According to a recent report from Message Systems, it was found that consumers prefer to receive marketing messages, special offers, and coupons via email. It was also found that for non-emergency customer service issues, email is the most preferred. Phone conversations are the next most popular means for non-emergency customer service issues which is preferred by 29% followed by online chat (9%) and social media (7%). Read more at: http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/26627/how-consumers-prefer-to-receive-marketing-messages

According to a recent finding by Technology Business Research (TBR) it was found that business decision makers are seeking cloud professional service guidance at twice the rate of private and public cloud vendors. It was also found that public, private and hybrid cloud integration guidance demand will follow basic cloud professional services growth in coming years and private cloud adoption rate are expected to reach 85 percent by 2018. TBR also believes that there has been an evolution in the type of private clouds adopted -- with 65 percent of third-party-delivered private clouds, compared to 35 percent of self-built private clouds and they also forecasted the growth of the private cloud market to grow at a 15 percent CAGR to $72 billion in 2018. Read more at:  http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/exploring-demand-cloud-professional-services-0

In a recent research by CCS Insight it was found that more than half of online purchases in the UK this Christmas are being made on a mobile device, whether it is from a tablet or a smartphone. But the fact is that retailers are not prepared for mobile advertising. M-commerce is now predominant and it will continue to increase. The retailers who are into mobile advertising have an opportunity to leap ahead of their competitors and capture consumers’ attention. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/mobile-digital-marketing/merry-mobile-christmas/1288

Today’s marketing has moved towards engage, share and buy model. Nowadays marketing is based on permission based marketing and storytelling. Disruptive advertising and brand storytelling – these are the key for marketers. In today’s world every brand has a story, and it is the job of the marketer to find a way to tell that story in a way that echoes the feeling of their customers.  To know more, follow: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/engage-share-and-buy-3-reasons-brand-storytelling-matters-more-ever-0

A feedback survey lays the foundation for decisions and changes within a business. It is an easy-to-use tool for gathering representative and relevant data that helps to take decisions, streamline workflows, improve management processes, and make business changes. Customer satisfaction surveys allow you to get to know what your customers want from your company. It also helps to see how your brand is perceived by audiences. Sabina Stoiciu (writer for 123ContactForm), writes in her article how to use feedback to maximize business effectiveness. To know more, follow: http://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2014/24928/three-ways-to-use-feedback-surveys-to-maximize-business-effectiveness

Communication Service Providers (CSPs) supplies a variety of services to business and other customers, such as high speed Internet, TV, and both wireless and traditional phone services. But customer satisfaction is very difficult. CSPs must deliver superior customer service and support in order to retain customers and acquire new ones. First Call Resolution (FCR) is critical because it directly impacts customer satisfaction. Larry Lien (responsible for product definition, product marketing, and strategy at Resolve), writes in his article about the best practices that CSPs can implement. Read more at: http://www.in.techradar.com/news/software/business-software/5-best-practices-to-improve-CSP-call-center-support/articleshow/44997854.cms

E-Marketing has adopted Responsive Design. Responsive Design addresses important layout issues that result from the production of mobile screens (smartphones, tablets).Responsive Design also translates the challenges of new design layouts; combining ergonomic techniques and appeal in one search for optimization.  But for emails, companies focus on reactivity and deliverability. Jonathan Murray (NP6 Country Manager), writes in his article about how to combine trends and emailing, while maintaining good delivery and conversion rates. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-lead-generation/e-marketing-with-all-the-trimmings/1242

CPQ is a set of software applications which enables businesses to Configure, Price and Quote. Nowadays CPQ solutions are providing a platform to quickly adapt and launch goods and services. CPQ tools can be used as software-as-a-service (SaaS) through the cloud. It can help to break down organizational barriers and provide a single view of all aspects of the customer i.e. sales process and product. Mark Bishop (Product marketing manager at CloudSense), writes in his article about key points to consider when a company consider to implement CPQ. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-features/cpq-7-ways-to-get-it-right/1246

Organizations must to exploit social media – whether it is social media listening, online analytics, social media intelligence but few organizations do it. Claire Snook (Content Strategist at sixth sense) writes in her article writes about some tips on how brands, regardless of size, can gain competitive advantage. Read more at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-data/how-to-derive-actionable-insight-from-social-data/1078

Small businesses can generate ROI if they integrate email marketing with client engagement platforms. These tools are applications that can be integrated into a business website, email campaigns, or social marketing software – enabling clients to interact with a business from anywhere at any time. Some examples of these tools are online payments, online scheduling, file sharing, electronic forms and signatures, event registration, surveys and more. If email marketing is done in a right way then it can generate ROI and increase customer engagement.  To know more, follow (Ran Oelgiesser, Chief Marketing Officer of vCita)’s article link: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/articles/boosting-email-marketing-campaigns-with-client-engagement-platforms-and-scheduling-tools/1236

According to a recent survey by Dimension Data, it was found that for younger Generation Y consumers, electronic messaging, social media and smartphone applications are preferred over traditional voice calls when interacting with a company. Technology is providing a way of overcoming limitations of the past. Cloud technology will be the game changer in customer service. In another survey by Dimension Data, it was found that 77.6% said cloud technology had helped cut costs to serve customers, another 65% already using cloud-based technology solutions agreed that it had provided access to new and enhanced functionality. For 64.8% of the respondents, the technology had improved flexibility. Read more at: http://www.rcrwireless.com/20141201/opinion/reality-check/reality-check-taking-customer-service-cloud-tag10

According to a survey in UK, it was found that 84 per cent of 18-34 year olds are happy to share their personal data with brands by registering and logging into sites with their identities from social networks. Consumers are worried about sharing personal information out of fear that companies will not use it properly. So, it's important to show consumers how you value data privacy and be clear on exactly how their data will be used. It is essential for companies to give a clear notification to consumers about how their personal data will be used. To know more, follow Patrick Salyer (CEO of Gigya)’s article link: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/digital-marketing-data/data-collection-all-consumers-want-is-transparency-relevance-and-convenience/1238

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) is the buzzword in today’s world. CLV has the ability to measure by sector, product type and purchase occasion. CLV is also linked with brand loyalty and ease of brand switching. It is dependent on many factors, from customer personality types to the ability for a brand to differentiate the experience it offers. According to a study by Sitecore, it was found that in the retail sector people expect customer loyalty to be low. The automobile sector faces challenges when it comes to growing CLV, as customer demand is typically driven by a range of factors; technological advancements, public opinion, cost, life stage and fashion. The media and technology and telecoms industries also face a similar challenge. In a nutshell, it was found that 64% of brands believe improving customer experience is the route to focus on CLV and move customers towards the ideal bracket of remaining loyal. To know more, follow Shawn Cabral (VP Corporate Marketing at Sitecore)’s article link: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/customer-experience/how-do-sectors-compare-when-it-comes-to-customer-lifetime-value/1228

Companies need to provide easy access across platforms and services including the cloud, mobile devices, customer portals, social platforms, and the Web. On the other hand they must protect customer security and ensure that customers get what they pay for. Businesses must reassess their approach to identity management in order to prosper in fast-paced environment. Identity and access management (IAM) tools enable or deny access based on some criteria, and users, employees and partners. Companies who are looking to support innovative services for customers can leverage identity relationship management (IRM) platforms. IRM can support multiple devices, react to context, and scale up to accommodate millions of users at a time without any performance degradation or service disruption. To know more, follow Neil Chapman (Senior Vice President & Managing Director EMEA)’s article link: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/customer-experience/harness-identity-management-to-thrive-in-the-age-of-the-customer/1229

Marketing is the most important aspect in business world. But, companies over market and under market their products. Overmarketing makes things worse. If you undermarket, you lose sales and if you overmarket you can turn prospect customers. The most common form of overmarketing in today’s world of email is sending too many messages to the same customer. Successful marketing can be described as giving the right message to the right customer at the right time through the right medium. CRM strategy prevents companies to over market their products  Rick Cook (writer of technology) writes in his article about some points to follow when implementing a successful marketing strategy. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/how-crm-prevents-overmarketing-62584

Successful adoption of CRM system begins when companies make a good strategy to adopt CRM. It begins when implementation team begins training as soon as the product decision is made. Another aspect is the adoption of training and for training it is advisable to consider each group of users that will adopt the new system. A CRM training strategy can make or break a CRM system. Companies have to make sure users are properly prepared to adopt the new system by beginning the training early, customizing training to each user group, and re-training on a regular basis. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/is-your-crm-training-strategy-good-enough-64696

Organizations forget the benefits of a customer relationship management (CRM) solution. They forget the benefit of having a centralized database in which they can store customer information. In this age of Big Data, the centralized database would not only help the sales team but also other departments. Management will be able to review customer records from one location when their time is limited. Organizations can train the users in one system rather than in multiple systems. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/centralized-data-for-crm-64692

Gartner has predicted that by 2020, customers will manage 85% of the relationship with an enterprise, without interacting with a human. 43% of respondents in a recent AYTM survey (rising to 62% when aged 18-24) feel they can solve service issues on their own if companies put better self-service tools in place. Companies have tools like automated customer service interactions, email response systems and intelligent agents. In the future, self-service technology promises greater capabilities such as retailer-specific mobile alert applications; entirely new personalized experiences; and data management. To know more, follow Rod Brown (co-founder and CEO of MCADO)’s article link:  http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/articles/who-s-serving-you-providing-enhanced-service-in-a-digital-age/1211

According to a report from Fracti, it was found that one in five consumers say that reflecting their identity is the most important reason why they share content online. Identity ranked as the third-most important reason for sharing content, after wanting to entertain (44% of respondents) and wanting to educate (25%) according to a recent survey in the United States. Read more at: http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/26546/how-identity-influences-content-sharing-infographic?adref=nlt112514

The best way to know a customer is by looking into customer profile. But what is a customer profile. A customer profile is a picture of your ideal customer, the one you want to target your marketing and sales.  CRM system helps to keep track of customers' characteristics. An organization must consider some points in order to visualize an ideal customer. To know more, follow: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/profiling-the-ideal-customer-64693