With the rise of technology and digitisation, customers have increasingly embraced digital platforms. Digital commerce has dramatically reduced geographic barriers to access, giving Australian businesses a global reach. Before tapping into the global market, however, executives must consider the changing face of customer experiences here in Australia.
Social media stats
In Australia today, customers now prefer to communicate via digital platforms.
According to Social Media Statistics Australia, 62% of Australians have a Facebook account and regularly consume online video.
In March 2016 alone, there were 14,200,000 Australian viewers on YouTube, indicating a strong preference for video among Australians.
Digital revolution
For business executives, the digital revolution has created an increasingly competitive business landscape. According to the Sensis Social Media Report 2015, 56% of large businesses, 32% of medium businesses and 30% of small businesses in Australia have a social media presence. Competitors are now reaching customers quickly and efficiently via digital means. In this new, hyper-competitive business world, the old adage of ‘keep your customers happy’ has never been more important.
Changing face of customer experience
But how does the digital world change the face of the customer experience? Customers today now research products or services online, including when they need assistance with in regard to that product or service. Online customer service now means much more than an online helpdesk where customers log issues. When online self-help portals don’t provide customers with the information they need, complaints can arise—and these are often publicised on social media.
Digital channels
To avoid this, businesses need to tap into informative and easily consumable digital channels, providing immediate answers to customer queries or issues. In today’s technology-driven environment, searching through message boards or reading long and complex product PDFs simply doesn’t equate to world-class customer service.
So how can executives effectively service customers in a digital environment? When your customers are no longer calling your contact centre or going to a branch for help, it’s time to harness new technologies and communication channels, such as online video.
Executives everywhere can now enhance the customer experience using video. New technologies have transformed video into a smooth, speedy and highly accessible communication medium. Online video is a powerful and readily available channel that educates and engages customers, providing answers and solutions to any problems they might have. Interactive videos can guide customers through a self-service journey, creating cross and upsell opportunities. This enables executives to understand the specific needs of their customers, and what they are seeking from digital customer service more broadly.
Brand advocates
Now is the time to engage and convert consumers into brand advocates. Enterprise video platforms enable this and seamlessly work with your existing customer service environments. If you haven’t yet invested in video to build customer loyalty in the digital world, you risk losing customers and falling behind in the digital race. Digital transformation is no longer optional—it’s essential to future business growth.
