Customer feedback can feel like a minefield to marketers and business owners. Receiving a great review can make your day, or even your whole week. And negative feedback can be a serious blow to your confidence.
But customer feedback is also essential. It’s the best way to learn about what your business is doing well, and where there is room for improvement. Read on to learn how you can use customer feedback to grow your business and gain a competitive advantage.
1. Learn the customers’ language
There is often a disconnect between a brand’s messaging and its customers’ perception or expectations. This is most obvious in product descriptions. These often contain multiple keywords, but don’t match what customers are searching for.
In other words, the company might have the perfect product for a customer’s needs. But if the marketer uses the wrong keywords, the customer will never find it.
Here’s a real-life example: a clothing store stocked a product it referred to as a “multiway dress.” The item sold poorly, and customers complained they couldn’t find what they needed. Finally, a customer left a review suggesting that the company changed the description and instead referred to the garment as an “infinity dress.” The marketing team investigated, and this theory was confirmed with the help of Google Analytics.
The sales of the newly named infinity dress rose by almost 300% when this company changed the keywords in its product description. Proof, if it were needed, that listening to the customer and speaking their language gets results.
2. Improve the customer experience
Don’t be afraid of bad reviews. Negative feedback demonstrates that the customer cared enough to offer suggestions for improvements to your product or service.
Studying customer feedback gives you insight into how you can improve your customer experience. It also allows you to identify defects in your business process, product, or customer service, and make the necessary improvements. Every tweak you make to improve the customer experience will increase loyalty to your brand and bring those coveted positive reviews rolling in.
To take this to the next level, reach out to customers who leave feedback and ask them for more information. Showing that you value their opinion goes a long way towards proving that you care. You could even go back to past customers and solicit their feedback, too.
Finally, don’t forget to monitor your relevant customer experience metrics so you can track how you’re doing.
3. Use customer feedback as social proof
In business, reputation is everything. And nothing builds your reputation and proves your credibility like positive customer reviews. Therefore, don’t be afraid to use positive feedback and testimonials as social proof.
Social proof is one of the most effective ways to optimize your conversion rates. A recent study by Impact found that including testimonials on a sales page resulted in a 34% increase in conversion rates. Here’s an example of positive feedback being leveraged as social proof:
Image: Basecamp.com
Basecamp has maintained its position as a leading project management solution despite the emergence of competitors like Trello and Asana. This is partly because Basecamp has hundreds of positive reviews from happy customers. By using these reviews on its website, Basecamp shows prospective clients the great service they can expect if they sign up.
4. Turn happy customers into brand ambassadors
When people hear the expression “brand ambassadors,” they tend to think of giant companies with enormous marketing budgets. But almost any business can utilize brand ambassadors. Your best and most credible endorsers are those who have experience with your company and genuinely love.
Converting happy customers into endorsers is simple. First, seek out those who have given you a great review and or five-star rating. Then email them a thank-you note and offer them special perks and privileges, such as free products or exclusive content, in exchange for introducing their contacts to your company. If you wish, you could even go a step further and launch an affiliate program.
Word-of-mouth marketing is still incredibly powerful, so make an effort to build relationships with those who love what you do.
5. Give your customers more of what they love
Customer feedback is a reliable indicator of which products, services, and content your audience values. If a particular product or category consistently gets stellar reviews, consider expanding further into that market. If something receives lacklustre feedback again and again, either improve it or ditch it.
After all, it makes little sense to keep selling products or services that drag your rating down. But if you focus on what your customers love, they’ll keep coming back.
Listen to your customers to learn how to succeed
No matter what type of business you run, customer feedback is invaluable. It is your best source of market intelligence. You can use it to grow, improve, and expand your offering, while ensuring your customers remain happy and loyal.
Listening to your customers and considering their opinions at every step of the decision-making process will drive your business forward and ensure continued success.
