Imagine you want to buy a new car. While looking through site after site, comparing prices, and researching which brand is best, you are likely exposed to many tailored ads and relevant content. Since the experience was so personalized, you might even think you have made the best choice for purchase. The reason behind such experiences may be due to a business using a customer data platform (CDP).
While some companies may customize a buyer's experience with personalization software, they will often utilize a CDP to better hone in on the customer's centralized wants and needs. While certain personalization software uses artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning to identify customer behavior, think of a CDP as the one true source of aggregated data. G2 recognizes that CDPs are becoming more common and have identified and added attributes to its Customer Data Platforms (CDP) category. These attributes are more specific filters added to G2’s categories to help our buyers centralize on their software needs.
Understanding customers with CDPs
Every business needs to identify its customers, and CDPs help with just that. From a business point of view, a CDP would be used to collect various touchpoint data from all across the web. One type of data collected is known as first-party data, specifically used for marketing purposes only. Other data collected could include third-party data, which is predominately purchased or shared with other companies to target new potential customers.
A CDP collects data from a customer's interaction with the company—from a website to an email subscription or Facebook page—and creates a unified customer database. This helps businesses form a digestible customer profile that they could use to store the data and use it for better campaign segmentation or analyze customer behavior, such as why they abandoned a purchase or left a site at a certain point.
All CDPs use customer data integration, which is key to operating efficiently. This data integration allows all incoming data to be aggregated appropriately and stored in the most efficient way for the business. In combination with correct data storage and appropriate metric tracking, CDP analytics can make a difference when managing customer pipeline and understanding consumers at their core.
Importance of adding attributes for CDPs
All CDPs have similar functionality and are data aggregate hubs, but their business value can be clearly defined by the type of platform needed. G2 researched the various applications and types of CDPs from a buyer's perspective, and the following are found to be the most common among this software.
- CDP with data capabilities: This is the most common unified customer data system used to create a single consumer profile. Ideally, this is used to deep dive into fully understanding customer profiles.
- CDP with campaign capabilities: These are almost exclusively used for marketing campaigns, including campaign management and cross-channel and multichannel marketing hubs.
- CDP with analytics capabilities: A less common CDP, this type is strictly for analyzing the type of data it holds. These provide little to no campaign features.
| TIP: When searching for the kind of CDP that would best suit personal business goals, companies must consider what type of information they would look for from customers. This will better identify the kind of CDP needed. |
Does your business need a CDP?
Truthfully, depending on the information one would gather from their customers, a CDP would be a great way to aggregate and segment any customer data. Regardless of the business size, there could be a use case for a CDP. G2 customer reviews show a clear distinction in the three segments—enterprise, mid-market, and small business.
According to reviews provided by CDP customers over the last four quarters, most reviewers are from mid-market and small businesses. This shows a CDP can make an impact no matter the company's size. For software buyers who are considering purchasing a CDP, it is advisable to review customer thoughts and research the type of CDP that could be the best fit for the business.
Quer aprender mais sobre Plataformas de Dados de Clientes (CDP)? Explore os produtos de Plataforma de Dados do Cliente (CDP).
Victoria Blackwell
Victoria is a Research Principal at G2 concentrating on marketing and digital advertising software. Prior to G2, Victoria began her career on Capitol Hill. She transitioned out of politics with an extensive background in project management and operations. She later found her niche in creating stylized brand and marketing campaigns while working for startups and powerhouse apps based in Chicago and London. This varied experience has made her an exceptional practitioner in the marketing and advertising content realm, leading her to expand into the B2B sphere.
