How Do Customers Find Me? How to Tell

A new customer walks in, the phone rings from an unknown number, a message arrives. Work is coming in, but where this person saw you is usually unknown. A recommendation, Google, or the sign they noticed while walking past? When the answer is unknown, which of the effort spent on ads, the shop window or social media is paying off can remain a guess.

Understanding the route a customer took may not require a complex system. This article covers the channels that bring customers to a small business, how each one can be recognised, and how the question "how did you hear about us?" can be asked at first contact without breaking the flow of the conversation.

The "Everyone Knows Us" Assumption

A long-established business may assume that new customers also find it through people they know. Sometimes this assumption is right, sometimes it is not. A shop well known in the neighbourhood may be invisible to someone searching online; a business followed on social media may not be reaching the people who walk past its door.

When the assumption goes unchecked, effort is spread out of habit. Learning which door the customer came through with a few questions can bring that spread closer to reality.

Six Doors a Customer Can Come Through

Customers usually reach a small business through a handful of familiar channels. Each channel brings customers in its own way and is recognised in its own way. The comparison below puts these doors side by side.

The One Question to Ask at First Contact

One of the simplest ways to learn where a customer came from is to ask at first contact. "How did you hear about us?" is short and clear. What matters is that the question comes as a natural part of the conversation rather than as a survey. It can be received more easily when asked after the customer's need has been discussed or while the order is being written down.

For this question to be asked at all, the first contact by phone must not get lost; we covered unanswered calls in a separate article.

Noting the Answer Before It Is Lost

If the answer is not written down somewhere, it can be forgotten within a few days. Adding a one-word note next to the customer record can be enough: recommendation, Google, map, social media, sign or returning customer.

Fixing the channel names from the start can prevent the same door from being recorded with different words. If your records are kept in a spreadsheet, we explained when Excel stops being enough for customer tracking in another article.

When the Answers Can Mislead

The answer a customer gives may describe their route only in part. Channels can blend into one another.

Three situations can come up often.

1. A recommended customer checks online first

A customer who heard your name from someone they know may search for you on Google or the map before coming; their answer can depend on which of these they remember.

2. A former customer returns through a new channel

Someone you worked with years ago may see one of your posts on social media and come back; both channels may have played a part in this return.

3. The customer cannot name a clear place

"I saw you somewhere" is also information; rather than pushing, grouping this answer under its own heading can keep your records more honest.

Each Channel Has Its Own Needs

If few customers come from a channel, the reason may be that its needs are not being met. Google and the map profile need current information: the right hours, the right address, recent photos. If few customers arrive from online searches, looking at why a business does not show up on Google can be a starting point.

Social media needs regular, clear posts, while recommendations depend on the relationship with satisfied customers continuing. We described what can be done on the social media and search side in our digital marketing article. The sign and the window, in turn, should be able to tell a passer-by at a glance what you do.

Rethinking Effort Across Channels

As answers build up, it can become visible which door brings more customers. This picture can be a solid basis for discussing which channel gets time and budget. A channel that brings few customers does not have to be dropped right away; once its needs are met, the result may change.

The number of customers a channel brings is not the same as what those customers earn you. To see which channel's work pays off more, you can read our article on which jobs actually make money.

Summary

Customers can reach a small business through Google, the map, a recommendation, social media, the sign or as returning customers. The question "how did you hear about us?", asked within the conversation at first contact, is a simple way to make these doors visible. When the answer is noted in one word and the possibility of channels blending is kept in mind, how effort is spread across channels can be discussed closer to reality.