Choice, simplicity, trust, and personalized experiences – these are the things today’s customers desire most. Products and pricing matter less. Experiences count for more. And this is why 89% of marketers are putting customer experience at the center of their branding, design, and delivery decisions. Without question, customer experience has become the single most important...
Choice, simplicity, trust, and personalized experiences – these are the things today’s customers desire most.
Products and pricing matter less. Experiences count for more. And this is why 89% of marketers are putting customer experience at the center of their branding, design, and delivery decisions. Without question, customer experience has become the single most important way for marketers to differentiate their products and services.
So what steps are marketers taking to create a better customer experience? Take a look at these three strategies, all of which have been proven to increase satisfaction, reduce churn, and increase revenue.
1) Personalization
The problem
A 2016 Econsultancy survey reports that while two in three marketers say ‘personalizing customer interactions’ is ‘very important’, less than one in ten say that they are actually able to create personalized content beyond using the customer’s name. Of course, today’s customer expects a business to be capable of doing a little more than just remembering their name. Customers want to see that you understand their needs and wants, that you are able to provide them with a relevant experience across all channels, that you understand what they need most and when they need it most.
The solution
Get to know your customers beyond their name. If you ask them, they are probably more than happy to share their needs, wants, and attitudes about your products and services. Studies show that 83% of consumers have already completed at least one or, in many cases, three to four feedback surveys in the past 12 months. 70% of this feedback is collected via online surveys which customers identify as helping “companies improve the products they build and carry.”
The benefits
- Makes your marketing more relevant
- Improves customer retention
- Increases conversions
2) Customer Advocates
The problem
The ability to harness and leverage positive word-of-mouth has become one of the most important skills a marketer can take. Word-of-mouth is now a primary factor behind most purchasing decisions with 88% of people trusting online reviews written by other consumers as much as they trust recommendations from personal contacts. Moreover, 4 out of 10 consumers regularly turn to customer reviews before making any purchase. This means that you need customer advocates who are willing to say good things about you. Without them, you may be missing out on an especially powerful way to promote your business.
The solution
Customer feedback. You won’t know who your advocates are unless you engage your customers. Learn as much as you can about them and whose needs, goals, and challenges you are most effectively addressing. Look at who is most satisfied with your product or service offerings. Your advocates will be the ones who give you highest CES, NPS, or CSAT scores.
The benefits
- Referrals through positive word-of-mouth
- User-generated content like online reviews and testimonials
- Reduced marketing costs
3) Omni-channel
The problem
98% of Americans regularly interact with a business across a variety of channels – in-store, online, on social, and on mobile. But the key to a successful omnichannel strategy isn’t just the number of channels made available to customers; it is also ensuring that all of those channels work together in an effortless and intuitive way. One of the easiest ways to frustrate your customers is not allowing them to pick up where they left off when they switched from one channel to another. If your channels are not integrated and consistent, you are giving your customers every reason to look for a better option.
The solution
Don’t miss out an opportunity to exceed your customers’ expectations. Context-driven clearly focused surveys to measure customer happiness are the easiest way to capture customer feedback at every touchpoint across the customer journey: browsing, checkout, customer support. Feedback surveys will tell you where customers are experiencing friction and what you need to do to improve specific problems with your omnichannel experience.
The benefits
- Implement quick fixes
- Capture knowledge over time for ongoing assessment
- Solidify customer loyalty
Today’s Customer Experience Battleground
Create an experience that keeps customers coming back for more. The fact is, there really is no other way to create a clear point of differentiation, no better way to establish a clear competitive advantage. If you don’t grasp whom your customers are and design an experience which speaks to them, your business will suffer while those who are able to build a strong experience will thrive in today’s increasingly competitive marketplace.
To be successful, you must have access to knowledge that provides a clear picture of who your customers are and how you can best serve them. Gathering comprehensive customer feedback requires an investment in time and resource but it is a necessary investment if you want your customer experience to stand out from the crowd.
