According to the CX Network, 93 percent of customers who receive an enjoyable customer experience are likely to return to that brand. The article goes on to say that things like personalization and individualization really matter to people. This is good news for the funeral profession, meeting people where they are and providing a personalized experience are paramount to the field.

We hear a lot about loyalty and loyalty programs when diving into customer service education and enrichment. Ensure consistent customer retention by really focusing on the family experience and training and supporting your staff to be able to do the same, at every level and every possible touchpoint. Another way to build loyalty is to participate within your community. Attend community events and partner with other organizations where it makes sense. Become a comforting and known name within your community.  

But how do you balance all of this and stay aware of the fine details? One thing we stand by at JCG is having the tools to help you achieve your business goals. Performance Tracker X is a great addition to your toolkit when it comes to keeping track of family satisfaction and helpful information to improve staff engagement. Having these two areas of your business functioning in good standing will lead to long-term success.

The consulting team at Johnson Consulting Group can assist you in taking a high-level look at your entire business. Our people have a wealth of experience in the death care field and can offer support in all areas of your business. Let JCG help you grow into the business of your dreams.

The post Build Lasting Relationships with Quality Customer Service appeared first on Johnson Consulting Group.

By taking the time to create a smooth user experience and provide options for online selections, a website can become an integral source of outreach and ecommerce revenue. Here are some tips for success.

Enticing, User-Friendly Website

Just as your grounds and facilities create a first impression for in-person clients, your website does the same for online visitors, effectively serving as your digital storefront. With this in mind, you’ll want to make sure it’s presentable. For starters, you’ll want to include some helpful images and videos that showcase the strengths of your funeral home. Consider including photos of your leadership and staff. You might even throw in a video walkthrough of your facilities, helping users understand how a service might look with your business. 

Finally, your website should also be easy to use. This part might take some trial and error, but optimization is worth the effort. Ideally, when a user visits your website, there will be clearly displayed links to contacting your business, learning more about its history, and even selecting atneed and preneed arrangements.

Online Shopping (E-Commerce)

Funeral services usually require in-person consultations, during at which time clients select their type of service and gain more information about pricing. However, a growing number of people prefer to shop online, particularly younger generations. 

To meet the needs of this type of client, your website should allow people to select services online. For example, a website built by Funeral Results Marketing is a modern, user-friendly experience that helps visitors discover your funeral home, access the information they need, and begin browsing your services.

For example, if a person is looking for a cremation package, they should be able to schedule and pay for it online through your cremation arrangement website. Alternatively, people should be able to book standardized funeral packages online when appropriate. 

Particularly when it comes to selling preneed funeral arrangements, offering them online greatly increases the chances of people completing a purchase. People may not know you can pre-arrange funeral services, and displaying this option on your website can help increase the visibility of this offering.

Naturally, death care rituals require a level of individualization that’s difficult to accomplish without consultation. There’s hardly a one-size-fits-all approach to funerals; however, your online offerings can serve as base packages. Once your team makes contact with an interested family, you can then discuss additional customization options. 

Transparent Pricing

Before making a purchase, the vast majority of shoppers conduct research, including comparing prices between vendors. Because of this, it’s important to display prices on your website.

When a person has no idea what they can expect to pay for a funeral service, they’re less likely to follow through and select your business. Alternatively, having a price displayed, even if it only represents a base rate, can make them feel more confident about making a purchase. Even if your website price isn’t the lowest, the act of displaying a price allows you to demonstrate your value and transparency, noting exactly what’s included with each service. 

Marketing

Your website will also play a key role in any type of digital marketing. If you plan to run ads on Google, Bing, Facebook, Instagram, or other social media, they’ll inevitably link back to your website. Ideally, your ads and website will work hand-in-hand, the former directing them to your site and the latter compelling them to select a service. 

Additionally, your website can organically gain traffic by targeting relevant keywords. Use your site’s blog section to create informative and useful content about death care. Your site will begin to rank more highly in online searches, ultimately increasing your business’ visibility and customer base. 

Consultation Services with JCG

Managing a website can easily become a full-time job. After all, many larger businesses devote entire teams to building and overseeing their web presence. For smaller businesses, particularly those new to the world of digital marketing, it’s often helpful to rely on the expertise of consultants. 

At Johnson Consulting Group (JCG), our team of death care consultants can partner with your business to create a holistic marketing strategy, one that helps you build a website that drives e-commerce. With years of experience helping funeral businesses of all sizes, our team is familiar with industry-wide best practices and can help you implement them in your own marketing practice. 

The post How to Increase Success With Your Funeral Home Website appeared first on Johnson Consulting Group.

Gone are the days of guaranteed loyalty from families in the community. With competition increasing throughout the country, you can no longer rely on the passive acquisition of clients. Instead, funeral homes must take an active approach to raise awareness of their services and compelling families to book.  

Here are some frequently heard myths about funeral home marketing and how you can implement more effective approaches. 

1. Word of Mouth Is Enough

When a person talks about a funeral home’s services to their friends, family, and acquaintances, this is what’s known as word of mouth marketing. And while this type of free advertising is incredibly effective––after all, people tend to trust their friends over media outlets––word of mouth is unpredictable. 

Rather than wait for clients to organically rave about your funeral home, you should encourage them to do so. When thanking families for booking a service, politely ask them to share their experience on social media and tag your funeral home’s pages. 

In addition to asking families to talk about your business online, you should also ask them to complete a survey discussing their experience. Surveying families is one of the most effective ways to understand how your funeral home currently meets their needs and learn how you can do better. 

2. Reviews Manage Themselves

In many cases when a person runs a Google search for your funeral home, reviews from former families will be among the first things they see, making it important that they leave a good impression. 

One study finds that 93% of people read online reviews before buying a product or service. With this in mind, you’ll want to make sure that your portfolio of online reviews accomplishes two goals. 

1. Accrue as many positive reviews as possible. Both the quantity and quality of these reviews will also help your SEO, making your funeral home appear near the top of Google searches. 
2. Respond to negative reviews. If a person is researching your funeral home’s reputation, their eye will undoubtedly be drawn to negative reviews. Because of this, you want to take time to mitigate their impact by responding to dissatisfied families in a thoughtful, apologetic tone. Remember, they are likely working with you during some of the most emotional moments of their life. 

3. A Website Is Unnecessary

With social media pages and listings in online business directories, you might think that a standalone website is superfluous; however, a funeral home website is an essential component of your branding and outreach. 

One study finds that a business’s website influences 97% of clients’ purchasing decisions. Think of your website as a digital first impression. When a person searches for your funeral home online, they’ll likely look to your website for authoritative information related to hours, phone numbers, services, and professionalism. 

4. At Need Is the Most Important Audience

Increasing your preneed sales is one of the most effective ways to increase the value of your funeral home as well as ensure business in the future. To build a preneed sales program, you’ll want to address several family touchpoints: online, in-person, and through partnerships. 

Many people are unaware that they can book a funeral service ahead of time, so your first step will be education. By letting people know that options are available ahead of time––and training your sales team in preneed practices––you can increase the likelihood of people booking these services and flesh out your preneed backlog. 

Continue Growing

Unless you have a proactive approach to reaching your current and prospective families, you’ll undoubtedly fall behind the competition. To ensure the best returns on your marketing efforts, it’s often helpful to call in consultants.

At Johnson Consulting Group, our team of funeral home consultants has helped funeral homes in all stages and sizes develop marketing strategies that deliver consistent results. 

Armed with a knowledge of both funeral-specific outreach practices and marketplace trends, they can help your team build a strategy that enshrines continued business while bringing new families into the fold. 

The post 3 Myths About Marketing for Funeral Homes appeared first on Johnson Consulting Group.