Customer Experience Marketing and Why it's Important

Customer experience marketing is a buzzword in the online marketing world; but what is it? Customer experience (CX) marketing is an online marketing strategy that prioritizes the customer journey. The aim of the practice is to make consumers engage with a product or service.

The purpose of providing customers with tailored experiences is not only to improve a brand’s image. It’s a way for businesses to show that they care enough about consumers who are more informed, and less likely to be influenced by direct marketing messages.

Customers are Choosier Now More Than Ever

Before the internet, marketing strategies were successful when they were based on the 4Ps of marketing. These were price, product, promotion, and place. There was no reason for consumers to doubt these campaigns.

But, that is not the case today. Now, consumers have access to online resources, like social media networks and review websites. They are more informed, and therefore, more difficult to win over. Customer experience marketing is therefore not an option anymore - it’s a priority.

To illustrate, have a look at these stats:

• 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations - Source
• 49% of consumers need at least a four-star rating before they choose to use a business - Source
• 95% of customers read online reviews before buying a product - Source

The fact is that it's harder for marketers to gain the trust of consumers. It's why online messages are tailored to customer experience as a focus.

That’s why eCommerce platforms, like Amazon, have reviews at the end of every product page and Google has become more adept at figuring out search intent.

Driving Engagement with Customer Feedback

According to a report by Forrester, companies need to create stronger emotional bonds with customers to maintain loyalty. The best way for companies to do that is to actually consider the feedback from consumers.

Customer feedback is important because it gives companies the data and direction they need to know their target audience’s needs. The data they receive serves as a base for customer experience marketing efforts.

For example, a negative review that complains about terrible food at a hotel on TripAdvisor is an opportunity for the hotel management to improve the food quality and make the experience satisfying for customers.

Companies that consider customer feedback for their customer experience marketing efforts show that they care about their customers as human beings. It also shows that they are willing to do everything plausible to engage them.

The Benefits

Here’s how customer experience marketing strategies benefit companies:

Customer retention

Customers who feel that companies care about them instead of treating them as a number in a database are likely to stay loyal.

Save costs

Customer experience marketing is a cost-effective engagement strategy. Statistics show that it takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one negative experience.

Positive word of mouth

Customers who feel cared for are also likely to recommend a company. For example, they might share or tag their friends on a post they like on the company’s Facebook page.

Conclusion

Customer experience marketing has become a vital aspect of online marketing in today's highly informed and connected world.

With customers having access to abundant online resources, businesses need to prioritize customer experience to create emotional bonds with their target audience. 

By tailoring marketing messages to customer experience, businesses can gain the trust of their customers, and ultimately drive engagement, loyalty, and positive word of mouth.

By considering customer feedback, businesses can understand their audience's needs, improve their services, and demonstrate that they care about their customers. 

The benefits of customer experience marketing include customer retention, cost-saving, and positive word of mouth. Therefore, businesses must prioritize customer experience marketing to succeed in today's highly competitive online marketplace.