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Author: Brian Gavin, Co-founder at Wally
As the buying potential of people increases through a diverse set of digital channels and experiences, values apart from the product start to matter.
It’s not just the 4Ps of marketing (product, price, place, and promotion) that matter now, but the entire marketing mix (7Ps of marketing – product, price, place, promotion, physical evidence, people, processes). That might have been a lot of jargon, let me simplify it for you.
According to a recent McKinsey report, 71% of customers now expect companies to deliver personalised interactions, with 76% of customers willing to switch if they have a bad experience. With the increased penetration of digital platforms into our daily lives, fueled by the massive growth of social media and mobile, your target customers are now experiencing unprecedented levels of connectivity that are driving their expectations.
With new technology disruptors emerging every two years, how do we best engage with our target customers? The businesses that adapt will thrive, while those that don’t, risk being left behind.
Empathy and AI
In today’s quick-moving digital scene, customers want more than just a product—they crave experiences that seem personal and meaningful. Brands that can use the big streams of data gathered from every interaction, whether online or offline have a chance to build stronger ties with their audience. Picture being able to guess what your customer needs before they even know it. By dividing your customer base—spotting your most faithful buyers and those falling through the cracks—you gain the power to tweak their experience. These insights become the basis for making customer journey maps that don’t just work, but amaze.
With advanced tools like machine learning and AI-powered chatbots, every point of contact can offer a chance to personalise. Whether it’s smart analytics guiding customers to what they need or chatbots that are smart and understanding, not just robotic, the options are limitless. Let’s face it, we’re in a time where people don’t just like a smooth tailored experience—they expect it.
UX Theories in Customer-centric platforms
Imagine you as a consumer browsing a site, making a transaction, or leaving feedback. You would want the process to be effortless and tailored to your needs. There cannot be a digital bias when it comes to customer experience as every interaction, no matter small or big should feel like it was designed specifically for the user.
Now, moving on to navigation, the biggest code to crack for a seamless digital experience. The smoother and intuitive it is, the more the user feels connected to the brand. Some helpful UX theories such as Hick’s Law (which helps simplify decision-making), Von Restorff Effect (which makes important things stand out), and Serial Position Effect(the psychological concept behind how users remember something) can work wonders in improving your platform experience.Most importantly, think about your customers buying habits. Do you have visitors who experience your brand first on social media or a search engine, browse on a mobile phone and then ultimately make a purchase on a laptop? Too many brands have quickly bolted on to support these channels but left the cohesive, unified experience on the sideline.
Turning Insights into Action
You’ve heard it before: data is the new oil.
Capturing customer feedback is the best way to identify recurring pain points and understand what needs fixing. Analyse your data to identify recurring themes, and take proactive steps to improve them. In fact, I would suggest you use the feedback to shape R&D and tweak the product roadmap. This needs to work in alignment with marketing and sales strategies to meet customer needs. In addition to this, focus on building a strong software infrastructure to improve your cyber-security. As it not only protects your customer data, but translates to a long term customer trust, loyalty and hence a better experience. The best type of customer feedback is sometimes not the obvious. So be creative and go beyond just analysing support inquiries, chat or phone conversations.
Expand your reach with Accessibility
While the majority of us spend countless hours and resources innovating our products to maximise returns from our target audience. We explore horizontal, vertical, or geographical diversification to reach new markets. Yet, we often overlook a substantial untapped audience. Consider this, 15% of the global population, or about 1 in 6 people, live with significant disabilities. These customers are very much part of our ideal customer profile but they never hear from most of us, just because our digital platforms are not accessible.
Digital accessibility is about ensuring your offerings are available to everyone, including those with disabilities. It requires your digital platforms, such as websites and mobile apps, to be accessible via assistive technologies like screen readers, screen magnifiers, keyboard navigation, and dictation software. By making your brand accessible, you’re not just showing your commitment to inclusivity; you’re also improving your website’s SEO. Accessibility should be inherently built into your digital platforms—incorporated into your website’s code, design, and content. Your customers will thank you, and you’ll gain a competitive edge in the market. This pairs perfectly with personalisation and intuitive design strategy.
A Roadmap
While the digital and physical worlds are converging, I expect omni-channel, unified-commerce or experience-driven integration as the norm, setting new standards. Imagine ordering a product online, and being able to return it in-store no matter where you are with a smooth experience. That’s the future.
Hyper personalisation is another trend that is picking up fast. Hyper personalisation, unlike personalisation which uses historical customer data, uses real-time data to provide a more customised and contextually relevant experience to users.I also expect accessibility to be built-in very soon. Integrating accessibility into your product from the start is not only easier but way more cost-effective than integrating it at a later point in time.
In conclusion, customer experience not only fosters a sense of connection but also contributes to a positive brand perception. By making personalised messaging, creating a seamless platform experience, using insights from customer feedback, and incorporating accessibility are all key to creating that fresh experience and boosting brand perception.
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