Customer-focused marketing puts the needs of the customer first and enhances their overall experience of using your company. By using this approach to marketing and other business activities, you improve customer satisfaction and increase the potential for recurring sales, word-of-mouth recommendations and positive reviews. Here are the four principles of customer-focused marketing.

Target the Right Segment

Segmentation is the process of dividing consumers into groups, or segments, in order to clearly define a specific audience. Segmentation can be achieved in many different ways and will depend on the type of products you sell. You may choose to use specific characteristics, such as age, gender, job title or annual income, to help define your audience, but you can also choose to target a more general audience based on their interests. Research is crucial for choosing the right segment, as you want to make sure your company is targeting the most receptive audience.

Understand Customer Needs

One purpose of segmentation is to enable you to understand the needs of your customers. Once you have defined your intended audience, you can use research, surveys and observation to find out what matters to them. Understanding the needs, concerns and desires of your audience is a crucial part of the marketing process, so it’s important to spend plenty of time researching and getting to know your customers. Social media, product forums and product review sites are great tools for gathering information about consumers.

Offer Genuine Value

All products and services should offer genuine value to the lives of consumers, but this value can come in many different forms and will depend on the needs of your target customer. For example, if your intended audience has a low income and worries about money, they may value low prices above all else. However, if you are targeting a young audience with plenty of disposable income, they may value unique design features and added extras. To provide real value for your customers, you need to know which factors are the most important for their buying decisions.

Provide Excellent Customer Service

Many companies focus on providing great products, but overlook the importance of customer service. Reviews, recommendations and recurring sales are largely determined by the customer’s overall experience of using your company, which includes everything from the quality of your marketing material and speed of the delivery service, to the ease of using your website and experience of contacting your company. Complaints, returns and all other communications should be dealt with quickly, professionally and to the customer’s satisfaction. Providing excellent customer service and exceeding the expectations of your customers can also give you an advantage over your competitors.

Customer-focused marketing involves putting the needs of your customers first, in order to improve their experience of using your company. This simple approach to marketing increases the potential for recurring sales, positive online reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations. The four principles of customer-focused marketing are targeting the right segment, understanding customer needs, offering genuine value and providing excellent customer service.