Introduction
This reaction paper is based on “How to Provide an Excellent Customer Experience in the Digital Age” – a white paper that deals, according to its name, with customer experience and digital era in which we live now. The white paper looks at issues related to customer experience with different angles: what is a good customer experience in today’s world, what are the challenges in proving this experience and what could be the solutions to ensure that the customers get the experience what they are looking for. (Sana Commerce 2017, 4.) The white paper was made by Sana Commerce which is a company offering an e-commerce platform designed to help manufactures, distributors and wholesalers succeed by fostering lasting relationships with their customers (Sana Commerce 2022).
Digital age has certainly changed the customer’s purchasing behaviour as well as the means and channels the companies use for selling. Nearly everyone has an opportunity to use internet and can access enormous e-commerce market from their own home or office. On the other hand, for companies the digital sales have given international opportunities for growth and expansion. Although, everything happens in a digital world, we all still want to the same things as before: good products, good prices and good service. (Sana Commerce 2017, 3-4.) Our study unit is all about customer experience and this white paper gives practical perspectives on a topic that concerns us all: how to provide good customer experience in a digital world.
Most interesting perspectives
One of the most interesting perspectives I found in the white paper was quite surprising: you don’t necessarily always have to exceed the customer’s expectations. A lot of companies though have as their main strategy to exceed the customer expectations. The problem is that only a few companies succeed in doing so. What is then needed? Simply, make sure your company’s basic processes are in order as there are still a lot of companies that don’t do so. Ensure that customers get help and replies to their enquiries swiftly, guarantee that their orders are shipped quickly, check that product documentation and inventory availability are correct and secure that customer feedback is handled properly. (Sana Commerce 2017, 8.) From my own experience, I can tell that I rather buy from a company that delivers the same product faster. A good customer experience is that I get the code with which I can track the progress of the product shipment. For me, it is also important that the product descriptions and inventory availability are sufficient and correct, and I don’t need to search for them. And it doesn’t take much to exceed my expectations: for example, a small giveaway like a thank-you card attached to the delivery will do it. This sort of retention is also a way to stand out from the rival companies.
What then makes the customer experience good in the digital world? During our study unit most of these things have already come up: usability of your company’s web page or web store, relevant and captivating content, consistency or in other words, same message across all company channels, speed, security throughout the process, personalization and self-service. (Sana Commerce 2017, 11-17.) For me, the relevant content and personalization are the most interesting and important perspectives.
You cannot never underestimate the importance of a good relevant text. Especially now, when many things happen digitally, written content often takes place of what used to be face-to-face conversations and meetings. Companies need to publish content online to reach out to current and potential clients. The published text needs to be clear, easy to understand, provide the information clients need and convey the point you are trying to make. Besides these, the text should also be convincing as well as easy to skim for clients who don’t have much time. In order to succeed in producing the relevant content, the company must know their customers, who they are and what they are looking for. (Sana Commerce 2017, 13.)
On the other hand, personalization is the key for conversions. It can also be vital to ensuring a positive customer experience and it may as well influence to the customer’s loyalty. Nowadays, the options to personalize company’s web store for each user have become more plentiful and advanced. These options include for example pricing, product catalogs, shipping and delivery information, abandoned cart emails, special offers and discounts. (Sana Commerce 2017, 16.) Myself, I find it useful to receive special offers and discount codes from the web stores I usually use. Sometimes, when my purchasing process is interrupted and I forget what I was doing, the abandoned cart email is practical method to get me back on track.
Main results
What did I learn? The importance of digitalization cannot be underestimated. It is here to stay, it is already part of our everyday life. Digital presence is crucial for all companies – this can no longer be avoided. I also learned that surprisingly, consumer commerce has set the conditions and expectations for how digital commerce is conducted between the companies. The adult millennial generation is so accustomed to being able to do everything online, that they expect the same when they make orders for their work. (Sana Commerce 2017, 17.)
The things that make digital customer experience good are all quite self-evident facts. But when you dive deeper into these topics, you realize that they consist of many details that require precise and conscious management. The management of these details is not that simple – it requires a lot of expertise and resources, which not everyone, especially smaller companies, have the opportunity to do. However, in order to succeed in the competition, small companies should invest for external help. By investing in developing the digital sales these companies could get a great sales advantage that can lead to a growth in their business.
As a short summary to the end: providing a great customer experience is a continuous process of learning and making adjustments (Sana Commerce 2017, 18).
References
Sana Commerce 2017. How to provide an excellent customer experience in the digital age.
Sana Commerce 2022. About Sana Commerce. Accessed 18 September 2022