8 Customer Engagement Trends that Enterprises Need to Embrace in 2023

When you read or hear the phrase “customer experience trends,” what ideas spring to mind? Well, your definition of Customer Experience (CX) may vary based on your sector and the marketing approach that better aligns with your business goals. There is, however, one thing on which every marketer can agree: CX has become one of the most important components in setting a business apart from its competitors.

In our modern economy, even if hundreds of other businesses provide certain goods or services, you can still launch a new venture with limited capital and offer the same products.

The modern customer is concerned not only with the quality of the product or service but also with the quality of their whole experience with a business. Right from the moment they first learn about your brand to the moment they deal with your business and engage in post-purchase interaction, they expect nothing but excellence.

The business world has experienced a lot in the last several years. Unfortunately, it won’t get any easier in 2023, as we are still living in a post-pandemic world where inflationary pressures, supply chain bottlenecks, global warming challenges, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will continue to dictate terms.

That’s why it has become more than essential for businesses all around the world to deliver customer experiences that don’t only stand out but yield high cumulative satisfaction. Here are some of the trends that will define the success of your business in 2023.

1. Keeping Up with the Cutting-Edge Digital Transformation

As we move toward 2023, we expect to see further breakthroughs and innovations in the realms of artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), cloud technology, blockchain, and ultra-fast network protocols like 5G. Because of the interconnected nature of these technologies, businesses will not only need to keep up with the pace of progress but also ensure they deploy properly integrated solutions. 

This way, digitalization, and future technology will help companies improve augmented work, hybrid and virtual work, business decision-making, and the automation of manual, routine, and creative jobs.

The promise of “intelligent organizations,” in which related technologies and processes simplify the execution of mundane, low-value tasks, is closer than ever to becoming a reality.

To ensure preparedness, companies must be ready to integrate the appropriate technology into their operations, procedures, and functions. If you’re in business today, leveraging technology-backed innovation is no longer just an option for you but an absolute necessity. 

The good news is that in 2023, there will be fewer obstacles to improving sales and marketing, enhancing customer service, streamlining supply chains, delivering goods and services that better meet customers’ expectations, and simplifying production procedures. New interfaces and applications will provide organizations with access to powerful technologies in no-code settings, and many of them, like AI and blockchain, are also accessible in “as-a-service” models through the cloud.

2. Building Strategic Insulation Against Inflation & Supply Chain Uncertainties

With 2023 just around the corner, the global economy is not expected to do very well. Experts have issued a warning that inflation will persist and economic growth will remain sluggish. Supply chain problems that surfaced during the worldwide shutdowns brought on by Covid-19 have survived and even worsened as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. 

To survive this, businesses must strengthen their resilience in whatever manner they can. This does not only involve mitigating the impact of commodity price fluctuations but actively taking steps to fortify supply networks against potential disruptions and increased logistical costs.

At this point, every business needs to develop a thorough understanding of its supply chain, including weaknesses and potential points of failure. Creating a strategic blueprint of their supply chains to identify areas where they are vulnerable to price increases and shortages can be of exceptional help. This will allow them to determine potential countermeasures, such as switching to safer suppliers or increasing the level of independence.

Many of the firms lately have elected to bring some of their production in-house rather than continue to depend on Chinese manufacturing, which has remained shut down due to the government’s zero-COVID policy.

3. Increasing Focus On Sustainability Initiatives

As more and more people realize that climate change will be a challenging calamity to avoid, much more so than the COVID pandemic, they have developed expectations of responsible consumption and production from the industries they do business with. 

Buyers are increasingly influenced by “conscious customers,” or individuals who consider issues like environmental impact and sustainability crucial when deciding which companies to support monetarily and professionally.

By 2023, businesses will have a major responsibility to make their ESG (environmental, social, and governance) strategy the core of their business objectives. The United Nations (UN) has also outlined seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that signify the urgency needed for combating global warming. Some of the primary objectives include:

• Increasing reliance on affordable and clean energy
• Focusing on the industry, innovation, and infrastructure
• Building sustainable cities and communities
• Taking effective measures for climate action
• Ensuring responsible consumption of resources

To get there, businesses first need to establish concrete metrics for assessing the social and ecological effects of their operations and overall business activity. Every company needs an effective plan to limit its adverse effects, with specific goals and timelines laid out and supported by concrete steps to be effective. 

The evaluation and strategies need to include not just the business itself but also its partners, including vendors and suppliers, along with their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) records. It’s easy to overlook, for instance, how cloud service providers and data centers affect the environment, but businesses can no longer afford to turn a blind eye, not just for marketing optics but to ensure true long-term sustainable growth.

4. Delivering Dynamic & Immersive Customer Experiences

A modern customer’s priority is a positive experience. However, it doesn’t mean that you should ignore cost or quality. Both have an impact in terms of selecting, buying, and using the products consumers pay good money for.

Historically, technology has always been used to simplify procedures and make life easier for customers. This means that, with the improving technological landscape, businesses need to step up their CX delivery. You can deploy online customer care portals that handle issues and after-sale assistance or recommendation algorithms that help consumers decide what to purchase. These will still be crucial in 2023, but the game has changed, with immersion and interaction being the watchwords of the year.

In the coming years, these interactions may take place in the metaverse, the futurists’ catchall term for the “next level” of the internet. According to them, customers will interact with businesses in completely immersive environments, such as 3D settings and VR. Think about online apparel and accessory boutiques that allow customers to “try on” items in a virtual location before making a purchase.

There has been such a shift in emphasis on the customer experience that companies like Adobe and Adweek are now hiring chief experience officers (CXO) to make it a central part of their business plans.

Using augmented reality (AR), retailers like Walmart are allowing customers to see how clothes will look and feel on them before purchasing them, and in the future, consumers may use virtual dressing rooms to dress up avatars of themselves, following in the footsteps of industry pioneers like Hugo Boss. There will be repercussions for brick-and-mortar retailers as well as the online retail sector as a result of these trends.

5. Having Relationship-Enhancing Communication Rooted In Empathy

Building rapport with a customer is much easier when you use a direct, conversational line of discussion rather than relying on impersonal communication. For instance, it is suggested that businesses should switch out email addresses like “[email protected]” or “[email protected]” for names like “[email protected]” or “[email protected],” which emphasize a more personable approach to customer support.

It has become increasingly important for businesses to invest in two-way interactive communication channels that enable customers to reach out to a human who is willing to not only listen to their questions and concerns but offer viable solutions in a timely manner.

6. Empowering Customers with Optional Self-Service

While having exceptional customer care is great, it doesn’t mean you can simply overlook self-service solutions. As modern customers are increasingly looking for self-serve options like knowledge bases, chatbots, and virtual agents to resolve issues for themselves, businesses should be able to meet these requirements. Apart from that, customers now rely on social platforms like Twitter, YouTube, and a company’s website to get answers to frequently asked questions so they can make informed decisions.

With automation, businesses can help clients discover the correct information without ever having to talk to a person. The recent improvements in natural language processing, like artificial intelligence, have made chatbots more human-friendly than ever as businesses get even closer to replicating the success of dealing with actual people without ever really doing so.

7. Pulling Customers Instead Of Pushing Products/Services

Online shoppers today have higher standards than ever before. Customers are savvy; they can see when a business attempts to force its marketing on them and will reject them almost instantly. Instead of pushing consumers, companies should win their attention with well-crafted and informative content that benefits the consumer before they make a purchase. Your content acts as breadcrumbs, directing them back to you the next time they need what you provide.

8. Improving Employee Experience (EX) For Improved CX

According to a survey conducted by Glassdoor, those businesses with the happiest workers also tend to have the most satisfied clients. That’s why, in the coming years, it will be necessary for businesses to prioritize giving their workers a positive and stimulating experience while also considering their mental and physical health and safety. Improved morale in the workplace will translate into higher-quality output and customer service.

Businesses also need to keep in mind that in today’s information age driven by social media, their employees aren’t just people they have a transactional contract with. They are real individuals with emotions who have access to all the broadcasting tools to spread the word. The nature of the publicity will be decided by how an organization treats its employees. They can be a major brand ambassador type of asset for any smart business.

Closing Note

The term “customer experience” has expanded to include more than just the transaction itself. Exciting interactions before the purchase, easy and quick payment processing with swift resolution of any problems, the round-the-clock customer support that enhances rather than hinders the customer’s experience, and non-intrusive, honestly intriguing follow-ups with informative articles that pave the way for future up-selling and cross-selling, all contribute to a memorable, comprehensive whole.

All of your customer care channels must provide the same high-quality experience for your customers. To put it simply, if you can’t provide what customers want, they’ll go somewhere.

With the aid of the customer engagement solution offered by Cooperative Computing, your company can develop deeper connections with its target audience, improve the quality of its customer service, and keep better track of its interactions with its customers in order to provide more reliable and enhanced experiences. In order to build confidence in your brand among your target audience, you can rely on our customer engagement solutions that will help you streamline your CX funnel.