Finding ways to retain customers and keep them happy and impressed with service, can be a challenging for many brands to get right on a consistent basis. There are various digital channels that are available to keep in touch with consumers’, such as through email marketing, SMS marketing and social media channels.
As brands now look to opt for the conversational approach, it is important that they do stay on top of the trends for Customer Relationship Management. The world and business has become disrupted as a result of Covid-19 and as we approach the end of the year, it’s often a busy time for retailers.
We look at the direction CRM could take in the nest few years and the trends for 2021.
AI Integration
Artificial Intelligence is being used in our daily lives, and it’s not going to slow down. AI is one of the key trends for 2021 and we’re seeing how effective it has been in various sectors in 2020. It’s played a key part in marketing and has also been important in the healthcare sector; whether it’s surgery-assisting robots or making early diagnosis.
AI is also becoming part of CRM activities, as it continues to influence campaign optimisation, customer segmentation and pricing. AI in CRM could play an integral part in helping sellers to make informed decisions based on justifiable and real-time sales data.
The Right Customer Experience
The customers’ experience and journey is just as important as the products they’re purchasing. Customers are likely to avoid shopping with brands a second time, if they feel as if they receive the right treatment or assistance. Customers now expect brands to give them customised engagements, provide preferences and know their intentions.
With the implementation of the correct CRM tools, this will help brands collect and personalise their customers information. This intelligence is set to grow more in 2021, with the inclusion of conversational tones, social data, major life events such as birthday and anniversaries, demographic data, and relationships.
Optimisation For Mobile
As digital trends have continued to evolve in recent years’, CRM will have to adjust accordingly. As a result of Covid-19, this forced many workers to operate from home. If there is more than one stakeholder, there will need to be tools which can be accessed by multiple stakeholders. In the future, we’ll continue seeing tools that provide more security features, apps that work across multiple platforms, and which also have more manageable interfaces.
There will also be a need for more CRM features on portable devices needed by the growing communication need of customers.
Social CRM
Social CRM is the integration of networks of social media into CRM platforms with various benefits for businesses.
In order to get a better analysis of the opinions of customers’ on social media, companies can view both CRM and social media together, as well as gathering a better perception.
If companies are able to use social CRM to respond easily and thoughtfully to comments, that could in result, create deeper relationships with current and potential customers and integrate more input from users into their roadmap.
This will also help businesses get a better picture of how their goods are being viewed by clients. Once they know this, they can then make changes accordingly and provide timely responses.
Analytics Is Still Key
With the benefit of advanced analytics, companies are in a better position to find challenges, solutions, and opportunities. The biggest companies are constantly searching for powerful analytical tools, to process their data in real-time and report on it.
If companies wish to find out the most reliable data about their customer satisfaction and which leads to pursue, advanced analytics is a must. As 2021 approaches, more businesses will be seeking the analytical tools to helping them to stand out from the competition.
CRM trends have given businesses a chance to revaluate their performances and steer them in the right direction. Web CRM software is set to become better in 2021 and beyond, and the level of automation will continue to rise. Companies can achieve higher revenues and grow and engage their current customer base with growing integration with tech resources within the CRM system.