OREANDA-NEWS. November 23, 2015. You might have started seeing Christmas decorations or ads already – I know, I rolled my eyes at that too; however, for retailers, this is the busiest and most crucial part of their year. They need to find a way to boost their overall sales quotas and keep their customers informed of every deal they could expect this season in order to finish the year with a bang. Here’s a checklist of what retailers need to keep in mind during this very busy period:

Step 1: Assess Your Web Presence

In order to get ready for Small Business Saturday or Cyber Monday, you need to start by asking yourself, does my website create a good impression of my business? This day and age, every business out there has a website. If they don’t, I can pretty much guarantee they’re no longer in business. Next, you must ask yourself, is my site easy to read and use on a mobile device? More people, particularly millennials, are relying more and more on their mobile devices for information and you are potentially losing customers if your company’s website isn’t mobile friendly.

Don’t forget the small details either. This might seem like a given, but you’d be surprised how often we miss what’s right in front of our noses. Make sure your business information — your address, phone number, and hours of operations are listed correctly. Failure to do this will ensure that potential customers, during a very busy period, will be looking elsewhere for their purchasing needs.

Step 2: Offer Limited Products/Services On Your Home Page

How often do we visit a website and seem overwhelmed by the number of products and the amount of information we see? Pretty often, I would say. Businesses should start by offering fewer products but increasing the sales copy with as many details as possible. That translates into more sales because customers feel like all of their questions have been answered in the sales copy and feel more comfortable, and empowered, making a purchase.

Step 3: Focus On Your Customers, Not Yourself

As a business owner, you always want to present yourself as a credible, trustworthy resource for your customers, but don’t forget, this isn’t about YOU, it’s about them – the customer. Without customers, you don’t have a business so the focus should always be on them. Your sales copy should limit the “I,” “me,” and “we” references. Instead, replace those with “you” and “your.”

Your customers will feel the impact because they like to feel catered to, that they matter. If you’re not willing to put the customer first, why are you even in business?

Step 4: Invite Comments From Customers

According to a BrightLocal survey, 92 percent of consumers used the Internet to search for local businesses in the last year, and 88 percent of those read customer reviews. Those same customer reviews are as trusted as personal recommendations, so why wouldn’t any business invite their customers to leave a review? That’s the most honest feedback you’ll get and you’d be a fool to ignore it.

During my tenure as CMO of a Fortune 500 company, I decided to go to the store floor to see what the customers were saying about my product. Again, honest feedback, what’s not to like? If you’re afraid of what people will say or receiving negative comments, don’t. It’s bound to happen so don’t hide from potential negative reviews. It’s always great to have a lot of positive comments, but not everyone will give you a glowing review. A few less than stellar reviews are actually a good thing. Why? Because other customers won’t get the feeling like you bought and paid for the positive reviews.

Step 5: Confront The Haters

If you have a few negative comments, you must take a look at your internal process first: if your service is rated as slow, do you need to add more staff? If it’s rated poor, do you need to improve employee training? If the quality of your product is low, what can you do to improve it?

Listening to, or even responding to, negative reviews doesn’t mean that all negative reviews are valid, but once you’ve assessed their validity, it’s imperative that you make the effort to respond, even if you don’t agree. Before you reply, take a deep breath. A rash response on your part can sink your business – word-of-mouth may be old-fashioned, but still a very powerful tool. A courteous response, including an explanation of the situation, and if warranted, an apology, can go a long way towards placating the customer and demonstrating your commitment to customer satisfaction.

Step 6: Have a Servant’s Mentality

Customer service is the single most important part of your business. Without customers, you don’t have a business. In order to take care of your customers, you must have a servant’s mentality. What I mean by that is you must always be in a position to serve them, and serve them well.  Your interest must be genuine; otherwise, you shouldn’t even be in business. Ask your customers: How can I help you? What can I help you with? What can I do?

If your customers feel appreciated, you’ll more than likely have repeat customers, they’ll spread the word to their family and friends, they’ll become loyal customers and you’ll have a thriving business. It’s a win-win situation for everyone. Make your online reviews work for you and your business this holiday season…and beyond! Customer service, and selling, is a 24/7 industry, 365 days a year. You’d be wise to remember that.

About the Author

Jeffrey Hayzlett is a primetime television and radio host of C-Suite with Jeffrey Hayzlett and Executive Perspectives on C-Suite TV and All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett on CBS on-demand radio network Play.It. Hayzlett is a global business celebrity, speaker, best-selling author, and Chairman of C-Suite Network, home of the world’s most powerful network of C-Suite leaders. Connect with Hayzlett on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ or www.hayzlett.com.