… unless you’re a monopoly.
During the stressful task of moving and transferring all my utilities last week, I was reminded of some very important marketing lessons thanks to the only internet provider I’m able to use:
The quickest way to undo marketing is bad service, and it will eventually kill your business. Good service and word-of-mouth are the absolute foundation of good marketing.
We can do all the marketing things, but if the service is bad or your product underperforms, none of them will win back the customers who leave you.
But … if you’re a virtual monopoly, because people “virtually” have no choice, you don’t really need marketing. … or good service. Your marketing is just about selling people more, the bells and whistles above the basic package. And since people have no decent competitors to turn to, they’ll put up with your horrendous service.
When it comes to internet, the only options I have opposed to my current provider means having way lower speeds for twice as much money; the options are so insignificant, my current provider is virtually the “only” choice. … and I’m sure they know that, which is why I had to deal with quite an involved process when transferring my service.
In this one process, I was able to capture almost everything a business should never do if it wants to survive; and despite it all, I’m forced to remain a customer. As a writer, when I’m annoyed and overwhelmed by circumstances, of course, I journal and write about it. Last week’s title: How to Kill Your Business or 42 Simple Steps to Transferring Your Internet Service.
Yes, 42. Not 5, or 8, or even 20. It took 42 steps, multiple phone calls, one trip to their closest store, and a week and a half for me to transfer internet service within the same city.
We Ligers are pretty good at what we do, but we’re not magicians or mystical unicorns. Every day we lead horses everywhere to your water—getting them to drink is completely up to you. … unless you’re a virtual monopoly. Then, the horses will drink because there’s no other water, and if it tastes bad, they’ll curse your brand the entire time they gulp it down.
To get the most out of your marketing, you need to make ‘em say “Yey” instead of “Neigh.” Give ‘em stellar service and a seamless user experience. If people are getting to your pages, but most are leaving before purchase or sealing the deal, you probably have naysayers.
Now that Satori Interactive is our new partner in marketing marvelousness, we’re able to design smooth user experiences so you can offer the best online service. Satori actually works with companies to make it easy for horses to drink … and make sure your customers don’t need 42 steps to experience your product.