Whether it is insurance, retail, phone service or banking, Tuttle said your customers' online browsing behavior can give you valuable clues that will allow you to provide greater value whenever you interact with them, whether your communication is automated or personal. He said that online behavior is probably the biggest gap in your view of your customers and can provide the greatest value to both you and your customers. However, offline customer behavior can also be extremely valuable in enhancing your online presence.

Tuttle explained how collecting and integrating this online behavioral data with offline behavior in your customer data warehouse can bring major benefits to you in at least three areas:

• Online behavior can greatly enhance your communications with customers through traditional offline channels, as well as on your web site. Direct marketing promotions can take advantage of this valuable new source of customer insight to make your communications more relevant and improve response and conversion rates.

• Offline behavior stored in your customer data warehouse can enhance your ability to greet and provide relevant and timely messages and promotions to each of your customers when they visit your website. Offline product purchases, demographic data and sophisticated statistical analysis that are commonly used by the "other" marketing organization can add tremendous value to your online marketing effectiveness.

• Finally, and maybe most importantly, only by combining your online and offline customer data can you measure the true effectiveness and impact of your online channel. This provides visibility into customers that research products and services on the web site, but then go to another channel to make their purchase.



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