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Many business rely on maintaining long-term relationships with customers to survive. When a business begins to lose clients, the effects can become disastrous quickly. Here’s a personal pick of common mistakes that cost businesses clients and how they can be avoided.

Get Rid of Clutter

When visitors encounter a company webpage containing large blocks of text and a cluttered layout, they're likely to leave that page and seek the information they're looking for elsewhere. Many businesses lose sales because of this, which often sends the potential customers their websites have turned away directly to those of their competitors.

Break up your website's content into well-organized and concise paragraphs, so visitors can scan it for information they need. The use of headlines, bulleted lists, helpful info graphics, and images can also help your content appear inviting and easy to read. Organized content also allows you to direct attention to the specific areas of your website; you want visitors to explore, and in turn, get them to take action in ways that benefit your business.

Replying Slowly

Today's consumers have no patience for businesses that take too long to reply to their inquiries. If you can't handle the number of messages you receive from current and potential clients and respond to them in a timely manner, then hiring someone to help you with that is absolutely necessary.

If you already have a customer service staff that's not able to keep up with the volume of customer inquiries, either bolster your training methods to better prepare them or consider adding new members to your team. Replying quickly can make or break your business in today's technology-driven marketplace, where consumers research multiple businesses at a time when searching for the things they need. Often, the first business to get back to them will be the one they make a purchase from.

Failing at Social Media

In a connect world, total worldwide social media users has exceeded three billion people. The rise of social media has affected every industry, and service businesses are no exception. Anyone can now share details about their customer service experience at your business in a way that's highly public and demands a rapid response.

Content that inspires Call to Action

The majority of businesses today rely on content marketing to generate leads and sales. Your content should be tailored to meet the specific needs of your ideal customer, and definitely entice them to perform "call for action". It won't inspire them to look further into your products and services and make a purchase if you aren’t setting a plan for “Call to Action”. Many businesses fall on this front, with too generic and passive content to entice readers.

Solve a Problem

When a person uses an online search engine to find information and ends tip at your website, they're looking to solve a specific problem, which could be anything from an answer to a question to the need for the products you sell.

Keep Hustling ; )