Trust, but always check … client surveys.
Active customer base should be developed – to motivate them to buy more; it is desirable that they have not bought before. To do it right, you need to know what they might want to buy. How?
Collecting data! What kind?
The easiest ways to collect data is to survey customers and monitor their actions. Consider an example.
Let us say your online store sells different groups of products, including children and you have customers who regularly buy any other products, except for children. Can we assume that among them there are those who also need such goods? Certainly.
We have developed a special offer for these customers and are ready to make an email newsletter, but how do you know who to send it to? All-bad option, which rather hurt. It would be logical to find out which of our customers may have children and send them.
This information can be found using two types of data: what the client says about themselves and what they do.
“What do they say” can be found through an online survey, telephone survey or specify this point immediately during registration. And “what does” – if you analyze the history of clicks in the newsletter or how the client behaves on the site-what reads the articles and sections.
If you want, you can test two segments: formed on the basis of personal data and with the help of consumer behavior. Our experience shows that the conversion to the second will be much higher.
Why not just believe the questionnaire?
1. The main reason is the reliability of the data. If the questionnaire stands between the buyer and the desired product, he can fill it out, choosing speed, not quality. As a result, half of the data is unreliable. However, this does not mean that the questionnaire is a useless tool. You just need to use it properly.
For example, if you want to personalize your communications by sending useful content to segments of your database.
Suppose you sell face creams and it is important for you to know the skin type of customers to send them suitable recommendations. You manage to gather information about it through different communication channels; you divide them into segments and start working. But there is a risk that your client can make a mistake with your skin type, make an order for a gift or just fill out a questionnaire untruthfully “get off”. We suggest you find a place in your newsletter where you can post information for other skin types. In addition, let the analyst analyze how buyers react to this “unfamiliar” information.
2. Check the veracity of the data left by the client. Think about how you can double-check this data. Design the questionnaire so that it contains test questions. Continuing the example of facial cosmetics-if the buyer has specified a ” dry “skin type, and the results of the test questions comes out “combined”, think about how not to focus in their communications exclusively on the specified skin type.
3. Use both types of data. Analyze and compare what they wrote with what they do. And be prepared for inconsistencies. They could point out that they have a daughter, and look for toys for boys. There can be several explanations for this: both the fact that he has two children, and the fact that he chooses a gift.
In fact, you do not need to look for and understand the reasons for this behavior. After all, as a result, this customer can buy goods from both categories and it is important to ensure that he did it for you!