6 key areas to focus on to achieve a positive omnichannel CX
Even if your customer experience is good in all areas, if it doesn’t effortlessly transfer from channel to channel, you haven’t mastered omnichannel ― yet. That’s why being consistent with CX is first in our list of the six things you should focus on to truly deliver the most sublime customer experience.
1. Consistency and branding
Customers today expect to have a choice of channels and want to be able to switch between them effortlessly, with no real sense of a switch at all. They expect the same level of service and information regardless of which channel they use. Consistency is vital.
The first thing you can do to promote consistency is a review of your content to check your tone of voice is the same across all channels. Also, that information about your business, products and services is up to date throughout and is the same in every place it appears.
2. Customer needs and preferences
Where you show up for customers and having consistent branding in every place far outweighs how many channels you appear on, so we recommend you choose them wisely from the outset. It’s way harder to close down a channel than it is to start one, so pick the channels your customers want and need and would choose for you to have.
To be able to give your customers the right channels ie. the channels they will readily accept and happily use, you’ll first need to plot the customer journey. How do people find you? What leads them to the checkout? What do they do after they’ve bought from you? All this informs what channels you should offer to people to keep them close to your brand.
3. Response times and self-service
Research shows a quarter of people expect a response within 30 minutes to enquiries on social media. Almost 60% say they expect that same response level during the day and night. High demands they might be, but they reflect our era of instant gratification. Faster response times need to be a priority for anyone wanting to deliver on customer experience.
Another favourite among customers is convenience. Save people time or give them what they want for less effort and the happier they will be. This too is tied up in giving people what they want, when they want it, even if your team are all asleep in bed. Consider ways for customers to self-serve on your channels for unbeatable, convenient CX.
4. Data analytics and Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Without data, it’s difficult to know what people want and need from you and how to deliver an experience that meets their expectations. Collect as much data as you can to tailor your CX to the specific needs of your customers and anticipate what they might need in future.
If you don’t already have a CRM system in place, consider getting one to follow who your customers are. Your CRM stores all your customer data including contact and purchase history, which helps you track the all-important customer journey we mentioned earlier, so you can get to know your customers better and be clear on what they like.
5. Personalising customer experience
For a single unified view of each customer, consider extending your CRM into a Customer Data Platform. You can then collect information about your customers from multiple sources (including your CRM) to personalise things for them which, in turn, brings a deeper sense of joy to their experience. You can not only personalise emails and offers, you can recommend products and services that match their buyer behaviour, offering a convenient, frictionless way for them to interact with your brand.
When you address customers directly with personalised marketing efforts, it helps build their trust in you. Show your people how well you know them; what they like and don’t like, make a recommendation or two, and deliver that same sublime CX on every channel.
6. Building familiarity and training
Marketing experts exploring how many ads the average person sees every day estimate anything from 4,000 to 10,000. That’s a lot of noise for you to cut through. A consistent message will help create a sense of familiarity with your brand, bringing comfort to buyers so they arrive virtually or physically through your door, not one of your competitors.
It’s not only your customers you need to build close relationships with either, it’s your teams as well. Make sure you train them on what your brand message is and who it represents. Share knowledge about the customer journey, people’s preferences and habits, and teach your team how to interpret data or use the CRM. Get everyone involved with improving omnichannel customer experience to make a true success of it.
Improving the customer experience not only increases sales, but also customer retention, loyalty, and satisfaction, as well as your business efficiency and brand reputation.
