Low to no-code CDPs for developing better customer experience - NGDATA

A citizen developer is a non-programmer who builds business applications using development tools that do not require or only at a very low level, coding expertise. Instead of using remote specialists trying to build the latest solutions, the alternative is to tackle customer problems and expectations in a timely fashion at the point closest to the customer. That means making data easier to use for the people closest to the customer – through marketers and client service operations. The goal then is to ‘empower the marketer’ to meet the needs of the customer. This can be achieved through an agile, test-and-try approach with the help of a concept that is gaining increasing currency – that of the citizen developer. Learn more in our dictionary. 

When systems are connected to each other through connectors, you can let those systems speak to one another through the interface. Based on all the data points you connected into your system, metrics can use those various systems to calculate values. You can then segment, for instance, all customers younger than 25 showing an increased frequency of online transactions through the mobile app. So when you integrate multiple systems into your platform, the citizen developer has a lot more options to play with.

High levels of customer engagement with low-code CDP requirements: 3 things to consider 

In order to improve your customer experience with citizen development and to get the most out of it, there are 3 things marketers should consider. Only then will they be able to effectively create, own, run, and measure campaigns with the sort of feedback loop that boosts campaign velocity and effectiveness. Only then will marketers become truly empowered.

1. 1. Marketing and IT must collaborate 
      Bringing data science and agile development closer to the customer by becoming a citizen developer is not the same as completely cutting IT out of the picture. That’s called shadow IT and it has posed problems, not least in the vital area especially for banks of cybersecurity. That perception is certainly beginning to change in some sectors, but irrespective of attitudes to shadow IT, marketing and IT must work together to create a level of oversight and support from IT. This will prevent the spread of rogue systems but also remove the roadblocks to creativity and agility discussed above. 
   2. Success depends strongly on the platform used
      The successful citizen developer needs the right sort of platform that makes it easy to leverage data and develop solutions. This is smart, artificial intelligence-powered, dashboard technology that is able to simulate the expertise of the professional data scientist. At the same time, it is accessible to non-specialists and laymen and designed to enhance productivity.
   3. Ultimately, it all starts with the user mindset
      And, while the right technology is vital, changing the user mindset is required to get the best from it. Not only will this boost citizen development, but it will also bring wider benefits to the business user. With greater autonomy and control over personal workflows, comes greater responsibility and greater buy-in to the success of marketing initiatives. Ultimately that leads to greater commitment to the success of the organization itself.

Pay attention to these 3 pointers to turn citizen development into a success. Having citizen developers in your team holds great potential, but only if you get the basics right. 

For more tips on how to scale your customer experience, read our guide:

Having difficulty scaling up your CX? This is why.