Digital growth. There is a lot of buzz around that subject, yet many don’t even know what it exactly means, or how to apply the knowledge that they have.
Related: UX Maturity Model and Customer Experience Transformation
The truth is that we live in a digital age, and the times demand that we keep up with all digital aspects, especially if we run or own a business and would like to see the best results from it.
Because digital is where it’s at, and it’s no longer enough to pop up a post, or list a new product or service, and then sit back and wait for the customer.
We need to be proactive in our approach to working on our digital transformations within our companies and integrate digital technology into all aspects and areas of our businesses, changing the growth pattern and how we deliver to our customers. So how do we correctly use digital growth to our advantage then?
Utilizing User Feedback and Available Consumer Data.
Okay. Before we dig into the how it’s essential to know the why. Why is digital the hot topic right now? Well, these days the consumer is king. And since the goal of any company is to be successful, it only follows that we would want to learn as much as possible about what the customer is looking for, and what their interests are. You want to see not only where your consumer is coming from, but also learn more about their interests and their behavior patterns.
To sell to someone you need to know what they need, and the good news is that with today’s technology that’s never been easier. All you need to know is how to use that technology to your advantage, and then you will see incredible results.
The How:
Once upon a time, a business would just list a new product online and then hope for sales, maybe they would even advertise a little bit, and then steps back and wait to see results. Today, there is so much more that can be done, and you have the advantage of being able to grow your traffic and increase your sales by building your knowledge of your customer base.
Do you know that over 47% of companies haven’t started their digital transformation yet? It has also been found that 55% of businesses believe they have less than a year left, and then they will begin to decrease financially and lose market share.
If you are trying to create digital transformation and affect change within your company, there are a few things that you will need to implement, right from the start. These are simple steps to take and things to focus on that will allow you to begin finding the best ways to market to your consumer and improve the overall customer experience.
- Strategy: to begin with you need to know your goal, your customer base, and how the digital transformation and process needs to be carried out. This is your first step. Making sure that you understand what you need to implement into your digital goals. Having a clear plan will help you to focus when you are presented with so many different options and ways to react to qualitative data, like customer feedback, along with factoring in your competitors’ developments– which may affect or disrupt the way you traditionally do business.
- Utilizing Consumer Feedback: as you start to track your consumer’s experience, watch your stats, and gather more info on your users, you are going to want to start using that data to create a better consumer experience. You should be tailoring the data that you collect digitally to build a better business and marketing approach.
- User-Centered: this is very important. You want your site to reflect your mission; to make the user experience as easy and straightforward as possible. This means that your website should be fast, mobile optimized, and the interface easy to navigate. Don’t make your users work too hard to complete a task– they can very easily drop-off and to go to your competitor’s site. Read more about UX Maturity and Customer-Experience Transformation.
- Utilizing Consumer Feedback: as you start to track your consumer’s experience, watch your stats, and gather more info on your users, you are going to want to start using that data to create a better consumer experience. You should be tailoring the data that you collect digitally to build a better business and marketing approach.
- Studying Consumer Data: implementing the information that you are processing is key. You need to know how to properly use the data and analytics to derive potentially actionable, understandable insights. Do this by first collecting, collating, and incorporating all relevant data points in a unified dashboard. This is where many people get lost and hiring a professional digital growth consultant may come in handy for you.
- Integration: this is another crucial factor. You need to ensure that your software, platforms, and technology are all in sync with each other. They should all be compatible, and there should be no confusion to users when navigating your site, whether it’s on a mobile device or PC.
- Personalized Approach: this highly customized way of marketing means different things for each company:
- When it comes to B2B sales teams, the customer base is already on social media, so it means finding the right way to connect with them in the correct setting, without waiting for them to first reach out to you.
- For sales teams, it means that they are going to building data-driven campaigns and potentially spending less time investing in offline marketing.
- For customer service it means that instead of waiting for a customer to walk in the door, they are going to be searching online, through social media, reviews sites, forums, and communities, every channel needs to be explored.
Don’t do it alone.
Does this all sound a bit overwhelming? Don’t worry. Nobody can do everything, and the good news is that there are skilled digital growth consultants that you can bring on board to help you build the digital transformation that you are looking for in your business. They have experience with analyzing data and tracking user patterns to create a custom-designed approach that will work for you and your company, freeing you up to continue to focus on other aspects of your company.
The results will be both fast and positive.
There are a few things that we do know for sure about digitally transforming a company.
- You are creating a high engagement with your customers, and they are going to be 5-6 times more likely to try your service or brand over the one that they usually use.
- Your customers are four times more likely to recommend your service or product family or friends.
Compared to the average customer, highly engaged customers are known to purchase 90% more frequently and spend 60% more per purchase.
A study done by MIT showed that companies that implement digital transformation are 26% more profitable than their competitors.
So, we see that by focusing on the digital side of your company, whether you outsource, hire someone to fill the position in your business, or do it yourself; you will see incredible results in steady growth, an increase in conversions, and overall better user experience.
Want to chart your path towards digital transformation and achieve a digital advantage? Let’s connect about your customers & channels, next-gen operations, new business models, and incorporate an agile Customer Experience Transformation plan.
References: McKinsey, Deloitte, and “Change Management,” CMSWire
Ali Jaffar has been building dazzling websites and creating amazing online experiences for over a decade. His mastery of the latest innovations in web development results in world-class website experiences set apart by show-stopping style and seamless functionality. A sought-after consultant and 50-time award-winning storyteller, UX expert, and web developer — Ali lends his talents to build and bolster digital experiences for a wide array of clients — with a keen focus on web design for nonprofit organizations, B2B, and government agencies. When Ali’s not helping his clients grow or providing pro bono services via his Coding For Causes program, you can find him exploring beautiful open spaces with his dog, working on digital solutions like the Good Jobs Search Engine software, or doing yoga.
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