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Customer behaviour has changed in the last few years, and the expectations are more difficult to meet. A new player was introduced to the customer’s decision process, making them more skeptical about their purchases. Google came to stay! Google created a modern customer journey in which every step is connected with eCommerce, customer reviews, and online appearance.
Although the customer journey has changed rapidly, we know how you can still deliver an exceptional customer experience to increase customer loyalty and lifetime value! Let’s go into detail about the five essential components of the modern customer journey.
Have you heard the phrase: If the Mountain won’t go to Mohammed, then Mohammed must come to the Mountain? That is, exactly, your relationship with your customers. If the customers don’t come to you, you have to reach them. You can use several tools to increase your brand awareness and create a need for customers that they have not realised yet. Ecommerce will continue to grow. As offline sales continue to decrease, online sales are rising. Get more digital! Focus on online activities such as SEO, Newsletters, Social Media, Affiliate Marketing, and so on.
In the last few years, online searches, which include ‘near me’ have grown 150% faster compared to others. That sounds like a great insight to start!
Most customers do online research before purchasing, either from your e-shop or in your physical store. Over 85% of people who searched a brand online, visited the physical store within a week!
Being accessible online is a necessity. It’s all about how customers meet your brand and products. More digitally-enabled, more data-driven.
Customer reviews are powerful! Did you know that 97% of customers read online reviews before they make a purchase?
The reputation of your brand plays a critical role in customers’ decision making process. They want to know about previous customer experiences and how their journeys were with your brand. Negative reviews make people not trust you and hesitant to buy from you.
Keep an eye on how your customers feel and improve processes when expectations aren’t met. You don’t want unsatisfied customers, and most importantly, a low star rating.
Here it’s where the sales take place! You did a great job in the 3 previous steps, and now customers are happy to do business with you. How do you continue to offer an amazing customer journey?
Make the whole process user-friendly. Customers love self-service. They like having all the information, all the options, through easy ways. Make simple payment methods, click and collect options, etc. But do not forget your customers after the purchase. Their journey continues, and effortless processes should also follow at complaints and feedback submission, customer support, etc. Customers want you to solve their problems, not to create more.
The final stage of the customer journey is your reward. You delivered an exceptional customer journey not only to keep your customers happy but also to create advocators of your brand!
Interact with your customers after their purchases. Ask them for their feedback even if they aren’t satisfied with you. Complaints exist, but the way you handle them can change the whole game!
Technology has redefined the customer journey. Be where your customers are and give them what they are looking for. As online reviews have a huge impact on your customers’ decisions, listen actively, be proactive, and be productive to create your biggest advocators!
