Do I need a Customer Messaging Platform?

Well-organized customer communication is essential for a successful business. If it's lacking, there's a good chance that a customer will have difficulty, or even be unable to understand the service or product you're offering. That's why businesses nowadays are doing everything they can to get closer to their customers. By automating online customer relationships and services, it becomes easier to better serve current customers and users and offers more opportunities to attract new customers. Various online communication tools can be used for this, including a Customer Messaging Platform (CMP). What is it, and what are its benefits? We'd love to tell you more about it!

What a CMP does

CMPs collect all relevant data for you in one central location. Think, for example, of mailing and chat, as well as knowledge bases and integrations with other platforms. This way, you create a professional overview, save a lot of time, and - moreover - give your business the opportunity to get to know and support your customers and/or users even better. Depending on your service or product, you can estimate whether this has added value for you.

Which CMP is right for my business?

Although Customer Messaging Platforms generally don't differ much from one another, it's important to research which platform is best suited for your business. Most platforms offer a combination of features in a package tailored to a specific approach and corresponding goal. To know which package is right for you, consider the purpose of your communication: what do you want to show and tell your customer? And, on the other hand, what information do you need from the customer?

What can you do with a CMP?

Once you've mapped out the above, look for the features that suit you best. To give you a better idea of what's possible, we've listed the most common features of CMPs:

1. Customer support

Handling questions, suggestions, and comments from both users and leads can be done in different ways. Many CMPs offer customer support as a combination of features. To explain this as briefly and clearly as possible, we've made a distinction between three elements: chat, knowledge base, and mailing.

Chat

The well-known chatbox allows both regular users and leads to get in touch with you in an accessible, personal way. Some platforms offer the possibility to provide the chatbox with extra options, such as assistance with the onboarding of your product and automatic responses based on knowledge base articles.

It may be obvious, but it's definitely something to keep in mind: when offering chat, it's important to be available in a timely manner during your available hours.

Knowledge base

Platforms like Intercom and Zendesk offer the option to create a knowledge base, which is a collection of articles, FAQs, and guides that provide customers with answers to common questions and support for using your product or service. This can be a great way to help customers find solutions to their issues quickly, without having to wait for a response from your support team. A well-organized knowledge base can also help reduce the workload for your customer support team, allowing them to focus on more complex issues that require personalized attention.

Mailing

Email communication is still an essential part of customer support. Many CMPs offer integrated mailing systems that allow you to manage and send emails to customers directly from the platform. This feature can be particularly useful for sending automated messages, such as welcome emails, order confirmations, or password reset instructions, as well as managing marketing campaigns and newsletters.

2. CRM Integration

Integrating your CMP with your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is another useful feature. This integration allows you to collect and manage customer information from various channels in one central location, ensuring that your team has access to up-to-date information about each customer's interactions with your business. This can help improve the overall customer experience, as your team can use this information to provide personalized support and recommendations based on each customer's needs and preferences.

3. Analytics and reporting

Most CMPs include analytics and reporting features that allow you to track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to your customer support and communication efforts. These may include metrics such as response time, customer satisfaction, and the number of resolved issues. By monitoring these KPIs, you can identify areas for improvement and optimize your customer support processes to better serve your customers.

Conclusion

A Customer Messaging Platform can be a powerful tool for enhancing your business's customer communication and support efforts. By centralizing all customer-related data and offering a wide range of features, such as chat, knowledge base, mailing, CRM integration, and analytics, a CMP can help you streamline your customer support processes and provide a better overall experience for your customers. To find the right CMP for your business, consider your communication goals and the features that best align with your needs.