Offering a first-class customer experience (CX) should always be the first priority for businesses. More and more companies are realizing the value of each consumer’s encounter with a brand in generating new leads and earning the loyalty of regulars. Does your business have a solid plan for optimizing customer experiences? Here are five ways that entrepreneurs can boost customer experience. 

Engage in Market Research and Analytics

The first step to great CX is knowing your market. Good research should have a two-pronged approach. Quantitative research involves gathering and analyzing hard numbers about the market. Here’s where high-quality analytical algorithms can help, analyzing millions of data points faster than any human possibly could. Qualitative research, on the other hand, should have a far more empathetic approach. This doesn’t have to mean focus groups. Taking a look at the comments on your social media pages and creating open-text surveys can do wonders when it comes to learning the inner thoughts of your customers. 

Use Multichannel and Omnichannel Outreach

The differences between omnichannel and multichannel approaches are rather blurred. Both are similar in that they emphasize reaching out to customers across multiple media channels. Channels have become so diverse that learning to synchronize the expectations and needs of your particular niche to their preferred channel is a powerful way to get a reputation for authenticity in a crowded market. 

The omnichannel approach takes the concept a step further, emphasizing the need to create a memorable and distinctive experience seamlessly across an array of user devices. This offers an opportunity to do two things at once. You can personalize the customers’ experiences on different channels by fine-tuning your branding to each specific channel while making sure that everyone gets to equally experience what your company has to offer. 

Invest in Real Customer Service

The quality of your customer service platforms can be make-or-break for CX. According to a study done last year, 76% of respondents reported that bad customer service negatively affected their view of a brand. One in three said it would affect their loyalty. The research revealed that one solution might be including the option of speaking to a chatbot, the reason being that long wait times were the biggest gripe by far. A separate study, however, showed that customers prefer live chat to any other service platform, even though chatbots do raise conversions. What this means is that giving customers options is the way to go. Combining quick robotic support for simple questions and the human touch on deeper issues can give your customers the best of both worlds. 

Put Your Employees First

Misery is contagious. If your employees have poor morale, it will quickly filter down to customers. A hospitality survey showed that employee attitude was an accurate statistical predictor of customer satisfaction. Raising wages is good, but it’s not a cure-all. Millennial employees especially are more likely to be motivated by a sense of purpose in their work than by money. Engage with employees regarding their future and what they would do to help the company succeed. Institute an open-door policy for suggestions and conflict resolution. Use incentives and team-building exercises to make everyone feel valued. Build a more positive corporate culture from the ground up. 

Continue to Nurture Relationships

Many salespeople see purchasing as the endpoint of a customer’s journey. This can be a huge mistake. The importance of after-sales service to the customer experience is becoming more important all the time in our connected world. Customers should have a personalized experience with your brand because they deserve to feel that they matter. Simple steps like offering post-sale guides to the product, questionnaires or personalized recommendations will let them know they aren’t just numbers in ledgers. Using the multichannel strategy mentioned already, your sales force can send offers and incentives via SMS or email. All of these measures, like every CX method, are about gaining the respect of the people you mean to serve. 

It’s often said that there’s no second chance to make a first impression. Use these simple strategies to make each customer’s first experience with your brand an amazing one.