All business experts agree that customers are a business’s biggest asset. Without them, your business has no mean to grow or even survive. Without them, there can be no business. Nevertheless, this being said, you are not much wiser when it comes to understanding what your customers think of your company. After all, it can be difficult to ask every single one of your customers how they feel about your business. Sure, you could send a survey to everybody. But let’s be honest: Who fills online surveys nowadays? People don’t have time for that, unless you promise them a reward at the end, such as a discount for their next order or a free gift. Otherwise, it’s fair to say that you may not receive much feedback to work with. So how can you best gauge your customers’ opinions and feelings? Here’s a hint for you: You don’t need mind-reading abilities. In fact, there are some solutions for all types of businesses.
Client-facing businesses just need to look
If you run a business with a physical address in which all customer interaction needs to happen on site, such as a catering business, for instance, it’s fair to say that you just need to be attentive to what happening around you to find out what people think. Do people queue in the street to buy your freshly baked cookies or your artisan bread? Do customers have to book in advance to make sure they can get a free table in your restaurant? Was your independent specialist coffee shop mentioned in the press as one of the trendiest places in town? In short, do people come to buy? And if so, it’s the best survey result you could get, especially if you begin to recognize some faces – as it means you’ve got recurring customers.
What about online customers?
Online customers may not have a face, but they have a behavioral pattern which you can track through a campaign code, for example. This lets you see how people react to your offering and whether they engage with your business content. Additionally, if you need a little bit more insight, you can use big data to gain the knowledge you want. The data you collect can paint a portrait of your average customers, their gender, their location, their age, and of their purchase habits so that you know how they manage their relationship with your company.
The unspoken words
Finally, you don’t need to separate your view of users between customers and non-customers. Indeed, if you look at the big picture, most users could potentially become customers in the right circumstances. Consequently, you will find it useful to study the current trends and hot topics, which you could address in your content or through a new offer to attract a new audience group. Additionally, popular social media hashtags can also provide valuable insights into what users want from the market. For instance, you can identify seasonal trends, such as the #InfinityWar film, which can be useful to launch new content or diversify your market offers.
Ultimately, even when they don’t fill up surveys, customers have more than one way of letting you know what they think and how they feel about your business. All you need is to keep your eyes open for clues!
