The D2C market has seen a revival in the current age, especially during the COVID pandemic. Direct-to-consumer (D2C) companies that directly sell their goods/services to their clients has significantly grown in the last decade. Since there are no middlemen, D2C companies can build strong relationships with their customers. This is one of the unique aspects of D2C businesses as large retailers will not be able to do it. Companies that capitalize on the same have a greater chance to succeed. In short, we can safely say that a good customer relations is the lifeline of D2C companies. So, how does a D2C company improve their customer relations with the help of modern tools? This article will shed a light on three major tools that will provide D2C an edge over their competitors.

Lead Management

Through lead management, companies can easily manage both prospective customers and existing customers. Lead management is extremely important for a D2C company as they forge direct relationship with each and every lead. Hence, a CRM and a lead management tool will play a huge role in the company’s success. With a lead management tool,

• D2Cs will be able to quickly identify prospective leads and convert them.

• D2Cs can see the complete customer journey and assist them immediately.

• D2Cs can understand customer characteristics and behavior better.

• D2Cs to check dropout leads and target them using remarketing initiatives.

In short, lead management will enable the company to offer seamless customer experience for all of its customers. With the help of a good lead management tool, D2Cs can build lasting relationship with their customers.

WhatsApp Business

In the last five years, texting has become an integral part of D2C businesses. In fact, it is considered as one of the factors that gives D2Cs a competitive edge over other brands. Since personalization is important for seamless customer experience, a direct messaging system like WhatsApp will be invaluable to D2C companies. Another great advantage is that WhatsApp can be used for both internal and external communications. Some of the advantages in using WhatsApp business are

• With WhatsApp, D2Cs can instantly send files, images and videos to their customers.

• Its popularity ensures that D2Cs can reach customers conveniently through a familiar platform.

• WhatsApp has a high message open rate, making it perfect for remarketing initiatives.

• The end-to-end encryption ensures complete safety and increased trust.

• D2Cs can send coupons, discounts and other marketing events conveniently to their customers.

• WhatsApp helps D2Cs instantly collect reviews and address negative feedback.

With all these benefits, it is evident that WhatsApp will boost both D2C sales and customer relations.

Live Chat

D2Cs traditionally do not have a large online presence. Hence, it is imperative for D2Cs to make the best use of their limited online presence aka their site. Integrating live chat into a D2C website will enable the company to provide personalized experience for each customer. Acting as a virtual concierge, the live chat system enables D2Cs to answer queries and build rapport with visitors. There are numerous benefits of adding a live chat system, some of them are

• Live chat increases customer conversion by helping D2Cs instantly connect with potential customers.

• Live chat increases customer satisfaction and brand value as customer queries are answered immediately.

• Live chat helps D2Cs understand their customer better through direct online conversation.

• Live chat decreases cart abandonment as D2Cs can intervene and help customers immediately.

On the whole, live chat enables companies to have instant personal connections with customers in a virtual setting. This is invaluable for D2Cs that thrive on direct customer relations.

If you are a new D2C company that is tempted to add the three tools after seeing the benefits, we have more good news for you. Individually, all three tools will boost a company’s sales and revenue. However, D2Cs must look to merge all three tools to get the most benefit. D2Cs should look to use a good customer relations manager (CRM) tool that integrates WhatsApp and live chat with lead management.

For example, live chat will potentially turn into a lead generation machine that will feed your lead management tool. When both work in tandem, you will be able to seamlessly turn visitors to customers and manage their complete journey autonomously. When those efforts fail, you can use WhatsApp remarketing to target the dropped-out or abandoned customers. The key here is connecting the three systems to efficiently increase both your sales and customer satisfaction. This makes your D2C company a well-oiled machine that does not lose its efficiency online.

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