A common issue for businesses is that that they don’t keep in contact with their customers. This failure to learn how to build a customer database results in valuable future custom slipping through the net.
So, the answer is simple – start reaching out to your customer list. But what if you are a business that doesn’t yet have a customer database?
A database of customers and prospects is a powerful tool for strategic marketing and it’s never too early to start building your own. Here’s how to start creating your own organic list:
Improve your web sign-up form and meet GDPR laws
A web sign-up is the most popular way for customers to join a list. This means that it’s important to make sure that your web sign-up functions properly. Make the option to sign up clearly visible on all pages of your website and remember that simplicity is key. Don’t ask for too much information and make it as quick and easy for visitors to opt in as possible.
When a contact wants to unsubscribe this may not mean that they don’t want to hear from you at all, so add a preference centre. Give them an option to tailor what kind of information they would like to receive and how often.
With the new GDPR laws coming into effect in May 2018, it’s more important than ever to make sure your list is fully compliant with data protection laws, otherwise you could find yourself facing heavy fines equating to 2% of your company’s global annual turnover of the previous financial year. As your database grows, it’s crucial to make sure you have evidence of consent for everyone on it. The new tighter laws may lead to your company having a smaller list but as it will only include customers who have actively expressed a wish to be contacted by you, it should provide a much better return on investment than a large-for-large’s-sake, poorly-targeted database.
Growing an email database
There are lots of ways to get creative with database-building, some of which are more popular than others:
- Recommend that your social media followers sign up to your newsletter. These people are already actively engaged with you, so tell them about the other tips, offers and entertaining articles they can receive by signing up for your newsletter.
- When the customer is making a purchase in-store or online, present them with the opportunity to join your list by offering an active opt-in.
Maintaining the list
You’re beginning to notice that your list is getting longer – good job! Your work doesn’t stop here though. Keep on top of it by correcting spelling errors and typos, cleaning out emails that bounce back and unsubscribing contacts that consistently remain unengaged with communications.
As we have seen, you can get great results from having a small contact list, so it is far from the truth that you need to have one in the 1000s, particularly when the implications of GDPR are taken into account. Always remember that when it comes to databases, quality is always better than quantity.
It is virtually impossible to build an organic list overnight; it will take time and persistence to gather the data. However, this hard work will be rewarded with valuable information which will become a true asset to your company.
For help in building a customer database or creating marketing communications to reach them, call The Ideal Marketing Company on 01858 374 170 or email info@idealmarketingcompany.com
