Mobile Lead Generation: 6 Mistakes From Web to Phone Lead

Are your conversations with customers as efficient as they could be?

Maintaining a conversation with your customer through the various channels can be an incredible challenge. Any disconnect from one channel to another can lead to frustrations and inefficiencies that are difficult to overcome.

To improve on these issues, I’ve put together 6 mobile lead generation problems that frequently happen when moving between websites and phone support.

1. Websites and Phone Systems Don’t Talk

What Customers Are Saying: Didn’t I already give this information to you?

The Problem: Lots of information is collected and stored on businesses’ websites. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always make its way into the records system used by phone support staff.

The Solution: A unified account system for customers is essential. It creates efficiencies that benefit the customer and your staff, avoiding frustration and saving time spent providing support.

2. Customer’s Identity Is Frequently Lost

What Customers Are Saying: I called about this problem last week, why can’t you remember me?

The Problem: Customer data is either lost or difficult for the support staff to access. This leads to a redundant and frustrating experience – the support team doesn’t know who you are, who you talked to, or what you need.

The Solution: Give your support team a system that allows them to easily reference past customer interactions. Apple does a decent job at this – they’ll look at your account and see all your records. This type of support shouldn’t be the exception in 2013, however. It’s not a difficult technology to implement and the improvements to quality make it worth the costs and time.

3. Corporate Identities Are Masked

What Customers Are Saying: I don’t know who’s calling me right now so I’m letting this unknown number go to voicemail.

The Problem: Businesses often block their number or fail to identify to customers who will be calling them and when the call will happen. This leads to customers ignoring calls they would otherwise want to answer.

The Solution: Unblocking your number and properly setting users’ expectations (i.e we will call you at this time from this number) can dramatically improve response rates. Failing to put this into practice may represent a lack of confidence in your organization and perhaps deeper rooted issues.

4. One Way Communications Are Encouraged

What Customers Are Saying: Why can’t I speak with the person who was previously helping me?

The Problem: Separating the support team from vital account records and failing to provide direct lines makes customer experiences frustrating. Having to start from square one every time you call can significantly degrade the quality of the experience.

The Solution: Pairing support with a consistent and accessible account file and providing direct lines can significantly improve customer satisfaction. Any loss in efficiency should be offset by customer confidence.

5. Lead Source and Customer Interactions Are Disregarded

What Customers Are Saying: I was looking at a bunch of stuff on your site but I’m not sure what you can offer me that others can’t.

The Problem: Lead source, browser behavior, search terms, and other pertinent information are rarely passed from marketing teams to sales teams, especially mobile lead generation information.

The Solution: Putting procedures in place that allow sales team members to access valuable information about a prospects behavior on the web can dramatically increase sales. By not having customers repeat the inquiry process, you immediately build confidence and can slash the time it takes to close a sale.

6. The Device and The Appropriate Conversation Are Confused

What Customers Are Saying: Why do I have to fill out this form on my phone?

The Problem: Inputting your information into a form is a breeze on a desktop. On a phone, it’s a completely different story. While people do communicate on phones through text, the natural communication method (particularly for complex conversations) is speaking.

The Solution: Emphasizing the appropriate type of conversation is critical. Offering individuals on a phone a button to call as the primary way to initiate a conversation is logical when focusing on mobile lead generation. You can still have the form available, but it should not be the primary method for striking up a conversation. For other devices, like a desktop, it might be vice versa.