Using customer experience as a competitive advantage
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The customer experience has always been an important part of the modern business marketplace. However, it’s now more crucial than ever, serving a competitive advantage for brands that choose to use it wisely. With so many options available to your customers, you need to find new ways to make your brand stand out, which is where providing excellent customer service comes in.
In this blog, we aim to show you exactly why the customer experience is so important, also providing a selection of helpful tips to ensure you’re always integrating the right steps into your business plan.
If you’d like to speak to the Embryo team to find out more about how we can help you, why not make an enquiry today?
What is the customer experience and why is it so important?
So, what exactly is the customer experience?
Essentially, the term refers to the interactions a customer has with your brand, from the first point of contact all the way through to post-purchase support. It’s not just about your products anymore though – instead, it’s about the entire shopping experience, including the perceptions, emotions and values associated with your business.
Today’s customers are more discerning and willing to pay more for a personalised and seamless shopping experience. This means that brands that understand the customer experience well should naturally see more success than brands that don’t.
A positive customer experience means that your brand is being remembered for all the right reasons, influenced by a range of factors (such as how easy your site is to use, your page loading speeds and the quality of communication with your customers). On the other hand, a negative experience can lead to lower brand trust and retention, pushing consumers away into the arms of your competitors.
How can a good customer experience be a competitive advantage?
As we’ve already seen, providing a memorable experience for your customers can be extremely rewarding for your brand, having several tangible benefits that your company can take advantage of.
Ensuring you always have a competitive advantage over your rivals takes hard work, but it’s well worth the struggle to get there. Here are our top three ways in which delivering a good customer experience can give you a competitive advantage in the world of business:
Differentiate your brand in crowded markets
Regardless of your industry, today’s markets tend to be saturated, which means you need to think of ways to rise above the crowd. Standing out can be difficult in the modern world, and offering new, innovative products isn’t the game-changer it once used to be, which is where the customer experience can help you.
Providing a marvellous customer experience is one major way your brand can stand out, with companies like Apple and Amazon thriving due to the support and experience offered to their shoppers.
Imagine you run a coffee shop on a busy street with another, popular coffee shop also residing on the same street. You need to differentiate your business from the other cafe, but how do you do this? By delivering a personalised experience tailored to your customers, complemented by a cosy atmosphere and friendly service.
Boost your reputation with word-of-mouth
Having happy customers is always a good thing, but you want to turn them into brand ambassadors, enabling your shoppers to promote your brand for free! Delivering a great customer experience can do this for you, enabling you to organically promote your organisation, whilst also building trust and attracting new customers to your business.
Consumers are much more likely to talk about your brand if they have a good experience, providing a form of handy word-of-mouth marketing that can have a direct impact on your reputation. Brands that use organic strategies like this also have a chance of going viral online, adding yet another potential boost to your reputation.
Improve customer loyalty, retention and trust
Being successful isn’t just about bringing customers into your store. It’s about keeping them coming back for more, long into the future, turning your business into a brand they can trust. Loyalty is no longer purely driven by rewards and price discounts – instead, it’s all about how valued your customers feel when interacting with your brand.
After all, happy customers are loyal customers – the statistics also show that improving the customer experience can significantly improve your profitability and boost your retention rates, all whilst reducing churn.
According to the Harvard Business Review, a small increase of just 5% in your customer retention rates can boost your profits anywhere between 25-95%, showing just how important this approach can be!
Three key elements of a superior customer experience
Now you’ve learned just how important it is to provide a superior customer experience for your shoppers, so it’s time to find out how it’s done! Essentially, you need to understand the things your customers value the most when purchasing from your industry, before putting your plan into action.
The top three key elements of a superior customer experience are:
- Personalisation: Today’s savvy customers expect you to anticipate their needs, tailoring your interactions to meet their preferences and requirements. Data analytics can be used to source useful data about your shoppers, creating a sense of connection and making them feel valued. For example, you can offer discounts and rewards on specific products based on a customer’s previous purchase history. You could also send out personalised email marketing campaigns, using your data to deliver relevant and engaging content directly to your customers.
- Seamless omnichannel interaction: Nowadays, consumers have many different channels in which to communicate with your brand. It’s important to ensure that your messaging and marketing are seamless across all your channels to ensure consistency, including mobile optimisation. Multi-channel continuity should also be a factor, allowing shoppers to start the purchasing process on one channel, before moving to another one later.
- Solve problems before they arise: Businesses that allow problems to escalate without fixing them will naturally be viewed negatively by their customers. Instead, you should take a proactive approach to problem-solving, anticipating potential issues (and even fixing them) before they arise. Not only does this approach make your customers feel more valued, but it also reduces frustration and fosters trust.
By following these points, you can ensure your customers are always happy with your products and services, pushing your company to the brink of success in no time.
Transform your brand’s reputation with Embryo
We hope that you now have a much greater understanding of how the customer experience can be used to provide a competitive advantage for your business – regardless of the industry you’re based in. Creating a valuable customer experience is one of the most important parts of your content marketing strategy, keeping your shoppers coming back for more, long into the future.
If you’d like to see how Embryo can help you transform your brand’s reputation for the better, we’ll be happy to help. We offer a wide range of digital marketing services that can be tailored to your every need, including our cutting-edge content marketing packages and our innovative SEO techniques.
Ready to get started? Just get in touch with our expert team and we’ll show you how it’s done!
