By Josh Wilson
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February 13, 2020
Today, consumers have more choices than ever before. The market is flooded with companies providing similar goods and services. And as competition increases, businesses must devise ways to remain competitive and attract customers. Forward-looking companies are turning to customer experience to increase customer acquisition, drive sales, promote customer loyalty, and reduce costs. Customer experience is invaluable in ensuring business success and survival. Below are statistics that prove this truth. 1. 73% of firms that offer superior customer experience perform better financially than competitors. 2. 84% of companies that improve their customer experience report a revenue increase. 3. 96% of customers affirm that customer service and experience influence their loyalty to a brand. 4. Consumers are willing to pay 17% more for goods and services from a company with a reputation for great service. 5. Companies that prioritize customer experience have 20% more employee engagement. 6. 81% of firms perceive customer experience as a competitive differentiator. 7. More than half of customers have switched companies due to poor user experience. Although customer experience is crucial and beneficial, many companies are unsure of how to create engaging customer experiences. Luckily, data is the ultimate tool and can help businesses enhance customer experience. According to a Verndale survey, data analytics are the most important emerging technology for improving customer experience. Businesses should collect, analyze, understand, and use customer data to meet and exceed customer expectations. Here are four ways data improves customer experience. 1. Understand Customer Needs and Preferences Data collected from social media platforms, user testimonials, purchasing history, and polls and surveys helps to understand customer needs and expectations. Polls and surveys can expose customer problems and pain points. This way, you deliver products and processes that meet customer expectations and needs, and solve their problems. Your company can use net promoter score (NPS) to gauge customer satisfaction with your brand and their willingness to recommend it to others. Research shows that 92% of consumers trust the recommendations of the people close to them –family and friends. Therefore, it is worth investing time and resources in NPS to ensure your customers are recommending you to their personal network. When you improve your NPS rating, you benefit from repeat business, increased revenue, and importantly, better customer experience. Amazon excels in using big data to understand its customers' needs and interests. It gathers data from customers' browsing history to fine-turn its recommendation engine. Amazon can predict what a customer wants to buy which, in turn, enhances a customer's experience. 2. Allow Personalization Personalization is gradually becoming a priority for marketers. 92% of marketers perceive personalization as a vital element in customer experience. 85% of mobile marketers affirm that personalization has positive outcomes for conversions, engagement, and revenue. Customers do not merely want a website or app that works. They want a personalized website or app that recognizes their preferences and saves time. Among the leading companies that have mastered the art of personalization include Netflix and Spotify. These brands use customer data to suggest books, TV shows, and songs for their users to fit their tastes and preferences. Netflix, for example, gains competitive advantage by gathering and analyzing viewing data and then utilizing it to enhance customer experience. 3. Reduce Customer Response Time Research conducted on 1,000 companies revealed that an average firm takes 12 hours and 10 minutes to respond to customer service requests. Sincerely, that's too long and affects the experience. Customers cannot wait for half a day for you to reply their email. They will take their business elsewhere. In addition, in this internet era, customers are using their voices faster than before. One negative review that was not responded to promptly can ruin the reputation you have struggled to create for years and snatch away customers. Since in the internet word spreads like a bushfire, negative news about your company can spread very fast. Luckily, you can use data analytics to reduce your response time and fix issues. 4. Unleash Improvements Did you know that 80% of data is dark and untouched? Subsequently, data is not used to inform decisions as well as unleash improvements suggested by customers. Many companies spend much time and resources collecting data that they never use. Research shows that only 23% of firms integrate customer feedback in real-time. Data analytics helps your firm to not only collect data but also gather insights from the data for use in decision-making. Therefore, you can make improvements –products, processes, and experiences- to suit customer needs, and hence boost customer experience. In the contemporary era where customer experience is crucial, data can be very helpful. Data can help to improve the customer journey and experience with your brand. The secret is to collect, analyze, and use customer data and follow where the data leads you.