In the past 10 years, the worldwide web has gone from being foreign and out of reach, to a fundamental part of every business and organisation.
As websites evolved from first to second and eventually third generation, it became apparent that most organisations were confined to using their websites as either communication tools or ecommerce portals.

We've just gone past a fork in the road. You know the one, a year of very reduced budgets, and a dawning realisation that a year without brand awareness is a dangerous place to be.
Marketers are approaching the idea of restarting major spending with some trepidation, because the board is peering closely at ROI.

According to recent reports, the number of people using mobile working technologies is likely to exceed one billion before the end of the year.
Research firm IDC predicted that some 1.2 billion workers will be using mobile enterprise tools by 2011. This astonishing figure represents roughly a third of the total global workforce.

If outstanding customer service is a must for businesses today, it’s also one of their biggest challenges.
Employers are making a conscious effort to improve employees’ customer service skills, focusing on enhancing their knowledge of the products or services they are offering. However, the intangible element that really makes for successful customer interaction is employee engagement. Staff who are passionate about what they do will deliver a great customer experience and in turn, if a customer is more than happy with the service they receive, they will be more likely to use that company again and recommend it.

Scott Herren, General Manager and Vice President, EMEA at Citrix takes a look at some of the emerging technology trends and priorities for enterprises in 2010 –
and how they are likely to affect organisations in the coming months.

The importance of taking a customer centric approach in business is no secret.
The majority of organisations understand the role of customer relationship management (CRM) in maximising profitability, revenue and customer satisfaction – indeed, most have well established and sophisticated CRM strategies.

The shorthand used for webchats and social media is unique: most of us will recognise “lol”, but how many who are not of the Millennial generation will know that “4COL” is a sign of customer frustration? The meaning is at the bottom of this article.
Businesses need Millennials to provide customer service to the burgeoning number of Millennial customers; Millennials already see jobs in customer service as a career move.

In the face of growing competition, brand loyalty programmes will need to deliver more immediate value, choice and personal relevance whilst still creating long-term brand equity.
Andrew Mitchell, Head of Loyalty Solutions at Arvato Loyalty Services, says brands will have to work harder than ever to win and retain customers this year, given the current myriad of promotions, discounts and loyalty incentive offers.

In today’s demanding market there is one player that will decide whether your company will progress or not – the customer. If you want your business to thrive, you need to be reactive to your customers’ needs.
Improving Customer Service has become a competitive differentiator, and if you are in a position to deliver seamless and responsive service across all support channels, you could be in for hitting a goldmine.