As a business leader, you’re always looking for insights that will enable you to satisfy your customers’ needs. Technology has completely changed the way that consumers relate to the world, with people spending more and more time online. As a result, you now have more data than ever on customer behavior and preferences. Leveraging that data, here are six ways you can use technology to cater to these preferences more effectively.
1. Search Engine Optimization
To engage with your audience, they first need to be able to find your business online. Consumers rely heavily on search engines like Google to find the businesses they are looking for. Search engine optimization techniques help your site rank higher on Google, resulting in more visibility for your company.
In its infancy, SEO focused on inserting target keywords into your webpages. It has since expanded to include techniques like link building and structural on-page optimization. Technology has grown along with SEO practice; advanced keyword planning tools now allow you to write content with Google’s algorithm in mind. As SEO gets more complicated, it can be beneficial to hire a growth marketing agency to handle it for your team. These professionals keep up with the latest industry developments, like Google’s proposed generative search, so your SEO efforts will continue to bear fruit.
2. Chatbots
Your customers want to reach out at a time that’s convenient for them. However, your team has set working hours that don’t always align with customer schedules. Chatbots fill this customer service gap so your customers feel heard and supported.
Powered by artificial intelligence, chatbots are typically placed on the front page of your website. They answer questions from your customers and can point them in the right direction. This is a great way to take care of FAQs and minimize confusion for your customers. When the chatbot encounters a question it can’t answer, it will send the customer to the department or individual that can. Some chatbots are even able to help users make an appointment with your customer service team.
3. Video Content
Over the past few years, social media has evolved from static photos and text to dynamic video content. Many platforms now support short- and long-form video posts as well as live streaming options. Consumers love video content, and research indicates that 91% of them want to see more video content from brands.
There are so many ways to use video content to cater to your audience. You can show off your products in action, offer how-to content, host live Q&As and giveaways, or even partner with influencers. Social media analytics allow you to monitor your content and determine which formats are most popular. These insights will help you fine-tune your video marketing strategy.
4. Digital Surveys
Digital customer feedback tools make it easy to collect insights directly from your target audience. With tools like Google Surveys, you can create feedback forms for free and share them online with your audience. There’s also paid survey technology that enables you to target specific demographics or build focus groups. There are even digital A/B testing options that let you compare two different versions of your campaigns.
With this technology, consumer feedback can take place anywhere, anytime via the internet. This allows you to better connect with your target audience members no matter where they are in the world. This technology can also help you collect more detailed, insightful feedback from your customers, which you can use to improve your products and services.
5. Personalization Technology
Personalization technology takes data from previous customer interactions and the internet more broadly to personalize communications with your customers. In fact, digital customer relationship management platforms have personalization features built in. When using these tools, you’ll need to make sure that you’re only using data that customers have consented to sharing. You’ll also need to comply with any data privacy laws and regulations that apply to you.
One particularly effective way to implement personalization is in your email communications with customers. You can use customer data to send them birthday emails, promote products they’ve already looked at, and highlight events in their area. Personalization helps you create email segments to cater to different demographics within your customer base. By pitching them the products and services they’re most likely to be interested in, you can increase your conversion rates.
6. Mobile Commerce
Over the past decade, internet usage has switched from happening primarily on desktops and laptops to occurring increasingly on mobile phones and tablets. Many consumers now prefer the convenience of being able to shop anywhere with a mobile device. A full 76% of US adults report making online purchases on their smartphones.
Mobile commerce technology enables these online purchases. E-commerce websites are now optimized for mobile devices, and many shopping platforms feature their own apps. Some social media platforms also have shopping features, which allow users to buy items directly from social posts. By implementing mobile commerce in your brand’s operations, you make the shopping experience more convenient and appealing for your customers.
Final Thoughts
Customer insights are essential to the growth of your business. They’ll help you develop your marketing strategy, improve your customer service strategy, and launch new products. Technology has streamlined the process of collecting and acting on these customer insights. With advanced analytics and even AI technology, you can better predict what consumers will enjoy and cater to them directly.
