When everything slows down for the hot summer season, it's the perfect time to reassess your marketing strategy, determine whether you're meeting client needs, and prepare for the busy fall.
As you review your goals and strategies, ask yourself what's working and how do you know it's working. Think about different strategies you might like to incorporate. Perhaps an e-newsletter isn't working with your target audience, but a more interactive blog is the perfect technology alternative. But how can you be sure a blog is the right step to take?
Survey your target audience.
Now, a survey can seem intimidating. You're thinking: "What questions should I ask?" "How do I write questions?" "Will my clients even do the survey?" "What's it going to cost to mail a survey?" However, it doesn't have to be intimidating or stressful. Here are some simple steps to implement your own survey:
Gaea Honeycutt
blog@weirdingword.com
Weirding Word®, a division of G.L. Honeycutt Consulting, LLC, is a virtual publication department that provides editing, freelance writing, and publication and web design services.
Copyright 2008 Gaea L. Honeycutt. All rights reserved.
As you review your goals and strategies, ask yourself what's working and how do you know it's working. Think about different strategies you might like to incorporate. Perhaps an e-newsletter isn't working with your target audience, but a more interactive blog is the perfect technology alternative. But how can you be sure a blog is the right step to take?
Survey your target audience.
Now, a survey can seem intimidating. You're thinking: "What questions should I ask?" "How do I write questions?" "Will my clients even do the survey?" "What's it going to cost to mail a survey?" However, it doesn't have to be intimidating or stressful. Here are some simple steps to implement your own survey:
Determine the focus. Keep the survey simple, by narrowing the focus. Don't try to find out everything about your customer's preferences all at once. Choose either satisfaction with services/products, or what they're looking for from your industry or type of business. But don't do both at once. You want to hold their attention for the entire survey.One of the best resources for developing and distributing surveys is an online survey service, such as Zoomerang or Survey Monkey. These companies allow users to develop surveys (or adapt a template), distribute them via e-mail, and even assign unique links for each survey respondent.
Limit the questions. The shorter the survey, the more likely your clients are to complete it. Settle on 10 or fewer questions that zero in on your focus area. Resist the temptation to split off onto a tangent. This will also help force you to stick to the most important information.
Solicit comments. This is an excellent opportunity to get feedback. Use the last question as an invitation to write about their answers or add something not asked in the survey.
Gaea Honeycutt
blog@weirdingword.com
That's an excellent point, Janet. Incentives are a good way to increase a response rate. They can also include membership, product or service discounts.
Posted by: Gaea Honeycutt | August 02, 2008 at 10:57 AM
I agree a customer survey will help you offer what your customers need and/or want. Just remember that there needs a reason for them to take time to complete your survey. What's in it for them? It doesn't have to be a big reason, maybe the completed survey becomes an entry in a drawing for a small prize? You will get more responses and therefore better info if there's a reason for them to complete and submit the survey besides "it will help me give you better service".
Posted by: Janet Miller | August 01, 2008 at 12:30 PM