Exceptional customer experience: USP or utopia?

Are consistent, outstanding customer experiences (CX) reasonably still achievable for a business in this day and age? Not only is it possible, but delivering outstanding customer experiences is a necessity. 

In 2021, Forrester surveyed 85,000 customers in the United States across 220 brands and 13 industries. Their results showed that companies that revamped the customer experience excelled. They concluded that even small customer-focused improvements can greatly increase business revenue due to customer retention, new customer acquisition and reduced marketing costs with buyers drawing in new clients through word of mouth. 

The following are practical steps a business can take to provide excellent customer experiences with a unique selling point (USP).

What is a USP?

A unique selling point (or unique selling proposition) is what separates you from the competition when you create a great customer experience. It tells potential customers that your business is distinct and superior. Clearly and quickly communicating your USP is what draws buyers to your company and garners customer loyalty.

A USP is essential when a customer can find a similar product among several businesses. For example, you can buy a cup of coffee anywhere, so why is Starbucks the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 32,938 retail locations? Their USP is to sell the customer an experience: a cozy ambiance and a cup of coffee with your name on it, literally. Their mission statement is “To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”

Generally speaking, a USP can be a competitive price, a higher quality product, better customer service or a combination of all. Let’s highlight customer experience management as a USP, given how crucial CX is nowadays for businesses.

3 steps for delivering quality customer experience as a USP

To build your customer experience USP, you need to do three things: 

• Transform your business process into a customer-centric one

• Market the customer experience USP

• Never stop transforming the customer journey

1. The customer-centric business model

The customer-centric business model starts with re-assessing the business values with the customer as the priority. Rephrase questions you’ve asked in the past with the buyer in mind. For instance:

• How will my offerings benefit my target audience? 

• What separates my business from my competitors? 

• How do I entice customers to buy from me?

• How can I gain their loyalty?

After finding the answers, look for areas within the organization to improve. A significant trend in achieving customer satisfaction is personalization. In a recent study, 60% of customers said they would likely become repeat buyers after a personalized shopping experience. 

You can create a customized buyer experience by leveraging the following resources:

• Data collection – Ask questions like:

1. Where does the customer live? 
2. In what industry do they work? 
3. What are ways to contact the buyer? 
4. What products have they purchased from your business in the past? 
5. How often do they make those purchases?

• Digital channels – With the information collected, tailor emails to customers, such as informing them of sales on their favorite items. When they reach the homepage on your website, have a banner with products that pique their interest or their recent browsing history. 

• Customer service – When a customer starts a conversation with a chatbot and then moves on to an agent, have all the data on hand so that the user doesn’t have to repeat themselves. Make sure the agents are knowledgeable and empathetic toward the customer.

Image source: http://marketopsconsulting.com/dir/2016/10/05/the-shift-the-customer-data-we-need-to-win/

2. Marketing customer experience as a USP

Now that you have your customer-centric USP in place, it’s time to create awareness. First, assemble a simple slogan or mission statement. Optimizely uses the phrase “unlock digital potential,” indicating that Optimizely’s goal is to bring out the best in a business. It’s short, memorable and effective.

If you’re not sure which statement would attract the most customers, try an A/B test. On your website homepage, display USP version 1 to 50% of the visitors and USP version 2 to the remaining 50%. Whichever drives the most conversions becomes your USP.

Several ways to market your USP include:

• Website homepage – Keep the USP clearly stated on the homepage to tell your customers what sets you apart. These words embody your business and become your value proposition.

• Media advertising – You can run a TV or radio ad highlighting the customer experience USP if it’s in your budget.

• Social media platforms – Ensure you have a solid social media presence on the appropriate platforms conducive to your business. Engage with social influencers to promote your brand.

• Content marketing – Leverage blogs, video demos, newsletters, podcasts, etc. to take advantage of building your brand and your USP.

3. Be continuously transformative

After fine tuning your business process and then marketing your USP, don’t rest on your laurels. Organizations need to continuously transform to keep up with technological innovations and customer expectations. Obtain feedback from your customers to gauge their satisfaction with your business. 

As the following chart accurately shows, the process of delivering an excellent customer experience is a circle of progression, and there is no end. Continuous transformation certifies the success of your business.

Image source: https://freshdesk.com/customer-support/digital-customer-experience-blog/

Deliver an outstanding customer experience as a USP with Optimizely

Optimizely can help you build a superb customer-centric USP that reaches your target market. Our offerings and team of specialists can help you enhance your sales to create tailored touchpoints, making the customer experience unforgettable.  

Contact Optimizely today for more information.