De-Googlize Your Company

What company doesn’t want to rank high in Google searches? When a customer is looking for whatever you sell, wouldn’t you want to be ranked at the top of the first page? Unless you’re willing to pay and advertise, you have to naturally get there, and that typically takes quite a bit of expertise and effort.  

But, what if Google didn’t matter to your business? What if there were another way to get new customers without vying for high search engine rankings?  

If you’ve been following my work, you probably know the answer. Once you have a customer, provide the experience that not only makes them come back, but makes them want to tell others about you. And if you want to make it competitive, like outranking your competition on Google, then out-service them.  

So, how do you out-service your competition? Here are five ways: 

1. Ensure your Net Promoter Score (NPS) is high. For those who don’t know, NPS is about the likelihood of a customer recommending you. The question on a survey usually is this: On a scale of 0-10, what’s the likelihood that you would recommend us? If the customer gives you a high score (a 9 or 10), they are a promoter. Depending on the type of business, don’t just feel good about the number. If appropriate, follow up with a customer and ask them, “Who would you recommend us to?”  

2. Find out why your customers would choose to do business with a competitor. This one and the next one come from my “I’ll Be Back” conversation to get customers to say, “I’ll be back.” What are they doing that you aren’t? If it’s something you should be doing, do so, but make it your own. Don’t just copy a competitor. Put your own spin on it to make it yours. 

3. Have a discussion with your team about favorite companies to do business with outside of your industry. Discuss what they do to make you love them. If there is something they are doing that would work for your business, do it. This is a powerful idea that can take you from best-in-your-industry to world-class.  

4. Ask customers why they left. If a customer is willing to share with you why they no longer do business with you, it’s a gift. Learning firsthand from past customers could help save future customers from leaving for the competition.  

5. Ask customers why they didn’t choose you. If there is a way to follow up with customers who you thought would do business with you but didn’t, take advantage of the opportunity. Their feedback is a gift.  

6. Measure how easy it is to do business with you. You may have a great product, and you may offer friendly and knowledgeable customer support, but is it easy to do business with you? My annual customer service and experience research finds that 71% of customers said a convenient experience alone would make them come back. Be easier than your competition, and you’ll win more business. 

When you “de-Googlize” your business, you stop chasing clicks and start creating customer evangelists who not only love you but also tell their friends about you. The best search engine in the world isn’t online. It’s in your customers’ minds. Deliver an experience that’s so good customers don’t search for you. They remember you, return to you, and recommend you. That’s how you outrank your competition! 

Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.