As more and more business moves online, you need an efficient way to contact customers. An online database helps you reach out to your customers at different stages in the purchase cycle, convert searches into sales and build understanding about their behaviour.

Where to start?

To build an effective database, you need a way to collect key information and manage outreach. Most businesses collect email addresses and other data when customers make a purchase, through pop-up forms on their website or as part of a promotion.

Once you have the data, you can use a range of tools to manage storage, tracking and marketing.

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software can help you track, store and manage customer details, and automate emails.
• Digital marketing applications, such as Mailchimp, let you create simple email templates and contact subsets of your database.
• Other apps can help you store sales information for each customer, so you can create tailored marketing based on their purchases.
• Secure storage is a must to protect your customers’ privacy. Ask for consent to store details at sign-up, and use a high-level cloud storage system to make sure details can’t be accessed.

Powerful integration

With an online database and smart management tools, you can maximise sales in different ways. One useful tool: integrate with online sales software like Shopify, and reach out when customers leave items in their online cart without buying them. It’s amazing how a simple reminder can push someone towards a purchase.

With smart tools, secure storage and personalisation, an online database can be a powerful way to reach customers and convert sales.