For Business Process & Applications Professionals

Trends 2010: Customer Relationship Management

Eleven Trends Shape CRM Technology Adoption Agendas

by William Band, February 9, 2010

As the economy recovers, what are the key trends that will drive customer relationship management (CRM) strategies and technology adoption in 2010? Business and IT professionals who support customer-facing business processes must take into account 11 . . .

For Information & Knowledge Management Professionals

The Online Customer Engagement Software Ecosystem

Understand Your Options For Supporting Public-Facing Web Sites

by Stephen Powers, February 8, 2010

Information and knowledge management (I&KM) professionals who support public-facing Web sites face a potpourri of product options from software vendors. Currently, persuasive content functions — such as content services, analytics, and more . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Increasing Online Insurance Self-Service Adoption

Nine Tactics To Increase Adoption, Serve Customers, And Lower Costs

by Chad Mitchell, February 8, 2010

Insurance online self-service continues to gain momentum, but customer adoption remains low. We found that 55% of US online adults who own insurance have not visited their insurance provider's Web site in the past year. eBusiness managers for direct and . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Using Digital Channels To Create Breakthrough Multichannel Experiences

How eBusiness Executives Can Adapt To Changing Consumer Behavior

by Henry H. Harteveldt, February 5, 2010

Operating in a multichannel environment isn't new, but it's becoming increasingly complex. Customers spend more time online and increasingly use digital channels to do more than just buy goods — they now routinely use digital channels to gather . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Mapping The Customer Journey

Best Practices For Using An Important Customer Experience Tool

by Bruce D. Temkin, February 5, 2010

Left to their own devices, companies often neglect customers. But they don't need to. We recommend that organizations use customer journey maps to examine interactions from their customers' points of view. Mapping the customer journey requires five steps: . . .

For eBusiness & Channel Strategy Professionals

Trends 2010: North American Retail Banking eBusiness And Channel Strategy

Ten Areas Of Focus For The Next 12 Months

by Brad Strothkamp, February 5, 2010

2010 is shaping up to be a much better year for retail banking. While there will undoubtedly be lingering effects of the recession, the industry feels that that the worst is behind it. So what should eBusiness and channel strategy executives expect for . . .

For Interactive Marketing Professionals

Case Study: Dell Profits By Integrating Twitter Into Its Business Strategy

by Nate Elliott, February 3, 2010

When Dell needed to sell an unpredictable stream of returned products, it found that the immediacy of Twitter could help it get the word out and move inventory quickly. The computer maker has driven more than $6 million in US sales since 2007 through . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Seven Trends Customer Experience Professionals In Healthcare Can't Afford To Ignore

How New Technologies Will Transform Digital Healthcare Experiences

by Elizabeth Boehm, February 3, 2010

On the eve of a new decade, many elements of the US healthcare system are still twisting in the winds of healthcare reform. But the writing on the customer experience wall is clear: Consumers' expectations get set by their experiences with other, more . . .

For Interactive Marketing Professionals

How To Sponsor Conversations The Right Way

Leveraging Influential Endorsements Amid FTC Regulations

by Sean Corcoran, February 3, 2010

The Federal Trade Commission's "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements And Testimonials in Advertising" has been updated to regulate endorsements through blogger relationships, as well as through platforms like Twitter and YouTube. Marketers need to . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Consumers' Likelihood To Recommend 133 Firms

How Likely Are US Consumers To Recommend Firms Across 14 Industries?

by Bruce D. Temkin, February 2, 2010

Forrester asked more than 4,600 US consumers about their likelihood to recommend 133 companies across 14 different industries. As an industry, retailers were the most recommended, while utility providers, health insurance plans, and TV service providers . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

How To Foster Software Innovation To Exploit The Economic Recovery

Best Practices In Software Innovation From Leading Software Developers

by Mike Gilpin, January 29, 2010

Software innovation plays an increasingly vital role in enterprise success as a key part of more and more products and services, whether on the Web, a phone, a desktop PC, a car, or in your home. Innovation is important whether the software is . . .

For Application Development & Program Management Professionals

Software Innovation Assessment Workbook

by Mike Gilpin, January 29, 2010

Forrester’s Software Innovation Assessment Workbook helps you assess your current software innovation characteristics, capabilities, and opportunities for improvement. The tool calculates scores automatically for the archetype that applies to your situation, . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

The Future Of Online Customer Experience

It Looks Customized, Aggregated, Relevant, And Social

by Moira Dorsey, January 28, 2010

Forrester believes that four attributes will characterize the next phase of development of the Web. Online experiences will be: customized by the end user, aggregated at the point of use, relevant to the moment, and social as a rule, not an exception. . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Rating Customer Service Experiences, 2010

Consumers Evaluate Customer Service At 92 Companies

by Bruce D. Temkin, January 28, 2010

Forrester asked more than 4,600 US consumers about their customer service experiences with companies across 14 industries. Barnes & Noble and Kohl's received the highest rating, while Charter Communications fell to the bottom. Kaiser, on the other . . .

For Consumer Market Research Professionals

Technographics® Survey Highlights: US Travel Social And Mobile Adoption

North American Technographics Travel and Automotive Online Survey, Q4 2009 (US)

by Ina Mitskaviets, January 28, 2010

This highlight deck summarizes the key findings on travel-related social and mobile adoption from Forrester's North American Technographics Travel And Automotive Online Survey, Q4 2009 (US).

For Information & Knowledge Management Professionals

The Best And Worst Of Site Search 2010

by Leslie Owens, January 26, 2010

Forrester reviewed the search functionality on the corporate Web sites of the top 50 US companies according to revenue. Almost all of the search engines executed queries very quickly, but the majority of sites barely passed our test. We encountered a . . .

For Marketing Leadership Professionals

Australian Marketing Predictions For 2010

Marketers Will Shift To Growth Using Data And Digital As Their Guides

by Steven Noble, January 26, 2010

Many marketers used 2009 to prepare for a recession that did not occur in Australia. In 2010, they will shift their focus from consolidation to growth, emphasizing three key areas: 1) doubling down on efforts to extract better customer intelligence; 2) . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Reviewer's Guide: Web Site Brand Action Review 3.0

by Ron Rogowski, January 26, 2010

This is the reviewer's guide for Forrester's Web Site Brand Action Review methodology, version 3.0.

For Interactive Marketing Professionals

The Splinternet

Preparing For An Internet Fragmented By Devices And Passwords

by Shar VanBoskirk, Josh Bernoff, January 26, 2010

The standardized Internet is fraying. Long live the Splinternet. Interactive marketers have thrived in the golden age of the Web, where people access Web sites using standard, similarly formatted PCs and browsers. No more. The Internet is splintering . . .

For Business Process & Applications Professionals

How Carphone Warehouse Uses Twitter And Social Media To Transform Customer Service

by Natalie L. Petouhoff, Ph.D., January 26, 2010

The Carphone Warehouse (CPW) is Europe's leading independent retailer of mobile phones and services, with more than 2,400 stores in nine countries. Because CPW's customers posted comments about service issues on Twitter, blogs, and e-review sites, CPW . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Reviewer's Guide: Web Site User Experience Review 8.0

by Adele Sage, January 26, 2010

This is the reviewer's guide for Forrester's Web Site User Experience 8.0 scorecard.

For Customer Experience Professionals

Top Customer Experience Takeaways From The Web 2.0 Expo, 2009

by Harley Manning, January 25, 2010

Forrester recently attended the Web 2.0 Expo in New York, where presenters discussed techniques to improve customer experience. Among speakers' top recommendations for customer experience professionals: Consider user needs and goals when planning a content . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

How Four Firms Measure Customer Experience Across The Enterprise

Interviews With Executives In Travel, Healthcare, Banking, And Insurance

by Megan Burns, January 22, 2010

Chief customer experience officers (CC/EOs) need a set of metrics in order to benchmark and manage their firms' enterprisewide customer experience. To understand which metrics they're using today, Forrester interviewed top customer experience professionals . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Five Mistakes Agencies Make When Pitching Web Design Business

by Vidya L. Drego, January 21, 2010

A recent review of agency pitches revealed problems like not listening to client needs, failing to connect with the client's culture, over-promising, providing generic information, and failing to present a cohesive story. These flaws confuse and frustrate . . .

For Customer Experience Professionals

Web Site Brand Experience 2010: Skin Care Brands

Forrester Applies Its Web Site Brand Experience Review Methodology To Five Top Sites

by Ron Rogowski, January 21, 2010

The multibillion-dollar skin care industry features some of the most recognized brand names in the US, like Dove, L'Oreal Paris, Neutrogena, NIVEA, and Olay. But how good is the brand experience offered by major skin care brands' Web sites? To find out, . . .