Let’s face it: we live in a world where ecommerce businesses are rapidly expanding and each day, customers make an important choice about where they’ll spend their hard earned dollars.
In order to create a business that current and future customers can trust, it's vital for business owners to understand the wants and needs of their ideal client. Keep reading for Slicedbread’s tips and tricks on how to connect with clients, in order to grow your business!
Seek Out Client Feedback
While getting feedback might seem like an obvious way to connect, many businesses don’t realize the value that lies in giving customers the opportunity to share what they like - and sometimes don’t like - about their product or service.
Whether it’s positive or negative, there’s no limit to how useful information like this can be. Prioritize seeking out customer reviews and feedback whenever possible via sources like: Yelp, website review sections, and post-purchase email follow ups.
Learn from Negative Reviews
When it comes to negative feedback, the cold hard truth is: it happens. And while it may be hard to handle comments that aren’t complimentary, valuable understanding can be gained from honest criticism. Think of negative feedback as room for growth! And if less-than-stellar reviews come in, we recommend doing the following:
- Take time to make the customer feel heard by acknowledging negative feedback.
- Attempt to correct the error and make them happy in their current situation.
- Strategize with your team and find ways to limit the likelihood of recurrence moving forward.
Amplify Positive Reviews
We encourage you to lean into the positive feedback as much as you learn from the negative! When customers tell you what they love, do more of it! Amplify their positive remarks on your social media and thank them for taking the time to share it. Remember that the grass grows where you water it, so be sure to feed the positive!
Research Your Competitors
If you’re a newer business, or you simply don’t have many reviews of your own to analyze, consider heading over to your competitors' social media pages or websites, to take a look at what clients are saying about their products or services.
Great ideas come where there is great need. Find ways to improve your own business by researching where your competitors are falling short, and soon you’ll become the solution to your ideal clients’ current challenges!
Utilize Social Media Engagement
These days, Facebook, Instagram and even TikTok allow for real time feedback from followers. Whether it’s an IG poll or a TikTok live session, your ideal clients are at your fingertips, so communicate with them!
Quick social media engagement tools like questionnaires and surveys can help make your audience feel like their voice matters. Use these tools to ask them about their favorite trending products, or even for a local lunch recommendation! Engage with potential clients as human beings first, and watch real business connections form.
Ask Honest Questions
If you’re looking to dig deep and use social media engagement tools to learn more about what clients honestly think of your business, here are some example questions to try:
- Is there anything that bothers you about my product or service that you think I could improve on? Be specific about your topic, in order to get realistic feedback. Example: What frustrates you most about the way my candles are packaged?
- How can I make my ordering/booking process more efficient for you?
If your clients are waiting in long lines for your coffee every morning, or they’re irritated with not knowing the status of an order, it's up to you to find out! Use questions like this to let them vent in a safe space before it turns into a public negative review.
- Where do you see yourself in the next few years?
If you know where your ideal clients are headed, then you can walk the path with them! Whether their answer is: “in the suburbs with 3 kids” or “taking my first trip to space”, doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you’re learning about where your customers see themselves in the future, so that you can see how your business fits into their world.
Conclusion
Connection with consumers leads to understanding and better business practices. Take the time to utilize tools like client feedback, real user reviews, and social media to make human connections with your ideal clients, and watch your business grow!
We Are Slicedbread.