The main goal of having an informative customer database is to grow your business to a new level. A client database can be one of your most valuable assets and a major marketing tool. It grows in importance when you are trying to foster relationships with existing customers and expand businesses with repeat sales. You also get the chance to track some new and potential clients at the same time.
With all such wonderful possibilities, you mustn’t waste your client’s database now. Whether you are planning to use the information for event invitation or e-newsletter, it is vital to keep the client’s database updated all the time. Now, how can you possibly get the most out of your customer database? Let’s talk about the points!
Restrict the current user access
Restricting user access will make the task a lot easier for you, but it solely depends on how big this firm is. For example, if your firm possesses 250 employees, and all of them can edit their selective information included within the database, then it becomes hard to control accuracy. In its place, give this responsibility of updating data to a few selective people, such as an office manager, operations manager, or administrative assistant. While all your employees can access the information within the database, they won’t get the chance to change it.
Enjoy direct mail advertisement
Direct mail campaigns are pretty amazing for all major kinds of marketing campaigns. However, they always work better when you can actually fine-tune them. In case you are making plans to work from any specified neighborhood or right from your past clients, then you have the liberty to limit the campaign’s size and also how much you are willing to spend and then get the results.
So, try to take this opportunity and maximum campaign power by adding a personalized message to your existing customers. It will work as a reminder that they have chosen you before and your services. So, choosing you from a second round will be an obvious choice for them.
Always make sure to keep information simple
One major way to ensure that you can keep the client database updated is by making it simpler to manage, right from the starting point. There is no need to include some of the unnecessary information whenever you are trying to establish a database first. The more informative fields you have to work on, the higher chance is that you won’t.
Work your way for social media contact details
If you have not thought about giving social media contact details a chance, then you better think about it now! As social media is used as your mainstream communication channel, this form of information can turn out to be invaluable. So, the time has come for you to configure the customer database to procure FB page URLs, Google+ profile pages, Twitter handles, and even the LinkedIn addresses. So, when the next time comes to email your client, you can deliberately check his social media account and congratulate them on any of their recent announcements.
Always standardize for the best result
This is yet another proven tip to set up a perfect client database and get the most out of it. You have to standardize the information that this database will contain. Try and establish some of the standard rules and regulations around data formatting for a change. List the ways in which your customers’ names will be presented. You have to design the right ways to represent phone numbers as well. Even though these differences seem tiny, but they are pretty significant. These steps will make some huge differences, mainly when it comes to duplicate entries.
Ask for referrals and reviews
Getting reviews and referrals is tough, but a customer database can make a big difference.
According to Front Office Solutions, your customer database should inform your outreach strategy, but it shouldn’t be your only touch point. Leaving business cards, keeping in touch on social media, adding your contacts to an email drip system, or just calling old clients to say hi are all viable strategies, and each additional one increases your chances of success. Just be sure not to annoy your customers by contacting them too often, or in too many places at once.
Communicate on a regular basis:
If you don’t use the customer database as often, then there is no need to maintain it and keep the database updated. It is mandatory for you to stay in touch with the customers, whose names are enlisted in the database, frequently, even if that means a friendly hello. If you start sharing good thoughts then that will help in increasing a good rapport with your customers.
These are a few of the many ways in which you can get more out of your current customer database, but the most important part is to keep building it. Even if you don’t have the time, people, and resources to get everything out of your database right now, that can come later. For now, just put your energy into making your customers happy, and keeping track of them.
