You’ve no doubt worked very hard to build a successful business that delivers a great product or service. But do you understand your customers’ experience? For many business owners, the answer is no because other business activities have taken priority.
Yet if you haven’t walked in your customers’ shoes before, or not for some time, you could be missing out on opportunities for business growth.
Understanding the customer experience
It’s a whole lot easier to accelerate business growth when you understand exactly what your customers experience when they interact with your company. You may have a fantastic product, but if your service, brand and overall customer experience are lacking, people will go elsewhere.
Often the most effective way to understand the customer experience is to map out the ‘journey’ of interacting with you, from first contact to after service and on-going engagement. Ask yourself: is the journey as straightforward for your customers as it could be? This might involve:
• Browsing your own website for information
• Calling up your company and asking questions
• Placing an order and making a payment
• Using the product or service
• Making a complaint
How does this translate into business growth?
Using what you learn, you can redesign aspects of your business to improve the customer experience. And when your customers have a better experience, they’re more likely to spend more, return in future, and recommend your business to others.
What’s more, if you map the journey on a regular basis, your business will ‘move with the times’ and adapt to your market’s needs and wants at any given time. How often you rerun the process will depend on the pace of your business and your growth strategy. A business adviser will help you determine the best review cycle and show you the best techniques and tools to map and improve your customers’ experience.
If you want to accelerate business growth, talk to Henchards. We’ll help you walk in your customers’ shoes, take a good look at your business from the outside in, and find important business growth opportunities.