Why Should Online Shops Have a Phone Number?

In this still fragile climate online retailers need all the help they can get to attract customers. Their website can be very user-friendly, they can make sure they are the top of search results, they can publicise everywhere, yet they could still be missing out on a significant part of their target market. Why? Because many customers still prefer to use the phone.

We are in the information age, where nearly anything can be found on the internet, and yet some people still prefer to use the “old fashioned” forms of communication. A lot of this is down to trust.

No matter how reputable a retailer, having a website with only an email address, contact form or mobile number displayed will leave many prospective customers thinking:

• Are they trustworthy?
• Will they take my money and disappear?
• Is it a scam?
• Why do they only show a mobile number?
• Will I be listened to if I have a complaint about my order?
• I need to know the answer to my question now. Will they reply to my email quickly?

… and so on.

Rather than emailing, they are more likely to find another online retailer that displays a telephone number.

Some retailers list a mobile number, as they believe they can respond to calls even when away from the shop, however, there are many times when they can't answer (driving, bad signal, meeting a supplier or customer, etc.). Also many customers still believe that phoning a mobile is expensive as well as the question of how reputable the firm is.

One of our online retailer clients originally had a mobile number on their site. When they signed up with us we provided a land-line number to display. In their first month the number of calls they received increased by 20 times. Prospective customers were much happier to ring with enquiries, placing orders over the phone, etc. This, of course, resulted in more sales.

We often get callers who tell us they want to order over the phone because they don't have an email address! Now, this may well be true, but I do wonder how many say that because they are actually worried that ordering online will open them up to being bombarded in future by junk emails. They believe if they order online their address will be sold or passed onto others.

“Since hiring BananaOffice our business has increased by 200%!”

There is the argument that, if your online shop is popular, you are too busy picking, packing and sending out orders, ordering new stock, dealing with emails, etc., and don't have time to take calls as well.

This is where a call answering service can help. We have a number of online retailers who not only ask us to look after their calls, they give us access to their ordering, admin and payment systems. This means we can be both an enquiries line and an orders line, looking after customers, while those customers believe they are speaking to someone from the shop.

Using a firm like BananaOffice has the following positive effects:

• Prospective customers, who prefer to phone, get their enquiries answered immediately and they can place their order over the phone;
• Customers can check up on the progress of their order, or speak to a person if there is a problem;
• Our clients can concentrate on the other tasks that ensure the orders are sent out on time, new stock is ordered, etc. dealing only with calls that are urgent.

So the retailer looks a lot more professional, gets a better reputation and business will increase.

Of course there are some businesses where a service like ours won't work, however, there is usually due to one of two reasons: either the product they supply is highly technical, or they are not able (or willing) to allow third parties access to their admin systems. If access cannot be granted to take orders or payments, or to answer customer queries, then the call answering service becomes a message-taking service. This is still a lot better that voicemail, answering machine or, worse, just letting the phone ring, but means that each call (except unwanted ones like cold callers, etc.) still have to be dealt with by the client.

However, if the call answering service has access to the admin systems, they can provide the online retailer with a much higher level of service, reduce workload and even increase sales.

So, whether you are a new or established online retailer, if the thought of the phone ringing means more “hassle”, or you want to be able to offer an order/enquiry line but don't have the time or staff to man the phones, then why not talk to us?