Opinion: "The present and future of customer experience"
A strong, customer-centric digital experience is key to driving positive interactions and loyalty, says Leesa Wytock
Within the last few years, digital has become the primary driving force in the customer journey, helping brands acquire and serve customers and develop audiences in more diverse ways than ever before. Here are some brief but insightful takeaways on the state of digital customer experience today and some predictions for the near future.
If we look at customer experience in the long form, digital added more touchpoints for a brand to engage with customers. On the flip side, it also provides more opportunity for brands to have an inauthentic experience with customers and lose them. Digital (and mobile) has created these micro-moment possibilities and what brands do with that – no matter how small that moment seems – can have major impact. It’s important that brands become omni-channel, but with purpose. Just because you can be everywhere doesn't mean you should.
Brands really need to up their mobile-first game. For a growing part of the population, the only way they experience a brand is through their mobile device. How can brands create really meaningful, mobile engagements that take into account people’s environmental context? Retail brands do a good job of this using NFC/beacons to push promos in store and even outside.
But, the debate around invisible interfaces continues. Consumers will begin to suffer from ‘app fatigue’ as more services and brands base their platforms on invisible interfaces. Think things like Digit or Nest; these aren't really totally invisible, just reduced to really effective micro-interactions. With less face time with consumers, brands really need to deliver and engage enough to sustain a relationship. Instead of jumping in fully, brands should think about the right mix of interface interaction.
Yet, our standards for good CX have risen. My wine club Bonny Doon is a small shop but every interaction with it is 100%. Its personality shines through and its customer experience makes a complicated issue simple. Perhaps the big brands need to look at smaller companies that are still focused on the comprehensive customer experience.
An organization that does not invest in digital customer experience risks more than just its reputation – it risks its bottom line. With more customers engaging on their mobile devices, a strong, customer-centric digital experience is key to driving positive interactions and loyalty.
Leesa Wytock is director of digital activation at Siegel+Gale. Siegel+Gale are sponsoring the Transform North America conference on 27 October in New York City. This conference covers an abundance of topics including brand development, rebranding and reputation management. The full programme and more information on our fantastic speakers can be viewed here. To book, follow this link.
