In the era of Big Data and the evolution of commercial solicitations, companies need to improve their communication strategy with their customers. It all starts with a quality customer database. More than a simple address book, it plays a significant role in implementing an effective marketing strategy. Here are the essential points to know about this precious document.
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What Exactly Is The Customer Database?
By definition, the customer database consists, as its name suggests, of a set of organized and structured data relating to the company’s customers. Easily accessible, these can be modified and updated regularly.
The customer database, therefore, brings together all the information collected during the various transactions carried out between customers and the company, from cookies to customer contacts. Conventional knowledge combines socio-demographic data (age, date of birth, income level, etc.) and psycho-behavioral criteria (activities, media visited, centers of interest, etc.). In addition to all these criteria, there is data on the key contacts within the company who play an essential role in purchasing decisions and generating profits.
What Use?
Focusing primarily on customers, the customer database above all offers the company the possibility of targeting offers and personalizing them according to the profile of each customer. You quickly generate leads and build better customer relationships with the right basics. The customer database’s objective is to facilitate the connection with your customers and to help you subsequently adapt an offer according to their needs. In addition to increasing sales, this tool promises better customer satisfaction and increased loyalty to your brand and your business.
The customer database also helps the company understand each customer’s value and behavior, especially their purchasing behavior. The idea is to sift through all transaction data and purchase histories to determine if a customer is a frequent product purchaser or inquired about a particular offer or service.
A better understanding of customer behavior can also help increase company revenue and turnover. Indeed, by knowing precisely what your customers and targets are looking for, you can offer the right product at the right time and to the right customer through relevant business management. According to the 20/80 rule, 20% of customers represent 80% of business volume.
What Data Should Be Collected?
As mentioned above, data collection for the customer database must be organized and structured for optimal efficiency. The rule is that the information you collect should only be what you need in customer relations and your marketing strategy. Avoid spreading yourself too thin at all costs and focus on the valuable data that makes sense for your business and achieving your objectives. Aside from the contact name and email address, the nature of the data to be collected varies depending on the company’s B2B or B2C status.
- If you are a B2C company, it is essential to collect the age and the gender of the customers, which determine the mode of consumption, the data which relate to their behavior of purchase, and the customer journey (for example, the number of orders and the average basket), without forgetting the centers of interest of the customers and the data relating to customer satisfaction.
- On the other hand, in B2B, you must focus on the legal and administrative data of the company, i.e., the company name as well as the SIRET, VAT and RCS numbers, the sector of activity, and the size of the company as well as the function of the contact within this company. Do not forget the phone number either, because, in B2B, the email address is not enough.
What Should I Do?
Today, collecting different information intended to set up a quality customer database is done in several ways. Practically, the newsletter is a great way for your business to establish a connection with your customers and stay in their minds regularly. To be effective, it is still necessary to ensure that the newsletter brings quality content with a specific added value to your client and stands out from those sent by competing companies.
- More and more customers are enjoying contests. In addition to being entertaining, they still need to offer freebies that live up to your customer’s commitment to your business. Don’t hesitate to be generous by providing an additional gift to those who sponsor a loved one.
- With the survey and the satisfaction questionnaire, you directly ask for customer opinions on your offers and services, your prices, the quality of the reception, or the general atmosphere in your point of sale. In addition to these tools, there are the advantages of the various events, the order forms, or the card designed to build loyalty.
In any case, since you are asking for valuable customer data, always remember to formulate your request pleasantly.
A customer database is essential for developing a company and its customer portfolio. In addition to grouping customer-related information, it also makes it possible to target offers and increase turnover. For a better organization, using CRM and EDM software becomes essential to facilitate access to data, better know customers and their needs and find new customers through a prospecting plan. And an effective acquisition and retention procedure, but also to enable all employees to work and communicate more efficiently and improve the base’s performance.
