Why customer portals hold the key to business success

With customer retention more important to businesses than ever before, CRM specialist Interchange Group has produced a white paper that highlights the valuable role that customer portals can play in keeping them happy whilst simultaneously improving revenue generation and reducing operating costs.

Designed to break down the misconceptions that online 'customer communities' need to be underpinned by a massive investment in software, services and specialist skills, it demonstrates how the latest technology allows instant updating with the minimum effort.

Dave Burrows, author of the white paper (available from www.interchangegroup.com) and Interchange's director of research and development, said:  "In today's tough business climate, the relative value of existing customers has never been higher as organisations seek to maximise opportunities for cross-selling and up-selling.”

"Websites are the ideal tool for making this happen, but there is a false belief that maintaining customer portals is expensive and time-consuming. In fact, the opposite is now true because today's technology enables existing customer management databases to be integrated directly into a custom-built portal.”

"This means a portal can automatically inherit the look and feel of an existing website, which is obviously essential for a company's branding, while pulling together data and documents from a variety of different systems and presenting them in the right way."

Portals can also help keep costs down, as customers are encouraged to use online self-help tools, thereby reducing helpdesk calls by up to 50%. In addition, they enable customers to be targeted with dedicated one-to-one marketing information - making sure they only get sent what they're really interested in - and organisations can also choose to give valued customers an insight into their own business plans via the portal if they wish to do so.

Burrows added: "What this white paper sets out to show is that these new web tools signify a major step forward in customer portals.

"Businesses need to understand the benefits that can be achieved if they are willing to embrace online customer management principles and technology. If they are prepared to do that, then the opportunities for success are endless."

As experts in CRM and change management, Interchange Group has a track record in the successful implementation and integration of customer portals across a wide range of businesses.