According to analysts, Gartner, 89% of companies expect to compete mostly on the basis of customer experience by 2016, compared with only 36% five years ago. This incredible jump indicates just how exponentially the importance of customer experience has grown and highlights how making customer experience count is absolutely critical to all businesses cross any vertical market
The reason for this is quite simple, brands no longer have a choice. In this current, highly connected world, nearly every organisation is working towards establishing a meaningful customer experience across all channels, and with mobile and social now so intrinsically ingrained in consumers’ daily routines, the expectation for complete and uninterrupted satisfaction has never been greater
So, what should marketers be doing in order to create a successful customer experience and where should they be concentrating their efforts?
The smartphone is often referred to as a consumer’s ‘extra limb’ and really has been a game changer when it comes to reaching audiences anywhere and at any time. Marketers should be taking advantage of this trend by providing an ever-increasing number of location-based offers. Applications should be created that take into account weather, time of day and personalised interaction to make purchase decisions easy and instinctive, because they match an individual’s behaviour and preference.
Another key consideration is personalisation. Data should drive the way marketers interact with their customers and brands should leverage the way in which mobile provides unparalleled opportunities to learn more about customers by analysing their interactions.
Lastly, be consistent. Consumers need to know what to expect, and a consistent brand experience will evoke a sense of comfort, familiarity and loyalty. This is why responsive design is so critical, it’s essential to ensure that your website recognises the device a consumer is using and delivers the optimised content to match it.
Ultimately, the key is to capture customer attention by reflecting what customers want to do, how they want to interact with your brand and by tapping into their likely behaviour, based on what you already know about them. But remember, one size won’t fit all, so know your target audience and what is best suited to their experience and tailor a personalised customer experience around them.
