Customer experience is the new black. 

Consumers want a great product and a great experience. In fact, 86% of people will pay more for one.

Between 2004 and 2019, touchpoint use grew from 7% to 50% of people using more than four touchpoints, according to CX today. 

Not to mention that 73% of CEOs now see the need for personalized products, services, and experiences.

It’s growing as the key to maintaining a successful brand. 

We’ve watched trends come and go and learned a lot about what it takes to give customers the results they love.

Through that experience, we want to go into what the customer experience is, why you should invest in it, and what content you need to create great experiences. All based on facts.

So if you’ve ever wondered what you can do to level up your business, this is for you.

What Is the Customer Experience?

Customer experience is the impression people have of your brand as they move through the customer lifecycle. But don’t get it mixed up with customer service! Although customer service feeds into the experience, they aren’t the same thing.

The customer experience is based on a summation of touchpoints, email campaigns, website, communication, social media, and purchases.

Amazon recommends products based on your interests, Netflix lets you personalize your selection, and Ikea helps you envision furniture in your own home. Instagram even personalizes the explore page based on other accounts and content you’ve interacted with.

There are common ways to improve the CX, whether you’re educating new leads or nurturing loyal customers. 

Examples:

• Loyalty Rewards Programs
• Interactive Websites
• Frictionless Purchasing System
• Resources in Consumers’ Native Language
• Easy-to-Find Testimonials & Case Studies ‘
• Featured Reviews
• Lightning-fast Response Time
• Highlighting Your Values
• Active Social Media Pages
• Personalized Email Campaigns
• Taking Advantage of Feedback

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Why Do You Need to Create a Great Customer Experience?

Have you ever started browsing a website only to find that the website isn’t easy to navigate?

Or tried to purchase something but the process was slow and frustrating?

Maybe you’ve been getting repeated emails that don’t mean anything to you?

That’s way too common, even though most people understand that it’s a crucial part of lifecycle marketing.

“73% of people say that customer experience is an important factor in their buying decisions, but currently only 49% of US consumers say that today’s companies provide a good experience.” (Marketing Insider Group)

Almost four billion people are connected to the internet. Great customer experiences are not only becoming more important, but more competitive as consumers spend more time buying things online.

The Experts Agree

Even in 2018, 56% of CEOs said that digital improvements had already led to better profits. 

When considering more interactive experiences, like video, 68% of marketers agree that video has a better ROI than Google Ads.

People Like Personalized Omnichannel Purchasing - With Less Friction!

74% of customers have used more than one channel to complete a purchase.

According to McKinsey, 80% of people want their experience to be personalized, increasing the challenge for marketing teams.

74% of people will buy because of the experience. So if they aren’t sure about the product, but you made the process seamless, they’re more likely to go for it.

75% of customers are more likely to purchase from a company that knows their search history and recommends based on preferences. 

49% of people have made impulse purchases after having an excellent personalized experience, according to SuperOffice.

The Experience Feeds into Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Around 62% of consumers look for online reviews before buying something.

90% believe brand recs from friends.

Human Connection is Critical

82% of U.S. consumers and 70% of non-U.S. consumers want more human interaction.

People like to know there’s a human that wants the best for them behind the brand. 89% of consumers read businesses’ responses to reviews.

People Will Stick With Companies They Value

When you showcase your value proposition, you open up to customers who are aligned with you and want to be a part of your business for that very reason. 

PWC found that 63% of people would be more likely to share data with a service they value.

Consumers Will Leave Your Business Over a Bad Experience

Most people also want to deal with a business that presents well. Researchers found that 87% of people won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website.

This goes for calls, too. 74% of people have hung up after being placed on hold and 75% of people hang up if they hear a message about long wait times.

59% of people will walk away after several bad experiences and 17% after just one. 

32% of people will even leave a business they love because of one bad experience.

You Gain More Revenue & ROI

Annex Cloud found that user-generated content (inviting users into the experience) caused an 18% increase in revenue.

They also found that 60% of customers are more likely to buy from a company if they incorporate user-generated content.

75% of people are more likely to purchase after receiving an incentive, like in a loyalty program.

86% of people are willing to pay more for a better experience.

Over 12 years, customer obsession will yield a 700% increase depending on your niche. Sounds worth it, right?

According to TechJury, there’s an 80% increase in revenue for businesses focusing on improving customer experience.

COVID Upped the Game

Forrester found that 40% of U.S. adults online say they enjoy shopping in stores less post-pandemic, meaning that online shopping is getting more attention.

39% of consumers now spend more time on their devices than pre-pandemic.

Best Content to Invest In For Better CX

Videos: 

Modern video content can elevate the customer experience.  More and more companies are leaning into the idea that people enjoy watching relevant, professional content.

Social media with video increase views by 48%.

71% of people watch videos more than they did a year ago.

By 2022, experts expect video to make up 82% of all consumer internet traffic.

Blog Posts:

Blog posts work with every stage of the customer lifecycle. 

They bring awareness, educate, convert through CTAs, onboard new customers with the information they need, retain brand advocates, and encourage word-of-mouth advertising.

SEMrush found that 23.84% of readers say that bad blog content destroys credibility. 

However, they also found that 32% of readers agree that accurate content is one of the most “crucial factors” in quality content marketing.

Infographics:

I believe all creative works together to present a finished product.

 Infographics combine professional-quality design with copy for a result that helps people understand a concept more fully (without having to read too much).

65% of people are visual learners.

On top of that, our brains process visuals 60,000 times more than text.

Personalized Email Campaigns:

Nope, email is not dead. 

Email campaigns are a crucial part of nurturing and converting people to your business. However, when they’re used generically, they can be detrimental to your brand. 

Emails with a personalized subject line generate 50% higher open rates.

Conclusion

An excellent customer experience is the key to lasting brand loyalty. 

Listening to your customers will help you customize every single touchpoint to your target audience. 

When you do, you’ll combine customer lifecycle marketing with personalized experiences for results that wow your customers and your boss.

Need help getting your marketing plan going? Schedule a call and we’ll get the ball rolling