Think of the last time you made a digital sale, and all that went into closing it. You put your content and message in front of your target audience. You provided value to someone who needed what you were offering. Hopefully you offered them an easy checkout experience. Congratulations! Now that you’ve done it once with that customer, wouldn’t it stand to reason you’d want to do it again? Remember, it’s easier to keep an existing customer than acquire a new one.

That’s why seeking out customer feedback is so important. Getting feedback from your audience is how you retain customers; it helps you give them more of what they like and less of what they don’t. Taking a long, hard look at what’s working and what isn’t will ultimately lead you to improving your user experience and attracting new customers. But what’s the best way to get that valuable information? Let’s look at the five best ways to collect customer feedback.

Follow up after they buy. Once your customer has made a purchase online, check in to see how you did. Solicit feedback on both the product and your customer service during the sales process. This gives you insight into what originally won you their business and informs you of what you could have improved. A pop-up survey available at your checkout page (or one that appears when they log into your site) can check this box for you. But what will entice them to fill out that survey? Read on…

Give them free things. When looking for customer feedback, it doesn’t hurt to tempt your customers with a little something for their efforts. Offering freebies in return for feedback is a great way to trade value for value. You might offer store credit or a discount on a future purchase. Perhaps you’ll send a free informational product or eBook on a topic related to your industry; this gives you the added benefit of looking like a trusted, credible expert in your field. In return, they give you valuable intelligence about the sale that helps you tweak your approach going forward.

Monitor social media. Your social media channels are one of the best ways to stay in close contact with your customers. Don’t overextend yourself trying to keep up with every social network. Focus on the channels that the majority of your customers frequent. There are two ways to gather feedback through social media engagement:

• Proactively, by asking your followers for their comments and opinions
• Reactively, by responding to customers who reach out to you

Both forms of communication are important. Proactive engagement allows you to get valuable data on your product and service. Reactive engagement lets you get ahead of any potential issues or complaints. By responding to their questions quickly, you’re showing your customers you care.

Use your email list to ask for feedback. Your electronic mailing list should be comprised of customers who want to hear from you often. Take the opportunity to ask for feedback during some of your regularly scheduled emails. This can take the form of polls, surveys, or open-ended questions. Don’t overdo it — you should still be providing relevant updates and valuable information to your customers. But throwing in a question or two related to feedback at the end of an email can’t hurt.

Use chat. Using a live chat feature as part of your website’s user interface is a great way to receive prompt customer feedback. It’s a valuable tool in your customer service team’s toolbox. Your customer may have a problem that requires escalation; if so, that’s okay. There are a lot of issues your customers are going to bring to your website that a chat tool can quickly resolve. Give your customers fast, easy access to your customer support team as soon as they visit the site. Customers appreciate that kind of convenience and flexibility, and it gives you an opportunity to “surprise and delight” them. This builds trust and will keep them coming back for more.

Once you make the effort to collect customer feedback, you’re on the road to providing superior service and user experience. Whether you follow one or more of the approaches listed above or simply want to better serve your customers, ModSquad can help. We’ll work with you to develop a customized plan, guiding you through the process step by step. Intrigued? Contact us today!

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