Although today’s customer demands more personalized products and attention than ever before, they can make it difficult for retailers and salespeople to get to know them at the same time. They refuse to take surveys, get on an email list, or engage in other activities that can ultimately help businesses serve them better.
The basic profile information that customers provide, along with their past purchase history, only goes so far. When it comes to truly knowing the customer, thinking beyond the basics is essential.
Offer a Small Incentive for Customers to Complete Surveys
Surveys can be time-consuming from a customer’s standpoint, especially when businesses repeatedly ask them to complete one. However, some people are happy to share their opinions while others need only a small amount of coaxing to do so. In exchange for their time, consider offering customers a discount on a future purchase. This is a win-win situation because it gets them back in the store to make another purchase while also allowing them to feel more valued.
It’s also important to make the surveys as easy as possible for customers to complete. Including a link on the company website or emailing a survey invitation are just two possibilities. Businesses might also consider stating how long it will take the customer to complete the survey upfront. This can prevent customers from feeling frustrated while completing the survey and abandoning it before answering all questions.
Use Social Media to the Company’s Advantage
Businesses that don’t yet have a presence on the major social media sites like Facebook and Twitter shouldn’t delay in opening an account. People tend to be the most open expressing what they feel about a product or service on social media, providing the business with an excellent opportunity to understand their customers better. It also shows current and prospective customers how a business interacts with customers and helps to set the expectation for future encounters.
Use Analytics Tools
Using free tools such as Google Analytics is a must for any business that wants to provide better services to its customers. This tool alone provides numerous valuable pieces of information such as how a customer found a business website, the pages he or she viewed while there, and the actions taken while visiting the website. It can even let marketers know if the visitor shares content from the website on his or her social media accounts. Google Analytics is just one of many free tools business owners can find with a quick online search.
Take Advantage of Marketing Automation
Marketing automation tools such as automatic lead scoring, content publishing, and completion of repetitive tasks can free up valuable time to focus on serving the customer better. The advantage of producing content such as blog posts and how-to videos is that it allows businesses to measure customer engagement and interest. When a business knows what a customer likes to see or read, it can produce more of the same type of content to keep people coming back for more.
More than using any specific tool, getting to know customers requires a deep commitment to serving them better. Keeping an open mind and always looking for new opportunities will go a long way to ensure ongoing customer satisfaction.
