Being customer focused is literally putting your customers at the heart of everything you do. It isn't just a strategy, it's an ethos at the core of your business that permeates throughout. It is a genuine drive to consistently provide a great customer experience.
Where do you start?
First up, really get to know your customers. Don't make assumptions about what you think your customers want and need - use the data - gain feedback, analyse behaviour and statistics. Using facts will enable you to gain true insights into how you can create a seamless customer experience throughout their entire journey with you. And remember, behaviour isn't rational - this is what makes us human and keeps us on our toes!
The principles of Customer Experience (CX)
When we talk about CX, we're meaning the totality of every experience that a customer has with your brand. Every touchpoint that they will encounter creates a lasting impression (whether positive or negative).
- Personalisation - think across both physical and digital channels, tailoring each engagement to the individual.
- Empathy - authentically care about the customer and proactively listen and act upon their feedback.
- Deliver in the moment - with technology we now have the ability to create value for customers in real time, instantaneously - take advantage of this!
- Be human - humans crave engagement and positive interaction.
- Be customer-centric - align everything you do with your brand purpose.
- Ease friction - strive for a stress-free seamless customer experience.
Map out the customer journey
By mapping out the journey your customer goes through, it will help you understand their needs and behaviours and what is important to them at each particular stage of the buying process. The notion of touch points or moments of truth will help you breakdown the customer experience into tangible elements where you have the opportunity to improve, grow and transform.
Customer Experience (CX) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
KPIs will be personal to your business and your specific goals and objectives, however here are some that you may consider:
- Big picture financials - revenue, costs, profit
- Customer lifetime value and aquisition costs
- Customer satisfaction and reviews
- Average Order Value
- Referrals
- Website metrics - page visits, conversion rates, bounce rates, time on page/site
- Returns
- Cross sell and upsell amounts
- Social media metrics - engagement, reach
- Employee retention, performance and satisfaction
Metrics help us see what is happening in the business. Tracking and measuring metrics on their own won't do anything and we can get blind sighted by vanity metrics. Metrics provide us with information from which we can make better decisions and adjust where necessary. Holistically look at EVERYTHING so that you're informed and in control.
Top tips for creating an amazing customer experience (CX)
- Actively look for any pain points. Customers want a seamless, stress-free shopping experience so try to reduce any friction/frustration points. Change and test things to see what works best.
- Have at the forefront of your mind that convenience is high on a customer's agenda. Seamless means that customers exert as little effort as possible.
- Be authentic. In order to build trust, loyalty and advocacy, your brand will need to make an emotional connection with its customers.
- Segment. Treat different customers differently and understand varying needs, situations and behaviours.
- Personalise and customise. Adapt the customer experience by responding to changes in their behaviour.
- Creat a continuous loop of measure, test and learn.
- Don't neglect turning your customers into advocates. Encourage and reward them for being your brand ambassadors.
If you need some guidance, help or support with your customer experience then get in touch. We would love to help you.
