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                                                           An executive conversation
                                                                    with Greg Brown,
                                                              vice president of global
                                                             marketing, Melissa Data
        Clean data helps build faster order
        fulfillment and stronger customer relationships




        Until 2019, shopping for groceries or medicine online was a   How can they leverage data to improve
        niche activity. But that changed when COVID-19 hit, and officials   customer experiences?
        set protective lockdowns in place. Overnight, home delivery was   Adding data quality tools to your online storefront, marketing
        no longer a convenience, but a necessity. And that sentiment has   and sales platforms is a straightforward way to improve the
        persisted. As the pandemic threat subsides, consumers seem to   customer experience while reducing the costs and friction that
        have changed their habits for good. To discuss how improving   prevent meaningful contact with customers.
        data quality helps online retailers meet and exceed customers’
        new online shopping expectations, Digital Commerce 360 spoke   To borrow from the iconic 1970s TV series “The Six Million Dollar
        with Greg Brown, vice president of global marketing at Melissa.
                                                              Man”: We have the technology. We can make e-tailing better than
                                                              it was. Better, faster, stronger. Clean, accurate customer data
        How has ecommerce changed since the                   helps build better customer interactions, faster order fulfillment
        start of the pandemic?
                                                              and stronger customer relationships for lifetime value.
        According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, online retail
        sales increased by 32.4% in 2020. By the first quarter of 2021,   How can retailers implement these data
        that figure had risen to 39%. Analysts have claimed that COVID   quality tools?
        and the lockdowns pushed online shopping growth forward by   They can partner with a technology provider, such as Melissa.
        at least two years. As consumers have grown more comfortable   Melissa provides data quality tools that retailers can use to
        ordering perishable goods and necessities online, their   capture accurate customer address, phone and email data
        expectations have changed — same-day or one-day delivery has   at the point of entry to ensure fast fulfillment and delivery of
        become an overriding element of customer expectation.
                                                              products and services that exceed customer expectations.
                                                              Additionally, Melissa provides robust Know Your Customer (KYC)
        What are retailers’ biggest challenges                enhancements. These help retailers protect their customers from
        today when trying to provide outstanding              identity fraud, improve target marketing efforts, and engage
        customer experiences?
                                                              in more meaningful and relevant communication with their
        To meet customers’ evolving expectations for shortened   customers to meet their needs in a timely fashion.
        delivery times, retailers must adapt their data capture practices,
        ensuring only verified addresses and other consumer contact   Customers tell us what they expect: more convenience, easier
        data enter their systems. Rather than expecting customers to   transactions through the channel of their choice, and faster
        enter their complete addresses manually — a time-consuming,   delivery of goods and services. Improving data quality helps
        error-prone process, especially on mobile devices — adding   retailers meet and exceed customer expectations while cutting
        address autocompletion and verification tools to web forms   business waste, which is vital to weathering the cost-of-living
        and shopping carts is a win-win for customers and retailers. The   crisis sweeping the globe.
        customer must only type a few characters into the form and
        then is presented with a list of possible addresses, including
        the one the customer wants. And when selected, the retailer is
        confident that the address input into the system is complete,
        verified and without any errors that will delay or prevent a
        speedy delivery.
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