A customer’s opinion of a brand changes slightly every time they come in contact with it. These points of contact vary greatly, encompassing everything from social media presence to customer service interactions to word-of-mouth reputation. All of these touchpoints make up your brand’s customer experience. Let’s look into the importance of creating an outstanding customer experience and the steps you can take to stand out in a sea of sameness.
Define Customer Experience
It’s hard to nail down what exactly a customer experience is because it’s… almost everything. Here are some examples of brand touchpoints that your audience will likely come in contact with:
- Branding (logo, color scheme, website design, etc.)
- Social media (aesthetic, content value, copywriting)
- Online experience (seeking further information about your brand, shopping, etc.)
- Product/service quality
- Packaging and delivery of goods
- Customer service during and after purchase
Consider these the bricks that create your overall brand reputation. Generally, you can control the elements listed above, and the impressions they leave lead to individual opinions. A large sample of individual opinions, in turn, creates the general reputation of your brand in the world. If the consumer feels that their needs or expectations aren’t being met at any of these points of contact, it diminishes their experience.
Own the Experience
There’s no way to hide an inferior customer experience. One customer’s opinion now has the ability to influence thousands of other potential sales. Online reviews are powerful, and the only way to accumulate a mass of outstanding feedback is to actually provide a stellar customer experience.
Begin with honesty. Make sure that what is promised is what gets delivered. Misleading marketing techniques may work to get someone in the door, but they will not create loyal customers. How you respond to dissatisfied customers is extremely important as well. Owning up to mistakes, addressing their concerns, and going the extra mile to ensure their satisfaction will likely leave a lasting positive impression rather than a negative one.
Did you know that it costs a business approximately five times more to gain a new customer than to keep an existing customer? Happy customers are often loyal customers. Not only will they buy from you time and time again, but they’ll also be an advocate for your brand. Word-of-mouth praise is more likely to generate new business than expensive marketing campaigns because real-life experiences say far more than strategized hype ever could.
Why It Matters
Customers are more empowered than ever before. The average shopper now checks reviews, compares prices and products, and knows exactly what their opinions are before making a purchasing decision. If you can’t provide consumers with the level of service, quality, and convenience that they expect, they’ll find a company that can.
A company’s most important relationship is the one it has with its customers. Is it time for you to rethink how your customers experience your brand? By reviewing and revamping your consumer touchpoints you can increase your revenue, improve your reputation, and create a loyal client base.