Two of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. No matter what kind of business you’re running, the happiness of your customers is paramount. Happy customers will not only return, but they will tell other potential customers about you. The following contributed post is entitled, Why Customer Experience Matters More Than Ever.
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In today’s world, businesses can face even more competition than they might have in the past. Priorities have changed for consumers, which means that they also need to change for the businesses and brands that are serving them. One of the things that all businesses should be paying attention to is their customer experience. Customer experience is more important than it has ever been, and it can be the difference between a successful brand and one that fails. Consumers are looking for products and services that come from brands delivering a memorable experience that meets their needs. There are some important reasons to pay attention to customer experience now more than ever.
Image from Pixabay – Pixabay License
Online Competition Is Fierce
The growth of digital marketing, ecommerce and other shifts in the market caused by the internet have all made a big impact. Online businesses face tough competition, not just from companies similar to theirs but also from huge online giants and larger businesses. Even local brick-and-mortar businesses can face competition from those brands that are able to invest more in online advertising, plus they are competing with online companies on top of that. In such a competitive world, customer experience becomes more important, especially for brick-and-mortar businesses. When you can find anything online, you need to give people a reason to walk into your store.
Customers Want to Make Memories
When any company can deliver the product or service you’re looking for quickly and often cheaply, it’s not just the stand-alone product that matters. Everything surrounding it is also important. Consider the example of hotels and other travel accommodation. As Peter DiTommaso points out, world-class hotels have contributed to the rise in tourist numbers in NYC. People could quickly find a cheap and convenient place to stay in just minutes online, but luxury hotels offer a complete package and memorable experience. Often people are looking for Instagrammable moments and something unique.
Image from Pixabay – Pixabay License
Consumers Have More Power and Choice
The internet makes it easy for consumers to discover the range of choice they have, giving them more power. They can seek products and services from all over the world and purchase them in a number of ways. When the consumer has so much power and choice, there’s more pressure for brands to deliver a whole experience that they enjoy. Instead of ending the sales process with the purchase of a product, businesses need to consider an ongoing relationship and sales cycle, keeping customers interested with a good experience.
Investing in CX Gives ROI
There’s no doubt that focusing on customer experience delivers a great return on investment for businesses. 86% of buyers are willing to spend more for a good customer experience, so it’s worth investing in creating the right experience for your audience. This applies to both B2B and B2C businesses, both of which can benefit from thinking about their customer experience and using a customer-focused approach to marketing, sales, customer support, and more.
Customer experience is more important than ever, so you should pay attention to it if you want your business to be successful.
