January is a fresh start, an opportunity to improve, and the perfect time to reflect on where you are - and where you want to be. If you have some New Year’s resolutions in mind to help you reach your 2023 goals, you’re certainly not alone.
This year, a huge 30 million people in the UK will be making New Year's resolutions. That’s over half of the UK population taking steps to better themselves. In the US, more than one-third (37%) say they have a goal they want to accomplish in 2023.
When it comes to personal goals, many resolution-makers have the same aspirations. 28% of the UK population vow to improve their fitness, 27% want to focus on money, and 24% put family at the centre of their commitments. The US population are setting similar goals this year, with the top three resolutions in 2023 being to improve health, save more money and exercise more. However, the optimism and gusto of the new year is often short-lived. Research shows that just 9% of people actually keep their resolutions with most quitting before January is over.
Just as millions of people use January as a chance to reassess their visions and make new goals for the coming year, there’s a lot to gain from businesses doing the same. Here are five New Year’s resolutions that could completely transform your business in 2023, and how to avoid being part of that 9% of quitters.
1. Make better connections with your customers and employees
The New Year is the perfect time to reach out to your customers to see how they’re feeling about your brand. Proactive customer service is a great way to build lasting relationships and can identify any issues that need attention, including any problems that arose during the busy Christmas period.
Likewise, your employees are an incredible asset when it comes to the success of your business. Full of ideas and constructive feedback, make sure that you take the time to regularly ask staff for their opinions. As well as making significant improvements to your business, you’ll also create a better working environment for your employees.
How you can stick to it:
Use surveys to ask for feedback from both your customers and your employees. With Feefo Surveys, you can make responses anonymous for your staff, and share survey links anywhere for your customers, including websites, social channels and emails, without the need for data capture.
2. Show you’re listening to feedback
Customer feedback provides crucial learning points for businesses, so there’s no need to fear negative reviews. Our research found that 69% of consumers said they would continue to make a purchase if they could see that a company had acknowledged a poor review, apologised, and offered a solution.
How you can stick to it:
Make sure the review solution you choose allows a two-way dialogue between you and your customers, like Feefo. We have plenty of resources that can help you respond to negative feedback, and our team is always on hand if you need any extra support.
3. Say no to fake feedback
Fake online reviews cost the global economy a massive $152 billion a year, and can be hugely detrimental to your brand reputation. Prioritise safeguarding your business against fake feedback, so your customers know that you only collect reviews that they can trust.
How you can stick to it:
Use a trusted reviews platform to collect feedback, and make sure that the platform doesn’t allow just anybody to leave you a review. That way, you know that all opinions are from confirmed customers that both you and your customers can trust.
4. Seize automation opportunities
Is your business using technology to its full potential? There is software available to automate just about any process, from invoicing to customer service. Automating these tasks doesn’t just cut down on the number of manual errors, but it frees up resource too.
How you can stick to it:
Automate your customer feedback processes with Feefo. Our technology enables businesses to automatically send tailored feedback requests, receive instant notifications from low-scoring reviews, and load sales data into your Feefo account. Our reports are full of tools that quickly summarise the data in your reports and spot trends in an instant.
5. Embrace change
Not every product you sell or service you provide in 2023 will be successful. If something isn’t working for you, make a habit of acknowledging it before making some changes and moving on. The same goes for processes within your business, whether it’s marketing efforts or sales tactics. Pinpointing these weaker areas in your business is the first step to making significant improvements as you put your resource elsewhere.
How you can stick to it:
To make the right changes, you need to know what needs fixing. Asking for feedback at every point in the customer journey can give you a clear view of the entire experience, from start to finish. Feefo has the tools to help you pinpoint exactly what needs more attention - from sending review requests at specific times with Feedback Request Manager, to using Insight Labels in your reporting to spot reoccurring trends in your reviews.
If your customers are at the centre of your New Year’s resolutions, we can help you hit your goals. To find out more about how you can use customer feedback to make valuable changes to your business in 2023, contact with one of our experts.
