FreeAgent: 5 easy ways to get to know your customers

Whether you’re a business owner, a freelancer or even the CEO of a multinational company, getting to know your customers lets you gain insights into their needs and provide them with a better product or service - meaning they’ll be more likely to come back as return customers. To help you get to know your customers better, we’ve pulled together five simple tips for success.

1. Interact with your customers regularly

Interactions - whether face-to face or virtual - are effective ways to get to know your customers. Whether it’s a video call, in-person meeting, chatting at the till, or a conversation on social media (more on this one below), one-to-one communication with your customers is the best way to learn about their needs. It can provide a huge amount of insight into how customers feel about your product or service: what they love, where and how your brand fits into their lives, what you can do better and much more.

2. Get social

Social media channels are a twofold tool as they allow you to engage with both existing and prospective customers - anywhere, anytime. Once you’ve decided which channel (or channels) is right for your business, they’re a great way to gather feedback, inform, entertain and offer support to your customers.

If you’re using social media to interact as a business, remember that it pays to be responsive and personal - after all, you’re communicating in the voice of your brand. For example, don’t hesitate to be on a first-name basis with your customers and add a bit of your brand personality to your posts and replies. It’s also important to make sure that you respond to any feedback in a measured and helpful way, regardless of whether it’s positive or negative.

3. Value their opinion

People love to share their opinions so why not ask your customers for theirs? From simple conversations to social media polls, there are a huge number of ways to gather your customers’ opinions on your product or service, including:

• customer surveys and feedback forms (which are ideal for larger customer bases)

• conversations on social media

• comments on your blog

• a feedback form on your website

• interactions on online communities and forums

• asking for in-person feedback

By asking your customers what they think, you can collect a range of valuable and actionable insights that should help you improve your product or service and keep your customers happy.

4. Be the host with the most

If you run a business, hosting in-person or virtual events can be a brilliant way to get to know your customers. In addition to generating opportunities for networking and creating a buzz around your company, hosting an in-person event also allows you to get some valuable face-to-face time with customers.

Admittedly, putting on an event won’t always be feasible for some small businesses and freelancers. Even if you can’t host an event yourself though, trade shows, industry events and conferences can all be great ways of networking and putting your brand in the minds of potential customers - so get out there and start making an impression.

5. Show ’em some love

Showing your customers that you appreciate them can go a long way. Depending on your business, this might include sending out thank you cards and seasonal messages or offering exclusive promotions and discounts. Loyalty programmes, offers and personalised recommendations are all great ways of showing that you care - but nothing beats providing an amazing customer experience and building genuine relationships!

Try a 30-day free trial to find out how FreeAgent can help keep your business bookkeeping on track, so you can spend more time getting to know your customers.

Originally published 18 July 2019
Last updated 7 June 2024