The Confident Entrepreneur With Jennifer Ann Johnson

Click, Connect, Convert: The Art of Making Customers Feel Valued Online With Veronica Cornish

• Jennifer Ann Johnson • Season 3 • Episode 22

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Remember when building customer loyalty meant a smile and a handshake? Those days are gone. In today’s digital-first world, meaningful connections must be forged through screens, across time zones, and in a way that translates warmth and trust into clicks and conversions.

Website expert Veronica Cornish joins us to share how to turn transactional websites into relationship-building powerhouses. From real-time chat boxes to personalized product suggestions, she shows how small digital features can create big customer loyalty. Veronica also unpacks how transparency and consistency—especially around policies—help build digital trust.

We also explore why email marketing remains one of the most resilient customer relationship tools, even in the age of social media. As Veronica wisely notes, “Don’t put all your eggs in the same basket.” Your email list is one of the few assets you truly own.

Whether you're launching your first site or leveling up an existing one, you'll find practical tips for using analytics, content marketing, and thoughtful design to create a seamless, trust-building customer journey. 

Visit us at jenniferannjohnson.com and learn how Jennifer can help you build the life you dream of with her online academy, blog, one-on-one coaching, and a variety of other resources!

Jennifer Johnson:

In today's world, customer loyalty has shifted dramatically. Gone are the days when a friendly smile and a firm handshake were enough to win a customer's heart. Now we're faced with the challenge of providing exceptional customer service through screens and across time zones. But here's the million-dollar question how do we translate the warmth, efficiency and problem-solving prowess of a great in-person customer service to the online realm? That's exactly what we're diving into today. In this episode, we're welcoming back into the studio Veronica Cornish of VC Creative, and she is, like I like to call her, the queen of websites and the queen of e-commerce, and she has actually helped take our business to the next level because she has helped implement so many of these strategies into our business. And we're going to talk today all about how we are able to translate great customer service to our online website. So welcome Veronica. Hi Jennifer, how are you? I am doing awesome.

Jennifer Johnson:

I can't wait to dive into this topic because, even though something is online, people still want to have that feeling of I matter, right, I matter to this business, I'm important to this business and they're just talking to me, kind of thing. So how do we do that? How do we use our website to build or start building those relationships that know like and trust factor with our customers?

Veronica Cornish:

Right, okay, so one of like the little things that people can do, which is very simple, is to do the chat little box that you can put on your website and you can train that chat to respond to a certain amount of questions. Now, if you're lucky and you can have somebody that is managing your website, that chat can become a live thing because you can start replying in real life, and that's very valuable. When somebody wants to purchase something, they might want to do it right away, but they're like doubting on something. Sometimes they send emails. I'm not sure if you see like, yeah, shopify emails where a customer has a question about something. Is this size extra large or large? Because the picture says L but the description says XL.

Jennifer Johnson:

How many times has that happened? Right, it was a mistake, right?

Veronica Cornish:

So the person who was entering the item made a mistake and then they want to verify it so that they can complete the purchase.

Veronica Cornish:

So you see how a little mistake from the beginning creates like a whole situation where and then if you don't answer that, then, boom, you miss on that sale, right? So if you have somebody who can That'll be like an ideal situation monitor those messages and that's great, because it's like eliminating a bunch of like questions that can be answered and then they translate on a cell. Another way to be very intimate with the customer is that. And then these you can like actually implement in an automated way when you're building your website and in the product section you can add a section called related items so that people are shopping to. You know they're clicking, let's say, they're clicking on skirts that have flowers on it and that's kind of like the pattern, because she's maybe looking something floral for a festival. Then that automation is going to show her underneath. This may be, you may like this or you can call it whatever. You may like this and then it suggests all of those little recommendations.

Jennifer Johnson:

I think we've all been there where we've seen that and it gets us into trouble because we go down a rabbit hole. We're like oh, I like this.

Veronica Cornish:

I like that too, I like that suggestion, and it can get really smart because if you have it by default at the beginning, it's just gathering data from the browser of that specific person that is going to start collecting data from past visits, all this stuff, and it becomes super personalized. So that's another great thing. Another way to have great customer service and trust is being very clear with your policies, very clear. Where are you adding those? I know, like you love to have on the product pitch, on the products a little disclaimer saying if you're going to return, this is how you do it, you know. You know, or this is not valid for returns or you know.

Veronica Cornish:

All that specificness of it is very it helps the customer makes an informed decision and that coming later and saying I didn't know that you didn't do returns and you can see it, you're like it's right here, yeah, but so it's important to be very transparent with those policies so that you don't get as much as those questions, even though people sometimes don't read or they're looking, they're scrolling quickly, but you're like being transparent and showing that up there, right, you, quickly, but you're you're like being transparent and showing that up there, right? You know the inbox communication on shopify too. That's like. Another thing that you have, which is within the chat box, is that you can, as a store owner, if you download the app, you can have in real time people with those messages and then you can in real time, also reply.

Veronica Cornish:

Another way of having and building relationships is rewarding them for shopping with you, which I know you have to, it is my love. Yes, a loyalty rewards, and then they can collect points and then they can spend them later.

Jennifer Johnson:

Now that you're mentioning that, I have a thought. How important is it that you have? How do I want to say this how you take what happens in the store and you mimic it on the website. So I'm going to go back to the points, okay, okay. So let's say you have a reward system in the store. Okay, I'm assuming it's very important that you mimic the same reward policy on your website, so it's they're both cohesive so that the customer is not confused, because when they're confused, then they're done.

Veronica Cornish:

And then also, if you also, if you have rewards in one and not in the other one, then they will feel left out from whatever situation.

Veronica Cornish:

So if I'm shopping in your store but I can't have rewards here, then why come here if I can have rewards in your online store? So it's very important to be cohesive with both. Now, sometimes it's really hard to mimic the same exact loyalty reward program Right, but you can get it as close as possible. Loyalty, right, but you can get it as close as possible. And then maybe the perks of one and the other, you know to kind of like maybe, you know, bring it to to the different. You know, if you want to bring it to the store these week because you're having a sale, then you can tailor that reward, I don't know, like, but they should be cohesive overall.

Jennifer Johnson:

Right.

Veronica Cornish:

Email marketing is still a great asset. You know a great way of keeping in contact with your customers. It's something that, yeah, I might get also the text message right away. But sometimes I like going to my email and looking at what they're sending me and I love, if I am a mom going to different like emails from kids and seeing what I like there. So it's also I mean, email marketing is not going anywhere and it's like the most basic.

Jennifer Johnson:

A lot of people kind of fell away from that for quite a few years in here where they're like, eh, people aren't, and now it's really made a return.

Veronica Cornish:

Yes, and then the fact that now these email marketing companies are because, like before, it was more like a very informative thing, but now it's very tailored to your products, where you can insert your products in there and then you can. And then you can also, with email marketing segment, do segments of whoever likes this, my VIPs, or my birthday emails, you know. So every month you send birthday emails to your July. You know contacts, so that's another way of keeping like really personal and, you know, having great relationships.

Jennifer Johnson:

Going back to the email thing, I mean and I feel I know maybe why because everybody thought well, social media, everybody's on Facebook and they're on Instagram and they're on TikTok. But people quickly found out once Facebook or whatever platform it is started blocking accounts, deleting accounts, suspending accounts. Oh my gosh, I have no way to connect with my customers. And if you have that email list, it's a very intimate way. Right, it's not as big of a deal. I mean it's a big deal, but it's not, as at least you have a way to contact your customers.

Veronica Cornish:

Yeah, that's why I always say don't put your eggs on the same basket, because people love to. They hopped on Facebook and they put all their energy there. It turns out that they can ban you, they can take your account, they can restrict you, they can take your account, they can restrict you, they can do, they can do whatever they want, whereas you have the control of your list because it's yours, it belongs to you, exactly you. You, you got it, you earned it. You know you earned that trust. That's true, and then that's why they gave you your email, right, so that. So that's also very, you know, a great, a great way. Another great way to keep your customers happy is hey, give me your feedback. Yes, surveys, right, right. Or how do we do today? You know, if you, if you have somebody in your, in your, in your store, how do we do today? Do you mind leaving us a review? It's because you know that went really well. You know You're so right.

Veronica Cornish:

Yeah, so, so, so that's another great way to you know, keeping that like connection with them and, of course, always incentivizing with a little special here, a little VIP here, a promotion, something that grabs their hook, because we all love to have a perk.

Jennifer Johnson:

We do and you know what. On that note, do you think it's always important? Again, going back to making sure that it's cohesive between store and online. So let's say you're running a sale in the store, do you always think it's appropriate to run that same exact sale on your website?

Veronica Cornish:

Not always, not always. I think, like, sales can be very can vary, and I think, like you like, for example, I love to shop online and but, but if I want an immediate thing, I want to go to the store, and if I go to that store and they're having a sale that is not online, cool, am I lucky today? Yes, so it doesn't mean that you always have to be like a mirror between one and another. So, like, I think, for sales, it can work if you guys have your own little thing on in store, because that also brings in traffic. If you are, if you, if you're feeling like you're low in traffic foot traffic then let's do something for a store, right? So I think, but for loyalty, like, I think it should like be very kind of, like, similar, so that they're both very like engaged to both. Right, blogging Blogging is another way of having an intimate, more relationship with your customers.

Veronica Cornish:

You may want to give them ideas about how to dress for Valentine's, so they're feeling, oh, if I come here, I'm going to feel inspired, and not only are they giving me ideas, but they're showing me the product that I can shop and then, if I shop it today, it's going to be here in four days because I just checked their policy, which I saw there, and it's going to be in time for my Valentine's dinner. You know what I mean. So you're being transparent because you're showing your policy. They're trusting you because they know that the shipping is going to be accurate. You're inspiring them to dress certain way and then boom, you're offering the product because it's right there.

Jennifer Johnson:

Right. So you know, there's so many ideas, there's so many ways that this can actually work for businesses that people may not even think about. And then they're like, oh my gosh, how do I do all of this? They hire someone like you to actually do it because, again, we can't be good at everything, right. And then you?

Veronica Cornish:

know what like, for example, pinterest. It's a great way of inspiring people something how to dress and then, if you have the link to the product, well, and Pinterest is creating, creating SEO, you know, for your website. So it's a great art marketing asset too. So I mean website, so it's a great art marketing asset too. So I mean there's like a lot of little things that you can do, with many platforms all coming into your website that are going to create that relationship with your customer.

Jennifer Johnson:

So, as a follow-up to all of this, so we create all of these channels, channels to create great customer service. How are we able to effectively measure what's not working, what we can stop paying for?

Veronica Cornish:

Yes, so okay. So Shopify has inbuilt analytics that if you know how to use, they're very powerful, and if you connect also your website to Google Analytics, they will go in way more depth.

Veronica Cornish:

Okay so, like, you can grab that information and you know, reshape what's not working. Am I getting traffic from Pinterest? Yes, no, then let's not put that much energy on Pinterest. Yes, it's bringing a lot of traffic from pinterest. Let's put energy on pinterest. You know what I mean. It's like knowing how to read this analytics. And then also, I know shopify came came out not too long ago with a more robust analytics and reports, so now you can do reports of all sorts and on top of it, I know we're talking about connecting another app that may cost, but if you really want to be aggressive, there's AI apps that connect to those analytics and then they give you all kinds of like. You know data.

Veronica Cornish:

So I think data is important. Data is important. It shouldn't be overlooked. You should be able to go monthly. Look at your number of sales, your number of traffic, your traffic, your orders. Look at your Google my Business profile. How many visitors am I getting? How many calls, how many directions Are you optimizing your Google my Business profile? Do you know that before it was super hard to add the icons for social media and now it's easier? Go to your Google my Business. Make sure that your Google, your social media profiles are underneath.

Jennifer Johnson:

And if you're like, what is Google my Business, then you need to talk to someone. Yeah, it is.

Veronica Cornish:

Yeah, exactly. But yes, I mean there's. I know it's a lot and it can be overwhelming, but start with something right, exactly do it start with?

Veronica Cornish:

something and then read a lot of like shopify has great blogs for information. You know, I read a lot all the time, all of this stuff. It's not that I know these because I went to school and they taught me this. No, this is new. This new, this comes out every day. I am designing on Shopify today and I come tomorrow. The things are in a different place. I don't know where these disappear. These became content, so it's just like you have to keep up with it and if you don't, then you're left behind Right, always be learning.

Jennifer Johnson:

That's a saying that I have, and it doesn't matter what genre you work in, for sure and the good part is like you can learn.

Veronica Cornish:

You know, if you're passionate, the content is there for you to learn. It's just you need the time to sit down, read process and then go and try and replicate. You know, do it?

Jennifer Johnson:

Right.

Veronica Cornish:

And see how it goes.

Jennifer Johnson:

Yes, yeah Well. You have shared so much awesome information. Again. If our listeners want to get in touch with you, or maybe want to work with you, how can they reach out to you, veronica?

Veronica Cornish:

They can reach out to my website it's good, bccreativestudiocom. They can email me at VC, at VC creative studiocom, or they can call me 404-539-5123. They can even ask you for the information and it I'm on all social media Facebook, instagram so you know there's there's a way to reach out to me Fabulous.

Jennifer Johnson:

Thank you so much, Veronica, for being on today. Thank you for having me.

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