Are you afraid of your customers?

I could have titled this blog 'The importance of customer feedback for online businesses' but you probably wouldn't have read it.  Zoyee is one of our eChic web family, and gives us a really great insight into what getting out there and daring to interact with your customers (scary I know for us web denizens) can do for your eCommerce business.

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So you’ve finally launched your online business. Congratulations! What an achievement. It’s now time to get onto the business of selling and attracting customers to your site. One of the many challenges some e-tailers face is not knowing what customers want, due to the lack of two-way communication they would normally get in traditional retail environment.

Founder of ecogiftbags.com.au Zoyee Kartalis said customer feedback played an integral role in her changing her selling strategy after conducting face-to-face and online market research. Zoyee said half the challenge with online shopping is getting customers to your site – so when they are there some are reluctant to buy because they cannot be 100 per cent sure the goods are of merchantable quality.

“I launched my online business less than six months ago and wanted to see what people thought about my reusable fabric gift bags. While many people love the concept, I had a hunch maybe some customers wanted more choice, so I decided to attend the Rose Street Artists’ Market in Fitzroy to suss it out,” said Zoyee. “My suspicions were confirmed. Many people said they loved my bags, the fact that they were Australian made and thought the concept of reusing and regifting in place of wasting paper was a great idea. But some were reluctant to buy because they wanted the freedom of choice to pick and choose the bag colours, quantities and sizes themselves,” she said.

“That night I went home determined to get more insights, so I created a customer survey using a free tool called Survey Monkey and distributed it to my customer database and circulated via social media. I offered a prize as an incentive and got an excellent response, while collecting invaluable consumer insights at the same time. I then contacted my web designer Kim Carruthers from eChic.com.au to change my product offering,” she said.

Zoyee believes she has made a positive change to her business, which will see more customers visit her site and buy her eco gift bags. Asking for customer feedback doesn’t take much effort – after all consumer is KING in the world of FMCG (fast moving consumer goods). It’s a great way to keep your finger on the pulse with what your customers want, meaning you can tweak the way you sell your products accordingly.