The term digital marketing covers a wide range of online marketing activities such as, websites, email, mobile apps and search engines. However, as the number of online users continues to soar digital marketing has become much more complex these days.
To get a comprehensive understanding of all digital marketing aspects it’s wise to complete a digital marketing course and even take regular course updates to make sure you stay up to date with the latest trends.
How it all started
Before the internet the customer journey was very different and a lot less interactive to say the least! Nowadays customers are able to easily research a product or service, be kept up to date with about product specials via email or engage with fellow customers in open debate about a product or service. How things have changed!
In fact, it’s safe to say that customers now have a lot more influence than they ever had and are quite able tarnish a brand’s reputation or at the very least create a stir among fellow customers online. This power has completely changed the customer journey and interaction with organisations.
Making your customer feel ‘connected’
Understanding what’s important to your tech-savvy customer is key in today’s marketing sphere as their digital journey with your brand could have a direct impact on the online popularity of your company. The digitalisation of everything means that the customer’s journey has changed, their expectations have increased and their online experience with your brand is capable of leave a lasting effect.
The art of customer journey mapping is the relatively new process of portraying your customer’s experience with you across all the touchpoints. This is a great tool to completely understand the average experience a customer has with your organisation.
A customer journey in digital marketing
Thankfully there are proven ways to optimise the digital customer journey which inevitably grows sales revenue. Customers no longer have to rely on what a sales person tells them about a product or service, they can simply Google everything they need to know before they make a purchase. As a business you can interpret this as a little unsettling however a customer’s knowledge can be beneficial to your business, especially if you position your digital marketing correctly and build on your brand’s online reputation.
Some of the most successful brands have indeed found a way to do just that and are thriving in the digital marketing world. The best news is, it’s not as complicated as you may think.
Now that we’ve established the great importance of the customer journey in digital marketing, let’s discuss some tips on how to achieve this.
- Customer satisfaction – The end goal is to ensure your customers enjoy their digital journey with your brand. Make sure you are meeting their needs and expectations and when you achieve this share it, post it and ask for more feedback.
- Streamline engagement – All communication online must be streamlined and it’s important for it to be almost instant. Part of today’s customer journey is to be answered promptly to maintain a seamless customer journey.
- Make us of AI – Tools such as chatbots can instantly assist your customer so don’t forget to make use of artificial intelligence.
- Ask for feedback – Don’t be afraid of asking for feedback from your customers, even if that feedback is uncomplimentary. By doing so you are seen as proactive and that you care about your customer’s opinion.
So, how will the future of digital marketing look?
There can be absolutely no doubt that digital marketing can drive sales and when carried out right, digital marketing certainly enhances your customers’ purchasing journey. By creating a more personal engagement your customer will feel important to your business thus is more likely to be a loyal customer who will return and indeed spread the word of their good experience with your company.
Digital marketing is set to continue to evolve as it has become the lifeline of a modern business and what’s more it will evolve at an even faster pace. This form of marketing is no longer about simply driving traffic to your website, it’s about creating a buzz and a feel-good vibe around your brand.
