Online publishing has given publishers today more information about their readers than they ever dreamed possible. Yet, many publishers have been swamped by it and struggle to derive the full commercial benefit of customer relationship data.

That is the view of Kate Mayfield, managing director of customer relationship software research and consulting business Mayfield Solutions.  Says Mayfield in a recent InPublishing Article, ‘Many websites are churning out website analytics and web behavioural data faster than the organisation can digest it  - we need new ways to harness this additional type of data cost effectively.’

The kind of behavioural data now available includes advertising and visitor data sales, content and web design, product sales and marketing analysis.

Says Mayfield, ‘If someone reads an online article on aluminium production for over ten minutes, more than once in a month, they can be sent an email promotion for your latest report on steel production. Someone who keeps reaching the basket page and not purchasing Aluminium Production Monthly should get a sales call.’

‘In fact, why stop there? Send them an email, change all the adverts that they see online to adverts for Aluminium Production Monthly and if they’ve not bought by the end of the week, give them a call. Then things start to get very interesting and if it sounds prohibitively complicated, bear in mind you can automate this activity using marketing and email automation software.’

Many people understand the potential of this visitor behaviour information and want to use it for customer relationship management, but are faced with apparently insurmountable challenges – website analytics tools that are unwieldy and produce unstructured data, or not enough manpower to do the analysis and planning.  In practice, all these issues are surmountable.

There is good CRM software out there, says Mayfield, and access to a raft of skills from the software-as-a-service vendors. ‘Don’t underestimate the value you get from these types of software vendors compared with old-school, installed software. Now you can get the CRM tools to do the job but also exposure and advice on new ways of doing things and many of these vendors will help you get your business to where you want it to be.’

Read the full article on the InPublishing website

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About Mayfield Solutions
Mayfield Solutions is a software research and consulting business which manages programmes of change and implements new technology to enable its clients to achieve their marketing and sales goals.  Mayfield also provides independent advice, guidance and product comparison on what customer relationship management software solutions are available on its specialist site www.comparecrm.info .  

For further information visit www.mayfieldsolutions.co.uk