If your firm uses a cloud computing system, then the various teams that make up your business will be able to collaborate with one another without running into any problems. They will also have the capacity to access information and documents at any time and from any location. Take, for instance, the fields of marketing and sales. It is possible that these two departments are two of the most significant ones in your company. Yet, if they are not cooperating with one another, providing feedback to one another, and keeping each other updated, it is going to have an effect on your company. It is possible for you to set up meetings and hand over documents and files; but, doing so is probably not the most efficient use of your time.
You can make sure that all of your departments are singing from the same hymn sheet, and you can also make sure that essential data is simplified and helpful by using this system. Of course, it can take some getting used to, but Microsoft Azure consulting services can help with you that. The following are some of the ways that utilizing cloud computing may assist in increasing sales and improving your company’s overall performance:
Make efficient use of the information collected from customers.
Holding information about a customer and using that information to drive sales are two completely different things. If the data is together in one place, you are in more of a position to personalize your advertising. You can send out emails, using their names, which many people appreciate, and use their purchasing history to target them directly and offer them what they think they are looking for. For example, moms at home searching for educational resources are probably not going to be interested in emails advertising fishing rods. If you are sending targeted emails out, they need to be relevant. Otherwise, they are going to be ignored.
Deal with customers’ issues quickly.
This is linked to having all of your customer information in one place so that problems and complaints can be dealt with in a fast and effective way. More than half of customers report that they will refrain from doing repeat business with someone if their complaints are not handled within an acceptable timeframe, and more than three quarters say that having to discuss their issue time and time again to multiple people in various departments can make them feel very negatively about a company. By having all the information collated, whoever is dealing with the problem can do so quickly, without the need to cause the customer any further irritation. All companies have issues, but it is how these issues are dealt with that is the crucial thing. Do it smoothly and efficiently, and your customers will come back.
But…remember
What you do need to make sure of when you are using cloud systems to store any sort of information about your customers or clients is that you are observing the data protection laws. In the EU, in May 2018, the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) came into play, and if you do not comply with the rules, you can land yourself a rather heavy fine – up to £10,000 per breach. You should only be storing data that your customers have given explicit consent for you to hold, and you must have this consent recorded. If a customer requests that you delete any information that you hold about them, you must do so immediately. While this only applies to the EU, it is good practice to follow anyway, even if you and your customer base are not based in the region.
