<p>There are hundreds of ways to overtake and get the edge over your competitors, with opportunities hidden across your business at every customer touchpoint.</p><p>In this article, we focus on an often-overlooked source of competitive advantage – your customer reviews. We’ll be diving into what makes them so beneficial to your business, the different types of customer reviews, and important statistics you should know about.</p><h2>What are customer reviews?</h2><p><a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/features/respond-to-reviews" target="_self">Customer reviews</a> are the pieces of feedback left by your customers about your business. They can be collected for your <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-experience/product-reviews" target="_self">products or services</a>, customer service and support, delivery, website, operations and processes, and any other element of your business that your customers might come into contact with.</p><p>Don't assume that reviews are just for the big-ticket experiences, like how your product performs or how good your returns process is. Any interactions that your customers have, however small, can lead to a positive or negative review.</p><h2>What are the different types of customer reviews?</h2><p>There are two key types of customer reviews: organic, in-the-moment reviews and 'invite-only' reviews.</p><h3>In-the-moment reviews</h3><p>In-the-moment reviews are pieces of feedback that your customer leaves immediately after an experience or interaction, capturing their real-time reaction within that moment.</p><p>If you collect reviews on your website, you might find this kind of review there. You can also find these reviews on your social media channels and on third-party review websites like TripAdvisor, Trustpilot, or Influenster. These reviews tend to be 'open' reviews, meaning they don't require any verification that they are genuine or from real customers.</p><h3>‘Invite-only’ reviews</h3><p>'Invite-only' reviews are more likely to be verified, as only those who have had a genuine interaction with your business are invited to leave feedback. This means anyone that reads the feedback can be sure it's 100% authentic.</p><p>They are also much easier to manage from a customer service and business perspective because you can quickly locate the reviewer in your customer relationship management (CRM) system and see their history with your company if any action is required.</p><p>To understand more about the different types of reviews, read our guide to <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-experience/open-vs-invite-only-reviews" target="_self">open vs invite-only reviews here.</a></p><p></p>

<h2>Why are customer reviews important?</h2><p>At their core, customer reviews are crucial to understanding the individual experiences of your customers. These experiences can then help to isolate what’s working, or not working, with your business at a higher level.</p><p>A few other key reasons why customer reviews are important are:</p><ul><li>They help to build customer trust</li><li>They can help to convert prospects into customers</li><li>They give you first-hand data on how your customer service teams are performing</li><li>They provide more detailed information at each stage of the customer journey</li></ul><p>Learn more about how your business can use customer feedback to its advantage by heading to our <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-experience/customer-reviews" target="_self">complete guide to customer reviews.</a></p><h2>15 customer review statistics every business should know</h2><p>Now that we’ve established the different types of reviews and their benefits, let’s look at the numbers. Understanding the effect that customer reviews can have on your business will give you a significant edge over your biggest competitors.</p><p></p><ol><li>76% of consumers read online reviews when looking for local businesses (<a href="https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey/" target="_self">BrightLocal</a>)</li><li>Women are more likely (84%) to say reviews are helpful than men (76%) (<a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-retention/consumer-trends" target="_self">Feefo</a>)</li><li>46% of adults admit they never purchase anything online without reading reviews first (<a href="https://www.checkatrade.com/blog/news/review-fluence/" target="_self">Checkatrade</a>)</li><li>44% of customers only trust reviews that show the name of who contributed the review (<a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-retention/consumer-trends" target="_self">Feefo</a>)</li><li>93% of consumers said that online reviews affect whether they purchase a product (<a href="https://learn.podium.com/rs/841-BRM-380/images/2017-SOOR-Infographic.jpg" target="_self">Podium</a>)</li><li>1 in 2 customers don’t post reviews because it takes too long or there are too many questions (<a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-retention/consumer-trends" target="_self">Feefo</a>)</li><li>A five-star rated product is 270% more likely to be purchased compared to a product without any reviews (<a href="https://spiegel.medill.northwestern.edu/how-online-reviews-influence-sales/" target="_self">Spiegel</a>)</li><li>55% of customers won’t buy something that has an overall star rating of one or two stars (<a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-retention/consumer-trends" target="_self">Feefo</a>)</li><li>92% of B2B buyers are more likely to purchase a product or service after reading a trusted review about it (<a href="https://learn.g2.com/hubfs/Sell%20Microsite%20Files/The%20Impact%20of%20Reviews%20on%20B2B%20-%20Report.pdf" target="_self">G2</a>)</li><li>52% of consumers are suspicious if there are no<a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-experience/negative-reviews" target="_self"> negative reviews</a> about a product or service (<a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-retention/consumer-trends" target="_self">Feefo</a>)</li><li>69% of consumers said that they’d continue to make a purchase if they could see that a company had acknowledged or responded to a <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-experience/negative-reviews" target="_self">negative review</a> (<a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-retention/consumer-trends" target="_self">Feefo</a>)</li><li>37% of Gen Zs abandon a purchase or post a negative review following a poor digital shopping experience (<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brands-at-risk-of-being-cancelled-by-gen-z-new-research-finds-301269352.html" target="_self">Sitecore</a>)</li><li>50% of people are more likely to trust a brand if their customer reviews are authenticated by a reputable third-party feedback platform (<a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-retention/consumer-trends" target="_self">Feefo</a>)</li><li>7 out of 10 consumers admit to using rating filters when browsing businesses, with most people opting to view companies with 4-star ratings and higher (<a href="https://www.reviewtrackers.com/blog/5-star-rating/" target="_self">Review Trackers</a>)</li><li>47% of consumers believe that businesses should always <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/features/respond-to-reviews" target="_self">respond to negative reviews</a> (<a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/business-insights/brand-perception-report" target="_self">Feefo</a>)</li></ol>

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<h2>How to get started with customer reviews</h2><p>It's clear from the statistics above that customer reviews can have a tangible effect on your business performance. In the simplest terms: more positive reviews and a better response to <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-experience/customer-feedback" target="_self">customer feedback</a> can equal increased <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-acquisition/customer-acquisition-guide" target="_self">customer acquisition</a> and loyalty.</p><p>As you prepare to start collecting customer reviews, go back to the very beginning of your customer's experience with your company. By providing fantastic service and high-quality products, you're already on the right track to earning positive reviews.</p><p>Here are some of the easiest ways to ensure you're organically generating great reviews from happy customers.</p><h3>1. Start a dialogue with your customers</h3><p>Your customers spend their time researching your business, using your website, interacting on social media, engaging with your content, and finally, committing to exchange their hard-earned money for your products or services.</p><p>They will have opinions and valuable feedback to share at every point of that journey, and by talking to them at each stage, you will build strong relationships that make them feel valued and listened to. Customers who feel heard and are included in the evolution of your company as it grows are more likely to give you fantastic reviews and feedback!</p><h3>2. Make your customers feel special</h3><p>There are plenty of ways to let your customers know how much you appreciate their decision to use your company instead of a competitor. Not only will these special touches help to create happy, loyal customers, but they can also translate into positive reviews. Think about the end-to-end experience your customers have with your business and identify areas where you can go the extra mile.</p><p>Here are some ideas to get started:</p><ul><li>Use high-quality, branded product packaging that is personalised</li><li>Create a no-quibble refund policy for unhappy customers</li><li>Optimise your returns process to make it as smooth as possible for your customers</li><li>Create offers and experiences for your customers that are personalised at an individual level, such as giving someone a discount on their birthday or their first ‘purchase anniversary’ with your company</li><li>Involve your customers in your product and service ideas by asking for their input on new lines or upcoming changes</li><li>Create special touches for customers who have an anniversary or special occasion coming up</li><li>Assign a named-case owner to complaints and optimise the process so unhappy customers can have a main point of contact who keeps the line of communication open and responds quickly</li></ul><p>You can then supplement your organic positive reviews by reaching out to your customers and requesting their reviews and feedback. This can be by email, over the phone, or even face-to-face.</p><h2>How to measure your customer reviews</h2><p>It's all too easy to treat collecting and responding to customer reviews as a tick-box exercise and forget to measure their impact on your business. In theory, the more great reviews you get, the more improvement you'll see in key metrics.</p><p>Understanding how you perform in your chosen metrics is crucial before you start measuring so you have something to <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/business-insights/industry-benchmarking" target="_self">benchmark</a> and check your progress against. Here are some metrics we recommend tracking as key performance indicators:</p><h3>1. Customer acquisition cost</h3><p>Your <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-acquisition/customer-acquisition-guide" target="_self">customer acquisition</a> cost (CAC) is how much you spend across your whole business on acquiring customers, divided by the number of customers you acquire.</p><p>For example: if you spend £10,000 and generate 5,000 new customers, your customer acquisition cost is £2.</p><p>As you start to generate more positive reviews and increase your response rate to negative ones, you should find that more and more people are attracted to your business and it becomes easier to convert prospects into customers. This higher conversion rate will translate into a lower customer acquisition cost.</p><h3>2. Customer churn rate</h3><p>Your customer churn rate is the rate at which customers stop using your company's product or service within a specific time frame.</p><p>Collecting customer reviews is a great way of highlighting trends or themes that are causing your customers frustration or dissatisfaction. Not only will collecting these reviews allow you to fix each individual's grievance so you can retain their business, but it will also help you fix the bigger issues that are driving your customers away.</p><h3>3. Net Promoter Score® (NPS)</h3><p>Brands around the world use <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-experience/net-promoter-score" target="_self">Net Promoter Score</a> to measure loyalty by asking their customers how likely they are to recommend their business to their friends and family.</p><p>As you invest time and resources into collecting and managing customer reviews, you should see an improvement in your <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/features/nps" target="_self">NPS</a> score. This is because your customers will see and appreciate your commitment to speaking to them, listening to their feedback, solving their problems, and using their input to make your business better.</p><h2>Start collecting customer reviews with Feefo</h2><p>The customer review statistics included in this article speak for themselves. Consumers expect brands to have plenty of reviews for their products or service, with timely responses visible. Businesses that fail to meet this expectation risk losing potential or existing customers. Or, they might unintentionally create animosity towards customers who do leave a review but never hear back.</p><p>So, if you’re not yet collecting customer reviews for your business, how can you get started?</p><p>You don't have to worry about managing your customer review project alone – here at Feefo, we make collecting and managing customer feedback easy. We can also provide you with the tools you need to start building your reputation with new, prospective customers, while also taking feedback from your existing customers. <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/enquiry/get-in-touch" target="_self">Get in touch</a> with our friendly team today to learn more about how reviews can boost your business.</p><p></p>

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15 Customer Review Statistics That Every Business Should Know

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<p>Things are changing, though, and companies need to take a long, hard look at the consumer information they collect and how they use it.&nbsp;</p><p>What’s changing? Data is becoming increasingly harder to gather - especially depending on what you want to do with it.&nbsp;</p><p>The rules around data protection are getting stricter and leading to the demise of third-party cookies. People are getting more savvy about leaving a digital footprint and have become less comfortable with the idea of being tracked and targeted – particularly by businesses they don’t really know. Not only that, governments, and large tech companies, like Apple and Google, are now becoming increasingly focused on the needs of the individual and protecting them.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>So where and how do you uncover meaningful insights that you can confidently use to improve your business?&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>The types of data available to companies now</strong>&nbsp;</h2><p>Before we move on to what companies should be looking to do moving forwards, let’s take a brief look at the various forms of data available to businesses now.&nbsp;</p><h3>Zero-party</h3><p>This is the type of information a person is willing to give a company openly. Examples of this include details people give when entering a competition, filling out a survey, or completing a Feefo review&nbsp;</p><h3>First-party</h3><p>The data a business gets when a customer deals with them. Things like the types of products you buy, how often you buy them, what sorts of products you can be persuaded to try with special offers&nbsp;</p><h3>Second-party</h3><p>First-party data from another company you’re legitimately allowed to use. This can include, for example, your address details a delivery company would need from a retailer to ship something to you&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><h3>Third-party</h3><p>Information gathered from other sources, public and non-public, that’s not been openly given by the individual it’s about. Consider the electoral roll, no matter what political party you support, and they can all access your details and contact you whether you like it or not&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>Which of these is the best to build your business insights on, though?&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;</h2><p>We agree with Fatemeh Khatibloo, VP principal analyst at Forrester Research, when he said about zero-party data, ‘When a customer trusts a brand enough to provide this really meaningful data, it means that the brand doesn’t have to go off and infer what the customer wants or what their intentions are.’<sup>*</sup>&nbsp;</p><p>And gathering zero-party data can be done easily in a number of ways, including reviews, surveys, quizzes, and polls.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>As <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/business-insights/what-makes-a-review-verified-and-why-it-matters" target="_self"><u>verified reviews</u></a> experts and the biggest in the world, we’re probably a little biased. But we think reviews from genuine customers that have bought from you are the best way to get zero-party data.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><h3>Why?&nbsp;&nbsp;</h3><p>Because you can be sure the feedback you get from these customers isn’t fake, unlike that you can get from open review platforms - where anyone can say what they want, whether they’ve shopped with you or not. And that means you can confidently use the information you get through us to build insights you can use to boost your business. Our AI technology also helps you spot trends and improve your service by addressing any recurring problem areas.&nbsp;</p><p>So, what sorts of business changes can you make with the insights verified reviews can give you? Here are just a few examples:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><ul><li><p><span style="color: windowtext;">Uncover how to improve your customer experience &nbsp;</span></p></li></ul><ul><li><p><span style="color: windowtext;">Fix or improve a product &nbsp;</span></p></li><li><p><span style="color: windowtext;">Understand trends and general sentiment&nbsp;</span></p></li><li><p><span style="color: windowtext;">Identify new opportunities - such as a new product or service&nbsp;</span></p></li><li><p><span style="color: windowtext;">See where you’re better than your competitors&nbsp;</span></p></li><li><p><span style="color: windowtext;">The list goes on… and you can see some examples below&nbsp;</span></p></li></ul><p></p>

<h2><strong>The power of reviews in action</strong>&nbsp;</h2><p><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);">How do you turn customer reviews into business-building insights? Here are some examples of small, medium, and enterprise businesses that made valuable changes using their customer insight: &nbsp;</span><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);"></span></p><h3><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);"><strong>Case 1: Coffee loyalty cards </strong></span><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);">&nbsp;</span></h3><p><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);">With increasing competition from larger chains, the owners of a </span>small independent coffee shop were looking for ways to keep hold of their customers. By using Feefo<span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);">, they were able to implement customer reviews and ask their customers questions about their products and service. When looking through the most used terms and phrases in the data, they noticed a reoccurring theme. Customers loved the coffee and the ethics behind the brand but were used to using loyalty schemes at bigger coffee chains. The coffee shop introduced a loyalty card scheme – a simple change that quickly gave them back their edge and saw the number of repeat customers quickly increase. &nbsp;</span><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);"></span></p><h3><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);"><strong>Case 2: Strengthening any weak links  </strong></span><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);">&nbsp;</span></h3><p><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);">A car dealership with ten sites nationwide noticed some disparity in the sales figures across the different sites. They didn’t just want to know why some were performing better than others, but they also wanted to bring all the figures in line with the highest-performing locations. The business started collecting customer reviews and quickly realised that certain dealerships were suffering due to poor customer service. The company sent surveys to their staff, and the results showed that the staff in the worst-performing dealerships felt they could benefit from more training. Customer Service training was rolled out in all the weaker locations, and sales gradually began to rise. &nbsp;</span><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);"></span></p><h3><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);"><strong>Case 3: Reviews highlighted the real issue </strong></span><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);">&nbsp;</span></h3><p><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);">A holiday company found they were getting poor reviews for the trailers at one of their properties. At first, they assumed the trailers themselves needed refurbishing and allocated a substantial budget to refresh them. But when they analysed their Feefo review data more fully, they found that the poor reviews were from trailers in one particular location of the park - a more shaded location that didn’t receive any direct sunshine.  &nbsp;</span><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);"></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);">So, they moved the trailers to a different area with more natural light. Review sentiment subsequently improved – saving them thousands of pounds on a refurbishment that wouldn’t have addressed the underlying issue. &nbsp;</span><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);"></span></p><h3><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);"><strong>Case 4: Delayed delivery leading to increased returns </strong></span><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);">&nbsp;</span></h3><p><span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);">A well-known online gift retailer noticed it was experiencing a sudden peak in returns, so it started collecting customer reviews to find out why. After analysing the insight, the company noticed that the majority of the negative reviews were about gifts arriving too late, often missing the occasion, and then ending up being useless. The business had recently swapped courier companies, so it took swift action to return to its previous delivery provider. A few weeks after, the returns had plummeted, and posts from unhappy customers on social media quickly got lost amongst the positive ones. &nbsp;</span></p>

<h2><strong>Reviews, insights, and their impact on business - facts and figures</strong>&nbsp;</h2><p>What can you actually achieve with all this valuable, zero-party review insight directly from your paying customers? Take a look at these statistics and consider what a difference verified customer reviews would make to your company:&nbsp;</p><ul><li><p><strong>Increase sales</strong> - when customers leave positive reviews, studies have shown online sales can be boosted by <a href="https://www.dixa.com/page/reconnecting-the-customer-experience/" target="_self"><u>up to 18%.</u></a> Reviews are also one of the biggest influences on customers’ buying decisions, with up to <a href="https://www.brightlocal.com/research/local-consumer-review-survey-2017/" target="_self"><u>85% of consumers trusting online reviews</u></a> as much as they do personal recommendations. Displaying reviews of individual products has also been shown to increase sales by up to 200% better than those without.&nbsp;</p></li></ul><ul><li><p><strong>Improve customer experience</strong> - <a href="https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/online-review-stats/" target="_self"><u>89% of consumers</u></a> pay as much attention to the reply to a review as they do to the review itself. So, when you proactively <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/features/respond-to-reviews" target="_self">respond to reviews</a>, especially if things haven’t gone perfectly for a customer, it shows others you’re committed to great customer service.&nbsp;</p></li></ul><ul><li><p><strong>Build trust in a brand</strong> - lots of things can affect brand trust, and one of the biggest is customer reviews. Using a platform like Feefo <span style="color: rgb(41, 47, 54);">that collects genuine reviews from real customers establishes your business as a brand that people can trust.</span> And believe it or not, having both positive and negative reviews on your website increase trust. In fact, <span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">the likelihood of someone buying </span><a href="https://spiegel.medill.northwestern.edu/how-online-reviews-influence-sales/" target="_self"><u>peaks at ratings in the 4.0 to 4.7 range</u></a><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">, then starts to decrease as ratings approach 5.0</span><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);"><sup>**</sup></span><span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34);">. </span>Consumers obviously feel a brand that gets just glowing feedback is too good to be true.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p></li></ul><ul><li><p><strong>Boost traffic and online conversions</strong> - our reviews can help improve your performance in search results and <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/features/reviews-on-google" target="_self"><u>generate Google stars</u></a> to make you stand out from the competition. Adding our reviews to your adverts can <a href="https://blog.reviews.io/post/how-online-reviews-impact-click-through-rate" target="_self"><u>triple click-through rates</u></a>. Simply displaying reviews can <a href="https://spiegel.medill.northwestern.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/04/Spiegel_Online-Review_eBook_Jun2017_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank"><u>increase conversions by 270%</u></a><span style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);"><u>.</u></span><span style="color: rgb(5, 99, 193);">&nbsp;</span></p></li></ul><ul><li><p><strong>Increase customer loyalty</strong> - by adding the simply deceptive Net Promotor Score® (NPS) question, ‘How likely are you to recommend the company to a friend or colleague?’<strong> </strong>to your review invitation. Analysing your <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/features/nps" target="_self">NPS</a> results can then help you: measure customer loyalty, make business decisions, and fix problems your customers may have had so they move up your NPS scale from Distractors or Passives to Promoters who will buy from you again and again and will tell people that they should use you too. According to <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/economics-net-promoter-score-temkin-group-research-bruce-temkin-ccxp/" target="_self"><u>research from Temkin</u></a><sup>***</sup>, when it comes to loyalty, Promoters are over <strong>four times more likely to buy again</strong> from a company and over <strong>five times more inclined to use a company still if it gets things wrong</strong> – now that’s loyalty.&nbsp;</p></li></ul>

<h2><strong>To sum things up&nbsp;</strong>&nbsp;</h2><p>Even though it’s getting harder to collect data, there is a solution. Feefo. The customer insights we can deliver through <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/features/collect-reviews" target="_self">verified reviews</a> will become the most valuable thing you can own as a business. Having them means you can: &nbsp;</p><ul><li><p>Find out how both potential and existing customers perceive your brand&nbsp;</p></li><li><p>Take a deeper look into your customers’ buying decisions&nbsp;</p></li><li><p>Build long-term relationships with your customers&nbsp;</p></li></ul><ul><li><p>Make meaningful changes in your business, which your customers will love&nbsp;</p></li></ul>

<h2><strong>Find out more - talk to us</strong>&nbsp;</h2><p>To discover how verified customer reviews can deliver the data and the insights you can build your business on, <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/enquiry/request-a-demo" target="_blank">book a demo</a> with one of our experts.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Turn customer reviews into business-building insights

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<p>You need to use a mix of <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-retention/consumer-insights" target="_self">customer insights</a> and intuition to re-engage them and recapture their attention – not just for brand loyalty but for advocacy as well. It <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/12/12/customer-retention-versus-customer-acquisition/?sh=405129e1c7d6" target="_blank">costs five times more to attract a new customer than to retain an existing one</a>, and existing customers are more likely to try your new products and spend more.</p><p>The time to focus on customer retention is now. Let’s look at some effective ways that you can continue to engage your audience to keep them coming back.</p><h2>What is customer engagement?</h2><p>Customer engagement refers to any interaction between a customer and a business. It can include any communication channel, both online and offline, prompted by either party.</p><p>Traditionally, customer engagement has been nurtured and developed by customer service departments, prompted by sales and marketing. With consumers now able to access brand communications in a variety of different ways, it has expanded to include various other touch-points along the <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-acquisition/customer-journey-mapping-guide" target="_self">customer journey</a>. It essentially covers every interaction with a customer that a brand has.</p><p>Learn more about <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-experience/customer-engagement" target="_self">customer engagement here</a>.</p><h2>What are the benefits of customer engagement?</h2><p>There are many reasons why keeping your audience engaged can be beneficial for your business. Here are a few examples:</p><ul><li><strong>Increase in revenue</strong> – Simply satisfying a customer is not enough in today’s world: you need to truly immerse them and capture their attention. After all, customers who are completely engaged show a <a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/241766/customers-coming-back.aspx" target="_blank">23% higher share in profitability, relationship growth, and revenue</a> when compared to the average customer.</li><li><strong>Can reduce customer churn</strong> – Unengaged customers are more likely to jump ship to your competitors, meaning your company could miss out on revenue.</li><li><strong>Higher customer loyalty</strong> – Engaged customers are happy customers, and happy customers turn into loyal ones. Customer engagement provides an emotional connection between the brand and your audience, and this can ensure that your customers’ lifespan is much longer, giving more value to your business.</li><li><strong>Increased brand awareness</strong> – Engaged customers also remember your brand more easily, solving their needs quicker and satisfying their wants earlier.</li><li><strong>More cost efficient</strong> – Since it can cost you more to attract new customers rather than keep your existing ones, to keep expenses as economical as possible, implementing a customer engagement strategy is key.</li></ul><h2>What is a customer engagement strategy?</h2><p>A customer engagement strategy is a method for identifying the most effective ways a business can engage with its consumers. It should map out how the business will do so to fit in with its wider goals.</p><p>This strategy should also include relevant customer engagement ideas, the channels and platforms on which the brand intends to prompt engagement, and the customer persona that it intends to target. A customer engagement strategy should align with existing marketing activities and campaigns and strengthen their impact.</p><h2>7 customer engagement strategies to try</h2><h3>1. Harness the power of social media</h3><p>There are over <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/507405/uk-active-social-media-and-mobile-social-media-users/" target="_blank">57 million active social media users</a> in the UK as of January 2023, and the number is increasing rapidly. So, there’s a very good chance that a majority of your customer base is among them.</p><p>People love voicing their opinions, especially grievances, on public forums like Facebook, X (formally Twitter), or Instagram, so keep a regular eye on them. Engage customers by responding to them immediately and offering solutions to satisfy them. This shows existing customers that you value their opinion and lets future customers witness your engagement and conflict-resolution skills as well.</p><p>Social media provides a cost-effective method of marketing your brand while keeping your customer engaged on a platform they’re already active on.</p><h3>2. Entice them with rewards and incentives</h3><p>If there’s one thing everybody loves, it’s free gifts and discounts. And that’s a surefire way to get your customer engaged. Offer customers rewards and incentives in exchange for feedback, participation in an event, or referring your brand to their network.</p><p>Essentially, you need to reward your customers for engaging with you, in turn, boosting even more engagement and loyalty.</p><p>Look at starting a referral scheme or appointing brand advocates from your existing customer base. Customers will be made to feel special as they represent your brand to others while doing it for the incentives you offer.</p><h3>3. Deliver spot-on customer service</h3><p>If provided with excellent customer service, <a href="https://c1.sfdcstatic.com/content/dam/web/en_us/www/documents/research/salesforce-state-of-the-connected-customer-4th-ed.pdf" target="_blank">78% of customers</a> will return to a company even after they make a mistake.</p><p>Top-notch customer service starts by making your customers feel like you truly care about them. This mission needs to be communicated across every team in your business – not just the ones facing customers. From finance to marketing, every member should be dedicated to providing the best customer service they can.</p><p>Offer customer service that provides what the customer is looking for and actively anticipates what they need before they know themselves. Provide high-quality customer service consistent with your brand’s mission and voice. Prioritising your customer service will ensure that customers trust you and will approach you first with any resentment before taking external action. This is essential as it allows you to control the situation before it gets out of hand.</p><h3>4. Create a loyalty program</h3><p>We’ve seen this work really well with coffee shops over the last few years. They hand you a card to get stamped every time you buy a drink, and after paying for nine drinks, you get your tenth coffee for free.</p><p>You can make a loyalty scheme work for almost any kind of business today. Whether it’s pushing them towards buying in bulk for a discount or upselling in slow-moving areas, customers get rewarded for their loyalty, and you get guaranteed business.</p><p>Here are a few ways you can introduce a loyalty program:</p><ul><li>Annual birthday or anniversary discount</li><li>Email-only discounts</li><li>Free delivery over a minimum order limit</li><li>Themed and limited-time programs during the festive season</li><li>Creating a ‘VIP’ group of customers and treating them to pre-sales and exclusive discounts.</li></ul><h3>5. Keep in touch in a personalised way</h3><p>Keeping a customer engaged is an ongoing process and is like maintaining a friendship. If you make no effort to stay in touch, the relationship is not going to last very long. Set up regular touch points throughout the customer’s buying journey to establish your brand and messaging along the way. The customer will engage with you if they see you more often.</p><p>Send regular emails, SMS campaigns, and post often on social media. Even after a successful transaction is complete, there is plenty of potential to touch base and remind the customer of your existence. A nice ‘thank you’ note shows them that you appreciate their patronage and may encourage them to come back again. Or, send them company news and update them on the latest products they would be interested in.</p><p>Providing a complete <a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-experience/how-to-improve-your-brands-customer-experience" target="_self">customer experience</a> is key to maintaining customer engagement in the long run. Never go for more than six months without connecting with your customer. Use their first name, remember their birthday, and remind them of their last purchase to truly personalise their shopping experience and make them feel special.</p><h3>6. Ask for their opinion</h3><p>Customers love sharing their opinion, so simply ask and engage with what they have to say.</p><p>Actively request every customer to leave reviews and testimonials for your company. This can be through Google reviews, on social media, or independent review websites – like Feefo.</p><p>You can also consider embedding reviews into your website and alongside each product offering to display social proof to new customers.</p><p>Make reviewing your business a fun experience. Not all businesses need in-depth ratings. A scale of between 1-5 stars will look nice and is easy to use and understand by all.</p><p>An important aspect to remember when dealing with reviews: pay attention to the<a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/resources/customer-experience/negative-reviews" target="_self"> negative ones</a>. Never leave a negative comment unattended for long, which means you must always monitor all mentions of your brand. Be professional in all communication and offer a solution immediately. A negative review is still a customer attempting to engage with you, so don’t let this opportunity slip.</p><h3>7. Create engaging content</h3><p>Over 25 years ago, Bill Gates said, ‘content is king’, and this statement is even more relevant today. Everything you post and create from your company is content and should be used to engage your customer.</p><p>Play around with different mediums to see what works best for your business. Some common forms of engaging content include:</p><ul><li>Short and snappy videos</li><li>Blog posts on relevant topics</li><li>Infographics and images</li></ul><p>There are plenty more types of engaging content you can adopt, but whatever you choose, make sure it’s share-worthy, relevant, and engaging.</p>

<h2>Customer engagement examples</h2><p></p><figure style = "margin: auto; text-align: center;width: 345px;"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/9mFbCiGBH8aMVQsy8jV5cdDPCSBoljcWBudPZseuklZA5RRGRtEaZiBCsY_zj0NBoYC15X_fiW6M5ZVTYZKW5NntVQq0jLW_VuR2ZIxv9sKPAGwBZDcbDbxHEXjKoxzeI4Y1s0tUkdmGqY3I" style="margin-top: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-bottom: auto;margin-left: auto;text-align: center;width: 345px;" /></figure><h3>1. IKEA</h3><p>IKEA is a great example of how to engage your customers. Their hashtag <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/ikeaatmine/" target="_blank">#ikeaatmine</a> shows exactly what IKEA’s products look like in a real home.</p><p>Hashtags are a great way to keep the conversation going and make sure you’re constantly posting about the latest trends.</p><figure style = "margin: auto; text-align: center;width: 430px;"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/5TPOE41yqt11NeFIvR0QilmAkXB08jFfq3ME5R6JGLplzC9W73nVHr6kBUQY-FjzAJExQSAs-ob8-QVobH98TRodFEiNBClasF2ijPJS5QcasoIJu2IhELLMzJdTlnyAlB6wLBjKegsdQUH2" style="margin-top: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-bottom: auto;margin-left: auto;text-align: center;width: 430px;" /></figure><h3>2. B&amp;Q</h3><p>We love this example from B&amp;Q. They shared <a href="https://twitter.com/BandQ/status/1276539407617712128" target="_blank">video content </a>on how to create a butterfly haven, giving their audience helpful and actionable tips.</p><p>Videos are perfect for your social media channels, as they’re much easier to digest, and you can encourage customers to share their own projects.</p><figure style = "margin: auto; text-align: center;width: 398px;"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/iwxFrYEQa-goMCaj8vbqIaPmcuAXW157s9Gq-mXn2QldMjR-8CYwNl1XxXDlJ-wreqFm6eCwO6Z9hzmeenY6o2HtVGjesXAUB2HPX-Ff97sHED17U0RQ1NpKTvvp8LkcKcjm8yiQWHolp1mz" style="margin-top: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-bottom: auto;margin-left: auto;text-align: center;width: 398px;" /></figure><h3>3. Apple</h3><p>Apple is also a master at how to encourage engagement via social media hashtags. They’ve done it super effectively with their <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/shotoniphone/?hl=en" target="_blank">#ShotOniPhone</a> campaign. Customers simply need to create content with their Apple devices and share using the hashtag.</p><p>The result? Apple gets content curated on their customer’s feeds, and the users get featured on Apple’s media in return. With over 28 million posts shared using their #ShotOniPhone hashtag, it’s a certified success.</p><h2>What is a customer engagement platform?</h2><p>A customer engagement platform is any platform where customers interact with a brand. Some of the most common examples include:</p><ul><li>Email marketing campaigns</li><li>Loyalty programs</li><li>Podcasts</li><li>Studies and PR campaigns</li><li>YouTube channels</li><li>Social media networks</li></ul><p>These platforms can be used two-fold: both by the brand to push out communications and by the customer to interact with the brand. But, businesses should also implement customer engagement channels where the customer instigates contact first, such as helplines, email inboxes, and chat functions. These tend to serve slightly different, often problem-based, purposes, but are still valuable communication and customer engagement channels.</p><p>At present, video content is one of the most popular customer engagement tactics, as it’s an excellent method for quick and easily consumable information sharing and can be condensed and optimised for various platforms.</p><h2>Customer engagement is a long-term strategy</h2><p>No business can master customer engagement immediately. You will need to undertake at least two or three of the ideas mentioned here and monitor their results over time to see which ones work best for your business.</p><p>Whichever techniques you take for a spin, do so with the intention of delivering products and services your customer truly needs and wants. Segment your customers to see which idea is working best for which demographic. Not all customers are the same, so you need to engage them in a voice they understand and on a platform they use.</p><p>Combining these customer engagement ideas will help boost engagement and establish a long-term connection with your customer.</p><p><a href="https://www.feefo.com/uk/business/contact" target="_self">Contact </a>our Feefo team today to see how we can help you keep your customers coming back.</p>