“I’m sick of surveys.” Do you agree or disagree with that statement? Marketers love surveys but customers often find them cumbersome.
Customers like companies that reach out to them, but surveys—even the ones offering big prizes in exchange for filling out long questionnaires—aren’t always the best way to do so. There are other methods to get useful information about your customers. How many of the following have you tried? (Check all that apply.)
Examine Online Behavior with Google Analytics
Google Analytics can tell you a lot about who your customers are, how they’re finding your website, and what information on your site engages them the most. By viewing GA’s detailed reports, you can determine, for example, what search terms customers use to find your website, which pages they visit, and which pages they stay on the longest. You can use that information to tailor your site content to increase click-throughs and improve engagement with your target market. Check out our guide to using Google Analytics to make the most of this online analytics tool.
Offer a Customer Loyalty Program
A customer loyalty program that offers tiered benefits can be useful in gaining new customers and keeping existing ones. But it’s also great in obtaining valuable information about purchasing behavior. You can learn which incentives most appeal to your customers and determine what ones have no effect, which can help you decide how best to market your products to your target audience.
Analyze Customer Data with Connectivity
Connectivity’s Customer Insights product collects data including the customer’s name, age, contact information, household income, and geographic distance from your business. Even more, Customer Insights can track each interaction a customer has with your business, alerting you to how often they contact you, the form of communication they use (phone, email), and the source that led them to you (Google My Business, Yelp, your own site, etc.). With this information, you’ll have a better understanding of your customers and how to engage with them.
Reach out on Social Media
Curious about which product option customers prefer? Ask them on Facebook or Twitter. (Check out our tips for writing better social media posts.) The information you get from these conversations tells you a lot about what customers like—or don’t like—about your business. You can keep track of what people are saying about you with Connectivity’s Reviews and Social Media Monitoring tool.
Talk to Your Customers in Person
“You’ll learn more in a day talking to customers than a week of brainstorming, a month of watching competitors, or a year of market research.”—Aaron Levie
The tools above can help you learn more about who your customers are and how they’ve found your company. But talking to your customers in person will give you insight into the decisions they make, the products they choose, and the way they spend their money. Invite local customers to a workshop or charity event you’re hosting at your company—provide food and drinks—and listen to what they say. You’ll learn a ton
Top image credit: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock
Dylan Lake is Demand Generation Manager for Connectivity.
