Personalized service: starts from collecting customer data

For any successful online business, data collection is a crucial part. The information about visitors and customer behavior is the basis for analyzing investment income. Successful personalized services also start from collecting customer information. To collect customers' personal data, we need to start from three aspects: first, we need to determine the market segments of target customers, which are usually studied using qualitative or quantitative methods; second, we need to determine the characteristics of customer segments; and third, determines how to collect the required data.

However, the customer's experience also increases with the increase of data. With the passage of time, the amount of data collected is increasing, and the experience of interacting with online commerce is also increasing. This process promotes continuous increase in the value provided to customers and optimizes the benefits of relationships with each customer. Because this process is gradual, it is sometimes called Progressive personalized service.

Progressive personalization is achieved by collecting external and internal information. External data refers to customer information obtained through surveys, forms, registration, and other channels. Although it is useful data, it is not always reliable. In addition, if there is a more convenient and effective method, no one is willing to always ask the customer to fill in various forms or surveys. Internal data is collected at the backend, such as customer behavior recorded through advertisements and websites, using tools similar to cookies (without prejudice to the protection of personal information policies ), which type of customers can reach and browse your website.

When developing a data collection plan, you may not start using technical means immediately. You 'd better start by clarifying your goals and based on the collected information, determine how your online business serves specific customers. Once appropriate, you can determine what technologies are needed to achieve your goals.

First, you should determine the market segments of the target customers, usually using qualitative or quantitative methods for research. Naturally, the data you collect will help you locate the final subdivision goal, but you must first start with one aspect.

Secondly, determine the characteristics of customer segmentation. For example, on a car sales website, the most likely buyers may meet certain statistical characteristics: concern about the price of the car, and hope to try out the car. The characteristics of a series of target market segments constitute a table, which can be used to analyze data and thus determine the actions taken.

Third, decide how to collect the required data. This is a cross-drill task that often requires the participation of technical departments and marketing personnel, sometimes even creative work. Collecting information from customers is an art, because if you ask too many questions, it is easy to attack and scare the customers. Otherwise, you cannot obtain the necessary information. Remember, a good strategy combines external and internal data and is a gradual accumulation process.

There are many ways to process the data collected through advertising and website customer behavior. Classification and summarization is a statistical process that classifies customers by behavior. Collaborative Filtering is a continuous behavior comparison that allows websites to provide personalized promotions. Regardless of the situation, customer data may have multiple sources of information, and how to integrate the information is a major challenge.

You can design different solutions for different customers when you understand the target customers, what information to collect, and how to collect them. For example, you need to provide a booklet and a set of video tapes for experienced buyers, while other visitors may only need an online news email to determine which type of service customers can obtain, so you must be cautious.

Personalized services require a large amount of investment in resources such as funds, expert opinions, and time. This is not just a solution through technology, effective marketing strategies are also needed to ensure that customers can provide truly valuable services in the fierce competition.