The ability for customers to communicate with the companies they wish to do business with is an essential factor for achieving business success. Likewise, companies need to be able to effectively reach out to consumers. While this traditionally consisted of face-to-face conversation across a counter or desk, today's array of telecommunications technology, coupled with the growing success of e-commerce, means customer-company communication can occur in a variety of ways.

Let's take a look at the best options for staying connected with customers:

By phone

Communication by phone remains one of the most important pathways for providing customer service. While telemarketing has fallen out of disfavor, consumers still prefer to have a phone number to call if they have questions or concerns. With this in mind, a small business phone service is a must-have for companies that want to stay connected with customers. Such a system ensures an efficient means of allowing customers to call by connecting them to the proper department. What's more, it allows business owners a chance to address customer concerns whether they're in the office or in the field. The ability to promptly answer questions and solve problems via phone conversation is too valuable for companies to pass up, making this an essential tool for staying connected to customers.

Webchat

An increasingly popular alternative to phone-based customer service is the use of webchat technology. Consumers visit your business website and click on a chat icon, at which point a chat window appears. While the initial back and forth gets handled by an automated system, the individual is soon connected to a customer service agent. When it comes to addressing questions and concerns about a recent purchase or other issues with an account, webchat proves to be an especially efficient means of communication. Agents are able to easily access the information they need, meanwhile customers can multitask during the conversation.

Social media

Staying active on social media is typically considered a marketing move by businesses big and small. However, social media can also serve as an effective means of communication between companies and customers. Consumers can post questions and concerns on a business Facebook page or Twitter account and the company can respond. While it might not sound ideal for those who wish to keep complaints out of public view, the ability for customers to openly address companies via social media indicates a level of transparency and trust.

Youtube channel

More and more businesses are realizing the potential of Youtube for taking a proactive approach to customer service. How-to videos and product launch clips can cover a lot of ground that may otherwise be difficult to provide consumers. What's more, the comments section on these videos gives customers a chance to voice their concerns and allows companies to issue helpful replies. Lastly, launching a company YouTube channel enables consumers to subscribe, which means they will receive alerts whenever new videos are uploaded.

By email

While easily overlooked due to its ubiquitousness in today's world, email remains a reliable and effective means of staying connected with customers. Whether it's email marketing or enabling customers to contact your business with questions and comments, email is an essential component of business correspondence. Email also gives companies the opportunity to update their customers regarding orders and service details. Finally, while consumers may claim to be indifferent to email access, having a means for them to contact your company via email is always appreciated when contact seems necessary.

Website

We think of business websites as an instrument of presence, but they also provide a platform for communication between companies and customers. For example, a regularly updated company blog serves as a portal of information and insight for customers to access if necessary. The 'frequently asked questions' page has remained a staple of business websites for years, and the same can be said for the "about us" page. Business websites also act as springboards for customers to access the aforementioned means of connecting with companies, since phone numbers, email addresses, and links to social media can be made available on the website.

Communication between companies and consumers is critical for achieving business success. Fortunately for businesses functioning in the modern era, the list of ways to stay connected with customers is long. It's only a question of which means of communication are the right ones to focus on.