CX trends brands can’t afford to ignore in 2023

As the omnichannel buying experience dissolves the boundaries between the offline and online customer journey, multi-location brands have recognized the necessity of agile CX strategies and technologies. With consumers demanding human connections with the brands they buy from, it’s time for businesses to up their game — or risk falling behind.

In 2023, brands must power up their CX to listen more deeply, engage authentically, and build stronger relationships with their customers in real-time. Savvy businesses will look for opportunities to:

• Expand their brand’s omnichannel CX strategy
• Offer customers precise and personalized buying experiences
• Be authentic and transparent in every consumer interaction
• Invest in smart technology that captures the chatter that matters from their virtual treasure trove of unstructured data

Expand your omnichannel CX in 2023

For real success, organizations must deliberately expand their strategy to encompass the Total Experience (TX). That means focusing on brand experience at every level, including cross-channel user experience and employee experience.

From their first interactions online to making a purchase in-store to writing a post-sale review, people expect a complete, consistent, and smooth customer experience at every step of their journey. More brands are integrating digital tools, technologies, and strategies for top-tier TX success to make this work effortlessly for multi-location businesses across multiple channels and touchpoints.

A Gartner survey found that “the top two reasons for pursuing digital initiatives are to enhance customer experiences and improve employee productivity.” One example of an impactful digital TX initiative is AI and machine learning adoption. These tools provide the visibility to unveil what first-time customers, loyalty members, new employees, online buyers, etc., want as they become more educated, demanding, and have more choices.

Give personal experiences customers crave

When people search for your business online, they need to quickly and easily find your location listings. However, that is the bare minimum. According to Think with Google, the number of “near me” searches that exhibited purchase intent has increased by 500%! In short, you have serious competition — and your listing must stand out.

With online clamor rising ever louder, brands must implement deliberate strategies to cut through that noise by landing on top of search page one while providing searchers with the answers they seek. Start by optimizing your local SEO using today’s local search best practices, including:

• Claiming your Google listings
• Reaching 100% cross-channel listings accuracy
• Gaining more 5-star online reviews
• Adding eye-catching content to your listings
• Making the leap from CX to TX

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Build out spectacular, info-heavy, and relevant business listings in Google, Yelp, and Apple Maps, to drive your perfect buyers to your doors and increase sales.

Bring transparency and authenticity to the conversation

2023 is a perfect opportunity to embrace negative online reviews. No business leader enjoys negative feedback. But in a marketplace where reviews reign supreme, they’re unavoidable. Use negative reviews as valuable and influential feedback that, if used strategically, can make customers more satisfied.

Furthermore, customers today want to read negative reviews about a brand before choosing their product or service. About 32% of consumers would deliberately avoid a business without seeing negative reviews. A profile that looks too squeaky clean looks suspicious.

By monitoring online reviews manually or with review management software, take advantage of the opportunity to tap into your customer experience power. With deep CX insights, provide positive solutions and authentic experiences that improve brand loyalty.

Invest in deep listening reputation technology

While online reviews and ratings are nothing new, they took on an entirely new level of importance during the pandemic. That importance doesn’t appear to be waning — even as the pandemic does.

In fact, 87% of consumers say that online reviews are more important now versus pre-pandemic times! People place a very high value on peer feedback when purchasing a product, selecting a restaurant, finding a service, or conducting a “near me” search. Brands with the right tools to monitor, analyze, and engage with reviews actively will thrive by understanding and attracting even the pickiest buyers.

With deep listening AI technology, stay on top of trending customer concerns before they become widespread. Filter through keywords left in reviews across channels like Facebook, Google, Yelp, and Apple Maps with powerful customer sentiment analytics platforms. As we look into the future of CX, companies that leverage the power of technology to listen 24/7 and act on what they hear will deliver superior customer service and succeed.

Evolve from CX to TX

While immensely valuable, software for TX success should only be part of your overall tech stack. To ensure that your brand delivers exceptional omnichannel experiences while seeing your influence and brand value grow, it’s vital to invest in multiple cutting-edge CX technologies.

From smart and intuitive automated chatbots providing customer service 24/7 to deep listening customer analysis engines to powerful AI and machine learning-enabled interfaces that drive customer engagement, gain access to tools designed to deliver fantastic results.

While significant tech investments can feel daunting, they are essential in today’s competitive business climate. Other brands are already making those investments and experiencing the ROI. By putting integration off, you’ll only fall further behind.