Product quality and customer experience are the foundation of business success stories. However, as the world of business evolves, many companies separate themselves from their competition by focusing on the customer experience. The customer experience encapsulates the entirety of the interactions with a brand or product. The experience includes phone and in-person interactions, website navigation, mobile device accessibility, and traditional support documentation. A good customer experience means more sales and product loyalty.
Responsive Sites on Different Devices
Consumers prefer to shop online and many are increasingly using their mobile devices to make comparisons and shop from anywhere. Websites need to be responsive to a variety of devices and the sites need to respond to a variety of customer needs at any one time. This sophistication will become an essential component of any successful business built for growth.
Personal Customer Experiences
As businesses begin to incorporate an awareness of the customer experience into their plans, the concept of personalization emerges as a primary concern. Consumers are increasingly looking for online and in-store experiences that reflect their habits and desires. Customized content on landing pages, recommendations, and email notifications of relevant offers all can combine to create more personalized and quality experiences.
Consistent Sales In-Store & Online
Many businesses combine online and in-store presences. Consistent information across this spectrum is critical for the consumer experience. Seeing one offer online and getting different pricing or availability information in-store or on the phone leads to a poor experience. Additionally, websites need to present information across a variety of devices (desktop, mobile, tablet) in a consistent and easy-to-use fashion. This concept, called responsive web design, is more important than ever with the explosive dependence upon mobile devices.
Respond on Social Media
Hand-in-hand with responsive web design comes the complete integration of your online presence with social media channels. Most companies have some presence on Twitter, Facebook, or other media channels, but fewer are using these tools to their full advantage. Of course, one drawback of these tools is that while they can be good at promoting a brand, they can also be used by consumers to point out bad experiences and these instances can be disasters for companies.
Therefore, using and responding to customers’ use of social media is an important part of a company’s plan to create and maintain a responsive customer experience. Companies who fail to respond to social media are penalized while those companies that do respond and make changes are rewarded with positive reviews and more business.
In-Site Online Reviews
In much the same way that you might turn to a friend for a recommendation, the increasingly networked world is turning to online reviews and recommendations for guidance. Shoppers want verifiable, trustworthy, user-generated reviews of products and services and they want these reviews incorporated into the website. Online reviews are powerful ways to increase commerce, but your product or service must be good or else you will suffer the wrath of poor reviews!
The emerging concept of the customer experience encompasses all aspects of a consumer’s interaction and perception of a specific company or brand. From basic advertising collateral through store design to online interactions, the landscape is broad and less forgiving. Mistakes are amplified through social media. However, the reward for creating and sustaining a good customer experience are worth the thoughtful investment in creating such an experience.
Bill Brinkley has assisted insurance agents with promoting their products and reaching their goals for over fifteen years. He specializes in using cutting-edge techniques in online marketing to get agents more leads and grow their business. Bill likes helping and watching businesses grow.