4 Ways to Create a Better Digital Customer Experience

Today’s customers expect a variety of digital communication options to get answers to their questions and resolve issues without having to wait on hold for a customer service rep.

“During this digital-first era, many businesses have seen a massive spike in customer communication through digital channels such as contact forms, live chat, social media, and video,” says customer service platform Acquire.

“To improve the overall customer experience with your brand, your company or organization must create and incorporate digital customer experience(CX) strategies.”

“How your customers can virtually access, understand, and engage with your company covers several bases and touchpoints — and it’s in your best interest to account for and refine your approach towards all of them,” according to inbound marketing platform HubSpot.

“Elements like payment methods, online customer service channels, and email outreach all play a role, and if you want to get the most of your digital CX, you need to incorporate certain best practices and be mindful of certain trends.”

Your brand’s digital customer experience is the “content and quality of all the digital interactions customers have with your business” and has “major implications on your company’s reputation and bottom line,” says HubSpot.

Here are four ways to offer a better digital customer experience to improve customer experience.

1. Utilize CX platform data to understand your audience

To deliver a good customer experience, your company must understand your customer audience, realizing that customers may need different things at different times throughout their shopping journey, says Acquire.

“Customer experience platforms provide a wealth of information from interaction and engagement data across the customer journey to give you the kind of bigger picture that helps inform your digital strategy. You can also drill down to a specific customer’s history, preferences, and behavior to provide individualized service.”

2. Ensure a high-quality, omnichannel customer experience

For the best digital customer experience, your company must offer customers a “user-friendly, seamless experience that spans a variety of devices and potential touchpoints,” says HubSpot:

“You can start by bolstering and refining your mobile experience — making sure your mobile site isn’t just your desktop website condensed onto a smaller screen. Also, make sure prospects and customers can easily contact you, no matter their preferred communication method.”

“That means taking the time to hone how you communicate via phone, chat, SMS, email or any other avenue customers can take to get in touch with you. Customers want an exceptional digital CX that functions at every turn — so be sure to cover every base you can think of.”

3. Offer customer feedback opportunities

Don’t hesitate to offer your customers opportunities to provide online feedback, says HubSpot:

“Let them air some praise and frustration via live chat. Include surveys to gauge how they feel about your experience immediately after engaging with it. Keep careful tabs on reviews and social media mentions.”

If your company hears about the same customer issues repeatedly, don’t ignore the problem.

“See if you can remedy those issues, and show your customers you legitimately value them — not just their business,” says HubSpot.

4. Offer chatbots and other virtual assistants

Chatbots and virtual assistance options allow customers to receive fast answers to quick questions and provide an outlet for feedback.

“These kinds of resources take some strain off your customers by reliably putting them in touch with the right information or people at the right time,” says HubSpot. “Reducing that kind of friction is one of the better ways to make life easier for your customers and improve your digital experience as a result.”