President of Sinch for Marketing.
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Delivering a superior customer experience (CX) is an essential practice for brands seeking to build loyalty and trust. According to PwC, 73% of consumers rate CX as a crucial factor in the purchasing decision. Over the last 18 months, quarantines and social distancing drove people to digital spaces and away from physical stores. As a result, CX has become even more important as brands work to keep customers engaged digitally.
2020 was the year that digital transformation went into overdrive. However, 2021 will be remembered as the year of supply chain issues. Brands of all kinds have been dealing with reduced availability of goods combined with rising prices, leaving consumers frustrated. According to an Oracle report, 87% of Americans have been negatively impacted by supply chain issues over the past year, with 60% unable to purchase certain items due to shortages.
With many consumers concerned about supply chain shortages, stakes are high for brands to deliver a seamless customer experience — one that not only meets customers’ needs and expectations but is engaging and personalized so the buyer’s journey is fully supported from beginning to end.
In my last post, I talked about consumers’ evolving preferences and why marketers need to invest in conversational marketing to strengthen the bond between brands and customers. Rather than having an “always selling” mentality, brands can use conversational marketing to have a dialogue, answer questions and strengthen relationships with new and existing customers. With supply chain issues top of mind, having an easy way to communicate with customers is key.
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Using Conversational Marketing to Boost CX
While we live in a digital world, it’s also largely mobile-first. A big part of having a successful CX strategy is meeting customers where they are. In today’s world, marketers mostly “push” campaigns to consumers, and it’s a one-way street. If a customer tries to respond, either to an email or SMS, it falls into a black hole. And with consumers using their mobile devices more than ever, it’s critical for brands to be where their customers are, regardless of time, location or channel.
On Black Friday in 2021, smartphones accounted for 44.4% of digital transactions, a 10.6% increase from last year. However, smartphone visits made up 62.2% of all shopper visits, showing that consumers are browsing via mobile but completing purchases on their desktop.
Conversational marketing gives brands the power to meet consumers where they are. Through two-way conversation, brands can engage with customers and answer inquiries at any time and pass customers off to live agents during business hours if necessary. Implementing a conversational marketing approach can not only help brands communicate new promotions and potential shipping delays but also build customer loyalty.
The Always-On Channel
Because of shifting consumer behavior, it’s no longer good enough to say to a customer, “I can’t answer your question,” or direct them to go look up an answer in an FAQ. Customers expect a certain degree of personalization from brands, and they expect answers to their questions on their terms. In fact, 66% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations, but many feel like they are still treated like a number.
To have a channel that’s always on enables customers to revisit a conversation or open up a new thread of engagement, which can further convert to a sale. Other benefits include:
• Improved UX: Through conversations, brands can better understand how users are feeling and identify any issues they may be experiencing. Brands can capture user intent during the buyer journey while managing large volumes of messages sent, keeping the customer informed and updated — especially if there are delays in shipping or a product is out of stock.
• Personalization: Thanks to natural language understanding (NLU) powered by artificial intelligence (AI), brands can customize their messages for each individual customer and reach them where they like to engage the most. For example, if an item is out of stock, brands can send a personalized message to a customer and offer them a new product.
• Pivot the Conversation: Beyond just conversing with customers about an offer, brands can change the conversation entirely. Customers can learn more about a new product, but they can also check in on a separate order they made or discuss shipping options on a product they need immediately.
• Reduced Wait Times: No customer ever wants to be put on hold. Customers can grow frustrated when they can’t get an answer to their question fast enough, which could ultimately lead them to abandon their cart and take their business elsewhere. An always-on channel allows customers to ask questions, whether it’s about product stock or shipping times, and get the answers they need to make a decision and move them further down the marketing funnel.
Having an always-on channel may present roadblocks in infrastructure, but the potential for increased customer engagement touchpoints and overall revenue growth will outweigh the initial pain points. Customers will appreciate the round-the-clock support, and they will have a more fulfilling experience. If brands invest in a conversational marketing approach now, then they’ll be in a better position to support the buyer’s journey in the future — even when supply chain issues aren’t a top concern.
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Author: Matt Ramerman, Forbes Councils Member
