By Paul North, Senior Vice President APJ at Optimizely 

With the world increasingly moving online accelerated by the pandemic, consumers expect businesses to deliver excellent digital experiences across all touchpoints. This year Gartner reported that 87 per cent of marketing professionals predict customer expectations will continue to evolve rapidly within the next two years. 

Businesses need to examine current solutions and prioritise digital experience to remain relevant. With the new year fast approaching and significant planning underway businesses must consider how to unlock digital potential in 2022. 

Exceed customer expectations 

Amid evolving customer expectations, it’s imperative for businesses to embrace digital technologies to survive. Notably, a recent Optimizely report indicates that almost half (49 per cent) of global consumers believe that businesses are falling short of meeting their expectations.

Today, global consumers expect businesses will adopt digital solutions that provide fast results and hyper-personalised experiences. In addition, businesses are expected to embrace an omnichannel approach, ensuring all customers are approached at key touchpoints in their customer journey. 

Digital Experience Platforms (DXPs) are an essential part of helping businesses exceed customer expectations. DXP tools collect data that help businesses personalise the customer journey across various channels, ensuring customers have a unified digital experience. In 2022, businesses that leverage the right technology will have a better chance of meeting evolving customer expectations. 

The power of digital technologies

In the initial stages of the pandemic, many businesses needed to pivot quickly, which resulted in rushed decisions and, in some cases, the adoption of ineffective solutions. While many businesses implemented temporary digital solutions, in 2022 a holistic approach to technology will be critical for businesses looking to remain competitive and to find a return on investment on their strategies.

A recent report revealed that 41 per cent of consumers are now likely to shop online, rather than in-person, due to the pandemic. Although this is the case, reports also indicate that seven in ten small businesses delay decisions about upgrading their technology solutions because it doesn’t feel urgent. 

To harness the power of digital technologies in the new year, businesses that use DXP platforms to help them create sophisticated and behaviour-driven experiences for their consumers will be the ones that not only survive, but thrive. Online fashion retailer, Showpo, has embraced DXP to better serve its customers across every step of the digital experience. By using DXP solutions, Showpo can uncover the exact experiences their customers want, in turn, providing customisation to all shoppers and overall improve its customer’s journey.

Enhancing customer experience

When businesses commence planning for 2022, creating hyper-personalised experiences for consumers should be the main priority. According to reports, 79 per cent of consumers agree that the more personalised their customer experience is, the more loyal they are likely to be. Further reports also indicate that for 80 per cent of consumers, CX is just as important as the products and services provided by a business. With customer expectations evolving rapidly, enhancing CX and digital solutions by personalising DXP must be a main focus for all businesses in the new year. 

To unlock digital potential, businesses must step up their tech solutions and harness the power of digital technologies. By taking full advantage of digital technologies, businesses can enhance CX and meet consumers’ demanding and evolving expectations. If businesses prioritise this leading into the new year, they can plan to not only meet the expectations of consumers this new year, but exceed them.