Customers interact with your business via several channels, and these aren’t necessarily distinct in their minds. Even if your business might think of ‘email marketing’ and ‘social marketing’ as separate processes, for the customer there is simply the ongoing relationship they build with your businesses. Here are seven pointers for creating a strong cross-channel user experience that builds a positive customer experience consistently:
Invest In Customer-Focused Design
Planning the customer journey is a crucial step in building a strong cross-channel experience. With each contact, the customer builds a further impression of your brand and your ability to meet their needs. Create a map of the customer journey to set out clearly how you intend to guide the customer through your sales funnel. This map should ideally include the different phases of customer experience, customer types, significant touchpoints and interactions, pain points as well as desired customer experiences.
Make Customer Experience Across Channels Consistent
Giving customers a consistent experience across all your channels builds trust. Trust is what turns a casual buyer into a loyal customer. Make sure that each experience serves a customer consistent quality.
Make Sure Your Brand Is Visible Across All Channels
Elements of your brand such as your logo and other elements of brand kit (typography, colours) should be visual across most channels. Perhaps some might not permit full branding but tone of voice, at the very least, should be a match.
Each Channel Should Have Its Own Strategy
Consistency aside, each social media platform has its own in-house design limitations and requirements. Make sure that your branding fits the channel and is aligned to best practices, exploiting available features to show your business in the best possible light.
Use Each Channel To Complement The Others
A cross-channel user experience is most effective when each channel supports the others. That’s what distinguishes a ‘cross-channel’ from a purely ‘multi-channel’ campaign. When each wing of a campaign supports the others and guides a lead further down your funnel, no effort is wasted.
Make Sure Your Cross-Channel Approach Is Measurable
It’s crucial to make sure that the outcomes of your cross-channel approach are measurable. Measure the impact of each channel individually and the contribution it makes to your complete, cross-channel marketing campaigns. Also factor in customer service and how this is shaping the picture.
Develop An Internal Guide To Best Practices
Upholding a consistent cross-channel user experience becomes more difficult the larger your team. If there is a danger of non-communication between departments or different approaches might create inconsistencies, develop an internal guide book containing your core brand voice and other important pointers.
Do you need to improve your cross-channel user experience? Contact Interact RDT today!