5 Customer Experience Trends to Watch
What comes to mind when you hear “customer experience trends”? You might have different ideas about what ‘CX’ means depending on the marketing strategies you believe in or the industry you serve.
Whether you are a traditional or digital marketer, it is widely acknowledged that CX is key for the future of e-commerce. It will be one of the leading factors in helping a brand stand apart from its competitors.
With more people buying things online and through social media, customers expect businesses to respond through all available channels. This means that companies need to have a consistent online presence more than ever.
That’s when Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) steps in to provide seamless communication channels between the customer and the brand. According to the California Business Journal, by 2040, about 95% of shopping will be online. In this article, we will share the top five customer experience trends for 2023. Let’s take a look.
Digital Shopping Will Become More Human 
With technology seeping into every corner of life, businesses will have to take a more innovative approach to attract and maintain a customer’s attention, through social media presence, brand identity, and community managers. Contact center services are the heart of any business, and social commerce innovations can be used to keep customers coming back. It is now no longer only about buying and selling.
Instead, it’s about adding flawless experiences that create flowing online customer journeys. Intermingling virtual and augmented realities enable buyers to observe their products from all angles and will become more commonplace. Almost every brand competes through its CX to stay up-to-date and stand out in this digital business world.
With smartphones, anyone visiting an online shopping website expects convenience and their queries to be answered quickly. If the user interface is slow or unfriendly, the buyer can instantly hop on to the next virtual shop.
This makes it important for companies to understand the consumer holistically. Understanding their behavior, attitude, and emotions will take CX to the next level. It’s essential to understand that consumers have almost too many purchasing options, and businesses should use CX intelligently to gain customer loyalty. It can also help brands to retain customers to build a customer base.
Brands Will Put Their Feet Into Their Customers’ Shoes
Revenue generation depends on how many customers come into your shop and buy something. Since there has been a significant shift to online shopping, there is an ever-increasing need to close the gap between in-store shopping experiences and online purchasing. The concept of online customer experience is quite complex, and brands must consider several aspects. What will attract the customer to the virtual store?
What will encourage them to buy something in a physical store? Brands need to practice putting themselves in their customer’s shoes. They must understand what engages the customer within a physical store and incorporate the correct elements into the online one.
Updating products according to seasons and festivals, and marketing and advertising can drive interest and engagement. Contact center services greatly enhance such relationships between customers and the business, using customer-centered strategies, and bringing in more significant revenue.
CX Success Will Be A Collective Responsibility 
Of course, providing the best product and services is a priority. However, the need for a seamless overall customer experience is starting to take shape as the cornerstone for the best shopping experience.
Consumers want a smooth transaction-like purchase. They want brands to understand their expectations, show empathy and provide a personal touch. This would make the shopping experience more smooth and more enjoyable, promoting a positive brand image in the consumers’ minds.
Understanding the customer holistically, keeping in view their behavioral patterns, facilitates the development of customer experience to a new level. Therefore, all company members must make CX a centerpiece among business strategies to foster strong and long-lasting relationships with buyers.
Customer Experience Trends to Watch: Brands Will Go For Pulling Customers Instead of Pushing Products
Ever since the covid-19 pandemic, customers’ buying patterns have changed immensely. The digital market is more into promotional content. Thus, marketers need to change their strategy from “pushing the product” in the market to “pulling the customer” toward their enterprise.
Moreover, Generation Z customers, who make up a significant portion of the online customer base, are quick to recognize when a brand is merely pushing its products. Hence, they reject such services without a second thought.
Companies should use well-planned, relevant content that hits just the right note with customers to attract them. If interacting with your brand, even at the interest or browsing stage, is enjoyable, the next time they require your products or services, your content will lead the way to you like breadcrumbs on Hansel’s trail. Content is likely to be the king of CX in 2023, making it increasingly crucial for brands to focus on their content creation strategy.
Businesses Will Become Boutiques With Content Creator Employees
Turns out we are traveling back in time to when customers had a wholesome experience shopping at boutiques. The trend of mass retailing, where there is a clear disconnect between sellers and customers, is being replaced by a focus on each customer’s needs.
It’s time for expert product retailers to re-emerge and showcase personalized experiences for the buyer. Knowing their category or product niche inside-out, expert retailers know how to pull customers to products by treating them as individuals and helping them with the most tailored shopping experience online.
Furthermore, another strategy that has worked wonders for many brands is to employ popular content creators as ambassadors. Awed by charming personalities, the audience takes their favorite content creator’s suggestion as sincere advice or recommendations.
From Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and much more, we see this trend pushing products to the top of the charts. Such promotional schemes give a more authentic human and personal touch to the whole online shopping experience.
Customer Experience Trends to Watch: The Bottom Line
Overall, customer service experience trends are evolving each day exceptionally, taking a holistic approach that extends beyond just products and services. A well-balanced experience starts with exciting interactions before purchasing, leading to a smooth payment process with brisk issue resolution.
24/7 customer support that genuinely helps the customer, rather than delaying the process, is also necessary. Followed by friendly yet non-intrusive post-purchase follow-ups regarding the product will surely encourage the customer to return to the brand again.
In 2023, customer experience trends will enhance thoughtful personalization at all essential steps during a customer’s shopping journey, using behavioral targeted AI to allow a better experience for both the customer and the brand. Contact center technology services play a huge role in this thanks to their omnichannel reach and AI-driven tools, bringing in best practice CX and supporting revenues for the business.
