As a small business owner, you already have loads on your plate. From the work you do to the little jobs that come with it. Most people in your shoes have barely a second to spare. Some areas, though, are simply too important to slip under the carpet. At the top of this list is something all businesses should care about; what their customers think of them. To help you out with this area, this post will be exploring some of the different ways you can gather a sample of how people regard your business.
Reviews/Feedback Forms
Reviews are an exceptionally powerful thing. Like a lot of the little parts of business, though, they can also be tricky to understand. If you have a lot of customers, but don’t have many reviews, this is probably a positive sign. It means that people aren’t passionate enough to leave a bad review.
Of course, though, it can still be worth working on this area to make sure reviews are coming in hot and heavy. The more you get, the easier it will be to start making changes to your company to make it better.
Third Party Surveys
Sometimes, you need a way to ask customers what they think of you, without letting them know that you’re asking for it. To achieve this goal, consumer survey companies can be used to get the scoop on your company. Using other businesses when questioning participants, the people supporting you will be able to maintain discretion throughout the process. This is often the best way to get very honest feedback. Try a Facebook group poll or SurveyMonkey.
Special Events
Trade shows, local events, and all manner of other special gatherings present you with a great chance to talk to the people buying from you. The attendees at these sorts of events tend to be very varied, giving you access to a good range of people.
Simply watching how people react to your custom marquees will be enough to know if you’re doing well. Of course, though, you should also approach people directly to understand how they feel. If nothing else, this will show that you care what they think.
Customer Retention
Finally, this last option is something you already collect, though you may not realize it. When someone buys from you, it’s almost like entering an audition, and the customer is the judge. If you fail to impress at this point, it’s unlikely that they will ever buy from you again. But, if you do well, you could gain a loyal customer for life. It should be easy to tell if people are repeatedly buying from you. You might want to use the help of software like Excel to present and filter your information, though.
Hopefully, this post will inspire you to start tracking what people think of your business. Not only should you be reading reviews, but you should also be working to achieve the other goals on this list, as well. One isn’t enough, since your customers will come from everywhere.
