When Amazon first reared its head, there were plenty of concerns about the death of the retail industry and the rise of more depersonalized shopping experiences. Fortunately, neither of these things have happened, and despite the continued prominence of Amazon, countless e-commerce companies have managed to make names for themselves. If anything, online shopping offers a more personalized experience than traditional retail outlets ever could. E-commerce traded in friendly store clerks for big data, and that allows businesses to provide immediate and highly personalized experiences for consumers. If you’re looking to expand your customer user experience, here are a few tips.
Build a Personal Relationship
While countless think pieces talk about how millennials are disengaging from brand loyalty, more nuanced analysis indicates that millennials just have different expectations for how businesses can earn their business. There’s an expectation among this generation that the companies they do business with possess the same values, and one of the best ways to engender good will is to form a personal bond with your customers. It’s of course hard to do this on a one on one basis, but big data analysis allows you to understand the values of your demographics. Once you find a commonality with your ideal customer base, you can build out marketing campaigns that target their passions.
Be Responsive
Maintaining a 24/7 customer service team isn’t financially feasible for most companies, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t provide your customers with the attention they need when they need it. More businesses are starting to implement bots into their websites, and these can be a great way for smarter engagement. A properly integrated customer service bot can provide your customers with smart answers to the most commonly asked questions, and the increasing sophistication of machine learning can allow your business to grow with your customers. But artificial intelligence can extend beyond just help bots. AI can also be used to track your reputation on social media so you can develop a smarter marketing plan looking forward.
Build Personalized Experiences
User profiles can be one of the most useful tools for customer engagement. Their browsing and shopping history on your storefront can provide you with valuable insight into their preferences, and that can be used to create a shopping experience that’s tailored to their individual needs. On the most basic level, that can take the form of product recommendations for their next visit, but it also allows you to provide them with the sorts of deals and promotions that will build loyalty and keep them coming back for more.