The perception that customers have of a company, its products and services is critical to the success of any business. Customers form opinions based on their experiences with a company, and those opinions can have a lasting effect on a brand’s reputation and bottom line. As such, it is imperative for companies to understand how customers view their products, services and brand, and to actively work to improve their customer perception.
This blog post will discuss the impact of customer perception on business, how to measure customer perception, and strategies for improving customer perception. We’ll cover best practices for conducting surveys and collecting feedback, how to analyze and use customer feedback, and ways to leverage customer feedback for product and service improvements. Additionally, we’ll cover how to use customer feedback to build better relationships with customers and foster loyalty.
Understanding how customers perceive your business and taking action to improve customer perception is essential for long-term growth and success. If done correctly, actively engaging with customers can help you
What Is Customer Perception? Why is Customer Perception important?
Why is customer perception important?
Customers may be more likely to transact business with companies they trust, so customer perception is crucial. Creating a good relationship with customers can increase leads and sales, resulting in the success and longevity of the business.
Consumer loyalty to your brand or switching to your competitors can also be influenced by how customers perceive your company. You can entice customers to return for more purchases by cultivating positive feelings and experiences. Customers who value and respect your brand may also be more likely to tell others about your goods or services, which could result in more leads and sales.
What is customer perception?
Customer perception is how a customer views your company. This includes their perceptions of your brand and their feelings and opinions about it. Customer perception can be positive or negative.
When customers interact with your brand, goods, or services, the customer perception process takes place. This process includes:
What influences customer perception?
There are many internal and external factors that can affect how customers perceive a company, including:
Past experiences
Every time a customer interacts with your brand, you have the chance to influence how they perceive you and your business. Delivering consistently positive experiences can increase consumer trust in your brand and create a devoted following of customers.
Price
Many consumers prioritize price when choosing between service providers. Too-high or too-low prices could hurt how the public perceives your brand. Include strategic pricing tactics based on competitor tactics, market research, and your company’s financial requirements.
Quality
Product quality can influence customers perception of your brand. Customers feel like they got a good deal when your product or service exceeds their expectations, which can result in a positive experience that encourages them to work with your company again.
Usability
Customers typically favor products with clear instructions and easy use. Customers’ perceptions of your brand may be impacted by how simple it is for them to use your products to interact with them and solve problems. Make an effort to design products that a variety of users can use easily, and opt for simple, widely accessible language and features.
Location
Customers value convenience, and the location of your business may influence which customers decide to buy your goods or services. When considering locations, try to pick one that is close to your target audience, has simple entrances and exits, and has easy parking.
Customer service
Customer service is crucial to how customers and clients perceive your company. Customers can feel heard, respected, and appreciated with good customer service. Even if customers have a problem with a product or service, they may still have a positive impression of your business if they have a positive interaction with your customer service team that meets their needs and promptly resolves the issue.
Marketing
Your marketing strategies spread awareness of your company’s identity, core principles, and advantages over the competition. These messages are being conveyed to your audience through a variety of media, and they can use them to form opinions about your company.
Reputation
People’s perceptions of your brand may be influenced by news and stories about it. For instance, even if viewers have never shopped with you before, having your business featured in a news story about a charity event can make them feel good. The other elements that influence customer perception can be supplemented by external factors like media coverage and public reputation.
Recommendations
Purchase decisions for your goods and services can be influenced by recommendations from family, friends, and influential people. This is why investing in techniques to alter consumer perception can be beneficial, resulting in a sharp rise in sales and conversions.
How to influence customer perception for your brand
Following are some actions your business can take to enhance customer perception:
1. Learn what customers think
Find out what the public thinks about your company, products, or services by conducting research. You can:
You can get inspiration for your marketing and public relations efforts by listening to people describe themselves. You can focus your decisions on the particular issues that the public cares about with the help of these insights. For instance, if 70% of survey respondents said that they felt your prices are too high, you might consider an alternate pricing or promotion strategy
2. Apply your research to product development
You can develop goods and services that more effectively meet the needs of customers once you have a sense of how the general public perceives you. You might think about enhancing the functionality or adding new features to existing products. Additionally, you might introduce new goods in an effort to satisfy a consumer need. If your company specializes in custom framing, for example, you might start a service for measuring and planning gallery walls in customers’ homes.
3. Focus on customer service
When customers are choosing where to make purchases, exceptional customer service may take precedence over factors like price and location. Make certain that your customer service team is ready to go above and beyond by:
4. Improve the customer experience
Take into account every aspect of your customers’ experience, from visiting your store to reading your website. Each of these factors has the potential to either positively or negatively impact how customers and clients view your company. Follow a customer’s path and note areas that could be improved at each stage. If you run a hair salon, for instance, you can enhance the client experience by
You might also think about working with a customer experience coordinator who can advise you on the best course of action and how to successfully implement fresh ideas.
5. Monitor public persona
Following your initial research, it’s critical to continue monitoring how the public perceives your brand. Maintain a presence on social media and review websites to keep track of the conversations taking place about your goods and services. Hiring a reputation consultant or public relations expert may be beneficial for larger businesses.
FAQ
What is customer perception example?
The kind of image a brand wants to project depends on customer perception as well. Customers may think a brand is low-quality when clothes are displayed in a retail clothing store on crowded racks with cheap plastic hangers.
Why is understanding consumer perception important?
Customer perception affects how your clients feel about you, whether they do business with you again, and whether they refer their friends and family to you. In other words, how clients view you matters a lot!
What factors influence customer perception?
Attractiveness and display quality increases perceptions. Reputation – A product’s reputation grows over time and is influenced by the customer’s experience with it as well as aggressive marketing campaigns that enhance its status and brand recognition. This determines customer’s product perceptions.
