The pandemic has changed our daily lives. Remote working has become the norm, we keep practicing social distancing and we have developed new preferences and habits as consumers. Now that we are entering a phase with fewer restrictions and more normality, the question arises if this changed consumer behaviour is here to stay? And if so, how companies should adjust their digital customer journey map to adapt to these changes.
If ‘digital customer journey’ is a new concept for you, you might want to start by reading our previous blogs in which we explain what the digital customer journey is and how you can map this journey to accommodate your customers better and build loyal relationships.
The goal of mapping the digital customer journey is to make sure you create a pleasant and frictionless buying experience for your customers. Pre or post-pandemic, that goal hasn’t changed. But companies might have to make some adjustments to make sure the buying experience stays tailored to the wishes of their customers. These are three important actions companies should implement:
1. Your online experience is essential
Customers are no longer fully relying on shopping their products online or joining seminars virtually, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t want to keep enjoying the convenience of such options. Companies should keep expanding the possibilities for their customers to interact with them wherever they are and create a seamless digital experience.
For example, if your clients are active Instagram users why not invest in a good-looking Facebook store that allows your customers to shop directly on the social platform they use for inspiration? Or if you deliver a service, why not create a series of insightful videos that can be accessed for a small membership fee and might attract some new clients.
Your website and social media channels already were the most important touchpoints of the digital customer journey, but the pandemic has made us shift to online solutions for almost every aspect of life. It is now more important than ever to deliver an excellent online experience.
2. Stay true to your values and give back
At the beginning of the pandemic, people were navigating a variety of different challenges at once and were looking for trustworthy resources to help them find the right solutions. According to research done by McKinsey & Co this has led to customers wanting to learn more about the values and purpose of a company before they buy from them. 64 percent of customers now choose to buy from socially responsible brands, a figure that has grown significantly in the past two years.
So, only giving back to the community or our planet during times of hardship is not enough anymore. Customers want to see the brands they love look out for their customers, their employees, the broader community and the environment. By making long lasting promises and sticking to them, you can prove yourself to be a worthy investment and expand your loyal customer base.
3. Sort out all the pain points on the digital customer journey
Our shift to doing virtually everything online, from shopping to learning and working, was accelerated by the pandemic. Companies have had to step up their game and improve their online experience making it as or more seamless and convenient as their offline services. According to a study by Google, this has increased the expectations customers have of the online buying experience.
It is therefore essential that every company revisits its existing digital customer journey map, retakes the journey and pinpoints where services can be improved. According to the Google study, customers expect more flexibility when it comes to payment, order fulfillment methods and customer support options on every step of the way. By re-experiencing their own online journey, companies can remove hurdles and increase support, so they can really provide additional value to their consumers.
