Understanding Customer Data: The Most Important Data Categories at a Glance
In today’s data-driven world, the effective use of customer data is key to delivering personalized services, targeted marketing, and long-term customer loyalty. But which types of data really matter? Below, we present eight essential data categories that help businesses build a comprehensive understanding of their customers:
1. Behavioral Data
These insights reveal how customers interact with digital offerings, such as:
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Website or app interactions
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Usage frequency and time patterns
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Transaction behavior
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Location and device-related activity
2. Master / CRM Data
These are classic profile and master data, including:
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Age, gender, address
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Occupation and household size
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Customer ID and contact information
3. Transaction Data
This data provides insights into purchasing behavior:
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Time, value, and type of transactions
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Purchase frequency and payment methods
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Merchant category codes
4. Product Data
Product-related information is especially important for assortment analysis and pricing strategies:
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Product ID, category, price
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Availability and performance
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Product attributes
5. Financial Data
These help assess customers’ financial status and creditworthiness:
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Income, credit rating
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Payment defaults, CLV (Customer Lifetime Value)
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Payment and purchasing behavior
6. Third-Party Data
External data sources provide deeper insights:
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Demographic and socioeconomic data
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Geolocation data, online tracking profiles
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Scoring values (e.g., credit scores)
7. Account Data
Important insights from payment accounts:
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IBAN, account balance, debtor information
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Payment references and transaction amounts
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SEPA categories and spending classifications
8. Loyalty & Service Data
Crucial for customer retention:
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Loyalty program status
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Collected points, redemptions, rewards usage
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Program duration and service interactions