For years, many businesses are adapting to digital. But then, the COVID-19 pandemic happened. So, digital transformation is a matter of survival for some of them to engage with customers, partners, and employees. Some retailers have made an extensive update on their apps for consumers to opt for curbside pick-up and delivery to keep generating revenues.
Despite the recent update regarding the situation, 38 percent of respondents of CMS Wire’s October C-Suite poll are not expecting operations to stabilize until about the second quarter of 2021. The digital transformation that many businesses have done is here to stay and likey to keep evolving rapidly. Furthermore, in resuming growth, digital customer experiences will be increasingly crucial. Hence, to drive loyalty and development in 2021, customer experience professionals have to focus on the convergence of customer experience and digital.
Below are three crucial areas of focus for doing so:
Speed Up Innovation Via Agile
In 2020, many companies have to adapt their business models expeditiously. Thus, this trend is likely to be the new norm. Also, many aspects of them, such as the value proposition, delivery models, costs, and infrastructure, may have considerable differences in the of 2021 compared to today.
For customer experience leaders, it will be a challenge to keep adjusting their strategies according to new realities. In fact, the world is increasingly becoming digital, so companies will choose the right tool through unique and competitive digital experiences that attract consumers to their brand. In other words, digital enablement will encourage CX innovation. Hence, being agile is crucial.
In the same poll, 75 percent of respondents presume that the long-term effects of the pandemics will make us work with more agility. Also, it demands good internal alignment, among other things. Indeed, Forrester predicts that marketing and CX roles will become more interconnected in its study, Accelerating Out of The Crisis, with loyalty and retention marketing spending increasing by 30 percent in 2021.
Incorporate Digital And Analog Experiences Across The Customer Journey
The engagement of consumers can only continue to move towards digital and away from touchpoints in person or “analog.” Several companies have introduced point solutions to speed up their digital drive, from e-commerce to remote workforce platforms. But humans are social beings naturally and will want to be in a group (and need to), so analog touchpoints will remain a keystone of consumer journeys.
Consider the drive-through COVID testing as an example. Digital technology supports activities such as preparing, supplying data and producing outcomes, but the experience still takes place in a physical location.
The same is true of the pick-up from curbside retail. Ordering can be effortless, but the experience may fail if the signage outside is vague or the ordered product is not currently in stock when the customer arrives.
Using All Client Data To Push The CX Strategy
Today, the meanings of what “good” looks like are continually evolving, shifting their attitudes and buying habits in turn. And target markets are also changing as market models change to meet new demands. Companies need to consider who their potential clients are and what they want to create loyalty. Therefore, segmentation must become a continuous practice rather than a periodic one.
The thread which connects all aspects of the CX strategy is customer data. It helps us to please consumers where they are with what they need. We have been the beneficiary of rising consumer data volumes for years. We now have even more data at our disposal with the rapid digital experience journey of the past six months to recognize key consumer segments.
Nearly 30 percent of leaders agree in our C-suite poll that consumer data and surveys are relevant right now, behind only financial data to inform business decisions. We need to coordinate it during the customer journey to get full value from the data. This form of analysis can involve moving data between parties, depending on how a customer trip progresses from purchase to success. So, for companies that have not already implemented analytics or explored the possibilities for using new data, this will be a specific challenge.
Generally speaking, digital transformation does not happen overnight. Hence, businesses have to pick and choose the best opportunities for creating new customized digital experiences that enhance all of the customer’s journey.
