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.
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From startups to large-scale corporations, mobile app development is something that needs serious attention. Business owners have realized the power of building mobile apps over developing mobile-friendly apps for the website. It’s not just that, a business should know and understand the necessary mobile app features to engage customers. There are countless mobile apps available, but generating an application that adds value to a business is the most demanding task. Companies can create significant revenue using specific applications. A business must consider the following six features of mobile applications. 1 – Social Integration Mobile applications must integrate social media sharing. People share almost everything important to them over social media. Your application should allow signing up, liking, commenting, or sharing events via Facebook or other social media platforms, so that your users stay engaged directly within your application. 2 – Allow Customization Apps should be safe and easy to use. Especially in social applications, allow them to get a strong understanding of the privacy settings. Let them personalize the application with respect to colors, fonts, themes which will engage the user more and they’ll come back for more. 3 – Reduce Clicks Once the user is on your app, be diligent in eliminating any unnecessary clicks or taps to keep them there. The user should be asked as little information as possible. Signing up in detail often diverts their attention. A bad experience will undoubtedly discourage users, and if they don’t engage with you, they won’t return. 4 – Include Analytics In small businesses, tracking and identifying users’ actions and experiences is the ultimate requirement. Having an analytics platform integrated into your mobile application is the best way to accomplish this goal. Your business will benefit more from tracking & improving their experience rather than worrying about some random data. 5 – Maintain Relevancy You should be able to gain access to your business app through your website. Your content should be relevant to the user and add value to their experience. Hundreds of business apps succeed in representing the business virtually but fail to promote the product/service they intend to offer with the platform. Provide a rich and memorable experience. 6 – Feedback system It has proven beneficial for many businesses to get user feedback. The first thing you should do is to allow your users to provide feedback. It is also one of the easiest ways to receive consumer feedback and suggestions that will aid the development of the application in the future. Closing note Any business – whether big or small – eventually needs a mobile app so that customers can contact them no matter where they are. Take advantage of some of your app’s less popular features to connect with your customers engaging necessary. By adding these mobile app features it gets easy for businesses to scale faster. If you want a user-friendly, customized, and engaging app feel free to leave us a message.
Discover how AI-powered chatbots revolutionize customer engagement with personalized interactions, 24/7 support, and operational efficiency.
One of the most severe concerns for marketers today is customer engagement. Why? It’s a primary goal of marketing: to cultivate long-term connections with consumers so that they will select your company above the competition, utilize and profit from your product or service, and return to buy more. Your consumers must be engaged for you to recruit, convert, and retain. Connect with them in a meaningful and suitable manner. Companies can no longer depend only on slogans and celebrity endorsements. Because of social media and mobile devices, businesses and brands must constantly be “on” and ready to take advantage of opportunities to connect with customers. Don’t be intimidated if it seems like a daunting task. Increasing client engagement doesn’t have to be complicated, and there are a variety of tactics and methods you can use. Several factors must be taken into consideration when creating an effective marketing campaign. Ways to get your customers more involved To develop a loyal customer base, here are six ways to engage your customers: 1. Improve the quality of the experience for the consumer According to 84% of organizations that seek to enhance their customer experience, increasing income is a direct result of their efforts. It all makes sense, in a way. A terrible encounter with a company may drive even the most loyal customers away. Bad user engagement may include problems like lengthy waits on hold, complex online checkouts, or transactions that don’t go through even after you’ve entered all the information. These are all instances. So why don’t we get to work on some excellent ones? Making sure your consumers have a positive experience begins with a thorough inventory of your customer contact points. When it comes to a brick-and-mortar business, website, social media platforms, or customer care center—or anything else—do a comprehensive review of each to identify where you can make changes. 2. Set up a system for receiving push notifications This will maintain a positive relationship with your consumers and allow you to jog their memory about the benefits you provide. And one of the best ways to achieve it is via the use of push notifications. Push notifications are brief messages on a user’s mobile or desktop screen, outside the browser, without the user having to open a separate app. Customers may be alerted of sales, events, and other noteworthy occurrences by sending them these messages. If a customer opts in to get push notifications, they already indicate an interest in the brand. The next step is to create appealing push notifications that entice customers to click on them and interact further. When it comes to push notifications, getting the information and timing right is the challenge. Users in the US get an average of 46% push notifications every day, and 32% of those users will turn off push notifications altogether if they receive more than 5 per week. Segmentation is another else to keep an eye out for. Customers may not be interested in all of the alerts that are sent to them. Identify subgroups of your receivers so that you may send them just the most relevant messages. As an example, the younger generation of 30 and below is more accepting of more frequent notifications than people 40 and over. 3. Use conversational marketing to your advantage. Customers’ demands and the sophistication of digital marketing are both increasing. No longer does the notion of a 9-5 shop make sense. Customers want and expect to be able to communicate with brands and businesses at any time and from any location. If a consumer makes an online purchase late at night and has an issue with the payment process, they expect the issue to be resolved quickly. Conversational marketing solutions like chatbots may be of tremendous assistance for firms who can’t give that level of interaction at all hours of the day and night. Automated chat services, such as chatbots, arise online to assist clients with their interactions with a business. Powered by artificial intelligence technology, they can replicate human communication patterns and create engaging experiences that seem like they are happening in real life. Even if the customer is aware that they are interacting with a bot, they won’t mind if the communication is efficient. Customers are more likely to become engaged if they feel they are being taken care of. Creating content and conversation flow is a critical step in successful conversational marketing campaigns. 4. Retention is the key Retaining existing customers is far more cost-effective than finding new ones, as every marketer knows. Significantly. A customer’s lifetime value may be measured by how much money they spend, how frequently they spend it, and how many people they refer to become new customers. If a consumer has a bad experience, they will not likely return to that brand or company. To keep consumers interested and pleased, a firm must consistently engage them in pleasant encounters they can rely on. When customers feel valued, cared for, and intrigued by fresh and creative offerings, they are more likely to return to a business. Customer engagement and retention go hand in hand. It’s not possible to have one without the other. As a result, any effective strategy for interacting with consumers must include measures to keep them pleased over the long term and the course of their relationship with the company. 5. Elevate your social media marketing If you’re a company, social media is a must-have. Every marketer understands they need to be on social media, but the issue is how to effectively engage clients after you’ve established yourself in the social media landscape. Brands and goods jostle customers’ attention on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Because of this, client engagement efforts must be very targeted. How to use social media to interact with your clients Although it may seem tedious, responding to consumer comments on social media, particularly unfavorable ones, is critical. Companies should take the time to respond to customer concerns thoroughly and thoughtfully. This may