As agencies and freelancers, we are surrounded by the latest web technologies. Part of our job is finding tools that lower costs and increase efficiency. It’s all in a quest to improve our bottom line without sacrificing quality.
WordPress plays a key role in this strategy. The content management system (CMS) and its ecosystem are vehicles for helping us adapt to what’s next. Features like connecting to third-party APIs and implementing artificial intelligence (AI) come to mind.
It all adds up to an exciting time to build websites and related applications. However, it’s possible to go a little too far with technology – particularly when it comes to customer service.
Sometimes, the way we choose to use technology pushes us away from our clients. That’s a shame, because having a personal touch is vital for long-term success. It could be the very thing that separates your agency from competitors.
With that in mind, let’s look at ways to create and maintain connections with clients. Along the way, we’ll share advice for using technology to enhance (rather than hinder) those relationships.
Humanize Technical Support
We understand: supporting clients is challenging. And we’re not just talking about the technical aspect of troubleshooting issues. Keeping communications organized becomes more difficult as your business grows.
That’s why busy developers often turn to technology for help. Things like support ticket systems and AI chatbots are common solutions for serving clients. The idea is to handle small requests automatically while keeping the complicated stuff in a tidy thread.
The intent is noble. However, it’s all about how we execute these processes. There’s a right way to do things, and there’s a wrong way.
Consider your own experiences. For example, let’s say you need technical support from a WordPress plugin author. But instead of receiving help from a human, you get canned responses from a bot and then days of silence. How does that make you feel? We wouldn’t blame you for feeling frustrated.
The same principles apply to your agency. Clients need to know that you are there when they need you. Automation can be a helpful tool, but it’s not an excuse to ignore your clients.
A quick response from you or a team member goes a long way toward building trust. Even if you can’t immediately resolve an issue, a message to say “we’re looking at it” is meaningful.
Avoid AI-Generated Content for Your Blog and Newsletter
Publishing a blog and newsletter is a great way to stay in touch with clients. It’s an opportunity to educate them on new service offerings, security issues, or industry trends.
Creating such content requires time – a finite resource. As such, it’s tempting to use AI to generate what you need and keep your publishing schedule humming along. That could be a mistake.
AI-generated content is less likely to connect with your audience. And its ability to produce mountains of text doesn’t make your blog any more useful or in-depth.
Clients hire us for our WordPress experience and expertise. They rely on our knowledge to help them navigate the online world. Why would we cede our thoughts to a bot?
The truth is, you don’t have to be a prolific or gifted content creator. The secret sauce is in sharing what you know in a relatable form. A personally written paragraph or two will be more welcome than a generic 2,000-word essay from ChatGPT.
Plus, your personality and ethos are key ingredients to a successful relationship. It’s something AI can’t match.
This doesn’t mean AI should be avoided at all costs. You can use it to flesh out ideas or create outlines. Just don’t let it take the words out of your mouth.
Use Technology To Improve Client Relationships
We all love shiny things. AI and automation are fascinating subjects whose potential we’ve yet to realize. Thus, it’s natural to experiment with them and learn how they can help your business. WordPress makes it easier than ever to take advantage of them. However, it pays to be selective about how and why you use these tools.
A good rule of thumb is to avoid anything that makes it harder for clients to reach you. Doing so creates more distance in your relationship and will lead to frustration. An unsatisfied client is likely to leave for an agency that offers more personalized service.
It’s an important consideration as you attempt to boost efficiency and lower costs. Saving a few minutes a day is nice, but not if it inconveniences your clients.
A better alternative is finding technology that improves your relationships. For example, implementing tools that make communication more convenient and better organized. Or using AI to handle routine tasks, so you have more time to focus on clients.
You might also choose to ignore high-tech solutions altogether and rely on old-fashioned customer service. It has worked before.
It’s a reminder that no matter how far we advance, a personal touch is still the best way to retain clients and attract new ones.
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