Some of us may have been familiar with the term of user customer service or user experience, but do you know that customer experience also matters? In fact, by paying attention on the improvement of customer experience, your business is more likely to have a repeat and loyal consumer. But, what is customer experience? And how does customer experience differ from user experience and customer service? Whether you are a business owner, web developer, web designer, or just an ordinary guy, you can discover more about customer experience and learn how to apply it in your business correctly by reading the information given below.
What is Customer Experience Strategy?
Customer experience (CX) is defined by interactions between a customer and an organization throughout their business relationship. The interaction includes awareness, discovery, cultivation, advocacy, purchases and service.
On the other hand, user experience means the interactions that app or website visitors have with your software, while customer service refers to the support that organizations provide customers with issue.
In conclusion, user experience (UX) and customer service (CS) are parts of customer experience, so when we are talking about customer experience, we are also talking about UX and CS.
How to Create a Great Customer Experience Strategy?
After knowing what customer experience strategy is, you surely want to know how to apply this strategy, right? Don’t worry as we have already prepared 5 ways to create a great customer experience. Check this out!
- Understand Who Your Customers Are
There is nothing more important than understanding your own customers. Of course, there are many different types of customers to deal with, but there must be a general characteristic that you can identify. The easiest way to identify your customers is by creating customer personas or collecting customers’ profiles.
You can also use marketing analytics reports on Adwords, Facebook, Mixpanel and Google Analytics to help you get data about your target groups – demographics, interests and purchase behavior. By having enough information, you can create buyer personas that lead to customers’ understanding.
- Build Emotional Connection with your Customers
A research conducted by the Journal of Consumer Research shows that more than 50% decisions are made based on an emotion. This is because emotion shapes the attitudes that drive decisions. In fact, by touching customer’s heart, you can turn ordinary buyers into loyal customers. This is because they are emotionally attached and they will remember this feeling every time they see your product or service. No wonder, businesses that apply good emotional connection shows 85% in sales growth. Furthermore, with an excellent emotional connection, you can make consumers three times more likely to recommend your product or service and three times more likely to re-purchase.
- Apply the Work Backwards Strategy
Some big companies prefer to work backwards as they find it as the easiest way to approach the real problems. You might have heard about Apple which is famous for its principle of “beginning with the customer experience and working backwards to the technology”. You can also apply this technique by following a two-step process to create your customer experience.
- Make a list of your brand’s customer experience stages and places where you have an opportunity to make an impression. Use this opportunity as a way to try and showcase your unique selling point.
- Instead of obsessing with features or superficial elements, you better focus on utility and solving real problems. Even the smallest problems count when designing your customer experience.
- Eliminate Bad Design Earlier
Your customers will come from multiple channels; therefore, you have to think about the complete design of your customer experience not only limited on the design of your website and App since customers are pouring in from multiple channels and all are seeking solution from your brand. To ensure you retain more control over how it may appear to customers, you can do planning in every stage of the customer experience from discovery to purchase and advocacy. Some of design tips that you can use to improve your bad designs are:
- Create a consistent brand experience across channels, such as on your website, apps, email and social media channels.
- Remove any unnecessary navigation or menus that can distract customers in achieving the shortest path to any goal, either to purchase a product/service or seek information or service.
- Use Feedback Loops to Know What Customer Needs Accurately
Believe it or not, research shows that 80% companies who believe they are providing great customer service, have only 8% customers who agree with them. Therefore, you better check whether what you think satisfying really satisfies your customers. For instance, when you think you are an 8/10 in customer service, you are maybe not even half right.
So, what should you do to have an accurate measurement? You can simply ask your customers through creating feedback loops. There are two methods that you can use to create feedback loops, such as follows:
- Use post-interaction, real-time feedback surveys. You can also follow up your customers over the phone.
- Be active on social media and pay close attention to what is being said about you there.
All the above techniques are made to help you hear what customer want and if you are keen enough, you can hear customers giving you actionable feedbacks that will surely help you to improve your customer experience.