Studies have shown that it’s more expensive to acquire a new customer than to keep a current customer. Of course, in order to keep those current customers, brands have to make sure that they’re satisfied and willing to come back again and again. The easiest way to do this is to gather feedback from those current customers, so that problems can be quickly identified and remedied before customers are lost. Here are three great ways to prompt and find customer feedback to ensure those current customers stay with your brand for the long haul.
Surveys
Yes, surveys are the old standby when it comes to customer feedback, but the fact is they can provide valuable insight. The trick is crafting the best possible questions for optimum feedback. Determine what areas you need the most feedback about (e.g. products, purchasing process, etc.) and create questions that will help you get the most information about them. The best surveys combine multiple choice questions with questions that encourage longer, more in-depth answers. Many survey services, including SurveyMonkey, also provide users with tips for creating the best possible questions. And remember, a little incentive goes a long way when trying to get customer feedback.
Idea Forum
Create a forum where customers are encouraged to submit their ideas for improvements or changes to a service or site. AfterShip’s Feedback Forum is an excellent example. Created using the UserVoice service, AfterShip’s execs can quickly and easily respond to suggestions from users. Even better, UserVoice’s status options allow brand reps to mark suggestions as being ‘under review’ or even ‘started.’ This helps build a relationship and a greater level of trust between the brand and the user simple by showing that the brand takes customers’ suggestions seriously.
Facebook Recommendations and Wall Posts
Although Facebook can be a source of negative comments, it doesn’t mean that a brand can’t find valuable feedback in it. Take the time to evaluate recent posts on your wall and see which posts are addressing easily resolved problems, while also paying attention to positive posts that give specific praise. If your brand has a Recommendations box on your Facebook Timeline, be sure to pay attention to it, too. If there’s a specific service that sets you apart from your competitors, chances are good that your fans will include it in their recommendation.
While you’re spending time browsing wall posts, we’ve got three easy ways that will help you make your brand’s customers number one on your brand’s Facebook page.
