As a business owner, it’s important to elicit feedback from both new and loyal customers. Generating feedback is a reliable way to understand how your products and/or services are being received. By encouraging customers to share their feedback, you demonstrate that, as a business owner, you’re interested in ensuring their complete satisfaction and are committed to consistently improving your business's products and/or services.
In this post, we’ll detail some specific reasons why you should implement tools that allow your customers to post honest reviews and share their feedback with you and other customers. The feedback they provide—critical, constructive, or enthusiastic—provides a wealth of information you can use to grow your business and help it succeed now and in the future.
Before we discuss the importance of ongoing customer feedback and how understanding customer behaviour and sentiment can inform all aspects of your business strategy, we want to briefly explain how you can use automated tools and plug-ins to collect feedback. Let’s say, for instance, that your small business specializes in creating custom t-shirts. When a customer orders a t-shirt from your website, you can gauge their overall satisfaction and solicit a rating by automatically sending feedback requests using tools or plug-ins that integrate with your chosen e-commerce platform (such as WooCommerce or Shopify).
Reviews.io is an example of a platform that collects reviews on your behalf after customers have purchased products through your WooCommerce or Shopify store. In addition to reading the reviews (and responding to them, if you so choose), you can also elect to have those reviews displayed on your website and/or social media pages so other customers can feel even more confident about placing an order from your store.
According to an article published by Forbes in May 2024, “Gathering customer feedback is key for 79% of small business owners.” The study noted that most small business owners gather feedback by monitoring online review platforms (48%), compiling feedback in an email inbox (41%), requesting feedback in-person at the store (40%), and sending email customer service surveys post-purchase (30%).
We suggest soliciting feedback however you see fit, using one of the above methods, combining them, or even exploring other options. The important part is that you receive customer feedback consistently so you can put your business in a position to adapt, stay ahead of the curve, make well-informed decisions, and boost customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Whether you sell small-batch ice cream, handmade jewellery, graphic design services, or any other product or service that beckons customers to support your small business, know that constant customer feedback will give you helpful insights into what you’re doing right.
Let’s say, for instance, that your small business specializes in selling custom t-shirts. If many customers submit positive feedback about the softness of the tri-blend t-shirt, you’ll know that this fabric is being met with enthusiasm and you should continue printing your shirts on this type of fabric.
Customer validation can help you feel confident that your business is meeting or exceeding customers’ needs and expectations. By identifying what aspects of your product or service resonate with customers, you can make a plan to keep those aspects as-is moving forward.
Sometimes, customers are not satisfied with your product or service. A one-star rating, negative review, or 0 on the NPS scale can seem devastating, but each and every negative or less-than-positive response presents a valuable opportunity for you to learn and improve.
If customers suggest that shipping was too slow, for instance, you can take the steps necessary to adjust shipping speed or communicate why there was a delay. Or maybe customers are expressing disdain about their customer service experience upon submitting a help ticket through your website.
The sooner you can address problematic aspects of the business, the more likely customers will feel inclined to give you another chance. Any time you have the opportunity to display responsiveness and a commitment to improvement, you show your customers that you value their business and desire to earn—and keep—their trust.
Engaging with happy customers through feedback tools keeps your small business fresh and relevant in their minds. Allow us to explain: feedback tools and plug-ins can re-engage customers who have purchased your product or service. Perhaps a customer purchased a water bottle from your Woocommerce store, and they’re thrilled with the design and quality. When that customer receives an email or other type of notification asking for their honest feedback, you’ll not only be asking them to leave a review but also planting a seed in their memory, reminding them to keep your small business in mind in the future. On this note, you never know when a feedback request will end up incredibly well-timed. The positive feedback experience reinforces their satisfaction with the product and could very well spark a gift-giving association right at the moment they're actively searching for a gift, which could potentially lead to new sales without any additional marketing effort.
Customers who have shown interest in your small business will appreciate knowing that they are welcome to provide feedback if they have any questions, concerns, comments, or suggestions. Furthermore, customers' connection with your brand is strengthened when you invite them to submit their feedback. Customers who feel they’re being heard usually respond in kind, which means they are more likely to recommend your products or services to others.
Keep in mind that if customers do take time out of their day to submit feedback, it implies that they care enough to want to see your business succeed. Most customers—even those who are critical—are voicing their opinions so you can keep what’s working, refine what’s not, and deliver an exceptional customer experience.
View constant customer feedback as an ongoing dialogue between you and your customers—dialogue allowing you to innovate, personalize the customer experience, proactively address issues, and build strong relationships with current and potential customers. Regarding customer feedback as a conversation more so than an obligation, it encourages you to move beyond data collection and create a dynamic relationship with your customers that benefits everyone involved.
