The new digital customer journey

Personalization is a key part of the new digital customer journey.

The new digital customer journey gets more complicated every day. Each time a new digital capability or social site is introduced and embraced by consumers, businesses have to evaluate if and how it fits into their digital strategy. Adoption of a new digital channel introduces just one more path customers can take while winding through the new digital customer journey. Those customer journey maps sure are getting crowded! So many touchpoints to design and analyze! So many routes customers can take!

But brands need to put in the work to get the new digital customer journey right. The stakes are too high not to. Consumers are increasingly demanding. They have a world of information at their fingertips and use that ability to research products, seek recommendations from friends and compare prices. They know they have options and will use them if they have a bad experience with a business. We found that 80% of consumers are willing to switch brands after a poor experience.

Amid all the noise the new digital customer journey can generate, it's important for businesses to keep their eyes on the prize, and the key to winning that prize just might be personalization.

Personalization means customizing offers and experiences based on individual preferences and needs. This enables businesses to offer the right products to the right consumers at the right touchpoints during the new digital customer journey. But it's not just about sales - it's also about building relationships and trust with customers no matter where they are in the pipeline.

Personalization isn't a new concept, but the combination of digital technologies and big data have created a unique opportunity to apply personalization to the new digital customer journey in imaginative and effective ways. With customer data collected from a variety of sources, including websites, mobile apps, point of sales, social media, and customer service, businesses can build a more holistic view of each customer so they can provide more targeted communications, offers and experiences.

When done right, this can lead to more sales and higher revenue. In fact, a study conducted by Epsilon revealed that 80% of consumers are more likely to purchase when they receive a personalized experience.

Businesses should make personalization part of the new digital customer journey and reap the rewards of stronger relationships and more revenue.