As HubSpot recently pointed out, a small budget doesn’t necessarily prevent your company from conducting market research. From user testing to content surveys, any organization can collect data for minimal cost if they’re willing to put the work in. These methods work for larger companies, too, even though the scale might be drastically different. There are a number of less expensive, but more accessible ways to find out exactly what your customers want and need.
Good, old-fashioned customer surveys are one method that always stand the test of time, but the key is to involve your customer-facing team members and sales representatives in the process. Make it personal for your customers, and let them know they’re appreciated, no matter what size your company might be. If you want to get to know your customers on a deeper level but don’t know where to start with your limited budget, check out our five ways to access key insights without the kind of money that big data exploration or advanced analytics require.
Community Manager positions are all the rage these days, and for good reason. They effectively bridge the gap between product management, customer service and social media marketing. Since customers routinely turn to social networks with their praises and complaints for products or services, it’s a natural place for brands to engage them in conversation. By doing so, your company gains the opportunity to identify pain points, drive advocacy and redirect negative situations.
Don’t just survey your customers; survey them with an incentive. Whether it’s a product trial or a piece of insider content, go out of your way to reward customers who provide you with direct insights into the buyer journey.
In this busy, digital age, it makes customers increasingly happy to receive a personalized message from a member of your sales team. It shows that, despite your revenue-enhancing goals, you genuinely care about the people on the other side. Consider personalized email or phone outreach to ask customers why they chose not to buy a particular product, or how existing products could be improved from a user perspective. Once that relationship is established, customers will be more willing to reach out to sales reps for advice or to make a future purchase.
If your organization hasn’t reached the point that it makes sense to invest in help with advanced data analysis, be sure to use the tools at your disposal to their fullest advantage. Examine your CRM tools for new levels of integration with email and social media, and don’t be afraid to get to know Google Analytics. Customers’ behavior on your site can tell you a lot about what they’re looking for.
An email subscription list is considered one of the top tools for lead nurturing and conversion. Instead of simply creating content and sending it out, look deeply into your email marketing results. Form strategies to further engage highly interested readers–the people who click through and spend extended time on your website would be a great place to start.
Photo Credit: NEC Corporation via Flickr Creative Commons
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