understand their journey.
Look at all the steps a customer takes when interacting with your company – from finding you to making a purchase to what happens after the sale. If any part of this journey is difficult, try to improve it.
For instance, ensuring your website is easy to use is one of the basic parts of the customer experience you must get right. The order process should also be straightforward, and your customers should understand what happens after completing a purchase.
3. Communicate clearly
Customers appreciate businesses that communicate well. Whether it’s through your website, emails, or on the phone, always be clear, polite, and professional.
4. Make it easy for customers to contact you
If customers need support, make sure they can contact you easily. This helps build trust and shows that you care. You can offer options like:
A visible contact method on your website
A dedicated business email address
Fast responses to social media messages
A clear FAQ page
A chatbot for out-of-hours enquiries
5. Ask for feedback
Customers like to be heard. Encourage them to leave reviews or complete short surveys about their experience with your company.
Take the time to read and respond to this feedback, and use their suggestions to improve. Letting customers know you’ve made a change based on their feedback shows that you value their opinion.
6. Add personalisation
Small, thoughtful actions can leave a big impression. You don’t need to spend much money – simple things like saying “thank you,” remembering a customer’s name, or sending a follow-up email can go a long way.
These personal touches help build a customer experience and keep people coming back.
7. Train yourself (and your team)
If you run your business alone, take the time to learn the basics of good customer service. You can read articles, take a course, or watch educational videos.
If you hire staff (or if you already have them), ensure they have sufficient experience and suitable soft skills to help your company deliver an exceptional customer experience.
It’s also worth looking at other companies that get the customer experience right and implementing similar strategies in your business.
Build success through a better customer experience
Improving the customer experience doesn’t require a big team or a large budget. It starts with a customer-centric approach, clear communication, and listening to feedback.
Building great customer relationships from day one plays a significant role in growing a successful company. And by prioritising customer experience, you’ll give your startup the best chance of success.
If you’re ready to start a business that puts customers at its core, get in touch with the UK’s favourite company formation agent. 1st Formations can help every step of the way, from registration and compliance to customer service support.
Founder Dinis Guarda
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