Your Customers Are Better At Research Than You Think

When it comes to shopping for big-ticket items, customers are no longer content with simply reading a website or listening to a sales pitch. 

In fact, these days, most people approach shopping as if they’re conducting a research project gathering information from multiple sources, asking friends and family what they think, and even calling up the company directly with their questions. 

Customers want more than a simple sales pitch from you they want to walk away from the process feeling informed about their purchase.

Takeaways
1. Customers possess valuable insights: Recognize that your customers have unique perspectives and firsthand experiences that can provide valuable insights into your products, services, and market trends.
2. Leverage customer feedback: Actively seek and utilize customer feedback to refine your offerings and improve customer satisfaction.
3. Customers are trend identifiers: Your customers can help you identify emerging trends and shifts in preferences, which can inform your business strategies.
4. Co-create with customers: Involve customers in the co-creation of new products or services, leveraging their expertise and preferences to develop solutions that resonate.
5. Harness social proof: Customers’ positive experiences and recommendations can serve as powerful social proof, influencing others’ perceptions and decisions.

Your Customers Are Better At Research Than You Think

If you’re in the business of selling products, then your customer base is much more informed than you think.

Customers today are better at research than you are. Think about it: If your customer has already done their homework and knows exactly what they are looking for, why would they need to talk with a salesperson? 

They have already figured out what they want, where to get it and how much it costs so why waste time trying to convince them otherwise?

The answer is simple: educating your customers makes them more likely to buy from you. 

Educated consumers have a higher likelihood of making purchases when compared with those who are uninformed or misinformed about the product or service being offered by a company.

Marketing research is both an art and a science. It’s about delving deep into consumer behavior to uncover valuable insights. Discover the blend of creativity and methodology in our guide to The Art and Science of Marketing Research that can shape your marketing strategies.

Do Your Research Before Selling A Product Or Service

You may have seen the term “customer research” thrown around, but you might not be sure what it means or why it’s important. Don’t worry it’s easier than you think!

Customer research is just what it sounds like: gathering information about your customers. You can do this by asking them directly (surveys and focus groups), and looking at their behavior (when they shop online, how often they buy).

Or observing how they interact with your product or service (how long they use a product before returning it). 

Customer research helps you better understand why people are buying from you so that when someone comes along with the same idea as yours, he can learn from your mistakes and make his process more efficient than yours was originally.

Use Different Channels To List What You Sell

One of the best ways to get a sense of what your customers want is to listen. That’s why it’s important to use different channels and platforms to list what you sell, sell what you list, research what you sell, and research what you list. 

If a customer is interested in something specific and they don’t find it on your website or app, they’ll move on somewhere else.

For example, if someone searches “boots” in an online store but doesn’t see any results for their preferred brand or style of boot? They’ll leave that site and probably never return! You’re losing potential sales by not having the right content available when people are looking for it.

Understanding your audience is paramount in marketing. Dive into the world of focused targeting through effective market segmentation. Learn more about The Importance of Market Segmentation and how it can refine your approach to reaching the right customers.

Be Honest With Your Customers

There’s a big difference between transparency and honesty, though. Transparency is letting people know what you’re doing and why, but it doesn’t mean telling them everything (or even most things). 

Honesty means giving customers an accurate picture of what they can expect from you and the more truthful feedback you receive from them, the better you’ll be able to tailor this picture to their needs in future iterations of your product or service.

You may be surprised at how much information customers will volunteer for without being prompted by an email survey or phone call: “We need more [blank]!” 

Or: “The [blank] feature would really improve our experience if…” If customers aren’t sharing information about their preferences directly with you via those channels, find out why! 

Maybe there’s something about those particular communication channels that makes them unappealing for some reason…

Mobile ad click rates hold a wealth of information about consumer behavior in the digital landscape. Uncover actionable insights by analyzing these rates effectively. Explore the impact of mobile ad interactions in our article on What We Learn About Consumers from Mobile Ad Click Rates, and adapt your marketing strategies accordingly.

Use Imagery To Show Customers How Things Work

When you’re selling a product or service, it’s important to use imagery. And what I mean by this is not just a photo of your product or service, but rather an image that shows customers how things work.

This can be difficult for some people outside of the tech world because they think that their customers are stupid and don’t understand anything about technology. 

But if you take the time to create clear images and explain them in plain language, your customers will be able to understand them more easily than text alone. 

That way when they’re looking at your website or blog post, they’ll be able to see exactly how something works without having to read through dense paragraphs of text first!

Market research doesn’t have to be intimidating. You can navigate the complexities of data collection and analysis without feeling overwhelmed. Explore practical tips in our article on How to Market Research Without Feeling Dumb and gain the confidence to make informed business decisions.

Give Customers What They Want No Matter What

You can learn a lot from your customers. They have ideas, suggestions, and concepts that you hadn’t even considered. If you treat them like people who are not only interested in your business but are also invested in it, they will respond by offering their invaluable insight. 

Your customers will tell you what they like and don’t like about your products or services. They might have a suggestion for a new product or service that is just sitting there waiting for someone to develop it!

Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from your customers on how they feel about the quality of service that you provided them during their purchase experience. 

Take an active role in making sure all of the employees know how important customer feedback is so that everyone understands why this type of information needs to be collected consistently over time with every single sale made throughout all channels (including online).

Engaging customers to willingly share their data is a significant achievement in marketing. Discover the strategies behind successful data collection in our exploration of How We Got People to Actually Want to Give Us Their Data. Learn how to establish trust and value in exchange for valuable insights.

Conclusion

We encourage you to think about your customers’ journey as a unique experience, and to personalize it accordingly. 

By looking at your target audience as individuals with specific needs, desires, and goals, you can better understand how they consume content and where they like to spend time online. 

By understanding these factors, you can deliver the right content at the right time on the right channel. When creating content that will reach your customer along their journey. 

Remember that it shouldn’t be focused on selling them something; it should be focused on helping them achieve their goals. In doing so, you’re not just giving your customer what they want you’re also building trust in your brand

Further Reading

Here are some additional resources that delve deeper into understanding customer behavior, needs, and effective strategies for maintaining strong customer relationships:

What Customers Really Want: Insights for Better Understanding: Neil Patel provides insights into understanding customer desires and how to tailor your approach to meet their expectations effectively.

Simplicity and Customer Retention: Key Lessons: Harvard Business Review discusses the importance of simplicity in retaining customers and shares key lessons for simplifying your business processes.

5 Customer Abilities That Can Benefit Your Business: Help Scout explores five valuable abilities that customers possess, offering fresh perspectives on how these skills can positively impact your business.

FAQs

How can I better understand my customers’ preferences and desires?

Understanding your customers’ preferences and desires involves a combination of market research, data analysis, and direct engagement. Conduct surveys, analyze purchase patterns, and actively seek feedback to gain valuable insights.

What role does simplicity play in retaining customers?

Simplicity plays a crucial role in retaining customers by enhancing their experience. Complex processes and confusing interfaces can frustrate customers. Simplifying interactions and transactions can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

How can customers contribute to my business’s growth?

Customers can contribute to your business’s growth through word-of-mouth recommendations, feedback on products or services, providing insights into market trends, and even co-creating solutions that address their needs effectively.

How do customer abilities impact my business?

Customer abilities, such as social sharing, providing feedback, and participating in user-generated content, can impact your business positively by increasing brand awareness, improving products/services, and creating a sense of community around your brand.

What strategies can I use to align my offerings with customer expectations?

To align your offerings with customer expectations, engage in active listening, personalize your communication, consistently deliver on promises, and be transparent about your products/services. Regularly seeking customer input can help fine-tune your offerings.