Mitch Joel tells an insightful story about how retailers aren’t managing to juggle the tricky act of balancing in-store stock with virtual stores.
On the trail of a new laptop Mitch went out to a retailer to pick up a new machine only to discover they didn’t have one in stock. Even though their website said they did.
Duh!
As Mitch points out your website is a reflection of your business. Just as you wouldn’t turn up to give a presentation in your pajamas, you don’t want your website to create the impression that you’re not a professional. Get your lines of communication (or stock status) muddled up and you’re asking for trouble.
Similarly, here in Sweden a lot of companies think the English they use to interact with the global community is up to scratch. That it conveys the nuances and professionalism they need to be taken seriously in the business community. Unfortunately, it often isn’t.
That’s why it’s so important to get your website right, get your copy or English-translation sorted.
A disgruntled customer isn’t just a lost sale. They’re the likely narrators of negative stories about your business.
In this instance Joel sportingly decided not to name and shame the store he visited. But some bloggers and forum visitors do. With the arrival of easy publishing online, it’s normal customers take their gripes online.
All the same, you can bet Mitch told the story to people in his network and in doing so probably named the store.
Very quickly it’s easy to imagine how a story like this about SHOP X will grow and grow.
“Oh, yes, a mate of mine tried to buy a laptop from them but when he got there he discovered their stock didn’t tally with what it said on the website.”
“You can’t trust what they say.”
The bottom line is that as businesses we need to nurture our websites, our stock lists, our promotional material, etc. Don’t forget that they are part of the stories we tell about ourselves and the stories customers tell about us.
Stories like this circle globally and, perhaps more significantly for business, at a local level. They shape and influence the actions of customers and potential customers alike.
What are you doing to take care of your story?
Related posts:
- Stories in the Workplace
- Schteve McClaren’s Ridiculous Dutch Story Rolls Again
- Drop the Swenglish, Get Great English
- Marketing Yourself with an Exclusive Story
- The Online Story of You
Jon Buscall - Communications Consultant
I'm an available-for-hire online communications consultant based out of Stockholm, Sweden.
What I do:- Online Marketing and Communications Strategy
- Speaking
- Teaching
- Training
- Write stuff: articles, blogs, brochures, copywriting, presentations, the works!
Contact me today to set up a free consultation to discuss how I can help your business succeed online.
