Here's a question you need to answer confidently...
How well do you know your customers?
If you are unsure, then you are in the right place!
If your answer is "Very well," then keep reading because you are going to know more about...
- The difference between the three types of data
- The benefits of collecting customer data
- Consumer data collection methods you can leverage for your eCommerce business
Because let's face it...
Truly knowing your customers can immensely help you create a better customer experience for them. That leads to them trusting you... which converts to sales.
And the collected information can be overwhelming to handle. It's even forecasted that data volume can reach more than 180 zettabytes by 2025!
So another question you have to answer is...
How do you effectively collect data that is relevant to your business?
To answer that, let's take a closer look...
What Is Data Collection?
In a nutshell, data collection is the systematic process of collecting information about a particular subject. In this case, you will be collecting data on your customer base.
Of course, it's essential that your customer data collection methods are done ethically and legally. Doing so will make sure that the data collected is relevant and accurate.
There are three types of customer data you can leverage:
- First-party data. This is also called "primary data." It's the information you directly collect yourself from the source.
- Second-party data. This comes from another organization about their existing customers.
- Third-party data. You can rent or buy third-party data from organizations not connected to your business.
No matter the type, each can be valuable to getting customer insights. But first-party data are normally the foundation of your business decisions.
So, we'll be focusing on primary data and how to gather data yourself.
Listen, there's more...
Your customer data can also be divided into qualitative data and quantitative data.
Quantitative Data
Quantitative data are numeric in nature.
It includes measurable values. For instance, you can measure how much an individual customer spends on your store.
Qualitative Data
On the other hand, qualitative data are contextual in nature.
It's more descriptive and answers the "why" part of your customers. For example, an online review describes how your customer feels about your product or service.
Whatever the valuable customer data you seek, you have to know...
Why Is It Important You Collect Customer Data?
Collecting data means investing your time, effort, and money.
But it's important to do so because collecting customer data means you get to...
✅ Gain A Deeper Understanding Of Your Customers
Let's face it...
Knowing your customers personally can be a hard thing to do. This rings especially true for an online business.
And here's another kicker...
The better you know your customers, the better you will be at meeting their expectations.
You can get valuable insights such as your audience's behavior and interests.
Collecting data to gain customer insights will help you understand them better. That way, you can segment your target audience and offer them relevant information.
Another reason you need to collect customer data is you can...
✅ Determine Areas Of Your Business That Needs Improvement
Good news...
When you collect data, you will also know which part of your business is doing well and what needs improvement.
That gives you an opportunity to grow your business!
Let me explain.
As you collect customer data, such as transactional data, you will have an idea of which products are bestsellers. And ones that are not selling so well.
This way, you can focus more on your popular products and develop similar ones. You can fix aspects that you find through your customer feedback.
Yep, identifying opportunities is a huge advantage when gathering information about your customers!
As you collect customer data, you can now...
✅ Personalize Your Marketing Strategies And Content
Get this... 80% of consumers are more likely to buy from a business when they offer a personalized user experience.
And with the valuable data you will collect, you can tailor your marketing content accordingly.
For instance, you can apply this to your email marketing. With their personal data at hand, you can address them by their name.
You can also send them discounts or codes on special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
With ecommerce data analytics in tow, you may also...
✅ Foresee Future Trends
Measuring information is also a part of data collection methods.
So once you analyze, you can now predict your customers' patterns.
To give you a better idea, let me give you a couple of examples.
You observe that your customers reach out to you through social media platforms than other marketing channels. This would lead you to put more effort into your social media channels.
Another instance is maybe you sell communication software.
The behavioral data shows that a specific job title often has more trouble using it. Once you find this out, you can now allot time to support that particular set of customers.
For all these reasons, you can see how customer data collection is crucial for your business.
So let's now deep dive! Here are...
Customer Data Collection Methods You Can Apply To Your eCommerce Business
The first data collection method you can easily do is...
1. Surveys
One of the best ways to collect customer data? Ask them for it!
Surveys are online questionnaires where you can gather both qualitative and quantitative data.
For instance, you can get your Net Promoter Score (NPS) through a survey. It's a benchmark for you to know how likely your customers will recommend your business.
The important thing to remember is to ask the right survey questions. It should be easy and quick to answer.
You can also easily do this data collection method with Debutify's Order Feedback Add-On. You can find out what your customers know about you.
The next data collection method you can do is...
2. Transactional Tracking
Other businesses collect data every time a customer makes a purchase. This transactional data can help you create a more targeted marketing effort.
Don't worry; eCommerce platforms let you store data. This makes for the ideal free tool for getting data.
Up next is...
3. Online Tracking
I'm sure you have heard of "pixels" and "cookies." With these tools, you can track your customers' behavioral data on websites.
You see, a pixel lets you track and record your site visitors. The same goes for cookies.
When you track this type of data, you'll know which gets your visitors' interest. And also how long they spend on each page.
Knowing these will help you improve your eCommerce design and navigation.
But here's a warning: Online tracking means you need to abide by data privacy laws, like GDPR.
Get to know your customers more when you conduct...
4. Interviews
Want to get more personal? You can do a one-on-one interview with your customers.
This method is ideal for when you want your data analytics to be in-depth. You can ask particular questions and follow up on them.
However, conducting interviews can be time-consuming and can cost you a lot. To be more efficient, you can hire a market researcher to do the process for you.
Speaking of interviews...
5. Focus Group
This method combines interviews, observation, and surveys into one activity.
It's typically done with three to ten people, and the moderator. You can leverage random sampling or other types, as well.
Each person can share their opinion and discuss it with others. This gives you qualitative information.
Of course, you can't leave out...
6. Social Media Monitoring
Thanks to social media, you can easily track your customers' interests and motivations.
With social listening, you can know more about your brand reputation and presence.
Plus, many social media sites have analytics tools you can use to check how well your posts perform.
You can also check engagement data such as likes, comments, subscriptions, etc. You can measure data such as engagement numbers and traffic counters.
Tools you can use are...
7. Online Forms
Want to get your customer's basic information?
Online forms are advantageous for this type of data. Some examples are email subscription form, exit-intent form, and webinar registration.
Once you have their data, you can add them to your email list as they are already interested in your brand.
This can get you quality leads and prospective customers.
Another aspect you can utilize is your product reviews. Collecting reviews can give you qualitative information about how your customers perceive your product.
FYI, Debutify Reviews is about to launch! You can now easily collect reviews on autopilot and manage them to your advantage. So look out!
The next one is popular...
8. Google Analytics
An analytics tool such as Google Analytics is handy to have.
With it, you can conveniently navigate through your website data. It shows reports about the demographic characteristics of your site pages.
You can see your page views, bounce rates, conversions, and other engagement data.
It gives you quantitative information you can use to make conclusions about your visitors' behaviors.
You may have also used a...
9. Chatbot
Your eCommerce site may have a chatbot or live chat. With the tickets, you can get a good amount of customer data.
And the data they provide before they talk to a live rep can help you assist your customers better.
To leverage this method, use the Debutify Add-On Facebook Messenger. It adds a chat widget to your online store.
Last but not least, you can use...
10. Online Marketing Analytics
You are most likely running marketing campaigns right now.
Search engine marketing and social media marketing are the rages these days.
And with your campaigns, you can also gauge your customers' behavior.
With analytics tools, you can see who clicked on your ads, the time they clicked, and the device they are using.
If you want quantitative data, then this is a good place to start.
With these methods in your arsenal, you can...
Keep Your Customers Engaged And Happy!
When you collect customer data, you can boost their experience with your brand.
And they are more than satisfied with your product or service...
They'll keep coming back for more!
I'm going to tell you another important tool you need to keep in your arsenal for customer satisfaction...
Go for Debutify!
Are you looking for a high-converting Shopify theme? Look no further because Debutify is your Profit Optimization Partner.
With 50+ Add Ons, you can skyrocket conversion, AOV, and increase profits!
Ricky Hayes
Trisha Ballesteros