Customer database: the complete guide to creating one

Because today, competition is increasingly tough for businesses, each of them must be able to differentiate themselves. To do this, you need to be able to establish tailor-made strategies.

With this in mind, the customer database is essential, for the simple reason that it brings together all the information concerning your customers, in order to know what to do, and when.

We explain to you how to build a concrete customer database!

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Customer database: what is it?

To put it simply, a customer database is a centralized digital file containing all the information about your customers.

Each customer has a complete and up-to-date file. You thus get an overview of your customer portfolio, allowing you to know exactly where you are with each of them.

Whether it is prospects, regular buyers, former customers to be relaunched or hesitant contacts, the data collected will allow you to set up a 100% personalized and effective strategy.

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Why have an effective customer database?

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Having a customer database is good. Making it efficient is better! Many businesses have outdated or incomplete information, making their files unusable. It is essential that you create comprehensive documents. Don't just collect your customer's age, name, and email address.

👉 Discover 3 tips for finding an email address online

Review relevant segmentations before you get started. Based on your prospecting plan, define the information to be collected. Your needs may change, so continuously improve your processes!

Keep your data up to date. Information from 3 years ago is no longer reliable. A successful customer database requires regular updates to remain effective.

In addition, manage access to your customer file well. Your marketing teams need to be able to open it to optimize your strategies. Share this data with the people concerned in your company for optimal use!

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The advantages of a powerful customer database

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👉 Retain your customers

Did you know that 20% of your customers generate 80% of your turnover? These statistics highlight the importance of retention. To do this, a well-designed customer database is a valuable asset. At a glance, you can see each customer's latest purchases, preferences, needs, age, location, and conversation history. This allows you to address them in a personalized way, showing both your professionalism and your interest.

👉 Create a customer database to maximize your earnings

Personalization boosts sales. By knowing the needs and constraints of each prospect, you will know how to approach them effectively. Forget generic and uninteresting emails: act at the ideal time with the right words. Precise information also allows for clever socio-demographic or behavioral segmentations. You will classify the profiles according to their common points and your goals, thus developing adapted strategies. Maintaining an up-to-date customer database is crucial to increasing your sales.

👉 Enhance your brand image

A personalized contact inspires trust and sympathy. While generic emails or calls can be annoying, addressing your prospects specifically strengthens your reputation. You will appear as a young, dynamic brand, and focused on customer satisfaction. Enriching and improving your customer database therefore contributes to strengthening your brand image.

👉 Understanding the sales cycle and its flaws

A customer database allows you to draw conclusions about the overall satisfaction of your buyers. A high churn rate indicates that the causes of these departures must be determined. On the other hand, a wave of new leads shows that your efforts are paying off. A good customer database will help you set up relevant KPIs, thus engaging you in a process of continuous improvement.

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What does a customer database consist of?

Customer information

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When creating your customer file, it's important to gather basic information like:

👉 the name;

👉 email address;

👉 phone number;

👉 mailing address.

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As said above, it is in your best interest to broaden the information collected as much as possible from the most basic to the most advanced:

👉 job title;

👉 the size of the company's workforce;

👉 the location of the company's headquarters;

👉 The date of the company's last fundraiser

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Customer buying habits

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When viewing a customer profile, you need to know what they purchased and when.

💬 Let's take an example : if you run a baby store and a young mom ordered maternity clothes and a bassinet, it's likely that she will soon need a high chair, or a play mat.

Also, keep in mind the amount of purchases made to assess each customer's budget. Profiles who regularly spend large amounts of money deserve special attention. It is the perfect opportunity to offer them small touches to strengthen their loyalty.

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The satisfaction rate

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Knowing each customer's purchase history is a good start, but it's not enough to assess their proximity to your business.

To go further, you need to measure their satisfaction rate. Be sure to gather the results of your investigations, complaints and feedback for each profile, as well as the positive or negative outcome of the last contact. Also include their satisfaction score. This will give you a more accurate view of which customers should be treated with care and who have become loyal to your services.

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The importance of complying with the GDPR

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The use of personal data is governed by the RGPD, which guarantees respect for everyone's privacy. You cannot use the information of your prospects without their consent, under penalty of heavy financial sanctions.

Clearly, you must obtain the approval of your contacts (opt-in) before integrating them into your database.

Transparency in data collection is essential to instill trust and respect the law. Explain to your prospects and customers how their information will be processed and offer them the possibility to withdraw at any time. This procedure should be simple and accessible., whether in your terms and conditions or directly in your emails. If a customer no longer wants to receive your offers, you must respect their choice.

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⭐️ Our advice : only address qualified profiles to avoid spam and maximize your conversion rate. Finally, if a contact has not interacted with you for more than 3 years, it is reasonable to exclude them from your customer database. This will allow you to focus your efforts on the profiles that are really interested in your services and thus improve your efficiency.

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Tips for collecting information for your customer database

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You have several levers to create your customer database.

👉 You can collect information through your website forms, by offering to subscribe to a newsletter or to download resources.

👉 Collection can also be done during events, competitions or through surveys. Your purchase orders will provide valuable information about the identity and contact details of your buyers.

It goes without saying, but let's say it anyway: this collection should be subtle and engaging. Your prospects should not feel constrained, but understand the usefulness of this information.

Clearly explain the use of this data, for example: “In order to offer you a personalized experience, we collect...”

⭐️ Our advice: Avoid asking too many questions at the first contact so as not to discourage them. Enrich your customer database gradually.

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Updating the customer database

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To stay relevant, you have to check regularly that your customer database is up to date. This includes updating addresses, telephone numbers and reference contacts, especially in a BtoB framework. Also, look for duplicates and unusable information to correct them.

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Why use a CRM to create and manage your customer database?

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You can of course use Excel to record customer data, but a CRM is still much more effective:

👉 you save time,

👉 you minimize the risk of errors,

👉 you ensure a perfect centralization of information.

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When you manage a large customer portfolio, a simple spreadsheet can lead to errors. Using CRM software to create and manage your customer database is therefore essential. Each entry is simplified and centralized, allowing easy access to all authorized members. Last advantage over CRM: a quick search system makes it possible to immediately detect duplicates.

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Hubspot software: the perfect tool to create and manage your customer database

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At Growth Room, we use the Hubspot CRM, of which we are Hubspot partners platinium, for our customers and ourselves!

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Hubspot CRM software, among The best online CRMs, has quite a few advantages:

👉 creating a database is free;

👉 you easily organize and manage your contacts, transactions and tasks;

👉 you simplify and automate the process of creating and sending emails and commercial proposals through sales automation;

👉 you can quickly share documents with your contacts, from HubSpot or directly from your Outlook or Gmail inbox;

👉 you schedule a meeting with your prospects or customers by simply sharing a link and avoid tedious email exchanges when planning meetings.

In short, everything is done to take your business to the next level!

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Do you need an agency to set up a solid customer database with a CRM? Find out how we ensured 100% lead processing with the Hubspot tool for our client Well & Wizz !

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