We all know the importance of knowing your customers—their wants, needs and unique characteristics—but knowing how to do that may not always be clear. We hope to help make the task a little easier, however, with a few simple strategies you can start following today.

Continue face-to-face interaction

Simple face-to-face interaction between you and your customers has been—and likely always will be—king when it comes to forging relationships and getting to know your customer base. While you may not be able to gain quantitative data from this type of interaction, you can certainly gain a better understanding of who your customers are and how they operate… and that’s just as important!

Ask questions

While you can learn a lot from observing your customers in store and online, sometimes it’s just as helpful to ask them questions outright. Doing so puts you in control of the process and lets you get the specific answers you’ve been looking for. Do your customers like a new version of a classic product, or do they prefer the original? Are they having problems with your new online ordering system? What’s their favorite service that you offer? These are just a few of the powerful questions you can ask to receive insightful answers.

Not sure how exactly to ask these questions? In today’s modern age, there are countless free platforms with which to do so. You can utilize your social media pages to ask questions in an instant, or take advantage of free online surveys to receive even more specific answers.

Pay attention to buying habits

A big part of who your customers are is, of course, what they buy. Take some time at every transaction to see who—whether it be a busy mom or young professional—is buying what. You may notice trends and patterns that can help you better understand the people you do business with.

Guide your decisions with customer research

Just as face-to-face interaction has its place, so do research and data that can help you make informed decisions. Look to city demographics, local polls, search engines and more to find out who your customers are in your specific area and what they’re searching for or purchasing. When you need quantifiable data to back up general understanding, these tools are the first places to look.

 Knowing your customers can provide you with valuable insights and ideas for current and future projects—so be sure to take advantage of this unbeatable resource! If you have any questions about how to best target your customers, give us a call—we can help you find the perfect location to get started.