Whether brands know it or not, customers have a lifecycle when they’re interacting with your business. Companies are adept at getting customers but the challenge is to support them when they have queries or concerns, and a further challenge is getting them to be an advocate for your brand and retain them as loyal customers. These various stages require a platform to connect your customers through what we call market research online communities, or customer experience management software.
The Customer Journey
Companies have to build their products or services with their customers in mind. There are a lot of different models on the customer lifecycle or journey and it would be impossible to have a single one that applies to all the brands out there as each business caters to a different audience. However, there are a handful of basic phases that are common to the majority. We believe that these stages can best be carried out in one place through our community software.
Discovery
This is where everything officially starts off with the customer journey, wherein people assess what’s out there to cater to a specific problem or need and discover what’s available to them.
Acquisition
During this phase they’ve narrowed down their options and evaluate how one is compared to the other, and which one particularly addresses their specific needs. This is a challenging phase because this is when you, as a brand turn someone into a potential customer through interaction and engagement.
Conversion
Congratulations! This phase is where you’ve successfully won them over – where prospect becomes customer. Now that they are ready to make a purchase, this is where they have first hand and early experience with the product and through this, they gain learning and insights on how to use that certain product for its intended purpose and how it compliments a particular need. This sort of mastery allows your customer to bond with your product – which leads to the next and last phase of the journey.
Retention and Loyalty
At this point, the bond that your customer has with your product established a relationship with your business and this is where retention and loyalty comes in. When you have customers who love your brand due to your products and how you’ve successfully served their needs, they are more likely to talk about it, provide reviews, ratings, and recommendations, ultimately, becoming an advocate of your brand. This is powerful as this can show ideal prospects that individuals like them and who they can relate to, and find success with the use of your product.
It is crucial to start thinking about customers and putting them first to be able to provide the right solutions to their problems. Having experience management software is a great way to evaluate and track these phases where you can provide as well as gain necessary information from your customers through your market research online community.
If you have a need for a market research online community, or want to learn more about engaging hard-to-reach groups, contact us.
To learn more about what Insightrix Communities has been up to, check us out on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!