In the first blog in this series, we looked at processes and your website. However, it’s important to remember that good workflow should apply across marketing and sales as well, from sending out emails to sorting out any returns.
How this workflow works will also feed into things like the business’ overall marketing plan and its CRM system. If there’s one person doing all the marketing in a small organisation, this can be fairly straightforward to manage. Once an organisation grows and it becomes multi-channel, then you’ll want to avoid multiple departments marketing to the same customers at the same time and promotions being shared on the same day etc. A good workflow system can help to manage this.
For instance, if you are talking to a new customer, then you wouldn’t want them to receive information about upgrading their item straightaway.
Nowadays, compliance is also paramount and this covers both regulatory compliance and legal compliance. For instance, you’ll need somebody who makes sure that the opt-out processes etc in email campaigns are correct and then you’re not emailing people who have clearly asked to not be contacted. You also don’t want to swamp people with emails or letters from the same organisation. They are likely to unsubscribe and you’ve lost that potential customer – who might have signed up to something they are interested in at a later date.
In addition, do you know who owns the copyright to the images both on your website and used more generally across your marketing? If you use content in your marketing which has been written by someone from outside of your organisation, have you made sure they are happy for that to happen? The owners of the imagery or content might allow you to use them, as long as they are credited. You’ll therefore need to put steps in place to make sure that happens.
The larger your organisation becomes, the more important it will be to have clear brand guidelines. Have you got processes in place which ensure that your company’s logo is being used in the correct way and that your corporate colours or preferred typefaces are utilised across the business?
For example, if you are a business with an online shop, you’ll certainly need efficient workflow if you start to sell anything online. If you have just a few orders a week or month, you’ll wrap them up, send them, and deal fairly easily with any returns. Provided your sales increase, you’ll then need processes, so you can efficiently track any orders, returns and refunds etc, as well as knowing exactly what your stock levels are looking like across all your channels.
You might require more dedicated storage for your products and, on top of that, a process to track stock levels, as well as locations for that stock. Are you also able to deal with seasonal fluctuations in sales or an increase in business due to a promotion or, more typically today, an appearance on an influencer’s page on social media.
In a recent blog, we talked about adding a chat function to your website. If there’s a phone number on your website and you’re happy to take calls about orders, then that’s fine. However, do you need to upscale your customer service department and add chat etc. If a customer phones to see when their refund is coming, will you have a system in place to see if the return has arrived and know when the refund is coming. Can our website cope with the additional traffic?
At the heart of all of this is data. As your business grows, so will the amount of data you will be dealing with. Processes around how that data is acquired and stored - is it secure and safe? - and how it can be accessed, and by whom, are key. You’ll need to be aware of why you are retaining any data and if there are time limits on how long you hold it. Again, compliance is vital surrounding data.
There are processes that affect your marketing and sales as a whole and those that are key to your website – but they should all work together. Your website should mirror what’s happening within your business and not be ‘out on a limb’.
Here's a recap of the benefits of having good processes in place across your business:
1 The ability to scale when needed: If your sales increase for some reason then, if good processes are already in place, your business model should be able to cope.
2 Better customer experience: If somebody needs to send a product back and your processes work seamlessly, with good communication, then your brand’s reputational management should remain intact.
3 Your team will benefit: If your processes are clear and everyone knows what they are expected to do and when, then they will typically feel less stressed and, in turn, work more productively.
4 Your business will be more efficient: If there are fewer mistakes and complaints, then this won’t be costing your business unnecessary money and you’ll be saving time too.
It’s always best to plan ahead when thinking about adding processes, so you’re not caught off guard if your business situation changes. If you allocate the time now, you will not only be in a better position for your business but you might save your brand’s reputation further down the line.
If you want to know more about implementing processes within your business, do get in touch on tel: 020 3397 3222.