4 Ways to Win The Customer Experience

Brands are racing for ways to win the customer experience as more of us are looking at brands that take us on a journey. Today’s customer isn’t just price shopping they are willing to pay for experiences and great ones at that.

When customers have a positive experience with your brand they are likely to share it and as well become returning customers. Today it’s not enough to just have a great product or service but every step of the customer’s journey needs to be thought out from the point of view of the customer. We all know our customers are the backbone of any thriving business.

So let’s take a look at how brands can create experiences that matter.

1. Personalize

Customers don’t all want the same thing. Who doesn’t like to have something that no one else does? Though each customer is unique if you’re looking to engage your customers for the long term you need to make this a priority because consumers are demanding that brands make the effort to really get to know their wants and needs. So things such as keeping track of their past purchases, making suggestions of new products based on their purchase history, or even allowing the customer to be part of the creation of products are all ways of personalization.

2. Make The Experience Seamless

Whether it’s online or offline customers want ease. The easier you make the buying process or even the return process the more it enhances the experience. This idea trickles down to your customer service reps as well. When customers get on the phone with someone on your team they expect your team to help solve their problem concisely and quickly.

3. Understanding Your Customers

As brands, we’re always looking at data and sales. But these are only part of the story. You have to also understand who your customer is, not just their HHI, age, level of education etc. Get to know their likes, words or phrases their using to describe a problem your brand solves, and even dedicating someone to actively listen on social media to comments will help you better understand customers’ mindset.

Another way is to create a customer persona, giving a potential customer a name and lifestyle description. This will help your team to understand and recognize who they are dealing with.

4. Customer Feedback

In order to know if your customer experience is a winner or a loser, you’ll need to get feedback. Ideally, you want to capture immediate feedback after an interaction. It’s best to attach feedback to your team members in order to recognize those who are making an impact.

3 Ways Brands Redefine The Customer Experience

Brands, our customer's needs, and wants are constantly evolving at a faster pace that we can keep up. It’s key to be able to identify what your customer's specific needs are in order to better connect with them. Whether you’re actively listening on social media or offline, brands need to be limber in order to adjust accordingly.

The way customers experience your brand is key to building a sustainable brand for the long game. There are too many brands out there that are overnight sensations and gone the next. So if you’re looking to play the long game here’s what your brand can do.

1. AR That Brand

Augmented reality may be in its infancy but more brands are experimenting with it to create an experience that will stand out with endless possibilities. When it comes to shopping, some fashion brands have taken on the position of creating an entire experience which allows customers to shop online as if they were in a store. Sephora’s Visual Artist tools on its app allow you to try on lipstick and even eyelashes before you purchase the products. Buying furniture? Wayfair has created a 3D simulation on how furniture would look in a room allowing customers to better visualize the products in a space.

2. Save Time and Personalization

Consumers now are expecting these features from brands. Part of creating an experience you always want to ask yourself, is your brand saving the customer time? Or is it grabbing their attention at each step of the customer’s experience? When it comes to personalization, customers only want what relevant to them. In order to connect with customers, you need to market your brand in a way that is relevant to your customers. Successful personalization happens when there is a deep understanding of who your customer is, their preferences, likes, and dislikes. It’s no longer just about simple demographic information but it's about the customers’ mindset.

3. CEO’s Are More Involved in The Customer Experience

CEOs and founders set the tone of any business and when they are involved with the customer experience it shows customers that brands care. Every successful brand from Amazon to Starbucks all have CEOs who are very active in the customer experience process and also actively listening to customers’ needs.