It is very rare when peeking into the statistical driven world of search engine marketing that the subject of customer services is approached or discussed in any great depth. Without doubt the foundation for informing the customer is likely to be driven from a myriad of data sources, data collation and proprietary technologies however; is there an industry out there where the satisfaction of the, predominantly business to business relationship can be as long term and as successful as that of the SEM client, or have the level of impact on the clients business model and potential business strategies for years to come?
This logically takes us to the question of what customer service approaches best suit SEM.
I can only consider this topic from a personal perspective, having out sourced SEM in a previous life and being the customer myself to now working as a SEM service provider for Vertical Leap.
The first element that I believe separates one provider from the next is the perceived role of the client. A typical outsourced operation would traditionally have limited ongoing association and two way interfaces with the outsourcing entity. This, from my experience of SEM cannot be further from the truth.
Not only should the client be the foundation and initial architect to provide SEM companies with their bespoke needs, individual goals and key deliverables sought from the business relationship, they should also be seen as a key partner throughout the process ensuring synergy with changing business needs and supplying key information, unique to their business niche which can result in search gold for their campaign.
After reviewing many hundreds of client testimonials including a number of our own, one clear message that is derived from satisfied customers is trust. Building trust will of course differ from one client to the next although some key areas that I think help establish trust include:
- Transparency – Enabling the client to access as much information as is relevant and useful to them as and when they requires the information
- Communication – Regular communication with the client (utilising whatever mode suits the client best) to keep them in the loop (after all it is their campaign)
- Openness – Honesty is the best policy
- Accountability – An account manager should become the single focus for the client on all of their SEM requirements putting a name and a face to service
It was Lewis Carol who said – “One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others” – I feel this sums up my blog quite nicely.
