INMA_A01.QXD

Stage 1: Attract new and existing customers to site

For new customers, the goal is to attract quality visitors who are likely to convert to the

site using all the online and offline methods of site promotion described in Chapter 8,

such as search engines, portals and banner advertisements. These promotion methods

should aim to highlight the value proposition of the site and it is important to commu-

nicate a range of incentives such as free information or competitions (and others shown

in top left box of Figure 6.7). To encourage new users to use the one-to-one facilities of

the web site, information about the web site or incentives to visit it can be built into

existing direct marketing campaigns such as catalogue mailshots.

Stage 2a: Incentivise visitors to action

The first time a visitor arrives at a site is the most important since if he or she does not

find the desired information or experience, they may not return. We need to move from

using the customer using the Internet in pull mode, to the marketer using the Internet

in push mode through e-mail and traditional direct mail communications (Chapter 8).

The quality and credibility of the site must be sufficient to retain the visitor’s interest so

that he or she stays on the site. To initiate one-to-one, offers or incentives must be

prominent, ideally on the home page. It can be argued that converting unprofiled visi-

tors to profiled visitors is a major design objective of a web site. Two types of incentives

can be identified: lead generation offersand sales generation offers.

Types of offers marketers can devise include information value, entertainment value,

monetary value and privileged access to information (such as that only available on

an extranet).

Stage 2b: Capture customer information to maintain relationship

Capturing profile information is commonly achieved through an online form such as

Figure 6.6 which the customer must complete to receive the offer. It is important to

design these forms to maximise their completion. Factors which are important are:


 Branding to reassure the customer;


 Key profile fieldsto capture the most important information to segment the customer

for future communications, in this case, postcode, airport and preferred activities (not

too many questions must be asked);


 Mandatory fields– mark fields which must be completed, or as in this case, only

include mandatory figures;


 Privacy– ‘we will not share’ is the magic phrase to counter the customer’s main fear of

their details being passed on. A full privacy statement should be available for those

who need it;


 KISS– ‘Keep It Simple, Stupid’ is a well-known American phrase;


 WIFM– ‘What’s in it for me?’ Explain why the customer’s data is being captured –

which benefits it will give them;


 Validate e-mail, postcode – check data as far as possible to make it accurate.

APPROACHES TO IMPLEMENTING E-CRM

Lead generation
offers
Offered in return for
customers providing
their contact details
and characteristics.
Commonly used in B2B
marketing where free
information such as a
report or a seminar will
be offered.

Sales generation
offers
Offers that encourage
product trial. A coupon
redeemed against a
purchase is a classic
example.