How to map out a successful digital customer experience strategy in four steps
Customer experience has become an important focal point for businesses in today’s consumer-driven climate. According to Gartner, 89% of companies expect to compete mostly on the basis of customer experience. Digitally-led customer experience strategies are at the core of delivering the right content, to the right person, at the right place and time to match consumer expectations.
As technology solutions evolve and refine so do consumers, expecting and demanding more information to be easily accessible and readily available at any time, on any platform. Deloitte advises that businesses must change the way they interact with their customers, as a result of a sharp increase in the time spent accessing information via tech mediums such as mobile devices and tablets. It is natural that in today’s fast-paced, solution-focused world of technology, customers expect a seamless experience when interacting with any medium, be it mobile, tablet or website. Although this might not be an easy feat for marketers with tight deadlines and pressure from global offices, optimising customer experience will continue to be a key driver of brand loyalty, resulting in sales.
To ensure a positive customer experience, companies that are looking to nurture their brand’s global success must find the perfect balance between consistency and local relevancy. Here are some key tips which will help your business curate culturally appropriate content for your target audience, regardless of their location or culture:
Know your customer
Consumer behaviour continues to fluctuate along with the ever-evolving digital customer experience trends and shifts in technology. As a result, businesses need to mould to their customers’ wants and needs by producing meaningful content and ideally resulting in a significant increase in consumer engagement. According to an international study reported by Retailing Today, 78% of consumers make repeat purchases when they are offered a personalised promotion, and 74% will go on to buy something new. Despite this trend, less than 30% of the companies surveyed were investing heavily in personalisation, missing an important opportunity.
Make it personal
The discerning consumers of the 21st century no longer respond well, if at all, to mass marketing; they are unique and they know it. Having the ability to easily access fit for purpose content not only makes them feel valued, it is expected. To respond to this need, marketers must focus on developing localised and personalised content, drawing insights directly from consumers’ experience. Cultural nuisances, language and customs must all be considered to come across as truly personalised content. Tools such as data analytics platforms can significantly enhance personalisation of content as they map out consumer preferences and help link these to the core strategies and tactics of the business.
Adopt a global outlook
Keep an open mind and flexible plan when dealing with business processes and customs in differing cultures. This will inevitably help your business work, connect and succeed across the globe as it takes on new markets. A Common Sense Advisory study shows that 75% of more than 3,000 consumers whose native language wasn’t English said they were more likely to buy a product with information listed in their primary language. What’s more, 30% of those surveyed said they never bought products from English-language websites. These findings prove that language matters and a global outlook can help marketers build and enhance loyalty among differing audiences by ensuring value and relevancy, regardless of location or background. To determine what channels to focus on in order to maximise profitability, you must draw out each market’s buyer personas, identify teams responsible for implementing your digital customer experience strategy and make sure you have the necessary technologies and tools to do so at pace and with accuracy.
Team up with the experts
Whether a business wants to maintain its global reach or extend it exponentially, to maximise results, it must regularly consult market experts who can assist in the refinement of digital customer experience strategies and campaigns. To achieve high quality, locally-relevant content, digitally savvy marketing teams can partner with localisation experts and language service providers to ensure a seamless and efficient planning and execution process.
Realising a successful digital customer experience strategy largely depends on interacting with your target audience through value-driven campaigns and tactics. Understanding consumer sentiment while staying on top of digital customer experience trends means you can deliver an unforgettable customer experience that helps build brand loyalty and trust.