questions and answers

“You can’t improve what you don’t measure.” This quote, often attributed to Peter Drucker, is one that we hear in the business world quite a bit. And it certainly rings true. Without continuous measurement, it’s impossible for any business to know what’s going well and improve what isn’t. By now, most brands and retailers that…

Consumers opt to shop online for a number of reasons, including convenience, choice, safety, and the ability to more easily compare options – among others.  But there are also some disadvantages of online shopping. One downside is that it can be hard for online shoppers to ask questions (and get them answered).  If they were…

Walking into a brick-and-mortar store and speaking with a sales or customer service associate or picking up the phone and dialing an 800 number were once the primary ways consumers communicated with brands and got pre- and post-sale service. But that’s no longer the case. Today, consumers seek out service via a variety of different…

Brands should learn how to meet consumer expectations. Why? A brand that doesn’t put the customer first in today’s landscape risks losing customers to competitors who meet their expectations. To evaluate the extent of this analysis, we executed a UGC survey with 261 brands and 522 consumers in the U.S. The objective of the survey…

Oftentimes, shoppers have questions standing in the way of a purchase decision. This is true regardless of whether the consumer is shopping online or at a physical store location. Of course, if a consumer is shopping in-store and has an unanswered question, they can find the nearest sales associate to get an answer. But online…

2020 was a year unlike any other. Events and vacations were canceled. Jobs were lost. And people spent a whole lot more time at home. Consumers also spent more money online than ever before. According to eMarketer, worldwide eCommerce sales grew a whopping 27.6% in 2020. Experts predict this growth won’t slow down anytime soon….

Imagine there’s a customer shopping for a pair of shoes in a brick-and-mortar store. She’s able to see the shoes in person — and even try them on. And if she has a question standing in the way of her purchase, she can ask the nearest sales associate for help. Now imagine that same customer…

When it comes to reviews, you might have a preferred channel (say, reviews posted and managed on your own website). But today’s consumers have choices. They can write and read reviews on a plethora of sites depending on the industry vertical. So while hosting reviews on your own dot com is great—especially as brands push…

Consumers expect great service wherever they are on the purchase journey. And the current global crisis has only heightened these expectations. According to Salesforce, the COVID-19 pandemic has raised customer service standards for more than half (58%) of consumers. When companies hit the mark, they’re rewarded. Salesforce found that 71% of consumers say they’ve made…