The customer experience (CX) landscape has changed dramatically in recent years.
Consumers of the day want more than just 50% off coupons on their birthdays. They want 1:1 experiences that make them feel really important. What does this mean for companies? It means upgrading subscriptions for old customers, smart algorithms that improve the shopping experience, hassle-free payment methods and timely updates on channels that the customer prefers. In addition, CX is evolving even faster as artificial intelligence gradually becomes the new norm.
Obviously, if you’re a business owner, you need to improve the CX to stay afloat. So let’s take a look at the key CX trends for 2022 so you have an idea of what to expect. But first, let’s quickly understand why there is so much talk about CX.
The hype around customer experience
Why are we taking the 2022 CX trends so seriously?
This is because more and more companies are citing CX as their top priority, often even better than product and pricing. And that only makes sense. Customers who are treated well are more likely to become loyal.
Moreover, satisfied customers can also continue to spread the word about your brand. This word of mouth can translate into many new customers for your business. After all, while consumers’ trust in sellers is declining, they do trust what their peers say.
2022 CX Trends Every Business Should Prepare For
Given the above reasons, the hype surrounding CX only makes sense. Now let’s take a look at the CX trends for 2022.
Higher demand for omnichannel communication
Gone are the days of brands changing the way customers interacted with them. Today, consumer activity is fluid and in constant flux. And so omnichannel communication is the necessity of the hour. Think about it: what would happen if your bank stopped online banking and required physical visits?
But contrary to popular belief, omnichannel customer experience requires more than just a multi-channel presence. It needs all the different channels to work together. By doing this, customers can leave one channel and pick up where they left off on another. A good example of an omnichannel approach is Amazon. Customers can access the exact same information through the website, mobile app, Alexa devices and smartwatches.
A rise of data-driven marketing
Today’s consumers are not only concerned with quality products and competitive prices. More often than not, they are looking for experiences. And how can companies offer them that? Data is a great resource.
With data-driven marketing, you can personalize customer experiences, leverage effective cross-selling, and improve your product or service. Most importantly, data-driven marketing helps you better understand your audience, automatically paving the way for a better CX.
Video marketing and communication will be in demand
One form of content marketing that almost always works is video. Video marketing is a great way to engage with customers while conveying complex bits of information in an easy way. This explains why more and more brands are putting instructional videos about products on their websites.
Moreover, Instagram ads and videos are extremely versatile. You can share them on any social media platform, on your website and even convert them into webinars and courses.
That said, creating video content can be quite overwhelming. From idea to production to assembly to marketing, it is a long process. If you need help, consider using a video editing tool. Platforms like visme can help you create powerful videos right on your smartphone. Advanced features such as color correction and green screen videos allow you to create spectacular product tutorial videos for your customers.
Turn data into insights with predictive analytics
Next on our list of CX trends for 2022 is predictive analytics.
The predictive analytics market is growing at a rapid pace. It allows business owners to predict customer needs and key lifecycle events. This creates a win-win situation. Consumers can enjoy a light-hearted shopping experience and entrepreneurs can win more sales.
Predictive analytics can also help identify patterns that indicate customers are about to leave.
Need for real-time customer support
Time is a precious commodity, right?
This explains why consumers want immediate answers to their questions and grievances. Besides, in this social media obsessed world, most of us are addicted to instant gratification. Real-time support gives users the coveted instant gratification that is quite rare in customer service anyway.
In fact, real-time support offers many benefits to business owners. For starters, because it allows problems to be solved on the spot, it lowers costs. In addition, companies can get real-time feedback, which is generally more sincere. If you’re looking for a hassle-free way to provide real-time support, consider investing in the conversation ai enabled chatbots tool for that.
On-demand shipping services will become more popular
Until a few years ago we had to wait at least a week for our packages. Today, companies like Amazon have completely turned things around. One-day deliveries are becoming the norm.
On-demand shipping services rely on fast logistics and have successfully tackled the famous logistics problem of last-mile delivery. On-demand delivery helps businesses win more customers, lower infrastructure costs and reduce reliance on manual labor. And of course, it lets customers enjoy the joys of fast delivery.
Augmented reality will improve the customer service experience
One of the most obvious CX trends for 2022 is augmented reality.
Augmented reality is transforming the customer journey into a visually interactive experience. It allows e-commerce to do one thing it couldn’t: the experience of trying products first-hand. In addition to bringing virtual product testing to life, augmented reality also provides the power to improve customer service.
An example of augmented reality is the Sephora Virtual Artist, which allows users to virtually try on makeup and dresses.
Payment experiences need to be improved
With more and more people shopping online, the need for seamless digital transactions is even more important. There’s nothing more frustrating than adding everything you need to the cart, only to find your credit card declined.
In 2022, businesses must pay more attention to diversifying payment options, perfecting shopping cart design and securing payment processes.
With a broader focus on protecting sensitive customer data and avoid data breachesit’s important to make sure you have the right systems in place to prevent unauthorized access to company data.
Conclusion
These 2022 CX trends are about to change the relationship between business and consumer forever. Omnichannel communications, data-driven marketing, predictive analytics, real-time customer support, on-demand delivery, and video marketing are just surfacing. Given the pace at which emerging technologies are advancing, it would only make sense to expect many more such trends.
Gaurav Sharma is the founder and CEO of Attrocka results-driven digital marketing company and a Google Analytics and Google Ads certified professional.
He has scaled a desk from 5 to 7 figure income in just two years. He has increased leads by 10x, conversion rate by 2.8x and traffic to 300,000 per month using content marketing, SEO, influencer marketing, landing page optimization, sales funnel and LinkedIn.
He contributes to renowned publications such as HubSpot, Adweek, Business 2 Community, HuffPost, TechCrunch and many more. He uses his experience to help SaaS companies, influencers, local businesses and ecommerce brands increase their traffic, leads, sales and authority.
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