Click on links below to see listed resources:
Customers Resources
Managing Customers Links
Consumer Buying Behavior Links
Business Buying Behavior Links
Markets Resources
Managing Customers Resources
- American Customer Satisfaction Index
Offered by the National Quality Research Center at the University of Michigan this regularly updated report presents customer satisfaction scores for more than 200 companies in 43 industry.
- ContactCenterWorld.com
An extensive site with many resources including articles, case studies, job information and much more. Unfortunately, while newer material is available to users at the limited access registration level (free), accessing material on the majority of the site requires a fee that can get expensive.
- CRM Daily
While a little on the promotional side, this site continually offers good articles on numerous customer relationship topics from both a technical and managerial perspective.
- Customer Lifetime Value Calculator
Downloadable Excel spreadsheet that can be used as a basic guide for determining customer lifetime value applicable to many industries. In addition to use by marketing practitioners, instructors in marketing strategy or customer relationship management may also find value in using this with students.
- destinationCRM
This site operated by the publishers of CRM Magazine offers a number of CRM resources including white papers, archived articles from past issues and a library featuring reports from other sources.
- Interactive Customer Experience Association
This trade organization site is devoted to helping companies use customer-facing technologies, such as digital signage, point-of-purchase and kiosks, in marketing to consumers. Includes industry news, case studies, supplier directory and more. Some material is freely available (though may require providing user information) while other material is only available to members.
- International Customer Management Institute
Site has several features focusing on customer service issues including articles and call center buying guide.
- IT Toolbox CRM
Portal broken into a number of categories related to CRM and containing articles, links to vendor white papers and discussion groups.
- Telemarketing – FTC
The US Federal Trade Commission offers several how-to articles for businesses and consumers including rules for selling via telemarketing.
Consumer Buying Behavior Resources
- AnnualCreditReport.com
US consumers can request a free copy of their credit report from the main credit reporting services. This site makes it easy to request reports though as the site name suggests, consumers can only receive reports from each service once per year.
- Better Business Bureau
Well-known non-profit consumer interest group has good information for both consumers and businesses. Has search function for locating BBB member companies.
- Consumer World
A public service site that has gathered over 2000 of the most useful consumer resources on the Internet and categorized them for easy access. Includes many shopping resources.
- ConsumerSearch
Interesting premise in which site gathers reviews of consumer products from many outside sources and then offers up product ratings based on these accumulated ratings. Nice one-stop location for finding product reviews.
- People Like Us
This website supplements a PBS series that examines social class in America and for marketers provides useful information for learning what influences behavior. While full-length programming is not available there is a lot here including video clips, games for identifying social class, teachers guides and a much more.
- Publications.USA.gov
Site for locating thousands of US Government produced publications on numerous consumer topics.
- U.S. Government – Consumer Product Safety Commission
Information covers product recalls, child product safety and other safety information. Also offers some of their reports as podcasts, video clips and audio clips.
Business Buying Behavior Resources
- Business USA
US Federal government site that is an excellent one-stop source for links to government programs and services. Includes answers to common questions, how-to sections and a good search and browse section.
- Fedmarket.com
The Federal Marketplace site provides resources and information for companies interested in selling to the US government including help on finding the most recent government bid opportunities.
Targeting Markets Resources
- BeyeNetwork
A fairly extensive site with regular (and freely accessible) articles on customer and business intelligence issues. Also, offers other resources including white papers, podcasts, and videos.
- Information Management
Industry magazine site offers access to fairly large collection of articles on knowledge-base issues though mostly at a technical level.
- KDnuggets
Another useful comprehensive data analysis site with links, references, tools, and industry information.
- MyBestSegments
Segmentation information and tools from market research firm Claritas . Includes a zip code look-up feature that provides segmentation summary.
- Target Marketing – Lowe Foundation
Offers several good articles on the basics of market identification and segmentation.
- Targeting Your Market
TD Bank offers a very effective Flash presentation (requires plug in) that examines issues related choosing and targeting markets.