{"id":395,"date":"2018-01-31T13:01:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-31T18:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lios.dev.creationsunivers.net\/having-a-hard-time-retaining-customers-think-technical-documentation\/"},"modified":"2018-01-31T13:01:00","modified_gmt":"2018-01-31T18:01:00","slug":"having-a-hard-time-retaining-customers-think-technical-documentation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lios.dev.creationsunivers.net\/en\/having-a-hard-time-retaining-customers-think-technical-documentation\/","title":{"rendered":"Having a hard time retaining customers? Think technical documentation."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Do you put a lot of effort into finding new customers year after year, but don\u2019t always succeed in building a lasting relationship with them? Let\u2019s take a minute to look over some figures that show why it\u2019s worth investing in customer retention and, especially, how technical documentation can help you do this.<\/p>\n

It pays to retain customers<\/strong><\/p>\n

You already know it\u2019s worth trying to keep customers. But do you realize just how profitable it can be? In the Harvard Business Review<\/em> article The Value of Keeping the Right Customers<\/a>, author Amy Gallo says \u201cacquiring a new customer is anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one\u201d and that \u201cincreasing customer retention rates by 5% increases profits by 25% to 95%.\u201d In a nutshell, loyal customers cost less and bring in more. So, don\u2019t you want to make an effort so your customers don\u2019t look elsewhere?<\/p>\n

A happy customer is a loyal customer<\/strong><\/p>\n

The best way to retain clients is clearly to ensure a great customer experience. The findings of the 2011 Customer Experience Impact Report<\/a>\u00a0spell it out: \u201c89% of consumers began doing business with a competitor following a poor customer experience.\u201d And \u201c86% of consumers will pay more for a better customer experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Customer experience is so important that according to 20 Customer Retention Strategies<\/a>, a business loses around 20% of its customers simply by failing to attend to their needs. What business can afford to lose one in five customers?<\/p>\n

Your documentation can help improve the customer experience<\/strong><\/p>\n

Technical documentation is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you\u2019re looking for a way to improve your customer experience. But according to the 2011 Customer Experience Impact Report<\/a>, \u201cthe ability to easily find the information or help they need (55%)\u201d is second on the list of things consumers want, and makes them stick with a brand. Interesting, don\u2019t you think?<\/p>\n

And it gets even more interesting\u2014especially if you\u2019re one of those who thinks no one reads technical documentation. According to the Harvard Business Review<\/em> article Kick-Ass Customer Service<\/a>, 81% of consumers prefer to \u201ctake care of matters themselves<\/strong> before reaching out to a live representative.\u201d<\/p>\n

In short, most consumers want<\/strong> documentation at their fingertips that answers their questions or solves product-related issues. That said, it is entirely possible that no one reads your technical documentation cover to cover. Quite likely actually. But it\u2019s not a problem if they refer to it when needed, as you\u2019ll see in our next article.<\/p>\n

Essential documentation tools to maintain a good relationship with your customers<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no one right way to provide your customers with the information they need. Here are a few to think about:<\/p>\n