Statistics show that eighty-nine percent of marketers think customer experience will be their main differentiator in 2017.

Consumers have high expectations in terms of user experience when shopping online. The digital landscape has put the decision-making power in the hands of the buyer, and information at their fingertips. The selling process has worked in their favor, and we’ve been forced to adapt.

Modern marketers have re-examined their approach to customer onboarding– and at the heart of this re-examination lays one vital concept: Customer Engagement.

Differentiating ourselves from the competition means needing to do more than merely satisfying customers. It means needing to emotionally engage them across their entire lifecycle.

According to Gallup customer engagement is defined as “the emotional connection between your customers and your company. Additionally, McKinsey has found that 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated.

There is no single customer engagement method that works for every company across all industries; but usually a sincere focus on empathy, clarity, and simplicity leads to positive results.

Let’s explore several simple strategies that you should be focusing on this year.

Taking care to introduce yourself.

Whether it’s a friendly email introduction, or an ‘About Us’ page that introduces your team, buyers like to know who they’re dealing with. One incentive that works to enable people to warm up to us is showing them that they will be treated as we treat our best friends. And this happens by presenting ourselves as exactly that.

Consider the User’s Experience from multiple touchpoints. 

Do an audit and find parts of your sales funnel that aren’t engaging. And then focus on creating a strategy that delivers communications that focus on individual needs.

Monitor customer trust and satisfaction levels.

As with every meaningful business strategy, it’s critical to set clear objectives and goals. Create a benchmark by which to measure your customers’ reactions and satisfaction levels. You can solicit feedback via email, Web forms, or surveys to get the data you need.

Accommodate the Client’s Preferences.

Whether it’s choice of color, social channel or something as simple as a nickname field in your email platform, make it personal and customized for each user wherever possible.

Engaging with consumers is a necessity in today’s digital landscape. And doing it effectively is key. The more personalized we are in the engagement process, the more are we able to connect with our audiences.

How effectively are you at engaging with your audiences? Are you offering personalization and the right messaging when generating demand? Perhaps you want to re-think your engagement strategy in order for customers to develop a real connection and build a long-term relationship with your brand.