How Inconsistent Online Info Confuses Customers (and What to Do Instead)

The internet is a fantastic place. It contains nearly two billion websites, although it’s estimated that only 200 million are active. The majority of these websites contain information which is designed to enlighten you. Of course, some websites are simply for fun.

According to Data Report, six out of ten internet users are online looking for information.

Here’s the issue -  anyone can create a website and add content. Therefore, if you search any topic, you’ll find pages of information, and it doesn’t all offer the same advice.

The good news is that internet users expect this. What they don’t expect is conflicting messages on the same website.

Unfortunately, this is becoming a common issue and it can confuse your customers.

How Inconsistent Info Happens

As the internet becomes an increasingly popular purchasing space, businesses need to appeal to a wide array of customers. This often leads to the creation of several marketing teams. For example, one team will be focused on individual sales, another on businesses, and perhaps one on international sales vs local.

Every team will have its own objectives and a plan to reach them. Unfortunately, this often means that different teams present the same product in different ways.

Product presentation styles can be further confused by locality. Remote working has made it possible for marketing teams to be located across the globe. This leads to differing perspectives on products and this affects how they are presented to potential customers.

The internet means customers can easily research and find the inconsistent messages.

The Consequences Of Inconsistent Info

If you’re told something about a product by one person and then a conflicting option by someone else, you’re going to want to know more.

When it’s two members of the same company telling you inconsistent information, you’re likely to think twice before continuing any purchase. There are several reasons why this will cause issues for your business:

Loss of trust

If a business offers conflicting information, then a client will instantly question whether they actually know what their product/service does.

If the company doesn’t understand it product, it’s natural for a customer to lose trust and walk away from the sale.

Reputational damage

Most companies rely on good reviews to help build their reputation. It can take years to create a good reputation and minutes to destroy it.

Customers confused by your information will leave a negative review. Several of these can damage public perception and your reputation. You’re likely to see a drop in sales.

Mis-sold product/service

Inconsistent information can lead to a customer purchasing your product/service believing it does something it doesn’t.

When this happens, the customer will be disgruntled, want a refund, and is certain to leave a poor review. Again, this leads to a loss of sales.

Damage search engine results

The search engines crawl all over your webpages. If they spot inconsistencies, they are likely to reduce your status as an authority site. This can drop you down the search engine results; fewer people will see you, costing you more sales.

How To Prevent This From Happening

The good news is that you can resolve inconsistent information and improve customer satisfaction. There are several steps you need to take.

Get a SEO specialist

SEO agencies, especially the Impressive ones, understand what gets you to the top of the search results and in front of your customers. Using one makes sense if you want to build your customer base.

More importantly, they can audit your current marketing efforts and spot any and all issues. This will help you remove inconsistencies and present a united front.

Impressive SEO can also help you build a marketing plan which ensures consistency across all departments.

Create Personas

It’s also a good idea to create a persona of your target customer. Doing this allows all sales teams to understand the customer and what motivates them. The personas will help to ensure the information used is the same, regardless of the intended customer.

Ensure all teams report to one head

It should go without saying. You need one person or an outside SEO company supervising everyone. This is the most effective way to pick up inconsistent messages and prevent them from doing harm.

Improve training

Finally, take a look at the current sales team training. Improving it and making sure all staff have the same understanding will make it easier to portray the same information.

Summing Up

It’s easy to present inconsistent information, but it’s also easy to prevent it from happening. Review your approach and get the expert help you need today. It will make a difference.