How to approach a modern CX strategy in 2023

When was the last time you were wowed by a customer experience?

For me, I messaged a service rep in-app about a pair of glasses I broke that were beyond their warranty. I explained what happened, the service rep got my account information, saw that I have been a loyal customer for 4+ years, and gave me a free repair.

To keep up with the competition, your organization must provide an exceptional customer experience. But what does that mean in today’s age of digital transformation?

Modern businesses that have apps that connect them directly to their customer must use customer experience (CX) as a key differentiator. When building an app, your team is already thinking about user experience (UX), so an adept customer experience strategy is not far away.

Having a customer-first mindset is the key to a modern CX strategy, but here are some actionable steps to help you approach your customer experience in 2023 and beyond.

The customer is always right, but what does that mean in the Social+ age?

Businesses have always been expected to provide decent customer experiences, but in the Social+ age where brands are online, active, and available at all times – it becomes especially important to leave a lasting good impression.

In a world of infinite reviews and word-of-mouth marketing, businesses must build a positive reputation by delivering great customer service if they want to succeed.

Gone are the days when ‘the customer is always right’ referred to courteous products or services; now, this phrase requires an understanding of what customers expect from every aspect of their engagement with a business. Companies must be aware of what their customers need and strive to exceed their expectations on a regular basis.

It’s not just about providing good customer service – it’s about creating an exceptional customer experience

Surprising and delighting customers, going above and beyond, and effectively communicating offers and expectations from the start: are all ideas that come from the same customer-centric approach to business.

Why is customer experience management important?

Customer experience management goes beyond customer service by considering every customer touchpoint.

At its core, customer experience means understanding your customers’ wants, needs, and expectations. And delivering on them.

The difference between customer service and customer experience is that customer experience includes every aspect of the customer’s journey – including when something goes wrong.

Key components of a modern CX strategy

A modern customer experience (CX) strategy should be centered around taking a holistic approach to business and customer interactions. It should strive to enhance customer satisfaction by centering their experiences from beginning to end. This includes understanding customers’ motivations, gaining feedback on how well current CX practices are meeting those needs, and using that knowledge to define an improved customer journey.

An effective CX strategy requires various components, such as establishing key performance indicators (KPIs), designing processes for consistently addressing customer feedback, and recognizing the importance of data-driven insight into CX improvement efforts.

Additionally, robust communication strategies across all touchpoints, channels, and teams must be implemented in order to create a comprehensive approach to delivering an unmatched customer experience. With a solid foundation of these key CX strategy components, businesses will be better equipped to offer superior products and services.

1. Define a clear vision for your customer’s experience

To visualize the overall customer experience, think about the customer journey from start to finish, mapping out different touchpoints. This could include a website or mobile app experience, or any other interactions a customer has with your brand.

By having a clear vision, you create an attentiveness that supports consistent customer relationships in your business – no matter how distant the physical customer encounter might be.

2. Build customer experience into your mission

Here at Sendbird, our first of seven core values is “endless tenacity for customers.”

Our story, our business, begins with the customer. They faced the initial problem for which a few people dared to find a solution, creating customer value.

The reason customers need to be built into your foundation is that a consistently positive customer experience will drive customer loyalty, create competitive differentiation, and increase the long-term value of your brand. Each team should be able to answer how their KPIs or OKRs prioritize the customer, or a target segment of customers.

This will also foster collaboration within your team to innovate and stay engaged.

3. Invest in the right systems and tools

From CMS platforms to customer support on social networks, having access to the right customer experience tools will ensure that it’s easier to deliver exceptional services and products. Live chat, in-app messaging, and a reliable customer database are all key elements of any successful business venture; they enable your team to quickly get the information they need on a customer while providing better user experiences.

Through strategic investments in the right systems and tools, businesses can become more efficient and profitable.

In-app messaging is an incredible addition to customer service as it brings all the Social+ elements of business directly into your app. You provide a personalized opportunity for customers to connect with your brand socially, as well as create an easy opportunity to connect customers with valuable opportunities and information.

4. Understand and measure customer experience metrics

Outside of asking your customers how their experience with your brand is, you can take a deeper look into metrics to understand what actions they are taking.

Customer experience metrics to consider:

CSAT score: Satisfied customers are more likely to continue using a company’s products or services and to recommend them to others. This can lead to increased customer retention and word-of-mouth marketing, which can be especially valuable for mobile businesses.

Online reviews: In today’s digital age, customers are more likely to share their experiences with a company, both positive and negative, through online reviews. Keep an eye on the number of reviews you receive and their sentiment.

Social engagement: Whether you want to focus on impressions or clicks, social engagement is a great tool to see how many users are actively engaging with your brand in places other than your app or website.

Website speed: Provides an indication of how quickly customers can access the information they’re looking for. If a customer is waiting for a page on your website or app to load, odds are they’ll find a competitor who loads faster.

Response time: Fast response times can also help to build customer loyalty, as customers are more likely to feel valued and supported when their inquiries are addressed quickly.

Customer churn: If a customer churns, odds are their customer experience wasn’t great. To improve your customer experience, figure out where your customers are churning so you don’t lose revenue.

Customer lifetime value (LTV): Customer LTV can also help a company understand the value of retaining a customer and prioritize customer experience efforts accordingly.

5. Seek out customer feedback

Incorporating customer feedback is one thing, seeking it out is another.

Customers are an invaluable part of understanding how to improve and expand our business. Not only does feedback give detailed insights into what customers actually want, but it also demonstrates that their voices are being heard.

To stay ahead of the competition, find new opportunities for growth through customer feedback. By taking the time to identify customers’ sentiments, you can ensure that you products or services are designed for the very people who are using them.

6. Adopt in-app messaging to put customers at the center of your brand experience

An in-app messaging conversations platform organizes messaging from every aspect; user-to-user, brand-to-user, group messaging – and so on – to put your customer at the center of your brand experience.

Sendbird chat API drives engagement, transaction, and customer experience. Whether you’re running a marketplace, digital health company, a social platform, retail business, or just about anything else, the ability to communicate with customers in-app keeps them at the heart of your business.

Messaging bolsters your customer experience strategy by providing personalized information to each customer. Whether you’re suggesting a product, answering a service question, or initiating a social interaction – your brand stays center stage.