Just imagine a visitor to your website, hovering over the ‘add to cart’ button uncertainly. What’s stopping them from clicking?
So much business is done online, that you probably don’t always speak in person to your customer when you do business with them.
Most of the handmade products I sell on my ecommerce website are bought via Paypal and the only communication I have with the customer is on email. I ask for feedback and normally get a positive response along the lines of “Great bag – thank you.”
But that’s pretty much it, unless I dig deeper.
Here are some questions to ask your customers, if you’re ready to dig a little deeper and do things better:
1. Who would you buy from if we weren’t here? The answer should give you a valuable insight into who you’re competing with for your customers’ business, and whether they’d miss you if you weren’t around
2. How would you like me to keep in touch with you? Some people love the convenience of email – a message drops into their inbox and they read it, deal with it, then file or delete. Others like the opportunity of flicking through a brochure at home, while some like a personal call so they can talk to a real person. Ask your customer which they prefer and then ensure this is the method you use to contact them
3. Are you 100% happy with us? A simple yes or no answer should lead you to ask ‘why’?
4. Do you have any questions to ask us? Getting your customer to engage is the first step to establishing their loyalty – give them lots of ways to send you their questions
5. What one thing could we do better? This highlights key issues and where there is opportunity to improve
6. What would you say to someone who asked you about us? Their first answer is the one you should listen to. Then respond and act on what you’re told, even if you don’t like it
7. What other products would you suggest we add to our business? Some of the best ideas for new products come from customers, so ask yours for their thoughts – you might get a good idea for a product line or an add-on or upgrade for something you already sell
How about you? How often do you talk to your customers? Can they easily speak to someone if they’re not happy? What questions do you ask your customers? Share in the comments below.
Very useful questions. I have been spending a lot of time thinking my model customer to improve what I offer and asking these questions will help to keep me on track. Thanks for an easy to read, informative post.
Thanks Vicky – you can read more about this on a guest post I published on Oh my Handmade Goodness. Includes some useful things to think about when writing your web copy and other marketing content. Who’s your ideal customer? Thanks for stopping by, L x