Peter Chaloner, Mobas’ Chief Digital Officer, clarifies what this often misunderstood concept really entails – and why it’s vital for your business.
Anyone for a game of marketing bullsh*t bingo? ‘Digital transformation’ must be one of the most overused (yet misunderstood) marketing buzz-phrases of the century.
What does it mean and how can it benefit your business?
Firstly, the process is complex. Secondly, what does it mean? Put simply it’s the process of using digital tools to create new – or modify and improve existing – cross-function businesses’ processes and customer experiences (CX).
More companies should be exploring how digital can improve their customers’ experiences across their digital touchpoints during each stage of the customer life-cycle. CX strategies help drive acquisition, customer value and retention through better customer experience and improved marketing gained from customer insight.
CX transformation requires a good tech stack and a central database (CRM). It’s astonishing that two-thirds of UK businesses don’t have a CRM platform. Most businesses also use different technologies to deliver specific processes such as customer services, sales and marketing.
Sadly the importance of customer insight and data is overlooked. Separate tools and tech will deliver a function and serve a purpose, but using tools that aren’t integrated results in valuable data touchpoints not joining up which – means you’re losing valuable customer insight in relation to your customers’ interests and position within their life-cycle.
To unpack the complex world of digital transformation you need to define priorities, starting with sales and marketing and ending with customer services.
We start with understanding broad business objectives and breaking them down into smaller more manageable KPIs for each functional team (sales, marketing and customer services).
Make sure you choose compatible integrated tech that automates function, improves business process, and delivers improved CX. Each touchpoint, regardless of department or function, should feed into a single customer view (CRM) so that your business benefits from that all-important holistic insight on all of those valuable data touchpoints.
A happy customer is a repeat customer. Measure their experiences, listen learn and deploy new strategies and technologies that improve their CX. Improving the customer experience will undoubtably be one of the most powerful strategies you can deliver to increase the profitability of your business.
