According to Salesforce\u2019s 6th edition State of Marketing<\/em><\/a> report, 84% of customers now \u201cbelieve the experience a company provides is just as important as its product and services.\u201d In other words, companies can no longer afford poor CX and convoluted buyer experiences.<\/p>\n But solving problems like the ones mentioned in our scenario above aren\u2019t overnight fixes. They require going back to the basics and really looking at the journey you\u2019ve built for your buyers and customers.<\/p>\n In the next few sections, we\u2019re sharing tactics for creating a frictionless end-to-end customer experience \u2013 from simplifying touchpoints to delivering digital innovations that delight:<\/p>\n Make the Buyer & Customer Journey Less of a Labyrinth<\/a><\/p>\n Use Data Responsibly & in Service of Your Buyers & Customers<\/a><\/p>\n Invest in Digital Experiences that Support & Scale<\/a><\/p>\n Old inbound funnels leave a lot to be desired. With lengthy forms<\/a>, delayed follow-up<\/a>, and generic digital experiences, it\u2019s no wonder the buyer\u2019s journey often feels disjointed.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc46 And that\u2019s just one half of the customer lifecycle.<\/p>\n According to Salesforce, \u201c54% of customers say they get annoyed if they are targeted with an ad for something they\u2019ve already bought. With 71% of customers having used multiple channels to start and complete a single transaction.\u201d<\/p>\n So what can you do to make your experience less of a labyrinth?<\/p>\n Let\u2019s dig in \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n Customer journey maps<\/a> are pretty much what they sound like. They\u2019re blueprints of the different paths customers take with your brand:<\/p>\n \u201cA customer journey map is a visual representation of every experience your customers have with you. It helps to tell the story of a customer’s experience with your brand from original engagement and into hopefully a long-term relationship.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n – Salesforce<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n The example we used earlier is just a small part of a larger customer journey map. When creating a customer journey map, you\u2019ll work with other departments to identify points of friction. These could include things like needless touchpoints, a complex internal tech stack, long wait times, and confusing marketing copy.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an example of what a more robust customer journey map might look like:<\/p>\n Source: BrightVessel.com<\/em><\/p>\n As part of this map, companies will also include customer feedback gathered from these touchpoints and layer that on top of this journey. We\u2019ll discuss more about using customer feedback to improve experiences further down in this article.<\/p>\n Finally, we suggest revisiting your customer journey map at least every quarter. Given digital experiences, technology, and preferences change, revisiting this on a regular cadence is important.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve identified your problem areas, next you\u2019ll need to act \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n Earlier we showed a buyer journey for a paid advertisement. Here\u2019s that same journey simplified:<\/p>\n Drift: Conversational Marketing Paid Ad Flow<\/em><\/p>\n This journey no longer relies on static communication and replaces forms, emails, and delayed follow-up with chat.<\/p>\n Chat<\/a> is just one way to help minimize the number of hoops buyers jump through. You should also look at other critical milestones in the customer lifecycle \u2013 like onboarding. Drift partnered with CustomerGauge to survey 100+ B2B businesses on the state of buyer and customer experience<\/a>. In that survey, 57% of respondents said their onboarding was only somewhat effective in setting their customers up for success.<\/p>\n Yikes.<\/p>\n Stats like these are a good reminder that you need to look at the entire end-to-end customer journey and critical milestones within that journey.<\/p>\n According to Accenture<\/a>, 83% of customers are willing to share their data to personalize experiences. The problem? Customers don\u2019t think their data is being put to good use.<\/p>\n One of Drift\u2019s leadership principles<\/a> is to \u201cput the customer at the center of everything you do.\u201d This is a good policy to keep in mind when it comes to using customer and buyer data: Only ask for the data customers and buyers will see tangible benefits from.<\/p>\n In that vein, here are some best practices for using data (responsibly) to improve experiences:<\/p>\n Forms with endless fields<\/a> are antiquated and lead to a poor experience. And even if you do invest in more real-time communication, it\u2019s important to limit your number of asks (basically don\u2019t turn your forms into long chat conversations).<\/p>\n For example, only ask for an email if you\u2019re actually sending something, and phone numbers if buyers actually want to talk over the phone. Append data with third-party vendors<\/a> to fill in the blanks and layer on additional personalization \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n Another reason to keep your data asks small: A growing list of data privacy laws. Since GDPR came into effect in May 2018, a number of new privacy laws have been added to give buyers and customers more control over their data \ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n Adhering to these laws is important for building trust with your customers.<\/p>\n Another key way to build trust around data? Putting it to good use for your buyers and customers. In the next section, we\u2019ll dig into best practices for using personalization data in your marketing.<\/p>\n Personalization<\/a> isn\u2019t just a name token at the top of an email. It\u2019s an entire strategy. That means your first step should be to map out where you want to use personalization in your buyer and customer journey. This will identify what other data you need to capture, and how you plan to use it.<\/p>\n Ideally, personalization should focus on two key components of the customer lifecycle:<\/p>\n In both cases, you\u2019re helping vs. selling. You\u2019re providing value up-front and identifying how to help buyers and customers now. You can learn more about these two methods in Gartner\u2019s Maximize the Impact of Personalization<\/em><\/a> report.<\/p>\n To end this section, we\u2019ll look at another key piece of data not just for improving experiences \u2013 but for improving your business as well.<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re a product- or service-based company, customer feedback<\/a> is an invaluable tool to elevate your business.<\/p>\n Yet, many companies aren\u2019t using feedback effectively according to our survey with CustomerGauge<\/a>. In that survey, 64% of respondents either didn\u2019t send a survey to customers at all or only sent one survey a year \ud83d\ude2c<\/p>\n Sending a survey after milestones \u2013 or on a quarterly basis \u2013 makes it easier to identify problems or potential churn. Companies can then be agile in acting on those findings and plan accordingly.<\/p>\n Here are some other tips to keep in mind when using surveys:<\/p>\n 2020 was a wake-up call<\/a> for marketers still on the fence about investing in digital innovations.<\/p>\n As the world went virtual and physical channels became less viable, marketers had to double down on digital marketing<\/a> to make up the difference in pipeline.<\/p>\n Customer marketing, customer success, and customer support have been equally tested. Customer support hotlines and generic help@ emails led to long wait times and frustrated customers.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no question \u2013 companies can and must do more to support their employees and customers across the board to scale and support their work.<\/p>\n In this final section, we look at two ways to better prepare and scale your business with digital, while also empowering buyers and customers.<\/p>\n Earlier we showed how chat can simplify the buyer\u2019s journey and enable better communication between buyers and sellers.<\/p>\n The same benefits can be found with customer support.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s Hannah Steiman, COO of Peak Support<\/a> on why conversational channels are so important to customer enablement \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to invest in conversational channels \u2013 online chat and social media. Studies show that customer satisfaction rates for chat are as high as 92% \u2013 greater than any other channel. That\u2019s because <\/em>live chat<\/em><\/a> enables you to have a back-and-forth conversation, resolving multiple questions in real-time.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n – Hannah Steinman, COO, Peak Support<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Chat also enables better self-service for buyers and customers. A survey from Zendesk<\/a> found that more than 67% of buyers and customers prefer self-service over talking with a rep. Empowering customers and buyers with self-service options are vital in scaling marketing and customer-facing business operations.<\/p>\n In a digitally-enabled world, business doesn\u2019t stop when the workday ends. That means your ability to help clients get the answers they need shouldn\u2019t either.<\/p>\nMake the Buyer & Customer Journey Less of a Labyrinth<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Traditional-B2B-Ad-Flow-1.svg\")
<\/p>\nCreate or Revisit Your Customer Journey Map<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.drift.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customerjourneymap.png\")
<\/p>\nSeriously Simplify Your Touchpoints<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Conversational-B2B-Ad-Flow-1.svg\")
<\/center><\/p>\nUse Data Responsibly & in Service of Your Buyers & Customers<\/h2>\n
Keep Data Asks Small<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.drift.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Personalizedchat.png\")
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Get Personalization Right<\/h3>\n
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Use Customer Feedback to Improve your Products & Services<\/h3>\n
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Invest in Digital Experiences that Scale & Support<\/h2>\n
Make Communication & Self-Service Easy<\/h3>\n
Adapt Your Experience to a 24\/7 World<\/h3>\n