Have you seen The Customer Experience Factbook?

In this 180+ page report, you'll find all the information and support you need to build a profitable, effective CX Improvement Program that spans every part of your business. You'll be able to implement and manage meaningful and profitable change, and grow your bottom line despite a slowing economy.

Get it on Amazon (Kindle/Print)

How to create the perfect customer profile

Many of the challenges brands face around multichannel engagement are not content-based, but rather stem from their customer data being held in disparate silos. Most brands focus on the content - the messaging - which inevitably results in a preference for broadcast marketing. Creating actionable customer profiles allows brands to break down their data silos, focus on the evolving data streams and move from broadcasting to predicting, all in real time.

Get the data right and it's incredible how much time and effort can be better spent on creating truly engaging, multichannel marketing campaigns.

Problems caused by disjointed & incomplete customer data
The most obvious consequence of disjointed customer data is the risk of mixed messaging. The increasing number of devices and channels present an opportunity - and obligation - for brands to tailor the format of communication - for instance, a 140-character 'tweet' should convey the same message but its format will naturally be different to an email, or further still, a blog. Despite this, the data used to deliver messaging and communication should be consistent across all channels.

Mixed messaging impacts the overall brand experience - inconsistency dilutes the intended message and can lead to confusion around the brand, making it look schizophrenic.

Depending on the level of disjointedness, the state of a brand's customer data may actually hinder and prevent brands from personalising their marketing, leaving marketers with little choice but to adopt a broadcast-style approach to customer communication, and fading into the background as a result.

Incomplete customer data is also a missed opportunity. According to a recent study by Webloyalty, over 40% of retail customers cross four or more channels throughout their 'purchase pathway'. Any brand that is ever-present throughout that process is more likely to be at the forefront of the customer's mind at the key decision point. Conversely, incomplete data may mean that the brand misses key engagement opportunities along the way, and loses out as a result.

How Profile Cloud helps to complete and integrate company data
Profile Cloud creates a profile for each and every customer and prospect, right from the first engagement (such as a website visit). Most profiles start off as anonymous to capture the full user journey from the first touch point. Profiles are then enriched over time as the visitor interacts more and more frequently and intensively.

Each profile also includes multiple IDs based on each data source, making it easier to integrate across multiple sources and maintain consistency. Walker recommends that brands start by reviewing their online data. And once the Profile Cloud code is on the website, it can start to create profiles based on website or app based behaviour. Following the initial integration of online data, it then brings in offline data such as CRM and legacy database systems which enriches behavioural profiles with demographic information, so brands can start to build a more detailed picture of every customer and prospect - all in real time.

Finally, Innometrics looks at third party data - e.g. an email service provider or an SMS platform. From here, brands can create segments and events which can then be shared with third party platforms to deliver more personalised messages and experiences.

Examples of the improved ROI
"We have seen unprecedented results across our customer base of brands boosting conversions simply by integrating and using data that already exists. For instance, Dansk Supermarked tripled the conversion rate of its online advertising, simply by connecting browsing data to email and delivering personalised, relevant retargeting emails," explained Walker.

For another example, 3 Mobile increased conversions by 20% simply by personalising web pages according to web analytics and CRM data. They also analysed exit behaviour to identify drop-off points, then triggered pop-ups at those points to help reduce abandoned shopping baskets. All of this data existed prior to implementing Profile Cloud, but 3 Mobile are now able to pull it all together in real time.

Have you seen The Customer Experience Factbook?

In this 180+ page report, you'll find all the information and support you need to build a profitable, effective CX Improvement Program that spans every part of your business.

You'll be able to implement and manage meaningful and profitable change, and grow your bottom line despite a slowing economy. Grab this goldmine of easily adaptable and up-to-date strategies, walk-throughs, trends, technologies, research, suppliers and partners, plus all the supporting arguments you need to build a solid CX strategy.

While most marketers could list maybe a dozen key points for improving their brand's Customer Experience (CX), the researchers and writers at The Marketing Factbook have identified FORTY main 'CX Keys' which will help you drive your customers to new levels of delight, loyalty, advocacy and profitability.

The areas in which customers have direct contact with your organization are perhaps the most obvious places in which CX improvements can be made, and this report addresses all 24 of these 'Direct CX Keys', applicable to offline and online businesses alike.

At the same time there are many other areas that indirectly affect CX (such as the supply chain, policies and processes) in which every business can make simple but far-reaching improvements. This report guides you through the problems and solutions for all 16 of these 'Indirect CX Keys', many of which are often forgotten or under-played even in the best CX strategies.

Get it on Amazon (Kindle/Print)