What is a Customer-Centric Approach?

Despite there being a variety of marketing strategies for businesses to choose from these days, there is one approach that every business must adopt to be truly successful. This is called the customer-centric approach. This approach requires you to analyse the customer journey – from before they become a customer until they make a purchase – to provide the best customer experience possible for your brand. 

What Is Customer Focus (Customer-Centric Approach)?

Most of you will have heard the golden phrase: “the customer is always right”. Since customers are the ones who buy your products or services, your business can’t carry on without them. If they feel your product is unappealing or doesn’t suit their needs, they won’t buy it. Therefore, every business needs to be customer-centric to understand and meet customers’ demands as much as possible.

Imagine your customer is like someone you want to go on a date with; you’ll do whatever it takes to win their heart, learn their likes and dislikes, and do what it takes to satisfy and please them.

The customer-centric approach is about putting your customers at the core of your business and creating a positive experience for them. You need to understand what kind of products or services they want so that you can produce the products that meet their needs, which will hopefully lead to a long-term business relationship. 

According to research by Deloitte, businesses using a customer-centric strategy are 60% more profitable than the ones that don’t. The customer-centric approach, as a result, is a strategy that every business should adopt.

Why a Customer-Centric Approach Matters

With the advancement of digital technology, the competition among online businesses has also become more intense. Today, customers can choose from a range of products and services that best suit their needs simply by searching the information available at their fingertips.

As you can see, paying attention to your customers has never been more important. A customer-centric strategy or focus is a tool you can use to make your brand stand out and surpass your competitors in the eyes of both your current and future customers. 

But how? 

It Helps Build Brand Trust.

If you don’t prioritise your customers, they will engage less with your brand and turn their attention to your competitors. But, if you take a customer-centric approach, you can build a positive bond with your customers and gain their trust. 

According to GetVoIP statistics:

• 64% of consumers want brands to connect with them.
• Up to 34% of customers who positively rate a brand tend to buy from them again, and 37% are more likely to recommend that brand.
• 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a better experience.

It Helps Optimise Your Ad Campaigns.

A customer-centric strategy encourages customers to want to discover your brand and share insights into their preferences which you can then use to optimise your ad campaigns. In other words, it allows you to directly reach target audiences who will likely become your customers without wasting your budget on campaigns targeting a broad group that doesn’t meet your goals.

It Creates a Positive Brand Image.

Today, most customers have more trust in word-of-mouth marketing than brand ads. They usually look for reviews of products and services on websites and social media platforms left by real users. Therefore, a customer-centric strategy is vital to building brand trust. The more trust you can build, the more word-of-mouth, positive reviews, and comments your brand will receive on online platforms. All of these will boost your positive brand image for free.

Moreover, a customer focus enables you to respond appropriately to customer feedback. If you receive negative comments, you should contact the reviewer to fix the mistake immediately so that you can resolve the situation as soon as possible. Otherwise, negative feedback about your brand could spread, impacting the brand image and reputation you have spent years building.

It Gives More Opportunities for Growth.

Paying attention to your customers and the market situation enables you to gain a broader business perspective. By closely studying your customers’ needs and being customer-centric, you can improve and develop your products and services and discover new ways to drive sales. Moreover, you will be able to run your business in a way that impresses your customers, as you will know what they want to purchase. You can then use this information to adjust your marketing strategy to attract more customers and boost sales.

What is the 3F Consumer Strategy?

The 3F consumer strategy can be implemented when undertaking customer-centric marketing. It allows businesses to acknowledge and understand the causes of issues that the customer might have experienced, so they can be resolved as soon as possible to leave them with a good impression of the brand. The 3Fs are as follows:

• Feel: understand your customers’ feelings.
• Felt: have a mutual experience.
• Found: discover the solution to the problem.

These 3Fs will help you understand and solve your customers’ problems. If you feel you’ve shared the experience with your customers, you can respond to their needs immediately. And, if you find a way to solve their problems, your customers will get a good impression of your brand.

Summary

Overall, a customer-centric approach makes your customers feel more satisfied with your brand’s products and services. Understanding your customers’ needs takes time and attention, but it will benefit you in the long run if you succeed. Any brands that don’t put their customers first are at risk of losing customers to their competitors, which is why a customer-centric is crucial for any business.

Contact Primal Digital Agency for advice and support on taking a customer-centric approach to your business.