In the past, a good customer experience has been about the friendly in-person service you deliver. Digital technology has changed that.
Today’s consumer want to have a smooth, worthwhile digital experience that allows them to seamlessly interact with your brand and its offerings. But this is no longer merely optional: the digital experience has become a fundamental aspect of attracting and retaining customers, and staying ahead in the market.
Consequently, it’s vital for businesses to take steps to meet consumer expectations and create a good experience through technology.
Experiences and customer loyalty are closely linked
According to a new report from software and solutions provider SAP, although 22 per cent of the Australian consumers surveyed are with the digital experiences they are being provided, almost half claimed to be dissatisfied. This suggests that there is a significant disconnection between what consumers expect and what they are actually receiving.
This lack of emphasis on providing a good digital experience could have measurable consequences for business, with the report showing that there is a direct correlation to how loyal customers are to a business. As a result, organisations that want to retain their customers and prevent them from swapping to competitors will need to improve their approach to the digital.
Factors that influence the experience
SAP says that there are a number of components that make up a digital experience, including mobile optimisation, responsiveness, cohesion, simplicity, customisability and interactability. But incorporating these aspects into your digital strategy requires more than technical ability. SAP Australia and New Zealand’s Head of Corporate Global Affairs, Perry Manross, argues that it is an extensive process that affects all levels of the business.
“The process is across the entire organisation, not one department,” he said.
“It is not just ‘let us whack up a good website’, but [consider] what is the whole digital process across all elements of the business? What is it that you are genuinely trying to do? It is also about the top down culture of the company.”
Mr Manross adds that it is essential to have good, company-wide collaboration in order to deliver a truly meaningful experience to customers.
“As the findings indicate, organisations that perform best are those who unite their people and processes on a single system to deliver on their customers’ relentlessly increasing demands,” he said.
While the digitisation process can seem intimidating, it’s apparent that it can provide substantial rewards for the companies that embrace it, and allow them to become more competitive than ever.