Doing marketing without research is like flying a plane without a flight plan. Marketing research is a critical part of building a successful marketing plan. You need to know what the customers want so that you can build your plan to meet their needs. Here are a few suggestions of ways to gather this critical information.
Surveys – Email customers with short yet pointed surveys. Customers don’t like long surveys with tons of questions. Make sure your surveys are short and to the point. There are several online survey tools like Survey Monkey, Survey Gizmo, Survey Planet and Smart Survey that you can use.
Focus Groups – Gather together your best customers for a free lunch and conversation of what they like and don’t like about your company. It is best to have skilled focus group moderators as they have a unique way of gathering necessary information. I worked with a focus group moderator who had an amazing ability to make participants feel that their suggestions and ideas were the most brilliant they have ever heard, although they have heard those suggestions a dozen times before.
Social Media – Social Media is a great way to get the pulse of what’s going on in your market. Customers talk to other customers all the time on social media. You need to join in the conversation. You’ll learn a lot about your customer’s perception of your company from the conversations that they have on social media.
Google Alerts – Set up Google alerts so you are notified whenever your company is mentioned online. You’ll be amazed at what your customers and competitors are saying about you.
Visit Your Customers – Pick some customers to visit. Go see their facilities and learn more about what they do and what they need. Personal visits can make a huge impact. When customers see that you really care about their business and building relationships with customers is key to long term success.
Solicit Feedback – Ask your customers on your website and via email to provide you with feedback regarding your products and service. Assign staff to follow up with every customer who responds. I learned early in my career that when customers have an issue with your company that you can increase customer satisfaction more if you handle issues quickly versus never having an issue to being with. Customers like to have issues resolved quickly. Go above and beyond and your customers will respond positively.
Talk to your customers and find out what their needs are. Develop products that meet their needs and exceed their expectations. If you don’t ask customers what they need, you can’t help them. Guessing and assuming what the customers’ needs are is fruitless. Ask them and give them what they need.
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