Creating a positive digital customer experience has become more important over the past couple of years. Consumers have become quite comfortable interacting with brands digitally, such as on their desktop or with their tablet or cell phone. Leaving a strong positive emotion after such experiences has a rather big impact. In fact, 92% of customers who indicated a high positive emotion after an online interaction, said they were likely to purchase more from that company. Your customers will digitally interact with your company throughout their customer journey. You want to be sure that they can find what they are looking for, with little effort, and feel good about it. Let’s explore the stages of your customer’s journey and find ways to create an outstanding digital customer experience every step of the way!
Awareness
When a new customer first notices your brand, you want them to hear good things. Reviews from happy customers, or being featured by an influencer will help create a positive emotion for your brand. Creating authentic messaging across your social channels, as well as optimizing your website for SEO (search engine optimization), will help potential customers find you.
Discovery
When your customers are in this phase, what information are they looking for? Is it easy for them to navigate your website and find the answers to their questions? If they have specific questions, is it easy for them to initiate a conversation? Taking a good look at these questions from the customer’s perspective will help to improve the digital customer experience at this stage. For example, if new customers often look for prices first, make it easy to find. If you don’t have a price list, or it is buried deep within your website, your new customer may give up and go elsewhere. Either way the cumbersome experience leaves them with a negative feeling.
Evaluate
Customers have so many options these days as well as all the tools to compare. Try to understand what aspects of your offering provide the most value to your customers. Be sure to highlight these strengths across all digital channels, so customers get consistent messaging.
Conversion
Customers expect an easy and secure way to purchase from your website. When your customers are ready to check out, they look forward to an easy transaction. Are you getting customers to fill their “cart” but fail to follow through with their purchase? Perhaps they were surprised to see the extra shipping fees or the long delivery estimate. This digital customer experience may be improved by having this information available before they commit to shopping. For example, you could add a banner at the top of your site that indicates free shipping with a minimum order.
Experience and Support
Providing your customers with a positive digital experience doesn’t end after they purchase. You have an incredible opportunity here to boost loyalty! Interact with your customers across social media, providing them with tips, tricks, or special offers. Furthermore, when customers experience a challenge after their purchase, they expect a quick resolution. Do you have a quick and easy way for customers to solve common issues? And a fast way to escalate more complex problems? Creating a positive digital experience at this stage will have a huge impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Repeat and Refer
At this stage you want to encourage your happy customers to leave a positive review to help your future customers in the awareness and discovery stages. Make it easy for your customers to purchase from you again by suggesting products that fit their personal situation. You can also take this opportunity to advertise a referral program.
In order to create a positive digital experience for your customers at each of these stages, it is important to ask for and listen to feedback. Consider creating a general feedback tab on your website to make it easy for customers to communicate their thoughts, wherever they are in their journey. By focusing on the digital customer experience, you make it easier for new customers to purchase your offering today as well as increase the lifetime value of your customers! Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need some help!