Understanding what your customers think — and how they feel — is one of the most important steps to any thriving
business. It informs product development, marketing campaigns, and customer service initiatives.
But how do you find out what your customers really think? Here's a guide to getting started:
1. Take Surveys and Polls
Surveys and polls are one of the best ways to understand what your customers really think about you or specific topics related to it. There are a variety of ways to conduct surveys and polls:
website, email, social media, phone, and in-person.
The key is to ask the right questions so that you can glean as much value from the process as possible. Use directed yet open-ended questions so that respondents feel free to provide honest feedback instead of just yes/no type responses, which doesn't give much useful insight.
2. Encourage Reviews & Feedback (Post-Purchase)
Asking for reviews post-purchase not only gets you honest reviews but can also provide insight into what people really thought after using the product/service they received. Customers often give more detailed input after using something, which lends itself well to developing a better understanding of future product and service improvements.
3. Ask On Social Media
Social media gives companies an opportunity to interact directly with their followers and customers, providing them with a platform to express their opinions and feelings on your brand, products, and services quickly and easily.
Don’t be afraid to ask specific questions, even if it means engaging in brief conversations — this will help you uncover valuable information about what people think about your business!
4. Monitor Brand Mentions
In today’s digital world, brand mentions are an important way to monitor your company’s reputation and determine how customers perceive your brand. It's essential that you keep track of what people are saying about you online and ensure that any negative feedback is addressed promptly.
Here are some ways to monitor brand mentions:
- Set up alerts with social media listening tools
- Track mentions of your brand name on discussion boards
- Monitor hashtag use related to your brand
- Set up automated searches (e.g. Google Alerts) for the brand name and related phrases
5. Engage in Online Groups
Participating in online groups like Facebook, LinkedIn, Reddit, and other forums helps brands stay informed on trends relevant to their industry while also providing insights into activities that are sure to drive engagement within their own audiences.
This form of analysis may uncover some valuable statements regarding what people think of your company directly without them needing much prompting from a brand representative.
6. Examine Your Customer Service Interactions
CRM software is a great way to track and analyze how your staff interacts with customers via phone, email, or chatbot. Ask yourself if the customer was satisfied with the outcome of the conversation.
Also, try to see if there was anything in particular that made them particularly happy or unhappy with the conversation. Then use this feedback to improve
customer service moving forward.
7. Analyze Website Behavior Data
Website analytics is another valuable source of customer data that can provide useful insights into what customers think about your brand and products/services, as well as how they interact with your website itself.
For example, not only can you see which pages are most popular but also if people are dropping off at certain points in their
customer journey. Collecting this data allows you to tweak things such as web design or content accordingly based on user feedback without having to ask customers directly.
8. Hold Focus Groups
Focus groups are an effective way to gain insights into what your customers think about specific topics related to your business. They allow you to get direct feedback from a small group of people and often lead to more in-depth conversations than surveys do.
Refine Your Marketing with Customer Insights
In summary, there are numerous ways to find out what your customers really think, from asking questions on social media and engaging in online groups, to monitoring brand mentions and analyzing website behavior data.
Each of these methods can provide valuable insights into how customers perceive your company and products/services. Ultimately, understanding customer preferences and needs is the key to refining your marketing strategy and ensuring that your messaging resonates with them.