Why Digital Experiences are More Important Than Ever (and 3 drivers that should guide yours)
Click. You like something on Instagram. You order groceries on the website. You tack on a tip for the delivery person. You receive an automated thank-you message, and pop-up offers to shop again. One of those special offers is the virtual opportunity to cook alongside a local chef via videoconference. How fun! You go to the website and – Click. Date night planned. The next day, you check the weather on your smart home device, log onto your workout app and get in a run with your favorite instructor. You post online about the experience in a Facebook running group. You log onto your computer to check your email and start the day. A chat window pops up – can you join the team for a quick update call on Zoom? You can and you do.
If it seems like nearly everything you do is a digital experience, you’re right.
Digital experiences are increasingly woven into every business at every level. Sure, working, shopping and socializing from home took on new levels of importance this past year. But these experiences are too convenient, immediate and enjoyable to go away. If anything, they’re only going to become more sophisticated and seamlessly integrated into our lives. They already have.
Websites and apps offer the obvious digital experiences. But chat boxes, emails, texts, payment systems, facial recognition and artificial intelligence are part of them, too. Indeed, you’ll find them integrated into every marketing strategy. Which means that if you’re not already delivering them, you need to get started.
But what kinds of digital experiences are right for your business? Some experiences are designed to be entertaining, with everything from fun flourishes that make clicks feel more tactile to video and music. Others deliver screens that are clean and open, with content that’s easy to find, like our client, Core Dance’s website. They tap into the ability to deliver continual offers, information and engagement, and they allow users to choose how to receive them. These digital experiences may not be exciting – but their seamlessness makes them highly attractive to their audiences.
How to Build Your Digital Experience Strategy
There are practically no limits to the number and types of digital experiences you can offer but three key drivers should guide your digital experience strategy:
- Your brand and identity. We’re talking about who you are as an organization. If your look, feel and language tend to be flippant and fun, your digital experiences should be, too. If your business is built on a foundation of reassurance and simplicity, those qualities need to shine through everything from your website and social presence to your emails and Zoom backgrounds.
- Your customers. What are they accustomed to? How do they engage with you, with other organizations, even with each other? If the people you need to reach are on Tik-Tok, they’re used to engaging with short video clips – and while you may find these consumers on Snapchat, you might not find them on Twitter.
- Your resources. When you define the kind of experiences that make sense for your brand and your customers’ expectations and needs, you’ll need to balance that against your ability to deliver. The most sophisticated digital experiences may be largely automated, but they require constant monitoring, testing and adjustment to remain welcome and relevant. Whether you conduct these activities yourself or partner with someone else who can do it for you, you’ll want to balance the digital experiences you want to deliver against what you’ll need to invest in their success.
Clearly, we’re passionate about this subject. If it’s captured your curiosity, too, we should talk. Drop us a note or give us a call. We’d love to hear about your business and join you in exploring the digital experiences can help you take it forward.