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Data & Touchpoints: Gathering Insights & Mapping Customer Interactions

Data Gathering Customer Data: Methods and Sources

To implementeffectively a successful marketing plan, it's importantmarket to useyour methodsaudience, you must first gather data, which is available from all kinds of primary and datasecondary gathering methods:sources:

  • Methods to Gather Data:

    • Surveys: Collecting structured feedback from customers through questionnaires.

      • Simple Explanation: Asking customers to fill out a form with questions about their satisfaction, preferences, etc.
      • Real-life Example: SendingAmazon anregularly onlinesends surveyout surveys to its customers after they make a purchase, asking about their experience.shopping experience, product satisfaction, and suggestions for improvement.

    • Interviews: Conducting one-on-one conversations with customers to gain deeper insights.

      • Simple Explanation: Meeting people to ask them one on one about their customer experience
      • Real-life Example: AApple companyoften interviewingconducts itsuser most loyal customersinterviews to understandtest whynew theyproduct keepdesigns comingand back.usability, understanding how people interact with their technology.

    • Social Media: Monitoring and analyzing customer conversations and activities on social media.

      • Simple Explanation: Understanding the importance of social media as a great tool.
      • Real-life Example: FollowingNetflix actively monitors Twitter and other social media conversations about your productplatforms to understand how customers perceive it or what featuresshows they'reare requesting.trending and customer reactions to new releases.

    • Web Analytics: Tracking website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates.

      • Simple Explanation: Seeing what pages people visit on your website and how long they stay there.
      • Real-life Example: Using Google Analytics to determine which pages on your website are most popular andpopular, identifying areas where users may be dropping off before making a purchase.

    • Customer Feedback: Gathering feedback from customers through reviews, comments, and suggestions.

      • Simple Explanation: Understanding how to use customer feedback in the process
      • Real-life Example: ReadingYelp andprovides respondinga toplatform for customer reviews onfor Yelpall ordifferent Google.businesses, where those reviews can be a tool to boost trust and brand recognition.

    • Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Systems:

      • Simple Explanation: Using software to keep track of all interactions you have with customers.
      • Real-life Example: MaintainingMany acompanies centralizeduse databaseSalesforce ofas customertheir interactions,CRM, purchaseincluding history,most andfortune preferences500 in a system like Salesforce.companies..

    • Audience Analytics Tools:

      • Simple Explanation:
        • Tools to assess audience analytics and target customers.
      • Real-life Example: Using Facebook Audience Insights to seecreate thehighly trendstargeted, forhigh productperforming marketingads.

    • Focus Groups: Holding small discussions with a group of people who are interested in your product to understand their perspective

      • Simple Explanation:
        • Having meetings with customers
      • Real-life Example: HavingBefore customersreleasing shownew yourproducts, differentProctor perspectives& Gamble relies on focus groups.

  • Primary vs. Secondary Sources:

    • Primary Data: Data collected directly from your customers.
      • Simple Explanation: Finding out the information yourself
      • Real-life Example: ConductingA yourbusiness ownconducts customera survey or running your own experiment.
    • Secondary Data: Data that comes from others already.
      • Simple Explanation: Getting your information from other sources
      • Real-life Example: UsingA data and insightscompany that is planning on entering a companynew hasmarket alreadymay collectedlook sointo asinformation toprovided furtherby enhancea theirresearch understandingorganization on customer trends.

  • Other Data Collection Methods:

    • Observations: Simple Explanation: Observing customers while they shop or use your product.
    • Textual/Content Analysis: Simple Explanation: Looking at text (like reviews or social media posts) to understand what people are saying.
    • Ethnography: Simple Explanation: Studying customers in their natural settings (e.g., at home, at work).
    • Transactional Tracking: Simple Explanation: Analyzing customerscustomer purchase history to see trendstrends.

  • Secondary Data Sources:

  1. Published Sources: Simple Explanation: Getting information from booksBooks and researcharticles. articles.
    • Real-life Example: The White Papers that are used by Accenture to help better provide insights in the industry
  2. Online Databases: SimpleUsed Explanation:for Accessinganalysis informationand fromresearch onlinewith collectionsa wide source of data.insights.
    • *Real-life Example: Comscore allows marketers to keep track of digital and media channels.
  3. Government and Institutional Records: Simple Explanation: Using governmentGovernment provided data suchto assee demographicsbusiness and population trends.
  • Real-life Example: US Census Data
  1. Publicly Available Data: SimpleA Explanation:way Understandingto informationreach innew areascustomers withand publiclyuse availablesocial data.
  2. *Past Research Studies: Simple Explanation: Finding information from previous research.media.
  • Real-life Example: Statista is used to help people better understand statistics and the world.

Mapping Customer Touchpoints: Understanding Interactions

Customer touchpoint mapping is like creating a road map of every interaction a customer has with your brand, from the first time they hear about you to long after they've made a purchase.

  • Importance of Mapping Customer Touchpoints and Moments-That-Matter:

    • Touchpoint Mapping: Allows you to see all points of interaction and use that to help in improvingimprove business
      • Real-life Example: ChartingStarbucks allmaps customer interactions,interactions such as visitingmobile theapp website,usage, callingstore customervisits, service,online orordering, seeingand andrive-through advertisementexperiences onto aidentify trainpatterns.
    • Moments-That-Matter: Identifying those key instances that have a big impact on the customer and where the experience can be improved or changed.
      • Real-life Example: ARitz-Carlton friendlyhotels andemphasize efficient"moments serviceof truth," those interactions during a guest's stay that either make or break their loyalty, such as check-in, room service, or problem resolution.

  • Overview of Customer Journey Stages:

    • Awareness: Simple Explanation: The first time a customer realizes you exist.
    • Consideration: Simple Explanation: They research your product and see if it's right for them.
    • Conversion: Simple Explanation: They decide to buy something.
    • Manage: Simple Explanation: Helping them after they've made their purchase.
    • Loyalty: Simple Explanation: The customer becomes a repeat buyer.

  • Understanding Different Layers of a Touchpoint Map:

    • Value Stream: Simple Explanation: The steps your business takes to create value for the customer.
    • Journey Steps: Simple Explanation: What the customer is doing in each stage of their journey.
    • Touchpoints: Simple Explanation: Where the customer and your business interact.
    • Performers/Departments: Simple Explanation: Who at your company is responsible for each touchpoint.
    • Systems and Data: Simple Explanation: What data or technology you're using at each point.

By understanding all this information, you are more prepared to take on challenges.

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