Why Customer Experience is the Ultimate Marketing Tool

A.I. Art generated specifically for this post using MidJourney

If you're like most brand owners and marketers out there, you're always looking for new and innovative marketing strategies that will help you stand out from the competition.

You may have even tried some cutting-edge tactics, only to find that they didn't live up to your expectations. So what's the solution?

Focus on customer experience. It's that simple. And if you're not doing everything you can to make sure your customers have a great experience, you're falling behind. So what can you do to improve your customer experience? Let's dive in...

Customer experience is the new marketing battleground

AI abstract art depicting a woman promoting something

In today's marketing landscape, customer experience is the new key battleground. Brands must now focus on providing compelling experiences that create connections and drive long-term loyalty. (Acquisition to the moon 🚀 doesn't work. Never has, never will.)

As marketing strategies evolve to meet the demands of a constantly changing digital world, this shift in focus has caused marketing teams to look at things differently.

Instead of relying solely on marketing tactics to drive growth, brands must now deliver experiences that continuously add value to customers while meeting their ever-changing needs.

This brings with it a certain level of unpredictability as marketing teams grapple with keeping up with trends and staying ahead of changing consumer preferences.

What's clear is that companies today must embrace innovation, loyalty, and customer service if they are going to survive the marketing revolution.

By doing so, they will be able to move beyond simply selling products to creating lasting relationships with their customers. Resistance is futile – change is here!

How to create a phenomenal customer experience

AI people shopping

Despite the importance of customer interactions being leveraged in an overall marketing strategy, it is still easier said than done to deliver a repeatable user experience throughout the customer journey.

That said, here are a few things you can start implementing right away to start seeing positive results.

Post-purchase surveys

Not all changes have to include doing anything new. Chances are, you are probably already using post-purchase surveys as a layer of insight when it comes to customer acquisition attribution.

Adding a question or two to your survey that asks the customer about their purchase experience can go strides. It makes the customer feel seen and heard.

Try something like: "Did you get what you expected out of your experience? (If not, what went wrong?)"

Or, "What questions might you still have? (Anything at all, how fast will I get my order? what if I don't like it? or anything else.)

Simple, yet thought-provoking questions can address where the customer is at in their journey post-purchase. Many brands fail at simply asking what the customer may still be asking themselves.

And no, your FAQs and shipping policies aren't good enough. The moment the "buy" button is clicked an endless void of doubt washes over the customer. It's your job to meet them where they're at and simply say, "hey I'm still here for you."

Call your customers

Highly talked about, seldomly done.

The "First 100" are your key group of early adopters that believed in you. They took the risk with little incentive. Short of your product being the next holy grail of your industry, no one, and I really mean no one, owes you or your brand anything.

With this being true, it would behoove you to pick up the phone, dial the number on their order and say: "Hey NAME, it's John over here from REALLY COOL BRAND. I wanted to personally call and ask what you thought about your experience with us. I'd love to listen."

That. Is. Power.

AI woman contacting customers

The moment that person gets that phone call, their whole perspective changes. You've raised the bar for them. Now, even if they don't come back for months to try competitor brands, they know at the root of it, you will always listen to them. It's a loyalty only forged through real connection.

Obviously, you can't possibly call every single customer forever. Though, investing personal time into this occasionally can also serve as a great way to get an anecdotal insight into what's really happening with your brand.

Just be ready for the real responses. And be ready to act on them too.

Only discount for something valuable

Sure online reviews are great, SEO, social proof, organic rank, the list goes on. Though, in the grand scheme of things, words are cheap.

Discounting or providing a monetary incentive to leave a review only causes degradation of your brand and weakens your personal connection to the customer.

Instead, only offer a discount or other monetary incentive when your customer does something like giving a shoutout about your brand to their followers. Or, gives a video testimonial about the product.

This way, it doesn't feel transactional and you're really only incentivizing your most excited customers.

If you have a Shopify store, using an app like eVouch can help automate this process for you.

eVouch offers a seamless solution for turning your customers into the most motivated influencers raving about your brand through post-purchase organic social media shoutouts to their followers.

eVouch is a free app. Though, its premium features are available through its private app.

As partners of eVouch, we can offer you 3 months of its premium features for free so you can start enabling your customers to be your best advocates. Simply install the app using our link.

Offer white glove support

We all despise calling customer support when something goes awry. Why? Because struggling through automated systems, ridiculously long hold times and terrible elevator music only to be told "we can't help you" is the epitome of shit customer service.

AI white glove

For a DTC store owner, there are infinite "fires" to put out on a daily basis on top of brainstorming new ways to serve your customers. It's no surprise support falls on the back burner.

Start by implementing a tool like Tido. A simple chatbot that can have a tremendous impact on your customer support experience.

Build out a comprehensive set of FAQs that don't just address common questions but instead use the same tonality of how individuals are voicing their questions/concerns.

For example, instead of: "When will I get my order?" phrase the FAQ like this, "How long will I have to wait to get my [product]?"

This shows you care. It shows this by using the root pain point as the question.

No one wonders when they'll get their order. Instead, they wonder how long will the pain of anticipation last before they get the benefit you claim to provide to them.

Customers don’t just make a fuss on your website in the reviews section, they’ll do the same on socials too.

It is helpful to get ahead of it by fielding customer requests, complaints and feedback no matter where it happens.

It would be even more helpful to have all of that feed into one platform that you can use to manage everything with ease.

That’s why we recommend taking your customer experience and management to the next level by using a tool like Gorgias. A platform that allows you to see comments from socials, chatbot requests, emails, and reviews all from one easy-to-use customer service management system. Turn them into tickets and streamline your workflow.

Reward consistency, not high-value

That Klaviyo campaign sitting in your drafts to send a discount to "high value" customers, yeah, don't publish that.

Instead, reward what really matters. Long-term loyalty. Consistent users who keep coming back for more will beat big one-time spenders every time.

Your marketing strategy starts and ends with your most high-value, repeat consumers. A clear understanding of customer needs in this category is paramount to your long-term success and the ultimate goal of continued profitability.

Show customers you care by implementing feedback

As a DTC store owner, you know that customer feedback is crucial to the success of your business. But just collecting feedback isn't enough – you need to show that you're actually listening and taking action.

One way to do this is by making updates in real-time. Don't just collect feedback and leave it in a dusty old folder somewhere. Show your customers that you're actively working on implementing their suggestions by updating them in real-time. This could be through email newsletters, social media posts, or even just a simple "we heard you" message.

It's also important to be transparent. Don't be afraid to admit when you can't implement a suggestion or when something just isn't feasible. People appreciate honesty and transparency, and being open about why certain feedback can't be implemented can build trust and improve your reputation.

By updating them on how their feedback is being implemented, you show that you value their opinions and are committed to continuously improving the customer journey. Don't be afraid to show them that you care!

The benefits of a great customer experience

AI storefront with people walking in

If you're not already laser-focused on customer centricity, you're missing out on some major benefits.

Let's take a look at just a few:

You'll see increased customer satisfaction and loyalty

One of the biggest benefits is increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Think about it – when users have a great experience with your brand, they are more likely to continue doing business with you and recommend you to others.

But it's not just about making a sale – it's about building long-term relationships with your consumers. Satisfied users are more likely to be loyal to your business.

This means that they are more likely to continue doing business with you even if they encounter a problem or issue. This can help to reduce churn and increase long-term revenue for your business.

You'll differentiate yourself from the competition

In today's crowded and competitive market, it's more important than ever to stand out from the competition.

Think about your own experiences as a consumer – have you ever had a mediocre or even a bad experience with a company and vowed to never do business with them again?

Now consider the opposite – a positive, memorable experience that leaves you feeling good about a particular product and wanting to continue buying it.

That's the power of customer experience.

AI storefront that is unique from the rest

Don't underestimate the importance of developing a meaningful customer journey. By delivering a positive experience to each person, you can differentiate yourself from the competition and give consumers a reason to choose your product.

It's the only thing that makes sense to generate new opportunities and keep your store relevant to your end user.

You'll create a community of advocates for your brand values

When you deliver an exceptional customer experience, you have the opportunity to create a loyal group of advocates who will support your values and help to drive sustained performance for your business.

Marketing messages are best told by someone who is relatable to prospective new customers. This is why many organizations are moving to new thinking that puts their circle of advocates at the forefront.

A true group of users around your business can create a lasting moat of monetary support and "future-proof" your business for years to come.

Marketing change is here to stay

AI woman looking at a screen

Marketing agility is really what we are after in this new frontier of marketing & advertising. The ability to connect with individuals, see change coming, and adapt is the key framework to ensure you stay relevant.

Here are some areas that will be most volatile in the coming years:

A.I.

Artificial intelligence is one key area we should all be investing huge amounts of time in learning.

Facebook Ads, Google Ads, and many other media channels have largely already proven they too are going to continue to double down on A.I. implementing things like Performance Max, simplified campaign goals, Advantage+, the list goes on.

We as marketers, DTC business owners, leaders, and creators must lean on the marketing activities that will achieve our goals with minimal effort. With the help of A.I. tools like ChatGPT, MidJourney, Jasper, and many others, we can 10x our effectiveness and allow ourselves more room to practice empathy, storytelling, product development, and of course, radical customer satisfaction.

Seamlessness

An effective customer journey will continue to demand flawlessness through and through. The expectations set will only continue to be raised by brands that take these points to heart and implement them.

Make it stupid-easy to contact you. Lack of support is one of the main drop-off points especially post-purchase. It could mean the difference between a buyer lifecycle of 10 days vs several years.

In order to create a seamless customer journey, it is important to prioritize their needs and desires at every step of the way. This means paying attention to the details and ensuring that every interaction is smooth and effortless. It may also involve using technology to streamline processes and eliminate friction points on site as well.

Start now, re-prioritize, and watch your business transform from the inside out.

Choice

Decision fatigue will continue to plague us all and as we enter a new era of online commerce, reducing the friction associated with choice becomes a huge secret weapon.

Offer fewer options: Instead of overwhelming people with a long list of options, consider offering a smaller selection of products or services that are carefully curated to meet their needs. This can help to reduce decision fatigue and make it easier to make a choice.

Provide clear and concise information: Make sure all the information they need to make an informed decision is there. This includes things like product descriptions, pricing, and delivery information. By providing clear and concise information, you can help your users make informed decisions without feeling overwhelmed.

Don't underestimate the power of choice – make it a key part of your customer experience strategy.

Products that don't just solve a problem

While it's important to offer products that solve a problem, it's equally important to go beyond this and offer products that provide unexpected value.

Individuals now expect the unexpected. For better or for worse, the striving for better products, faster speeds, and tastier food has led us down a path of a certain responsibility to outperform time and time again.

Pay attention to the details: The small things can make a big impact when it comes to creating a memorable product. Consider things like packaging, delivery, support, and how you can create a seamless and enjoyable experience.

By offering products that go above and beyond simply solving a problem and providing added value, you can create a positive and memorable experience that sets you apart from the competition. Don't be afraid to think outside the box and make your products unforgettable.

Conclusion

Decision-making in the C Suite and the perception of future marketing is changing. An organization must now reach its target markets through marketing & advertising activities that prioritize the value of developing long-term relationships, developing product advocacy, and empowering individuals by giving them the tools to be advocates for your business.

Bottom line: it's time to start obsessing over this aspect of your marketing strategy and turn your customer experiences into your most effective channels to drive future growth.