Customer Relationship Management on Internet and Mobile Channels: An Analytical Framework and Research Directions

Abstract

The Internet has served as an effective channel for companies to build and manage relationships with customers. The mobile channel, emerging from the convergence of wireless communications and the mobile Web, promises to deliver additional support to meet consumer needs. This chapter examines features of customer relationship management (CRM) as implemented on the Internet (eCRM) and the mobile channel (mCRM) from the customer’s perspective. It further explores how companies can better coordinate their CRM strategies between these two channels to support e-commerce customers. We propose an analytical framework to examine the current eCRM and mCRM practice in terms of customer loyalty, branding, customer satisfaction, customization, and trust. These five factors affect customer acquisition, sales and services, and customer retention. A checklist was developed to guide the evaluation of CRM practice for e-commerce sites. Several examples and research directions are discussed in the chapter.