Every transaction between you and your customers has the potential to offer valuable insights into what’s working and what needs improvement. That’s why keeping track of what, how, and when your customers order is critical to success.
However, many businesses fall into the trap of not keeping track of past customer interactions or organizing it in such a way that it’s hard to access. Fixing this can open up a whole new world of valuable data to work with. Here are seven ways to organize your data for maximum convenience.
1. Use CRM Software
The best way to organize all your customer information is to have software do it for you. Many companies are switching up their storage systems and using an all-in-one CRM software suite to keep track of every interaction with customers and within the company.
These tools help with every element of customer information storage and management, making it easier to communicate with customers effectively since you have all their past orders and interactions. You’ll also be able to track orders, check your financial status, and improve your workflow and marketing strategies by coordinating and automating processes.
2. Create Client Profiles
If you’d like to know everything about a customer you’re handling with a press of a button, why not have a section of your computer system dedicated entirely to that? Each client profile should have their contact and payment info, as well as their order history and any other relevant communications.
This will speed up the process when your customer service team interacts with them because they’ll have all their information at the tip of their fingers and can figure out the best way to help them. It’s also a big help to have demographic information on your customer base so you can determine where and how to spend your advertising dollars.
3. Add Finance and Contact Info
Along with their communications history, having the payment information and billing info for past clients can help speed up the financial processes of your company. This is especially important for when you need to issue a refund or a credit, you don’t need to hold things up getting credit card numbers or bank accounts.
If your website has sufficient security, you can also automate this process by having your website store or automate the payment information when your customers make orders. This will save them money and give them more time to browse and a positive impression of your site’s convenience.
4. Automate Order Tracking
One of the most frustrating parts of the online order process for many customers and companies is tracking orders once they go out. Automating it can give your customers convenient updates and also save all relevant information on your website.
The key is to have your ordering system automatically integrate tracking info. To set this up, work with the freight company you’re using to ship your products, then have your system share the tracking information with the customer and with your system.
5. Segment Your Audience
Not every customer will respond to the same thing, so make sure to use your demographics to break down your audience and figure out how best to appeal to them. Elements including gender, age, location, and spending habits can impact the strategies needed to appeal to a group.
Your software should track the age and gender of your customers if possible, as well as their spending habits on your website. Your marketing team can then tailor campaigns and deals to them, especially if you have several major demographic groups on your site.
6. Target Leads
Your website should track not just purchases, but other site activities such as browsing and putting items in a cart. This allows your team to figure out how to incentivize people to take that next step and purchase the item they’re interested in.
By organizing your customer information to include this, you’re uncovering new opportunities to sell customers in areas they may not have purchased yet. Ideally, your software should generate reports for target leads so you can get a better picture of your business’ conversions.
7. Reporting and Metrics
There are many types of customer information, and it’ll be much easier to access once it’s broken down by the reports and metrics that best serve your business. Much of organizing customer information is figuring out what you don’t need and filtering it out.
This will mostly be trial and error, but the biggest areas you should be focusing on include budget information, operations efficiency, sales results, and past customer relationships.
Everything in Its Place
It’s like clearing up a cluttered room or drawer – you’ll be amazed by how much you find. Organizing your customer information can open up a new world of opportunity. With the help of state-of-the-art software, there’s no better time to start than now.