A new Forrester report, The State of CRM, reveals that customer experience is the most important factor when it comes to customer loyalty. Brands that provide a better experience are more likely to be chosen again over others. This is true even when factors such as price and product are considered.
The State of CRM
800 executives and 1,500 employees around the globe reveal how to use CRM as the cornerstone for growth, productivity, and business resiliency.
The entire purchasing experience should lead to a positive emotional reaction. Today, businesses need to create exceptional customer experiences to stay competitive.
What is the digital customer experience?
As retail goes digital, a new form of customer experience is becoming more important: the digital customer experience. The digital customer experience can be summarized as:
All online interactions customers have with your brand, from the first moment of truth to the last.
Providing a good digital customer experience has become a key goal for businesses all over the world. especially since the start of the pandemic. 73% of businesses in the Middle East say they plan to invest in new technologies to improve their overall digital customer experience.
Why are Middle Eastern businesses shifting to customer-centric models?
The Forrester report is a compelling argument for continued digital transformation in the Middle East. Most of the respondents agree that creating a good ‘digital experience’ is their main priority going forward. Ahead of improving ‘customer service tools’ and ‘customer service technology.’
In the Middle East, having a great digital customer experience is a key driver of success. It is one of the best ways businesses distinguish themselves from the competition.
85% of business leaders said they plan to use their CRM platforms to create a digital-first approach to sales, service, and marketing.
The reasons behind this shift are clear. Businesses are reacting to the changes brought about by COVID-19. Including the rise of new online channels in the purchasing journey.
5 tips for improving the Digital Customer Experience
Improving the digital customer experience is only possible with the right tools. Yet, when done right it can be a huge benefit. Here are 5 tips that any business can use to improve their digital experience.
1. The adoption and integration of CRM throughout the organisation
Customer relationship management (CRM) tools are the key drivers behind digital transformation. Consumers expect instant gratification when buying online. CRM tools like Service Cloud are built for exactly that. They allow businesses to connect with their customers and provide unique experiences.
2. Improving the employee experience
One of the key factors behind offering a great customer experience is providing a good employee experience. This is also true for online sales channels. Employees that are well-trained with digital tools can use them effectively with their customers.
3. Mapping the customer journey
Journey mapping is the creation of a map of all the interactions a customer has with the brand. Journey mapping lets businesses study customer interactions from the first moment to the last.
This is useful when it comes to creating buyer personas. Buyer personas allow businesses to create bespoke strategies for different audiences.
4. Consistency across all channels
Customers are now expecting ‘Amazon-like’ services from businesses of all sizes. Businesses that do not provide an omnichannel strategy are getting left behind. This means that businesses need to be consistent and unified across mobile, desktop, email, social media, and offline.
An exceptional digital customer experience depends on an omnichannel strategy.
5. Leveraging AI-powered automation
AI-powered automation, like Einstein AI, is the next huge innovation in the digital customer experience. Einstein AI improves the customer experience by providing swift answers to customer queries. It also improves the employee experience through data-backed recommendations and automatically applied predictions.
Measuring the Digital Customer Experience
The digital customer experience is a product of digital transformation. With customer-centricity on the rise, it has been brought to the forefront of business objectives in the Middle East.
Yet the first step in creating a memorable digital customer experience is to measure it. Digital processes need lots of data to provide actionable insights.
If you want to find out more about what metrics to measure when creating great digital experiences, download The State of CRM.
The State of CRM
800 executives and 1,500 employees around the globe reveal how to use CRM as the cornerstone for growth, productivity, and business resiliency.
