The latest from Fortifi

Even in the digital world, face-to-face events are still going strong in 2019. In fact, with the online world being forced into almost every aspect of our lives, we see people of today craving that human interaction with both people and businesses. Getting connected with people in your industry can get you far, as they say - "it's not  what  you know, it's who  you  know". Attending events allows you to network with hundreds, if not thousands, of other like-minded people who could be of great help to you in the future. Whether you are looking to attend or exhibit at any events this year, we have picked out some of our favourites coming up this year that you should check out if you want to expand your customer service strategy in 2019: Call Centre and Customer Services Summit Bringing call center and customer service buyers together in one place for a two-day summit, the Call Centre and Customer Services Summit allows visitors and exhibitors valuable one-t...

In this article, we will be looking at the different affiliate models a business can consider when planning their affiliate marketing strategy. We will then discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each model.  Affiliate marketing (also known as performance marketing) is where a business rewards one, or more, affiliates for completing a set desired action. Actions can include any set activity including a visit, a sale or a download. The affiliate model works on a commission based referral system, with a goal of building brand awareness and driving sales. If you have knowledge on affiliate marketing, check out our previous article on our introduction to affiliate marketing, to get you up to speed. What affiliate model should be used? There are three affiliate marketing models to consider, and the correct model is that which is based best on the business needs. 1. In-house Managing the affiliate programme in-house will give a business greater control over cam...

Are you looking to grow your brand but are overwhelmed with the amount of digital channels out there?  In this article we'll discuss the ways in which branding has developed over the past decade and a model which you can use to manage multiple customer touch points . The Evolution of Branding. Over the past few decades, branding has evolved as a concept from one of ownership, to one of identity.   A brand is no longer just a logo, they now encompass both the individuals and the organisation.  We are also seeing a drastic change into what is being call the era of the 'Platform Economy' . Platforms, rather than providers, are emerging to the forefront of the market. Uber and AirBnB are fantastic examples of leaders in the 'Platform Economy',  Uber is leading the taxi service business across 60 different countries worldwide, but owns no cars.  AirBnB is a leading property organisation, but owns no properties. Ownerships of a bran...

Want to bring all your business data together on one platform in order to create an exceptional customer experience , but worried about the expense of it all?  This article runs you through the kind of locations customer data is commonly held, and how to break down barriers in your workplace to create a better customer journey. In the past, it has often been too impractical or too expensive to put all your customer data into single database. As your business grows, you will find a variety of data across numerous locations including: 1. CRM database This is where you store your personal and transactional customer data. 2. Web analytics data Google Analytics software, for example, this is mainly behavioural based data on website visitors. 3. Tag management systems These systems help manage different marketing tags (cookies) that track your marketing campaigns. 4. Data management platform (DMPs) These are filled with a collection of audience intellige...

How many times have you had a bad experience with a company and never returned for business again? How many of you then told family and friends about the experience? This is why customer support is so vital, and businesses providing that prompt and personalised service is crucial if they want to see customers coming back and sharing the love for their brand. Providing these levels of customer service can be overwhelming, especially for small, growing businesses who don't have the resource to run a full call center like set-up to provide this consistent support. That's where customer support software comes in and can be a really useful asset for small and large businesses alike to help provide the levels of service that people today expect. What is customer support software? Customer support software is a set of tools that helps businesses track, organise and manage their customer queries. Customers will find different providers across the market usi...

The Third Industrial Revolution brought digital capabilities to billions of people. The rise of electronics, telecommunications and computers allowed mass markets to gain knowledge and insights like never before. The Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) is now here. The new technological phenomenon - digitalisation - is now the driving force to which we can create a new virtual world which directly influences the physical world. This new approach sees businesses achieving results that were not possible ten years ago thanks to advancements in technology. Technology is fundamentally changing the behaviour of everything, from Governments, to businesses and individuals. The uncertainty of where this latest movement might take us a society is creating significant risks for brands. Businesses are adapting to levels and speeds of change like they've never seen before so to mitigate risks they need to be continually reviewing underlying trends and responding to consumer beh...

"Challenging an industry's conventional wisdom about which buyer group to target can lead to the discovery of a new blue ocean" 'Blue Ocean' Strategy Definition Back in 2005, Professors W. Chan Kim and Rénee Mauborgne revolutionised business strategy with new ways of thinking how to position and market their brand. In their book, "Blue Ocean Strategy, How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Market Competition Irrelevant" , Kim and Mauborgne advised businesses to stop going head-to-head with each other in crowded markets, and to seek out areas of the market where there is little or no competition. With small businesses finding themselves up against the top dogs in their market space, they are trying everything they can to take some market share. Instead of resorting to risky actions such as cutting prices, Kim and Mauborgne's strategy encourages businesses to look for areas of the market where there is a potential for higher profits d...