The benefits of a customer database

[kkkgfkykm999]

First of all, you need to ask yourself two questions: what is the point of creating a customer database and how can you use it ?

Collecting your customers' contact details will be useful for:

Identify your targets : the more you know about your buyers, the more you will be able to adapt your offer and communication. Depending on the age, location, average basket amount and other indications on the identity of your buyers, it will be interesting to review your positioning and think about your future products, services, prices, etc.
For example, many high-end clothing brands have reviewed their way of communicating. This is the case of Lacoste, which since 2011 has been adapting its ads and revising its prices downwards because its buyers are mainly young people aged 18-35, so much so that its 2022 advertising campaign "Claquettes-Chaussettes" mixed different cultures and generations.
a customer's contact sheet
Segment your customer base : sorting your customer portfolio by monthly purchase amount company phone number malaysia allows you to identify your most influential contacts. Imagine if a buyer made 90% of your turnover! They should have priority on orders and benefit from a preferential rate to ensure their loyalty.
Measure : Tracking your number of incoming, outgoing and total customers makes it easier to organize production. Have you acquired 1000 new customers? Don't be surprised and plan to recruit more staff or order more from your suppliers!
Alert : Warning your consumers can save your reputation! Product recall, technical breakdown or delivery delay, limit the consequences by sending an alert SMS.
Communicate commercially : taking advantage of your buyers' contact information lies in communicating your offers. SMS campaigns , emails, postal distribution... You have a way to announce the release of your products, your discounts as well as the events that you organize.
As you can see, retrieving information about your customers is essential. However, it is not enough to open an "Excel customer database" and insert a few names.

Organize your database correctly
An ideal database must be able to accommodate new information and make it easy to search for existing information. I suggest you follow the "4R" method ( Editor's note: a small method 100% made in SMSFactor! ).

a computer displaying techniques
F ind useful data : define what you want to know about your customers. The classics: name / number / email / address / company. They allow you to reach your consumers and personalize your message but not your offer. You will then need to obtain economic data (purchase amount, turnover, etc.), geographic data (country, city, etc.) and/or behavioral data (online order, in-store purchases, etc.).
R gather : Define wherecustomer data is stored . Depending on the size of your business, its budget and number of customers, you have several options:
Excel : an ideal solution for small budgets, this software from the Office 365 Pack sold by Microsoft allows you to create spreadsheets containing your customers' information . In addition, you will find free training on the Microsoft website.
Customer database software : more expensive but more comprehensive, these tools go beyond simple row and column editing. In fact, most of them include statistical tracking, integrated sending solutions, and automated functions. For example, HubSpot CRM allows you to exchange via chat, create forms, and even send an SMS via the SMSFactor plug-in for HubSpot !
Backup solution: write everything down manually on your notepad, between the shopping list and dinner at your mother-in-law's (we do not recommend this option).
R GDPR : comply with the General Data Protection Regulation. Does the data concerning your customers allow them to be identified? Follow the rules on the CNIL website, including obtaining consent ("opt-in") and informing them of the use of their data .
In addition, the retention period for personal data is limited . Let's take the case of a customer who has been inactive for 3 years: you will need to obtain their consent again or delete it or archive it in a file serving as a statistical reference.
Recycle : The information you collect may vary, so it needs to be updated regularly . So define how often you will update it .
At SMSFactor we offer HLR lookup to verify the phone number of each of your customers : sorting of unassigned numbers, elimination of duplicates and invalid numbers, portability history and even filtering of international numbers!