The digital revolution empowers consumers like never before. Consumers now have access to vast information anywhere and anytime they wish. This has led to consumers being more informed about purchasing decisions. This all means that the buyer’s journey is changing.
Technology advancements have enabled consumers to get the products and services they need whenever available. Customers have higher expectations and convincing them that you offer value while competing with other brands is more challenging.
Marketers, entrepreneurs, and business owners must provide exceptional products and outstanding customer service. It’s all about the customer in today’s world.
We are confident that customer experiences will surpass price and product as key brand differentiation factors. According to the same report, 86% of buyers will pay more for a better experience. Brands can gain a competitive edge by managing customer service.
But what is customer experience?
A recent Forbes study defines customer experience as “rich interchanges between customers and the organizations with whom they choose to do business.” This requires personalized insights, connected interactions, and an agile approach to meeting customers wherever they choose.
This means you must have the data and information you need about your customers to meet their needs and reach them with the exemplary product/service at the right time and on the right channel or platform.
It’s not about repeating the same thing over and over. It’s about continuously exploring new customer preferences and trends and finding creative ways to meet these needs.
Customer Experience
52% of executives believe that a data-driven marketing strategy with a data-driven analytics system is essential to delivering a superior customer experience. You must look at all data to understand your customers’ needs and provide the best customer experience.
How can you make big data work for your customers? Let’s look at four key steps:
Identify your Unique Selling Proposition
You can start improving your customer experience by identifying and implementing your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). What is it that makes your customer experience different from the rest? What are customers most impressed by your service?
Understanding your strengths is crucial to be able to capitalize on them. You should also identify your strengths, whether they are customer referral programs or loyalty rewards that keep them coming back for more.
Map out your Customer Journey
An eMarketer survey revealed that 55% of marketers don’t believe their company understands the customer journey despite its importance.
The customer journey map depicts the customer’s experience from the moment they first become aware of you to the time after-sales service.
What is the journey of customers to your store or website? Data analytics can help you map the customer journey and determine their route purchase.
Mapping your customer journey can give you valuable insights into your customers’ expectations of your company. It will also help you predict customer behavior to respond to them faster and better.
Determine your crucial business channels.
B2B companies can now reach buyers via a variety of channels online and offline. In today’s market, this omnichannel marketing strategy is so crucial that 89% of companies with robust omnichannel strategies retain their customers. Conversely, 33% of those with weak omnichannel strategies lose their customers.
Once you have mapped your customer journey, it is time to inventory your company’s business channels and digital advertising strategies. Data analytics can help determine if your channels generate leads and revenue.
Streamline your Customer Experience
The customer journey you have mapped against the channels and customer touch points you use is a comparison. Are you reaching your buyers at the right place?
Buyers communicate with brands today through multiple channels and touchpoints. How can you sync these systems to provide a seamless journey?
An Accenture study found that 89% of customers get frustrated when they repeatedly address their concerns to different representatives through different channels. You can streamline customer service by using the data you have analyzed.