Written by: Wayne Elsey, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
It doesn’t take a genius to know that businesses operate in a hypercompetitive environment. As a result, it means that companies have to continually innovate, adapt, and harness the potential of data. But one of the most fundamental things that has become apparent, especially with the power of technology, is that the one-size-fits-all solutions are a thing of the past. As a result, your customers want a bespoke customer experience (CX).
Let’s step back to step forward a bit. To realize how important the customer experience is ingrained, all you have to do is think of social media or online streaming. In both cases, everyone in your household using the same platforms will get entirely different results when they're looking at their social feed or streaming a movie or series. And the more people engage, we know the algorithms get better and continue to serve content tailored to the individual.
People know this, and for better or worse, customers expect a tailored approach to their interactions with brands. As a result, in a hyper-competitive business climate, an optimum CX is one critical approach for any company. My company team believes in it to such a degree that it's a core value of what we do. In short, we make an effort to treat every customer on the customer journey as the only and best customer we have—meaning we go out of our way to do our best.
The customer experience imperative
Exceptional customer experiences are the cornerstone of business today and make some companies all-stars. The fact is that providing a superior CX is a way to stand out from the crowd. Let’s explore some of the ways that it benefits the companies that reinvent and reposition their brands to become customer-centric.
1. Differentiation in a crowded marketplace
First and foremost, one of the reasons that our brands have become the best in the nation in what we do is because of our commitment to the customer experience. We were one of the first in the market, and today we have numerous competitors. However, we retain our market position and, in the process, stand out from others. Moreover, we have long-standing relationships with our partners, which we value—and they know it.
2. Customer loyalty and retention
Let's face it: customer service has become deficient in recent years. Much communication has become automated and digitized, and not always for the better. We know tech isn't going anywhere. However, brands that know how to improve customers' digital experience have higher retention and loyalty. 86% of customers will leave a brand after over two bad experiences.
3. Positive word of mouth and brand reputation
A way for brands to promote their companies is through word of mouth and sharing. Those activities provide the social proof necessary to build brand reputations. Something our team does because we are so focused on the CX, and we know it's a differentiator for us, is to ask for positive online reviews. The truth is when your brand culture is about doing outstanding work, people want to share with others, and that only benefits the brand.
The power of data-driven personalization
It’s impossible to speak about CX without speaking about data-driven personalization. We’re incredibly fortunate to have technology that can do great things to personalize the customer experience. Today's discerning consumer expects personalization, and they want the brands they support to target their personal preferences.
1. Meeting customer expectations
Because today's customer experience involves highly personalized experiences, brands need to offer their audiences custom content. How? It doesn't have to be complicated. For example, customer preferences can be captured in CRM software. Additionally, brands can get in the habit of providing recommendations based on past purchases.
2. Improved customer engagement
A critical way to increase customer engagement and improve CX is to use data to provide unique opportunities to customers. By crunching the data, doing surveys, and engaging with customers about what works and what doesn’t, brands can create the right mix of offers and promotions to incentivize customers to stay connected.
3. Enhanced conversion rates
Again, as mentioned earlier, one-size-fits-all doesn't work anymore. Companies that do it likely have lower conversion rates. Instead, businesses do better for their customers by figuring out how to deliver personalized recommendations, content, support, etc. And as a result, they boost their bottom-line sales revenue with improved conversation rates.
4. Data-driven decision making
Leaders within companies need to realize that data empowers customers but also allows companies. Increasingly, and with the right platforms, data, and metrics can provide more and more granular insights into customers. One strategic essential to do is to lean into data-driven decision-making.
5. Increased Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
Personalization impacts customer lifetime value. Therefore, companies can deepen meaningful relationships by consistently offering customers a customized path on their CX journey. Ultimately, these relationships convert into repeat purchases because of brand loyalty and trust that customers will receive from a specific brand a promise of high-quality and a great CX.
Implementing personalization
Fortunately, there are plenty of great ways for brands to implement an incredible customer experience with the support of tech and other resources. However, there are some quick tips to keep in mind for implementing CX personalization.
Collect and lean into data.
Segment audiences as much as your platforms allow.
Personalize communications and treat your audiences well. Make them feel special.
Always test and optimize your content. Testing is one of the essential aspects of CX.
Lean into privacy and security because customers care how you handle it.
The competitive business landscape
The genie is out of the bottle, and continuous disruption and innovation are baked into the business landscape. Moreover, there's a massive amount of noise—all vying for your customers' attention. That means that brands need to step up and differentiate themselves. And when there's been a shift from quality and personal CX to a DIY approach, your brand can stand out by going the other way and offering an excellent experience.
© 2023 Wayne Elsey. All Rights Reserved.
Wayne Elsey, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Wayne Elsey is the founder and CEO of Elsey Enterprises. Among his independent brands, he is also the founder and CEO of Funds2Orgs. This social enterprise helps nonprofits, schools, churches, civic groups, individuals, and others raise funds while helping to support micro-enterprise (small business) opportunities in developing nations and the environment.
