Automation simplifies all areas of a business by automatically accomplishing tasks that you or an employee would otherwise have to do manually. You don’t have to look any further than your inbox for examples. It’s the “sorry I missed you” email from a salesperson who just left you a voicemail. The birthday coupon from a restaurant. The reminder from a retailer that you added a product to your shopping cart but never clicked “buy.”
But automation isn’t reserved for big corporations anymore. Small companies can, and should, incorporate automation in every aspect of business: from capturing leads to closing sales, serving customers to checking routine office tasks off the to-do list. When repetitive processes are automated, small business owners can devote their time to the goals that really matter—like growing the business.
1) Leads
Whether you’re meeting potential clients or responding to those who have already called or emailed, automating business processes allows you to gain and retain leads more efficiently — and quicker.
With automation software, you can respond immediately every time—without having to think about it. Instead of taking requests via an email address, add a “contact us” form to your website. Smart client management software like Keap gives you a shortcode to easily place the form on your website.
2) Sales
Think of automation software as the project manager for your sales team. While software helps your team focus on the most important to-dos ahead, it also keeps track of leads who aren’t yet ready to buy, encouraging progress at every stage of the sales journey.
The road from prospect to paying client includes a few stops. Mapping the route—and adding automation to the journey—helps your sales reps guide prospects from one destination to the next, ensuring no one gets lost along the way. Automation software organizes the existing process that sales reps follow to close a deal. When the process is clearly defined, sales reps can move leads from one stage to another, creating consistency and providing visibility into where each lead needs to head next. Define the sales process by four basic stages
3) E-Commerce
Marketing automation for small business encourages customers to buy and buy again—even if they forget to reorder, abandon a shopping cart, or let a credit card expire.
For most business owners, a sale isn’t a one-time event. You want a customer to buy again—and again and again, especially if you sell a recurring service or a product that needs to be replenished on a regular basis. After all, the probability of selling to an existing customer is 60 to 70%—compared with 5 to 20% for a new prospect, according to the authors of the book Marketing Metrics. Don’t wait for customers to realize they need to restock and slowly come around to making the purchase. Be proactive by automating prompts for future sales. Automation software starts the clock when a sale is made, and sends a follow-up email after a predetermined length of time. If you sold a 30-day supply of a product, your customer will automatically receive an email shortly before it’s time to reorder: “Knock, knock. We noticed your supply is running low. Would you like to restock?” In the email, include a link to the product so the customer can simply click and purchase without having to search around your website. In these situations, automation offers a win-win: convenience for your customer, sales for you.
4) Customer service and engagement
Automation allows you to treat clients as you would if you had more time. Help clients immediately, respond to their feedback and even send wishes for a happy birthday with these easy ways to automate customer service.
When a client needs help, nothing is more frustrating than a hard-to-find contact link and a slow-to-respond company. Six in 10 consumers have decided against an intended purchase or business transaction because of poor customer service, according to a report prepared for American Express. Make sure your business meets—and exceeds—the client’s expectations every time by automating a process for responding to help inquiries. Include a “contact us” link in every email to spare clients the task of locating it on your website. When a client clicks the link, automation software tells you, or a predetermined staff member, to follow up. With an automated process, the client receives a better, faster, and more personalized answer than they would have by contacting a general phone number or email address. In the software, employee names can be added to a contact drop-down menu to ensure that to-dos are routed to the appropriate people. By assigning certain staff members to certain types of requests—a support rep for a technical issue, a salesperson for a prospect inquiry—you immediately connect the client to the person who can help the most.