5 steps to creating a unified customer view

In the modern age, it’s not enough to have customer data. The data has to be regularly updated in real time, integrated with other data sets, compiled into a metric report, and so forth. A unified customer view, also known as a single customer view, is especially important for fine-tuning the customer journey and acquisition process. Learn how a unified view of the customer can take your campaign to the next level. 

What is a unified customer view?

Under a unified customer view model, customer information from segmented data sets is integrated into a single location and is accessible across multiple staff and departments.

The best way to think about this is a customer’s profile account. On an e-commerce site, customers can view information like their browsing history, recent purchases, recommended products, etc. A unified customer view is like the customer’s profile but viewed from the company’s or marketing team’s end.

Unified customer view: A tangible example

Let’s say Jane is a repeat customer of the leather goods store Leathers ‘R’ Us. Aside from making regular purchases, she’s also a subscriber of the company’s newsletters and interacts with the company’s social media channels. Under a unified customer view, all of Jane’s data from these separate sources are integrated into a single location and form a customer profile. This profile is viewable to authorized staff members of Leathers ‘R’ US. It contains information like:

• A detailed history of Jane’s website visits, including time of visit, duration, and page visits
• The specific products Jane browsed from a search query
• The products Jane clicked from her recommendation list
• Jane’s email newsletter open rate
• Jane’s purchase history in the last six months
• Jane’s cart abandonment rate
• Jane’s likes and comments on products showcased on the Leathers ‘R’ Us’ Instagram page

Why a unified customer view matters

Unified customer data matters for one simple reason: It enables marketers to create individualized customer experiences.

For example, let’s say Jane sent a smiley face with heart eyes emoji to a company Instagram photo of a newly released leather watch. What customized experience can we create from this? It may include sending Jane a link to a Leathers ‘R’ Us blog article about how leather watches make the perfect gift for all occasions. Alternatively, or in conjunction, it can include a time-sensitive discount offer for the same leather watch.

A unified customer view benefits both the customer and the company. According to a Forbes article, 90% of consumers say personalization is somewhat or very important to them. Another study showed that companies that prioritize customer experience saw an average 80% increase in revenue.

How do you achieve single customer view?

Adopting a single customer view of data analytics isn’t rocket science, but it does require some strategizing. Here are some steps to point you in the right direction.

1. Adopt a customer data platform

Most companies still use customer relationship management (CRM) platform software for accruing and analyzing data. CRM is designed for collecting and storing large volumes of data. However, the multiple data sets remain in their respective silos without an effective way of bringing them together. 

A customer data platform (CDP) addresses this shortcoming. With a CDP, you can collect data from varying sources and automatically integrate data silos to create a detailed customer profile.

2. Perform data quality checks

Your CDP should have a way of analyzing data and determining when data points are faulty or unreliable. Examples include duplicate data or incorrect information (i.e., outdated phone numbers). CDPs must also consistently update data, sometimes multiple times per day. Relying on data that’s even just several days old can be catastrophic. For example, you may end up sending a discount code for a product the customer purchased at full price the day before. Such a misstep will no doubt anger the customer.

3. Define your channels

Where do you want your CDP to collect data from? The more sources you draw from, the more reliable and accurate the unified customer view. Examples of data collection sources include:

• Company website: website visits, product clicks, purchase history
• Social media channels: post comments, contest participation
• Email subscription: email open rate, backlink click-rate
• Second-party data from affiliates, suppliers, and partnering companies

4. Assign labels

Develop a system of assigning and updating labels to customers. For example, a visitor who visited your site twice within a seven-day period may be labeled a “prospect.” A customer who signed up for the loyalty rewards program may be labeled “high-value.” By assigning labels, you can create different customer journey models for your audience based on their designation.

5. Share the data

Creating a unified customer view ensures staff members are on the same page by examining data from the same source. Give access privileges to authorized members and be sure all members know how to read the data. 

Create unified customer views with Lytics

Try Lytics’ Decision Engine. Our cloud data warehouse automates data collection from multi-channel sources and brings them together in a cohesive graph database. Effortlessly analyze your data and create unique customer journeys. Get started today with a free trial.