How Are Feedbacks Important For Small Businesses And Methods To Obtain Feedbacks?

Be it a small business or a business operated on a large scale basis, every entrepreneur needs feedback about his or her business or the effectiveness of the product. We all know that businesses run more on their brand value and the goodwill that it develops over the years. However, the same brand value and goodwill is developed or created through customer feedback. Let us understand why feedbacks are important for any level of business.

What are Customer Feedbacks/Reviews?

According to Google, Customer reviews are basically the experience of a consumer for a particular product upon using it in the form of words. Most customer reviews are in the form of electronic means, usually through E-commerce, and online shopping websites. Each customer review would differ according to their experience with the product and usage.

Why is Feedbacks Important?

Feedbacks are one of the important aspects of a growing or successful business. Feedbacks not only help you to understand your mistakes but also your strengths and mistakes. In the long run, good feedbacks can help you market your products on its own and drive your sales in huge numbers from various unexpected sources. Here are a few reasons why Feedbacks are important.

Strengths and Weakness
Good feedback will help you determine your strength, the areas where you are strong, and where you can get even stronger. However, bad feedback will help you realize your mistakes and the areas where you need to improve. In case you had no feedbacks, you’d never be able to figure out your own strengths and weaknesses.

Your Consumers would feel Involved
Consumers are the key. You don’t need a one-time sale but a repetitive customer for your business. One of the effective ways to do that is to make them feel involved with your business. If you appreciate their feedback, they would feel that they are involved and respected by you, thus increasing trust.

Getting more Sales
As strange as the point may sound, but good feedback would help you to get more sales for your business. A product or business with good sales will automatically win you the attention of the masses. Word of the mouth is another wonder that would always work in your favour if you have good feedback.

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Methods to Obtain Feedbacks

As we realize the Importance of Feedbacks and its impact on the growth of our business, the next step is to figure out the various ways through which we can obtain various feedbacks from the consumers. Let us have a glance at a few of those methods.

Surveys

This is the most common, well-known, and also the most effective method of collecting feedback from your customers, especially for businesses that are operating on a small scale. We already know how surveys work and where they are displayed, there are various websites and sources where you can even get ready-made surveys available that matches your line of questioning, you can use that to figure out the likes and dislikes of your customers. The best part here is that you can ask them all the questions that you want.

Social Media
Even if you have a small business, you should always maintain your business presence on social media platforms. Social media can give your business exposure to the general public and even your potential customers. This will help you to gain feedbacks, get knowledge of what works best to attract your customers. In fact, having a social media platform that is dedicated to your business can help you interact very well with your customers and once again act as a good marketing tactic as well as get you good feedback.

Feedback Forms
One thing that should be noted is, Feedback forms are way different from the online surveys that you conduct. Feedback forms can only be presented to the viewers of your website. It is a unique tool that pops up on your website to your visitor and they can choose whether or not to feel that feedback form. This type of method is effective as in this case you may also get feedback from visitors who may mention why they didn’t purchase the product from your website and help you to improve your conversion rate.

Usability Tests
Usability Tests are a type of modern approach or method to get quality customer feedbacks who are interested in your product or business. You must have seen it often, that few of the applications offer free usage to their beta users, who upon usage would give their valuable feedback about the app. The App developers in return would make the changes in the app according to the feedbacks of Beta users. Similarly, this strategy can be applied in your business, through your website, or a well-planned strategy. You should plan it well, as this method would gain you valuable feedback.

Live Chat
You must have observed this while surfing on various websites, that a small pop-up box instantly shows up after a few seconds of your visit and acts as a channel of interaction between the visitor and the website owner. Live chat-box can help you understand what your visitors are looking for in your website, or what are their expectations for the same. Having a Live-chat box on your website can also be handy, you may make an instant sale if all the answers to your consumer are satisfactory.

Direct Interaction
Last, but not least of effective methods is Direct interaction with your consumer. Direct interaction gives you the opportunity to talk directly about what’s on your mind with your customer and understand their experience with your product. You can use exclusive interviews as well to get their direct opinion. Surveys say that personal interaction with your consumer can result in honest feedback and better relations. Hence, Direct Interaction can also be a useful method to get feedback.

Conclusion

Feedbacks are a necessary and a major contributing element for the growth of your small business. It helps you to analyze your strengths and weaknesses and that is why they are important. A few of the effective methods to gather feedbacks are Online Surveys, Social Media platforms, Feedback forms, Usability Tests, Live chat, and Direct interaction with your consumer.