The 10 Most Important Tips for Getting to Know Your Customers

For businesses to be profitable, they must provide their customers with products and services they will enjoy. Finding out what customers think is extremely challenging. Nonetheless, it is possible to improve customer experience by leveraging the data acquired by implementing the right processes and focusing on the key data points. Customer service representatives, those who are responsible for aligning business goals with customer care, typically only refer to the customer’s profile information and purchasing history to understand the customer’s mindset.

According to a survey conducted by Yesmail Interactive, a marketing solutions provider, and research firm Gleanster, 80% of brands do not have enough data to launch an effective marketing campaign. Even though basic information can easily be obtained from various sources, getting to know the customers is becoming more difficult. Businesses have to understand who their customers are and what drives them in order to increase conversion rates. In making an effort to have a better understanding of their customers, business enterprises are making a giant leap towards making their company and brand better.

Here are the 10 most important tips for getting to know your customers better:

1. Never Make Assumptions – Assuming a customer’s preferences and beliefs is not considered a smart marketing strategy. It is possible that a tactic that was successful one year may not be so successful the next. As customers’ interactions with a brand evolve over time, businesses must use up-to-date data about their customers to come up with strategies that work for them, instead of relying on past practices. As businesses gain access to the latest information, they will be able to understand their customers better and let go of generic assumptions to achieve success and improve customer experiences.
   
2. Take advantage of social media – According to a survey, only 38% of marketers utilize data from social media that could help improve their targeting. Businesses that want to interact with their customers should have a social media account. Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter provide insights into customer likes, habits, and most importantly, what they buy. Through social media, companies can learn a great deal about their customers’ likes and dislikes by resolving their complaints. The majority of the posts on Facebook or Twitter receive comments from old and new customers which the company can use to get to know their customers better. In addition, since the interaction between the company and the customer is visible to all, it displays the company’s commitment to customer satisfaction.
   
3. Talk to your customers – It is one of the easiest ways that businesses can get to know their customers better. Companies can better serve their customers by asking questions about what they really need. The questions must emphasize both ‘why’ and ‘how’ to get a clear picture of what needs to be done to provide excellent customer service. Companies can really benefit from this method in terms of finding new opportunities and standing out from their competition.
   
4. Gather information from surveys – In order to gain the most honest feedback about a product or service, surveys are one of the best methods. In order to understand what customers think and how they feel about a product or service, surveys, and customer feedback are very important. Personal surveys can be very helpful for getting specific information about customers. Using software tools such as Qualaroo, WebEngage, or Foresee, companies can conduct surveys through their websites. In order to change their marketing strategy, the company needs to closely examine the survey and get insight into the minds of the people who responded.
   
5. Organize an event – It is advisable for a business enterprise with a physical location in a community to organize an event that provides an opportunity to interact with the customers. It is better to organize the event in a target market area. A company may encounter customers who are happy or dissatisfied with the product or service and even interact with prospective customers. Online businesses can benefit from webinars by learning more about their customers. Attendees should be given a chance to introduce themselves, and questions should be posed to understand their mindset.
   
6. Look beyond the purchase – According to a study by Yesmail and Gleanster, more than 50% of companies have a good understanding of their customers’ past purchase behavior. However, this information does not have the requisite data to influence marketing campaigns as in-depth knowledge of the customer cannot be obtained. Because of their immense value, business enterprises must make a sincere effort to consider household compositions, propensity scores, and channel preferences.
   
7. Establish a customer profile – Business enterprises have a better understanding of the demographics they are targeting, but it is important to create a perfect profile of the customers who would use the product or service being offered. A customer profile is a great way for a company to assess a customer’s needs. A customer’s profile should include information about their likes, dislikes, family background, and other important information.
8. Perform keyword research – With Google’s keyword planning tool, you can better understand the mindset of the customer. Customers conduct extensive online research for the products they want to buy and, more importantly, from whom they want to purchase them. Using keyword research, businesses can learn the interests of their target markets and the terms that customers use to find the products and services they need. In addition to finding keyword phrases that are suitable for your business, keyword research helps you understand how customers find what they’re looking for.
   
9. Request customer reviews – A company can get reviews from its customers in different ways, such as through the comment section on social media platforms, testimonials on the company’s website, or reviews on business review websites, such as Yelp. A company can learn a great deal about its customers by reading honest reviews on the above-mentioned platforms. Customers can be motivated to leave reviews if companies offer them incentives. Customer reviews received by the company must be categorized, tabulated, and prioritized so that the company can better understand its customers and provide the best service possible.
   
10. Make use of all available data – A business enterprise typically collects a limited amount of customer information directly from its customers. Analyzing the analytics on the landing pages is important since it gives details about the customer’s physical location, the search term they used to find the landing page, and what product or service they selected. Another set of information, such as web analytics, behavioral data, and profitability, is inaccessible to companies. As a result, it is difficult for companies to cater to their customers’ needs during the marketing process. Utilizing all the information at their disposal is the best way for companies to remain competitive.

Customer understanding is a long-term process. Once companies learn about the above methods, they will be able to advertise their products more effectively. A call center service provider can also help companies understand their customers better. With today’s complex and ever-evolving digital landscape, businesses must leverage their data assets to gain valuable insights on their customers.