Asp connect to database

Building a Customer Database - Product Information

You don't have to be a marketing pro to know it's easier and cheaper to sell to existing customers than find new ones

TO PROPERLY TARGET YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES to existing customers, you need to know who your customers are. In other words, you need a database that contains as much detail as you can get about them--what they buy and how often, or which promotions are most successful and which customers participate in them. You can then save time and money by targeting events and products more accurately.

There are several ways to create a customer database. An obvious option is to build one from scratch using a database program such as Microsoft Access, Lotus Approach, or FileMaker Pro. If you're not comfortable with the program's design and report-generation features, you might consider having the database designed by a subcontractor or professional with experience in business applications.

Either way, it's smart to begin by making a list of all the information you want to get out of your database--for example, your top 100 customers by dollars spent, the percentage of customers that accept a particular promotional offer, and the products each customer buys. If you know what is to come out of your database in the form of reports or lists, you can more easily determine what needs to be input. Design your database so you collect only the data you need--don't waste time entering data you'll never use.

Choosing Software Your accounting software may already contain much of the information you need for a customer database. If so, check whether the publisher offers add-on modules you can purchase for maintaining your database. Also, check the manual for built-in functions you're not currently using. You may discover that your accounting package provides all the tools for storing and retrieving the customer data you require, with the added bonus that you won't be duplicating your data.

Alternatively, your accounting program may store data in an open or standard format, accessible by other programs including Microsoft Access or Seagate Software's Crystal Reports, or there may be a developer kit for the software that permits programmers to add other functions to it. To investigate these possibilities, check your software manual or call the company.

A simpler option is to use a contact management package like Multiactive Software Inc.'s Maximizer 5.0 ($149; 888-577-7809, www.maximizer.com), Symantec's Act 2000 ($200; 800-441-7234, www.symantec.com/act) or Microsoft Outlook 2000 ($109; 800-426-9400, www.microsoft.com). These programs are usually easier to use than a programmable database, and shouldn't require specialist skills to get good results. You won't get the level of personalization you'd get with a custom-designed solution, but it won't cost as much either.

Gathering Data If you have only a few customers or operate a mail order or account-based system, creating a database will be easy. If you operate a retail store or a business that doesn't maintain close links with customers, you'll need to be more creative. Here are some ideas:

* Offer a small weekly giveaway that customers enter by leaving their business cards (keep blank cards and a pen on hand, too).

* Offer to add a customer's name to your mailing list.

* Offer a discount on a customer's fifth or 10th purchase and record his details at that time.

Remember, you don't have to offer a trip to Hawaii--a "free coffee and Danish" promotion can get results far outweighing its cost. Once you get a customer's basic details, develop a system for tracking how often he visits, what he buys, and how much he spends.

No Substitute for Good Service Once you have your data, use it to offer good service and to target your advertising. If you know what someone's bought or what products he owns already, you can send information about complementary products that might also interest him. You can do this by merging a letter with selected customers from your database.

Build It and They Will Come If you decide to sell your business, a customer database can add extra value to it, but databases aren't build overnight. A good database contains detailed historical information--so the time to start adding value to your business is now.

Some final tips for your database:

* Keep the information up-to-date, or it will be useless.

* Ensure the information is accurate.

* Allocate time to update and maintain the database--don't let it become one of those jobs you'll do "someday."

* Add prospective customers to your database so you routinely vie for their business.

* Use it! If you don't, you're just wasting time creating and maintaining it.

RELATED ARTICLE: A More Dynamic Database

Road warriors should consider a customer database that's compatible with a handheld computer or personal digital assistant (PDA), so they can lake their data along and update it while on the road, then synchronize it when they return. Why not set up your database so it's accessible from the Web for quick access and updating?

If browser-based access is all you need, consider a static presentation, where predefined information is displayed but cannot be altered. Most database and contact management programs have options for publishing data to your Web site or company intranet, so anyone with a Web browser can view it.

If your data changes frequently or users need to alter as well as access data remotely, you'll need a dynamic database solution. This requires special software that creates a two-way connection between Web server and database. Some database programs provide this; Microsoft Access, for instance, can deliver data in Active Server Pages (ASP) format, with the ability to navigate and update database tables from a compatible browser. In most cases, however, the range of database formats and Web server software is such that it's a specialist's task to connect the two.

An alternative solution is to copy a small database to a virtual drive or Internet server, so you can access it from the road. A number of Web-based storage providers such as Free Disk Space (www.freediskspace.com) and X:drive (www.xdrive.com) offer 10MB, 25MB, or more of server space at no cost; you can use the space to back up files, share them, and access them while traveling.

HELEN BRADLEY is a frequent contributor to HOME OFFICE COMPUTING.