Getting into the customer’s mind and understanding what makes them tick is the most important part of marketing and running a business. It’s insight into the customer mindset and their opinions that allow you to design your marketing campaigns, create the right ads, and tailor your customer service to fit their requirements.
However, what your customers think after they’ve made the purchase or experienced your product is also very important. The most successful companies out there listen to what their customers have to say. There are several ways through which you can understand what your customers think about your company and your products. Few of them are listed here.
Keeping an eye on the Data
Most businesses collect data on customers. You know if your customers return to make another purchase or when they interact with your company. You know just how many times an individual customer makes calls to the customer service department. This information is an insight into your customer’s mindset, whether you realize it or not.
If you find that a majority of your customers don’t return to make a purchase or hire your services again, that can be a big indicator that something is wrong. Of course, there are industries where customers are usually one-time customers. Real estate is an example of it. In that case, a complete lack of referrals will let you know that there’s something wrong.
Review Websites
Several business owners have come to dread review websites but there’s no reason to. Even a bad review can be transformed into a positive situation if you handle it carefully enough. The review websites will give a very clear picture of what customers think of your products and your company. A few bad or lukewarm reviews are common and you don’t need to be disappointed by them. However, too many bad reviews are a clear indication that something is wrong and you need to act.
Monitor Social Media
It’s vital to keep an eye on your company’s Facebook page and Twitter feed because these are the first places you might find clues about customer dissatisfaction. Customers will mention problems and complaints on social media because it’s much more convenient. If a customer is directly engaging with you on social networks, that means that they want you to notice the problem and fix it immediately.
Take Polls and Surveys
Social media isn’t just an effective way to engage the customer’s directly. It’s also an ideal platform to solicit their opinions. You can set up polls and surveys on social media platforms for your customers to participate in. If these polls don’t consume a lot of time, your customers might participate in them. This is a great way to understand the customer’s mindset on a particular aspect of your business or your company as a whole.
Google Alerts
When you set up Google alerts, you’ll be notified whenever your name or your company’s name is mentioned. This would allow you to keep track of customer opinions across the internet. This can be an effective tool to keep tabs on wherever your name is mentioned.
