Many factors contribute to the success of your local business, from the products or services you’re selling to your financial practices. But ultimately, a great customer experience might just play the largest—and most significant—role in their decision to buy from you.
This is especially true in today’s digital age, where customers can quickly compare different options, pricing is competitive, and word travels fast. Because of this, customer experience marketing has emerged as a powerful method for transforming your business, curating positive brand interactions for your customers, and best meeting their needs.
What is customer experience marketing?
This strategy approaches marketing efforts from the lens of customer needs, focusing on how your customers interact and connect with your brand. Instead of emphasizing specific products or promoting features, customer experience marketing utilizes personalization, addresses customer pain points, takes client touchpoints into account, and leverages customer feedback.
Today, the overall experience plays a critical role in someone’s decision to remain a loyal customer. Data shows that in the U.S., nearly 20% of customers will stop doing business with a brand they love after just one bad experience, while nearly 60% will walk away after several bad experiences.
The impact of customer experience on brand loyalty
Satisfied customers become repeat customers, repeat customers become loyal customers, and loyal customers become some of your most valued brand ambassadors. As such, investing in a positive experience is one of the most lucrative strategies to ensure customer retention.
In one survey, consumers said the top reason they leave a brand is due to the experience, and that this number is higher among younger people.
Customers themselves know how much experience matters: one survey found that nearly 90% of customers say that their experience with a business matters just as much as the products or services it sells.
And when brands and businesses focus on a positive customer experience, it shows. For example, Balanced Hart was able to provide a safe, fulfilling exercise experience during the pandemic by listening closely to customer concerns and prioritizing their comfort above all. This demanded a significant pivot from usual operations—one that paid dividends in satisfaction and customer loyalty.
Strategies to enhance customer experience
So, wondering how to improve customer experience? If you’re eager to make an impact with curated customer experience, here are a few strategies to deploy.
#1 Leveraging customer data for personalized marketing
Customers will tell you exactly what they want, if only you know where to look. Collect and analyze data around buying history, shopping habits, recurring purchases, feedback, and other preferences to deliver personalized experiences in the form of special promotions, content marketing messaging, or even individual reach-outs to your most loyal customers.
#2 Creating engaging content that reflects customer needs
Even when you’re selling products or services, you’re selling a solution. When you center your messaging around how your business addresses the customer’s most pressing problems, buying your product becomes the obvious conclusion.
#3 Omnichannel marketing approaches
Where you communicate matters almost as much as how you communicate. To give customers easy, seamless access to your brand, utilize all relevant touchpoints and channels, including your website, email, and relevant social media accounts.
Building a customer-centric culture
Customer experience marketing can come naturally when customers are prioritized at every level of the organization. Leaders play a large role in establishing this type of dynamic. Don’t be afraid to “step into their shoes” when making decisions.
Additionally, make sure you train your employees and marketing team to properly engage with customers according to your standards. You can coach your employees on how to better understand your customers’ pain points, their journey, and their interactions with your company.
See related: Customer service vs. customer experience
Measuring the success of your customer experience efforts
When it comes to gauging the success of your digital customer experience strategy, data is your friend. These metrics can help you understand where improvements can be made:
- Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT) – This metric measures a satisfaction with a particular customer interaction, such as a help desk experience or purchase. It’s usually measured on a scale of 1 (not satisfied) to 5 (very satisfied).
- Net Promoter Score (NPS) – This metric relies on the question, “How likely are you to recommend our business to others?” When customers are more likely to recommend your brand to friends and family, this also signifies a high level of satisfaction.
- Customer retention metrics – Data points like customer churn or the percentage of customers who don’t make repeat purchases will give you real-world insights into customer sentiment.
Consider sales software, customer success software, or other customer experience tools to help you accurately understand what your customers’ experiences are like, and how you can best improve them.
Measuring the success of your customer experience efforts
Customer experience marketing can improve brand sentiment, boost your business outcomes, and help you provide your customers with better service. Mine the data for actionable customer insight, create content that resonates, personalize when appropriate, and center the customer in everything you do—these strategies can go a long way in the overarching customer journey.
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Sources:
- PWC. Experience is everything. Get it right. https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/library/consumer-intelligence-series/future-of-customer-experience.html
- Salesforce. Salesforce Report: Nearly 90% Of Buyers Say Experience a Company Provides Matters as Much as Products or Services. https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/customer-engagement-research/
- PWC. Customer experience is critical to loyalty, and many executives miss the mark. https://www.pwc.com/us/en/services/consulting/business-transformation/library/building-customer-loyalty-guide/how-customer-experience-drives-customer-loyalty.html
