How Much is the Customer Experience Really Worth?

In today's highly competitive business world, providing a great customer experience has become more important than ever before. Customers have more choices than ever, and they are not hesitant to choose businesses that provide the experience they want, rather than the experience that the business wants to give them. In fact, customers are in control of a business's revenue through choice, and businesses that do not cater to customer choice will ultimately lose business to their competition that provides the experience that consumers want. Therefore, it is crucial for businesses to focus on providing a great customer experience if they want to succeed in the long run.

The customer experience starts with the customer's journey in researching the product they are interested in. Customers will go through different stages in their journey, including awareness, consideration, and decision-making. During these stages, customers will interact with various touchpoints, such as social media, reviews, and product websites. It is essential for businesses to understand their customers' journey and provide the information and experience that customers are looking for at each touchpoint. Those experiences will be much different depending on what touchpoint they are at. Ultimately, according to Google, consumers go through five stages on their journey: Which product is best? Is it right for me? Can I afford it? Where should I buy it? and then Am I getting a good deal? We believe that there is a sixth step which goes hand-in hand with the “Where should I buy it” moment and that completely revolves around the customer experience. Failing on that stage basically pushes the customer to your competition.

Ultimately, the customer's journey ends up on a business's website, where the customer is looking for the information and experience that will help them make their decision. This is where the importance of the customer experience on the website comes into play. Businesses that provide a great experience on their website will have a higher chance of converting customers into buyers. This includes having an easy-to-use and mobile-friendly website, providing high-quality product information and images, and having clear and simple navigation. Businesses that fail to provide a great experience on their website risk losing potential customers, as customers are more likely to leave a website that is difficult to use or lacks the information they need.

However, businesses need to understand that the customer experience does not end on their website. Customers expect the same level of experience when they visit a physical store or interact with the business in any other way. Some customers prefer to complete the whole transaction online and have the product delivered. In some cases, especially in high-end or used vehicle purchases, the customer may want to see and feel the product prior to taking it home.

Businesses need to be prepared to transact in the way that the customer wants. Only then will they capture more business throughout the customer journey and increase their revenue.

If you’d like more information about how to improve the customer experience once they interact with your website or your staff – on or offline – contact us at (844) 779-3444