Thanks to the burgeoning world of e-commerce, the average retail business is competing with providers all over the world.

If you’re managing to turnover healthy sales figures, surely that’s feedback enough, right?

Wrong.

Consider the following scenario:

Mark has an idea for an innovative product that fills a gap in the market. He starts selling it from home and is very successful. Eventually he expands into larger premises and hires more staff to keep up with the demand. However, a couple of years after the initial boom, his sales figures start to drop and he has no idea why, or how to remedy the problem.

The truth is that both market and customer preferences are constantly changing.

It is essential to talk to your customers and find out what they like about your business, and more importantly, what they don’t like. Their preference for your product may rest on something as simple as a lack of other options. Maybe you’re currently the only person selling purple squishy cup-holders? However, once your competitors catch up and start selling similar items, your advantage will be lost.

Unless you have built up a solid and sympathetic connection with your market, you will be sailing blindly in uncertain waters.

Customer Feedback: One of Your Most Powerful Sources of Information

Without knowing what’s important, you cannot implement the changes that are necessary to keep up with the market. Customer feedback surveys will change that.

They are easy to set up, and represent a great return on your investment of time. There is also an additional benefit in that people usually feel pleased and appreciated to be asked their opinion and they will identify more closely with your business as a result.

Website Feedback: Don’t Forget The Basics

We all know it should be very easy for customers to contact you. You probably already have contact details listed on your website. However, in order to gauge the general mood and encourage regular contact, why not add a website feedback form to your homepage?

Nowadays, most people will be comfortable with this method of feedback and visitors can fill in the form at their own convenience. Even better, most website feedback forms provide you with analytical tools to process the results according to your information needs.

Find out what Netigate can do to help you keep in touch with your customers and stay one step ahead of the changing tide.