In a world where consumer demands are changing at an ever increasing pace, it’s important to ensure that the right digital strategies are implemented to achieve high consumer engagement and advocacy. And there are several key considerations to make when formulating your digital strategy for the best business outcome.
Digital is not just about websites
Digital strategy success is not just about having a great website. While your website is extremely important and you need to invest time and resources in ensuring visitors have a positive on-site experience, websites and SEO are not the only digital strategy components you need to worry about. Brands and their communities are now appearing in all sorts of places online. You need to find our where your customers are and meet them there, not just on your website. New social media networks are popping up all the time and it’s worth doing a little bit of research or speaking to the professionals to find out where your target audience is spending their most time online. In order for your digital strategy to be a true success you also need carefully coordinate your online efforts with your offline interactions with your existing customers and potential customers .
Personalise your services
In this digital age, sometimes we forget that we are actually talking to people and not machines. It’s therefore important to personalise and humanise your digital communications where ever possible. If your website has the functionality which allows users to register on your site you can provide them with a customised on-site experience when they log in if you request certain information from them during the registration process. For example, if you get them to indicate whether they are male or female, or their age, their geographic location or what their interests are – you can tailor the website content they are presented with when they login to your site.
Email marketing is another great way to personalise your audience’s experience with your brand online. Based on your subscriber’s profile you can tailor the content that you send so that what they receive is highly relevant and has the best chance to spark their interest.
You can also make your online interactions with your target audience more personal by being active on social media and implementing effective social media marketing. A targeted social media content strategy will enable your to engage your customers and potential customers by incorporating content that is suited to your desired audience and responding to your fans and followers’ comments and messages.
It’s equally important to always have someone on the other end of the line – as humans, we naturally have questions and want the ability to speak to a person to get the required information and/or to receive immediate IT support. Providing the option to speak with a person who represents your brand increases customer satisfaction and confidence through the ability to receive the correct information first-hand. Just because you have an online store, or provide a service that is carried out without face-to-face contact doesn’t mean your customers won’t value the opportunity to make offline contact with you at different times.
Maintain relevance and manage demand
Consumers’ expectations continue to grow and change as the world becomes more and more fast-paced, and people becoming more time-poor and develop new ways of working and living. In the eyes of the current global market, the slower pace of the older generation is no longer acceptable when we are talking about customer service. It’s important to understand ongoing changes and developing needs in order to implement organisational changes, identify demand at the moment of need and remain relevant across all digital platforms. It’s now relatively easy to monitor changing trends through the use of analytics software, social networks such as Twitter, and RSS feeds. By seeing what’s popular or predicting what is about to become a talking point, you can ensure your digital plan and strategies reamaing relevant and that you meet current demands.
Develop a clear vision
All this being said, as our lifestyle changes and day-to-day needs evolve, it’s also important not to get ahead of yourself and attempt to become something you’re not. Your digital plan should be aligned with your overall business goals, and be designed using valid data on your customers and market. Whenever you add or change your digital plan, you should think about how it is helping you achieve your vision and your meet your busines objectives.
Ensure the privacy of customers
Throughout all of your digital planning, your business needs to be respectful of your customers’ privacy, providing them with a level of trust in your brand and your business’s intentions. Make sure you meet all the latest data protection regulations and regularly update your computer security software.
AWD specialises in digital strategy, SEO, PPC and social media marketing. Contact our friendly team to begin working on the right online strategy to achieve your business goals.