Providing a great customer experience has been the key differentiator of a successful business for a while now. We knew that consumers with excellent customer experiences are 140% more likely to purchase than those with bad experiences. However, the momentum of digital transformation has increased beyond our expectations with the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the past two years, customer behavior and habits have rapidly adapted to the digital world. During this period, businesses that have learned, adapted, and adopted these new technologies and approaches concerning the changing customer journey have seen more than six times greater growth in year-on-year profitability. And now, we need to redefine the customer journey for what we call the new normal.
Strategy for Customer Journey
Because regardless of industry, customer centricity is our goal now. This is why in this article, we are going to share strategies for the new customer journey that drive engagement and loyalty.
These strategies revolve around the five core digital customer behaviors: Access, Engage, Customize, Connect, and Collaborate.
As we are all aware, living in a digital world translates into speed, accuracy, and most importantly, accessibility. Hence, the first CX strategy that provides for the core of the digital customer journey is giving your prospective customers access to the service, product, or experience you offer the moment they need it.
In this sense, not only approaching your target customers at the right customer touchpoints and channels but also always providing them information or direct service you offer is crucial. For example, you can provide such info via on-demand videos or voice-activated devices, or you can offer location-specific services. Of course, when we talk about accessibility in the digital world, offering your services with fast loading speeds is a must.
To determine how you can improve accessibility to your customers, ask yourselves: How can you put your customers in control of their journey? Are there any channels or approaches you're missing out on?
CX Strategy
To create engagement with today's digitally savvy customers, you need responsive and helpful content targeting their needs and pain points.
Because only through addressing their specific needs can you build relationships to convert them. In this sense, a solid strategy for the customer journey must include content that will communicate with customers both explicitly and implicitly.
It can start from creating how-to content to branded games, or you can utilize social media platforms to gather customer insights about your company and start conversations. If you execute the right content and communication strategy that puts your customers first, you will see how it improves site visits and overall sales with a trustworthy brand image. Remember, as you reiterate your engagement strategy, attentiveness to your customers' needs at every possible angle will be the key to success.
Only if you understand their wants and needs can you build a trustworthy relationship as you convert them to be your customers. And to bring value to your tech solutions, first, you need to address a reason to offer your services to them.
The new customer journey requires benefiting from the wide range of customer data powered by digital transformation to offer them customized and curated experiences. To provide these kinds of offerings businesses need to embrace automation while utilizing first-party data and customer insights.
Customers continuously encounter ads that don't necessarily address them and simply move on. But personalized marketing actions or multiple product options that are specifically designed for them will improve their customer experience and consequently your conversion rate and customer lifetime value.
As digital experiences evolve, consumers have started demanding to connect with companies in a meaningful way. They now want communication and chances for expression not only with the brands but also with other customers.
It’s one of the reasons why influencer marketing’s rise is unstoppable: People want to trust. And communication is the key to that trust. In this sense, consider including not only influencer marketing but also community management and social media monitoring into your marketing strategies. Because the connection you create with them and each other will not only promote your brand with word-of-mouth marketing but also bring you the customer loyalty you seek.
Customer Journey Strategy
Adapting to the new customer journey starts with changing our mindsets about it. For example, customers are determiners of a company’s value, and their contribution isn’t necessarily passive all the time.
You can actively invite them to collaborate with your brand, utilizing crowdsourcing, starting competitions, or benefiting from their ratings and reviews. If you include them in your brand-building actions, the insights you gain from them can help your product development, customer retention, and significantly improve engagement rates. Not to mention how a collaborative brand-building strategy can lead to a long-term commitment that will empower sustainable business growth.
