The past two decades have seen the birth of an unprecedented number of new markets and technologies such as cloud services, warehouse robotics, and smartphones. These new technologies have redefined entire industries, and business owners are being forced to change their business models and embrace digital transformation in order to stay competitive.
The integration of digital technologies into all areas of a business is changing how businesses operate, and also how they interact with and bring value to their customers. Digital technology has transformed consumer habits and caused a shift in customer expectations. These days, customers often rate organizations on their digital customer experience first.
Mobile devices, apps, machine learning, automation and much more allow customers to get what they want almost exactly at the moment they need it. As a result, modern customers expect consistent access to relevant content in relation to what they’re doing at any time, in any location and in the format and on the device of their choosing. In today’s market, businesses must embrace technologies in many forms to deliver an unmatched customer experience. But, for many small businesses the options can be overwhelming.
Alberta Women Entrepreneurs offers a series of Digital Transformation courses that explore digital transformation topics with experts. Over three sessions, two hours each, participants receive strategic insights, ask questions and talk about technology options with experts.
For Lori Schmidt, Instructor of the Enhancing Customer Experience Through Digital course, understanding how to digitally transform a business begins with an understanding of what digital competencies are needed to improve operational efficiency as well as the customer experience.
“Our approach has been helping the entrepreneur understand that it is about the integration of digital technologies into all areas of their business. So it is much more strategic perhaps rather than jumping into all the technologies,“ explained Lori. “The course was a primer for our larger Bold Leadership Program. A component of the course is to help women identify and build competencies using digital technologies to enhance the customer experience. It involves understanding what digital transformation is.”
Enhancing Customer Experience Through Digital was designed to be a course that would help businesses shift from pandemic survival strategies, to focusing on long-term implementation of digital technologies for continued growth in their markets. Participants were not only able to identify areas of digital competencies that they needed to acquire, but were also able to apply the technologies with a strategy and valuable feedback from other professionals.
“Everyone got what they needed out of the course in a different way, and the opportunity to work continuously with AWE is huge. It has completely transformed our business and our direction and where we are going, and that gave AWE a lot of value to us.” - Amaris Gamache, Course Participant.
An aspect of the Enhancing Customer Experience course was learning to prepare and execute a customer experience digital strategy by developing an implementation plan. For Jody Craig, mapping out her customers' journey was a valuable exercise. Since applying strategies learned in the course, she has been able to increase her exposure to new markets by using marketing techniques to let people know what she is working on, and inviting new collaborations.
Participants of the course learned how to identify their current level of digital maturity. The course also explored customer engagement through the use of social media, artificial intelligence, data analysis, and multiple digital channels from their first connection with your brand, to following up with customers well after the purchase of a product or service.
According to Jody Craig, “staying in touch with your customers is important.” How a company does that is an equally important part of the customer experience. “Feedback from clients is important to ensure that you are providing a service that is of value. Keeping the lines of communication open is essential to understanding what your clients changing needs are,” she explained.
Staying on top of communications is another area in which digital transformation can assist with improving efficiencies and quality of customer service. Implementing simple automations can help businesses stay in contact with their ever growing customer base. This includes marketing automation such as email, chat and sales support, as well as operations automation including fulfillment, shipping, tracking and bookkeeping.
Introducing digital strategies means replacing cold calling with social selling. Customers are already active in social media and that’s where businesses need to be in order to engage. Instead of waiting for the customer to establish contact, businesses today need to reach out to them, build a relationship and help educate them about their product or service.
Customer service teams are no longer restricted to phone and email communications. Digital transformation is not just about being reactive, it’s about using a wide range of channels to provide support. Social media, reviews sites, forums, and communities are all now part of the customer service ecosystem.
Regardless of what technologies businesses choose to implement, one thing is certain: the companies that do make the choice to transform to digital operations and processes are creating highly engaged customers.
Interviews:
Lori Schmidt - Business Advisor and Coach
Jody Craig, Viewpoint Executive Solutions
Amaris Gamache - The Chic Studio ( Chic and Company Inc., La Seda Silk, Magnifiquely Lashed)
