Knowing your customer is not only an essential part of your business but a highly valuable one because it fuels your business and it’s success on many levels. These are the people who purchase and repurchase your product or service and are also the people who are recommending it to other potential future customers. These customers are like another platform of exposure for other people to see what your business has to offer. Be it through online comments left on Google or social media trends such as personal posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, these all are platforms to showcase your product or service. Imagine where a little hashtag can take your business to. Let's take a look at some ways you can get to know your customers better and how to keep them intrigued and engaged.

Getting to know your customer through market research

Market research is a key tool and an awesome way of collecting data. This useful information can teach you so much about the customers you want to attract. You not only will be getting to know who your customers but also what these people are really into. By investing in a good market research campaign you can directly affect the specific target customers you want to showcase your products or services to. Here are some examples of what a good marketing research campaign should entail.

1. Are customers willing to buy what I am selling.
2. Am I solving the customer's problem with my product or service?
3. How much are the customers willing to pay for what I have to offer.
4. Does my product or service target a general customer or a more specialized one?
5. What are my competitors offering these customers?
6. Am I able to counter offer my competitor and provide a better product or service with a  greater solution?
7. Where are customers purchasing, where online is the best platform to target and engage them?
8. Is my business reaching the customers’ expectations?

These are just some examples of the beginning of a marketing research campaign. The data collected will greatly benefit you and your business in the future. If your business can provide a greater solution than the next guy customers will be loyal and future sales will flourish.

Now that we know some of your customers’ needs, let's make sure you make them feel valued and appreciated. Customer service is by far a tried and true way of showing customers that they are heard and that they are appreciated. Having a great customer service team behind your product or service amps up the quality behind your brand, it will leave your customer with a sense of being taken care of and that feeling that they are a priority. People, in general, want to be taken care of especially when money is involved if a person took the time to purchase from your business take the time to make them feel appreciated and give thanks to because it goes along way. Here are some suggestions to make your customers know you care.

1. Provide a good product or service.
2. Provide real solutions.
3. Meet customer expectations
4. Listen to customer complaints or suggestions.
5. Loyalty and thank you programs.
6. Surveys or inquiry emails about the product or service they've purchased.

Remember customers are people as much as getting to know them is important for your business to grow and thrive so is the human factor of appreciating them. Many businesses forget this aspect and it can cost the business dearly in the end. Like all good relationships, it's both give and take just try not to forget that.