Increase Customer Satisfaction Through Good Marketing
Specialty Food Magazine, June 2008, includes an article by Ari Weinzweig entitled “Strategic Merchandising”. Try to get hold of a copy of this issue. As usual, Mr. Weinzweig offers some great ideas for enhancing our customers’ shopping experiences. Following are some ways that we can “do better” with our marketing.
When we’re creating sales materials, brochures or signs, we should “use a beginner’s mind”. The author suggests that we shouldn’t assume that the reader is familiar with what we’re selling. Cut back on technical terms and use plain, simple language to describe your products or promotions. Show your materials to someone who doesn’t work for you and see if he/she understands what you’re selling or trying to promote. If that person has questions, so will your customers.
Also, make sure that your product descriptions accurately describe what you’re selling. Don’t exaggerate! If customers get something different from what you’ve described, you’re sure to have unhappy customers.
Another place where we can improve our marketing is on our web sites. After you create your web site, your work is just beginning! We need to update and scrutinize our sites on a regular basis. Try to set aside 1 hour a week to look at your web site. Work on 1 page at a time. Make sure your links are working. Make sure that your product descriptions are up to date and your prices are correct. There’s no better way to antagonize a customer than to show a price on your web site then charge something different! Once you’ve looked at the full site, go back to the beginning and start again. Add new products, change the order in which products are listed: keep it looking fresh!
It takes work to continue to please our customers. By providing accurate information in a clear, concise, and attractive manner will do a lot to increase customer satisfaction.
1 comment June 22nd, 2008
It’s in all the news: plastic vs. paper! I just read about some proposed legislation to require consumers to pay a fee to carry groceries home in plastic or paper! Personally, I am a supporter and follower of the “reusable bag” camp. If you are too, consider a new gift to add to your gourmet baskets: 
The 54th annual Fancy Food Show will be held in New York, June 29 - July 1, 2008. This is NASFT’s largest show ever, with over 200 exhibitors. According the Specialty Food Magazine, there will be an “unprecedented number of natural and organic products shown throughout the show”.
In these days of high gas prices, consumers are making fewer shopping trips than ever before. Coupled with increased demands on our time, we, as consumers, are looking for more services that will make our shopping experiences easier and more efficient.