expressed opinion entrepreneur Contributors are themselves.
It turns out that the discrepancy between the quality of digital experiences customers report and what businesses think they offer online is more pronounced than previously thought.
Only 10% of global customers Agree that brands deliver great digital experiences, while 82% of marketers feel they are meeting customer experience (CX) expectations. This dire statistic is a call to action for businesses everywhere – they must prioritize and optimize their online customer experience to meet customer expectations, or risk lost revenue and damaged reputation.
Predicting what customers want from their digital experience through rigorous analytics can have a significant impact on a brand’s success. By adopting best practices, strategies, and tools, businesses across industries can close the gap between what they think they deliver and the experience customers report.
Related: What Customers Expect From a Digital Experience
Digital experiences can make or break a brand
Digital experiences are critical to a company’s profitability and longevity, yet customers feel like their expectations are not being met on digital platforms.total 54% of US customers Saying that the user experience (UX) of a brand’s website needs improvement. Brands must listen to their customers and understand all issues within the digital experience, taking swift steps to address points of friction.
Responding to issues as they arise is critical, but so is being proactive when developing digital experiences. Brands must work hard to anticipate customer needs and design platforms with changing customer preferences in mind.
Eliminate corporate blind spots with CX enhancements
Every company has blind spots – business leaders don’t understand what their customers want, so they invest in the wrong areas. Knowing exactly where customers are experiencing pain points instead of guessing is the key to delivering better CX. Executives must take steps to investigate and close this “digital experience gap.”
Using tools to uncover hidden problem areas offers the opportunity to correct them – giving customers a reason to come back and stay loyal to your brand and website.recent implement learning Breaks down several key areas where customers experience the greatest pain points:
- Nearly 20% of customers abandon a website after one bad experience.
- Previous positive experiences with a brand influence where they make new purchases.
- Half of customers will abandon a brand they have been loyal to for more than a year due to poor CX.
- Poor customer experience and low-quality products are equally harmful to brands.
- The main reasons for negative CX are slow response times and lack of 24/7 customer service. Customers expect an answer within the hour.
- All customers expect to use self-service options to resolve issues independently.
It only takes one wrong move for a customer to give up their goodwill with a brand. Companies are increasingly relying on modern digital tools to help identify sources of customer dissatisfaction and reduce site abandonment.
Related: 5 ways to show customers you know them in a digital-first world
Proven Strategies for Solving Problems in the CX Field
total 86% of customers say they are ready to pay more for a better customer experience, making improvements to the digital experience an opportunity to increase revenue. Implementing technology that can help businesses anticipate customer needs and respond to user questions in real time can improve conversions and efficiency. Proven strategies include:
- use of artificial intelligence: Implementing an AI-driven digital experience analytics platform enables businesses to proactively identify and resolve issues arising through customer feedback and interaction data.
- Prioritize the self-service model: Customers expect immediate answers to any questions they may have, without having to deal with a customer service representative. Combine chatbots, dynamic FAQs, and a semantic search engine to help customers easily find answers.
- personalise: Personalizing the digital experience for each customer is critical because Nearly three quarters of customers Expect personalized interactions. Additionally, 76% feel frustrated when personal interaction is not provided.
The Power of Data and Analytics
Without a solid understanding of how customers navigate their digital platforms, businesses cannot close the digital experience gap and meet customer expectations. To achieve this understanding, they can integrate analytics solutions, such as Digital Experience Intelligence (DXI) platforms, to capture and analyze 100 percent of cross-channel customer interactions.
With the DXI Platform serving as a single source of truth, analytics can be used by various teams to help businesses prioritize and make rapid data-driven decisions about customer experience improvements. Teams are instantly alerted to technical issues on a brand’s website or mobile app so they can be resolved before they seriously impact revenue or customer experience, ensuring a smooth journey.
Related: 3 Tips for Using Consumer Data to Create More Personalized Experiences
Improving digital experiences today for the future
Closing the digital experience gap has never been more important. The customer journey is invaluable; maintaining a great digital experience requires teams working diligently behind the scenes to resolve any possible issues before they escalate.
Implementing a strategy that prioritizes anticipating and meeting customer needs ensures a brand’s long-term success. By adopting best practices, businesses across industries will soon deliver the premium experiences customers say are missing from their digital journeys.
