Data can tell powerful stories and enable an organization to produce amazing results, but only if the right data is captured at the right time. Access to quality customer data can be the difference between a one-time buyer and lifelong customer — knowing your customers’ needs, demographics, purchase behavior, etc. is crucial to higher engagement, sales, and customer retention.
Quality in equals quality out
In order to reach your customers on an individualized basis and, in turn, increase sales, you must be able to identify those customers, segment them into targeted groups, and create personalized messaging that will speak to their needs. However, sometimes the systems that provide an opportunity to collect critical information about customers aren’t collecting the right data to begin with.
For example, your point-of-sale, eCommerce, lodging, activity, and other systems used in the consumer buying process must capture the detailed contact information that will allow your organization to market to customers in a personalized way. At the base level, the correct contact information makes it easier to get in touch with more of your customer base while subsequently improving the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. When you have access to quality data coming in, you’re better able to produce quality content you can deliver to your customers — AKA “quality in equals quality out”. Then, that quality comes full circle back to your organization through increased engagement, sales, and customer retention. But customer data doesn’t stop at contact information.
How to capture the right data
There are several ways to capture critical (and quality) customer data. One example would be incentivizing customers to provide that data by offering a discount coupon or code for an upcoming purchase, whether it is in-person, online during a purchase, or even an online signup form not related to a purchase. Another example could be allowing customers to enter a drawing for bigger savings or an additional product.
There can certainly be challenges when it comes to capturing data from your customers in-person but incentivizing them to provide their information boils down to shifting their mindset—show them that by providing their information, they won’t just become another number on a list; instead, you will use it to send them information they truly care about (e.g., new product launches, service reminders, reservation information, etc.).
You should also train your staff to “sell” the customer on the benefits of providing that information. If your team can demonstrate how access to customer data will in turn create a better customer-to-brand relationship and a more personalized, authentic shopping experience, customers may be more inclined to share that information with you. The overall objective is to let your customers know that the information they share with you is meant to create a “made for them” experience.
Putting data into action
If you can enhance your marketing by improving the customer experience (the result of capturing quality data), you in turn will see an increase in engagement, customer satisfaction, sales, and repeat business. This is increasingly important seeing as acquiring a new customer can be 5 times more expensive than retaining an existing one.
Acquiring a new customer is five times as expensive as retaining an existing customer. —Outbound Engine, 2022
At Ascent360, our data driven marketing platform is built to ingest the data being captured with every POS and eCommerce transaction and cleanse it to create an accurate 360-degree view of every customer. With enriched data you gain access to actionable insights and can easily segment customers based on purchase behavior, demographics, how they’ve interacted with your brand, and more. Then, send personalized, automated marketing campaigns to engage those customers and keep them coming back time and again. But don’t just take our word for it—give it a try risk-free for 30 days!
