Danielle Nagel, Owner and Designer Dazey LA.png

As online shopping and digital marketing increasingly become the norm for small businesses during COVID, staying connected with customers virtually is more important now than ever before. And the numbers don’t lie: live chat converts. In fact, a study by the American Marketing Association revealed that customers who used live chat are three times more likely to buy because of the experience. But you don’t have to take the experts’ word for it, just ask Danielle Nagel.

As the owner and designer behind the ultra-cool, Los Angeles-based art, apparel, and accessory brand Dazey LA, she’s experienced firsthand the benefits of cultivating meaningful connections with customers virtually, thanks, in part, to Messenger From Facebook. “Being able to communicate with our customers directly is so important, especially right now,” Nagel tells Create & Cultivate. “One big rule in running an online store is to keep people on the page and make it as easy and central as possible,” she explains. “I think conversions have been much higher since we implemented Messenger for this very reason.”

Ahead, Nagel spills the details on how she’s leveraging Messenger to stay connected with customers, generate new leads, and drive sales during these challenging times—and how other small business owners can do the same.

CREATE & CULTIVATE: How has being able to communicate directly with your customers helped your business during this time?

DANIELLE NAGEL: Being able to communicate with our customers directly is so important, right now especially. As a brand that started online, we had to build trust and human connection with our customers right off the bat.

Originally, that started with using social media to talk directly to people about our brand’s unique values, like sustainability and empowerment. But when it came to the actual shopping aspect, people were just scrolling throughout the site solo. They were missing the human connection aspect that I personally love about shopping in IRL.

When we implemented Messenger, it brought back that personal element. Even more than customers being able to ask questions about sizes and colors, they felt like they had support and that we cared deeply. Because we do.

What are some of the factors you considered when choosing the best platform to communicate with your customers, and why was Messenger the right fit for your business?

What I love about Messenger is that it utilizes platforms our customers and us already have and use daily. It ensures that both parties won’t miss the messages and get them right away. Oftentimes, our customer service queen, Lisa Lane, will answer—in real-time as they are shopping on the site!—quickly and easily from her phone.

Since it goes to your Messenger inbox, even if the customer leaves the site they are reminded to come back and seal the deal in checkout. Another cool aspect is that it personifies people on both ends through their profile and photo, our customer, and customer service person. It reminds us that, through these digital channels, we are talking to real people.

Have you seen a positive impact on your business as a result of using Messenger?

Yes, totally! I used to get DMs all the time asking simple questions about sizes, fabrics, fits, sourcing. With our 100k+ followers, these messages would get buried and often missed for weeks, which is an eternity in e-commerce time. Now, people can ask in the same place they are shopping and get answers right away. One big rule in running an online store is to keep people on the page and make it as easy and central as possible. I think conversions have been much higher since we implemented Messenger for this very reason.

What are some of the most common customer questions you receive through Messenger and how has your ability to answer them quickly boosted your business?

As we all know, online shopping can be tricky! All you really have is some photos and a description to rely on to decide. We have a handful of different shirt fits and extended sizes on many of our styles that might not be displayed in product photos. We often get asked about slight color discrepancies in photos because I tend to make my photos very colorful to fit the Dazey LA branding.

We also get in-depth questions on the sustainable sourcing of our goods since our customers are very aware of the importance of shopping ethically and know that many brands will claim that and not have the proper information to back it.

Have you experienced customers asking questions via Messenger leading to sales? If so, what percentage of engagements would you say are converting?

I think customers who are asking questions are already a pretty warm lead, so Messenger is perfect to give them that extra boost of assurance. It’s nice that Messenger keeps their carts top of mind even if they have since left the site. We often have conversations about a specific item that end in conversion directly after, clearly showing it works.

What advice can you share on how to keep up with the influx of messages and DMs during this period?

GET HELP! A dedicated customer service person is KEY right now. The combination of an uptick in online orders and COVID production delays has kept Lisa very busy. During this stressful time, knowing I have support is an immense help. I know my customers are in good hands. I can focus on why I started my business, what I’m good at, and growth. As a small business owner, it’s easy to take customer conversations way too personally, so having that buffer of someone who cares but won’t take it onto themselves negatively is great.

Are there any Messenger tools or features that have helped you better manage this increased volume? What tips and tricks can you share?

VOICE MEMOS! Nothing brings back the human element of customer interaction more than hearing a real voice behind the brand. They can hear how deeply you care in your voice as well as quickly and easily explain whatever you need. It’s much faster than typing and makes the customers feel cared for.

How have you approached marketing and messaging to resonate with consumers but also sell products and keep your business alive during COVID?

It’s all about keeping it real right now. We are experiencing this pandemic and challenges alongside our community, too.

Don’t try to put up a fake front or look like a bigger brand than you are. Share your unique challenges and be as upfront as possible with how you are having to adapt and that their support and understanding are making it possible for you to get through this.

We’ve had massive production delays due to shutdowns in L.A. and try to keep our customers up-to-date on what’s going on with their orders. Almost without fail, most customers have been so supportive and empathic. We are beyond grateful.

What advice can you share for leveraging social platforms and customer service tools like Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger to help drive e-commerce sales? What learnings can you share?

Embrace being a small business! More than ever, shopping small is vastly impactful and important. Share the behind the scenes, the highs and lows, of running a company. Talk about yourself, your team, how you are pivoting. Bring the human element back into your brand whenever possible. This lets your community know that their dollar makes a difference in shopping with you.

What advice can you share for fellow small business owners on building strong customer relationships virtually?

It’s so important to not only share about yourself but also ask them questions! Get your community involved in every way possible. Ask questions about new product designs in stories. Get conversations going in the captions/comments around what you are doing differently or what your customers want to see. Make them feel like they are an invaluable facet of your brand. Because they are.

How do you ensure that your consumers feel seen and heard and what advice can you share for how small biz owners can replicate your success?

One way we have gotten our customers even more involved was by creating a thriving ambassador program. We are now over 17,000 Dazey ambassadors. They are more than just seen and heard, they are a part of Dazey LA. They get a unique ambassador code that when used by them or their friends/followers they actually get a small cut of that sale.

Many of them proudly say that they are a Dazey LA Ambassador in their bio and share about the brand in their feeds. We get to reshare this content and celebrate the people that built our brand! We also connect them to one another through our ambassador Facebook page.

How is COVID driving innovation in customer communication and what are your predictions for the future of the space?

As a graphic designer and photographer, it’s easy for me to make our company look bigger and more commercial than it actually is. Website looking flossy, feed looking polished. COVID has brought me back to my why. Connecting with my community and empowering them to follow their dreams too. Sharing a life I have built around art and design. Encouraging people to make bold decisions and to be themselves to the max in all aspects of life.

Sentence Finishers:

In three words, customer communication is…

My top priority.

My #1 tip for small business owners is…

Be unapologetically yourself. Never limit your dreams and abilities.

The best way to support small businesses right now is by…

Sharing is more powerful than you know. Spread awareness about shopping small and voting with your dollar.

A fellow small business owner I admire is…

As a multi-hyphenate creative and businesswoman, I look up to women who balance both. I feel like we are often told artists are not good business people and vice versa. A troupe I believed for too long.

Justina Blakeney is a great example of a powerful force who embodies both. I also have admired Bri Emery for many years. She is a designer and business person who embraces vulnerability. Through watching these women, I’ve embraced that I too can be both!

COVID-19 has taught me…

Expect the unexpected! Small business is always a rollercoaster, and this was on another level.

Give yourself space to properly process the complicated feelings. Then adapt accordingly.