About a month ago we introduced a new feature we call faceted search. Faceted search is more than just a fancy way to filter search results. It's a quick and powerful way to sort results into categories that help users find the answers they need without drowning them in irrelevant information they don't want. We've been talking about faceted search for a long time so we're thrilled to put this exciting technology into the hands of your customers for a better user experience. Take a look at this … [Read more...] about MindTouch Faceted Search Raises the Bar on User Experience
Generation C and the New Rules of Engagement
Business owners and customer service strategists often fall back on classification systems to better understand consumer behavior. It makes sense to try to find some commonality within a given market segment, but customers interact with each other so differently these days that the old rules of engagement simply don't apply. Altimeter Group's Brian Solis says characteristics we've typically used to define generations X, Y, and Z are too narrow to be applied to today's customers. Instead, he … [Read more...] about Generation C and the New Rules of Engagement
How Resilient is Your Product Help?
As consumers, we're an impatient bunch. We expect instant gratification and have trouble waiting four seconds for an online shopping cart to load after we've decided to buy something. We've become accustomed to shopping online vs. schlepping to a free-standing geographically-located structure (that's a "store" for you kids out there). We'd rather quickly click some buttons on a laptop instead of calling a help line and stumbling through a phone tree. We want to flip through online documentation … [Read more...] about How Resilient is Your Product Help?
5 Reasons Why E-commerce Systems Need a Social Help System
Social help systems can benefit nearly every type of online business you can think of, but e-commerce is one area where it really shines. Lets take a look at five ways social help improves the customer experience and how some companies are using it to build brand loyalty with their users. 1. In-line help for complex forms. The Internal Revenue Service is famous for deluging hapless U.S. citizens with frightening help docs filled with algorithms, charts, and tables. It's unlikely … [Read more...] about 5 Reasons Why E-commerce Systems Need a Social Help System
Survey Shows Customers REALLY Want Quick Customer Service Response
According to a recent study conducted by Dimensional Research and sponsored by Zendesk, customers value a quick response to an issue even if it's not the answer they're hoping to get. In fact, the actual outcome of a resolution scores pretty far down on the list of customer satisfaction concerns while things like having to explain a problem to multiple people irk customers like crazy. "Survey participants who had indicated they had a good customer service experience were asked what specifically … [Read more...] about Survey Shows Customers REALLY Want Quick Customer Service Response
5 Cold, Hard Truths About PDFs as Product Support
There's been quite a hue and cry this week over Adobe's decision to shift Creative Suite to a subscription-only business model. Beginning in June, the company's flagship boxed set of widely used tools like Illustrator and Photoshop will be moved to, and supported in, the cloud. It's a bold move, but not a shocking one, as more software vendors see the benefit of pushing their business to the cloud. It's certainly more cost-effective than shipping CDs and vying for product placement on crowded … [Read more...] about 5 Cold, Hard Truths About PDFs as Product Support
Don't Use My Product: 3 Things You Wouldn't Say to Your Customer
Imagine a company that actively discouraged its customers from buying or using its products. Imagine it quick, because a company like that won't be in business for long. Sadly, some companies spend tons of money and hundreds of hours creating all kinds of marketing and customer service strategies only to shoot themselves in the foot by subtly driving users away with poor product documentation. Take a tour of your website, wiki, and in-house forums to see if you're inadvertently sending … [Read more...] about Don't Use My Product: 3 Things You Wouldn't Say to Your Customer
Serve Your Customers Snacks on Twitter and Dinner on Your Website
While some of the MindTouch staff was busy attending (and presenting!) at the LavaCon Hands-On Workshop in New Orleans, there was a really interesting conversation happening in San Francisco. During its annual user conference this year, social media marketing software company Lithium opened up a great dialogue about whether customer experience is just a bunch of hype and ways companies that talk the talk can also walk the walk. Lithium CMO Katy Keim throws down the gauntlet of shame pretty … [Read more...] about Serve Your Customers Snacks on Twitter and Dinner on Your Website
Three and a Half Ways to Turn Lurkers into Participating Community Members
There's an old business adage that for everyone person who makes a public comment on the internet about your company, there are dozens -- perhaps hundreds -- more thinking about you but not commenting. That's not a huge deal if you don't worry too much about customer engagement (something you know we don't recommend). But what if you believe that your user base is a fountain of knowledge worth tapping into? How do you turn lurkers into participating members of your community? Make the process … [Read more...] about Three and a Half Ways to Turn Lurkers into Participating Community Members
2013 Top 100 Influencers in #KM – Knowledge Management
In an effort to chart the power nodes in the social graph of various technology industry disciplines, MindTouch has a history of researching and producing a list of influencers. This began as an internal project to understand sectors important to MindTouch and since 2009 MindTouch has published these reports to the advantage of the community at large. Last week we shared our internal annual report of Techcomm influencers that we produced using LittleBird. This year, MindTouch also analyzed … [Read more...] about 2013 Top 100 Influencers in #KM – Knowledge Management
