Good customer communication is the foundation of every successful business. Without clear communication, your customers simply won't get what you're offering. That's why more and more companies are automating their online customer relationships and support with smart communication tools, including the Customer Messaging Platform, or CMP for short. But what exactly is it, and do you need one?
What does a CMP do?
A CMP brings all your customer communication together in one central place: email, chat features, a knowledge base and integrations with other systems. That joined-up approach gives you a more professional overview, saves you heaps of time and helps you genuinely understand and support your customers better. Whether it adds value for you depends on your specific service or product. But for most businesses with customer contact, the payoff is clear pretty quickly.
Which CMP suits my business?
CMPs look pretty similar to one another, but making a good choice still takes a bit of thought. Every platform bundles its features around a particular need, so it pays to be clear on yours. Two questions do most of the work: which messages do you want to get across to your customers, and which customer data is essential to you? With those two answers in your pocket, choosing suddenly gets a whole lot easier.
What can you do with a CMP?
Customer support
The heart of every CMP. Think a no-fuss chatbox for quick contact, a knowledge base packed with product info and videos, and mailing systems that handle both support and lead generation. Everything your customer needs, within reach.
Data analysis
A CMP keeps track of where your visitors come from, how they behave on your website and what information you collect. That data can then be automatically fed through to all the other features.
User segmentation
Store specific customer data and tag your users so you can personalise your communication per segment. That way you respond to actual usage patterns instead of sending everyone the same message.
Notifications
Automatically generated alerts keep your users up to date on new developments. Handy to keep these separate from the messages you write yourself: the system handles the routine work, so you've got time left for the personal touch.
Email marketing
Set up email campaigns, measure engagement and combine it with segmentation for highly personalised lead generation. That way you send exactly the right message to exactly the right recipient.
Integrations
Connect external tools like Slack, Trello and WordPress so all your data stays managed in one place. No more scattered, disconnected systems. Just one coherent whole.
Which CMPs are out there?
Popular platforms include Zendesk, Crisp and Indemandly. Here at KNALGEEL we run on Intercom, just like many of our clients we've built integrations for. Fancy the look of Intercom too? We'll happily set it up for you, no hassle.
What does a CMP cost?
The price of a CMP package depends on how many features you get and how extensive they are. The most popular packages sit between €90 and €120 a month and can usually be cancelled without an annual contract. Individual features are comparatively pricey (from around €40), but nearly every platform offers a trial period, so you can test what works with no strings attached.
Is a CMP right for you?
That depends entirely on your business, your customers and what you want to achieve. Do you have a lot of customer contact and want to make it clearer, more personal and more efficient? Then a CMP is definitely worth considering. Still on the fence? There are plenty of no-obligation demos out there.
Still not sure which platform fits you, or how to slot a CMP neatly into your website and processes? Totally understandable. KNALGEEL is happy to think it through with you. Over a nice cup of coffee, we'll figure out what works for you, together.
Written by
Katja Poltavets