Consumers making purchase decisions are not only motivated by price. Now more than ever, consumers are more likely to use a product or service based on the type of experience they had with a brand or business. Consumer experience is a customer-centric and holistic approach for brands to understand consumers, all of the interactions consumers are experiencing with their brand, and which experiences are ideal.
With strides in technology and internal data available, why not take advantage of understanding what consumers want and need? Brands and businesses must go beyond the use of internal data to conduct surveys, interviews, or focus groups to grasp the diversity of customers' needs. Below are the five major trends in consumer experience marketing right now.
Consumers have different ways they prefer to interact with brands and businesses, so they should have multiple ways customers can connect with them. Having several options such as brick-and-mortar stores, mobile apps, and websites can improve the consumer experience.
Easy to navigate digital apps foster positive customers experiences. Brands and businesses should understand how their target consumer uses their website/app and explore what features and functions they consider "must-have," and which are "nice to have."
Just as consumers like to interact with brands in different ways, they also have different needs regarding customer service. Brands and businesses should have a FAQ help page to help consumers who prefer solving their problems independently. Though include other forms like a chatbot, email, and phone number for consumers to reach out to if they are having trouble. Make callbacks available to consumers if phone wait times are long.
Personalizing consumers viewing or scrolling experience based on what they are already clicking can help. More than ever, companies are using machine learning algorithms to see how their customers are interacting with their website and mobile app and using those insights to create more customized experiences. For example, Netflix uses machine learning algorithms to customize personalized recommendations depending on what viewers are watching.
Customers routinely provide sensitive information online, from personal contact information to credit card numbers. Consider ways to keep customer information secure. Be transparent about security and address consumer concerns regarding information being available online.
A consumer's experience with a brand also includes their overall perception of the brand and how it matches their value system. Consumers are putting their money where their mouth is as they expect brands and businesses to be transparent about how they treat their employees and surrounding communities.
During Pride Month, some consumers call their interactions with brands “Rainbow Capitalism” because of the cooptation of the LGBTQ+ flag colors for economic gain. For example, McDonald’s used the LGBTQ+ flag in its logo but donated money to lawmakers who voted against the Equality Act.
Customer experience marketing ultimately relies on a holistic understanding of the customer, their needs, and wants. Consumers want a smooth experience as they use products and services. Additionally, consumers may view marketing as inauthentic, especially if it doesn't include structural changes to benefit their community.
Learn how Whole Mind Market Research™ can help your team learn meaningful insights about your customer's experience with your brand. MDRG will work with you to determine the research design best suited for your business, and our experienced research analysts are here to help.