Using Instant Feedback

The internet has developed nicely over the last 10 years to be interactive, responsive and intuitive and has given company's unbelievable tools to help build their business.

Listening to your customers has always been a cornerstone of good service and taking that feedback and working it back into your business usually yields positive results. In the past, this process has taken months to cycle through back to the customer that may have made the comment that sparked an action. The faster a company could make this cycle the better they serve their customer and reap the rewards of this process.

Using the web to do this has shortened the cycle somewhat, and of late, this cycle can be made instantaneous. And, that's pretty damn quick. The company's that jump on this have a definite service edge over their competitors.

Your customers should be able to dictate, manage and customize their web experience with you from the colours they see, the images that are displayed to them and the ability to offer their views, suggestions and complaints on your brand/product in real time.

Offering customers like information on subjects they have viewed already also enhances their experience. A lot of these features can be set up easily like feedback forums and discussion platforms, but are not for the faint of heart - you may see your product or brand attacked online. But, if you are on the ball, you should be able to turn these remarks into an opportunity to explain more about your product in a more personable way.

The web offers no end to immediacy and instant gratification, if your customers are forced to dig for your info, they will find it elsewhere and it may not be the story you want to tell.

Review your web site, see if customers are getting what they are looking for with ease, if not get it fixed... the sooner, the better.