CRM and the Internet

One of the key things to consider is what do consumers expect? One thing is for certain, they do not expect poor service when they shop online. They do not expect to be disappointed when they look online for the jacket that they saw in the store last week. They do not expect different levels of customer service, different return policies and inconsistent treatment across the channels. To them, a brand is a brand, and consistency is key.

So why aren’t all marketers as far along in the channel integration game as they should be? The challenges that marketers face in meeting these expanding consumer expectations are many. The speed of the market itself, technology incompatibility, skill sets, and market expectations all play a role.

The newness of the Internet as a sales channel, the different skill sets required to manage it, and the organizational barriers that these introduce all provide obstacles to success. The right application of CRM technology can reduce the effects of these obstacles and pave the way for success.

Success requires a single customer view, regardless of whatever other organizational and/or functional obstacles have been created. To do this business must do the following:

• Gather and organize data across all customer touch points.
• Create a single view of the customer and share that view across the organization, however it is put together.
• Focus research, analysis, and communications on customer needs and customer behavior, not products or departments.