How to build a customer experience strategy and why

With a crowded marketplace, it has never been more essential for companies to focus on their customers. Businesses need to be aware of what consumers value and why they value it, so they can provide an experience they will truly value.
 
But what exactly is customer experience, and why is it so essential for businesses to prioritise it?

Putting the customer first

Customer experience is defined as how individuals interact and liaise with a brand. Interaction can come in any form from social media channels, purchasing a product to hiring a service.
 
The more positive the experience the customer has with a brand, the more likely they are to deal with that company again and become a repeat customer. 
 
And this is something that is supported by senior business executives. According to the results of a comprehensive PWC study, a majority of 74% of all business leaders believe that giving the customer a positive experience is integral to ensuring they become a long-term brand advocate. 

Not only that, but the same study found that business leaders think that almost three in five (59%) consumers would happily switch brands to a competitor if they have a customer experience that goes below their expectations. 
 
So, the happier the customer, the better the outcomes for the business. But how can you go about developing and integrating a customer experience strategy that will work, and will keep your key customers happy?

How to deliver a customer experience that matters

Understanding the importance of customer experience is only the beginning of the process. The real differences will only come once you decide to implement the relevant strategies and procedures.

Here are some steps you can take if you are to succeed in your customer experience strategy.

1. Create the right vision - Have a clear focus on what strong customer experience looks like within your business. By creating a list of core values and expectations, you can not only be sure that you are doing everything in your power to appeal and appease the consumer, but you will also be able to easily educate your employees on what they will be required to do, and how they can do it.
2. Create consumer personas - Develop an understanding of what your key customers want and how you can meet their needs. By contemplating the key issues consumers will come up against and figuring out the best way to streamline and improve how they interact with your company, you can make the decisions that will be most effective.
3. Find out the best way of capturing consumer feedback - Ultimately, nobody knows what consumers want better than the consumers themselves. Therefore, you need to give them a way of issuing feedback - be it positive or negative - so that you can then act upon it effectively.
4. Measure the success - It’s good implementing strategies and techniques that are designed to improve how customers liaise with and react to your brand, but if you do not have a way of capturing data and information to assess whether it has been successful, you’ll never know if you’ve introduced the right elements. Whether it be by encouraging consumers to fill out a questionnaire, by measuring ROI year on year to see if there has been an increase in profitability, or by tracking positive feedback and mentions on social media, you need to ensure you keep on top of reactions to see if any changes are required.

How we can help

At WinMan, our ERP solution is built to help you streamline your processes to enhance overall productivity and performance. Our software can help reduce waste and increase ROI by enabling you to plan effectively, while the built-in CRM can help you communicate effectively with your supply chain as well as with customers and partners.

When it comes to building a positive customer experience, it is vital that you prepare effectively, and have the right procedures in place to support your overall operation. Without having these foundations in place from the beginning, it will be almost impossible to attain the customer experience strategy steps listed above.

Get in touch with us today to discover how we can help you give your customers an experience they'll value.