The digital experience needs to be about the customer

It’s a dog eat dog world in the business sector as organisations scramble to find differentiators that enable them stand out from the competition. Disruptive technologies are changing how we do business, yet it isn’t the technology vendors nor software stacks that are providing the cutting edge. It’s the next step in the evolution of customer experience: the digital experience.

According to a report compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the impact of digitisation is so powerful that it has replaced regulation as the top concern for retail banks. A separate study by Accenture and Oxford Economics has also revealed that the increased use of digital technologies could add up to US$1.36-trillion to the total global economic output by 2020.

These findings suggest huge opportunity and businesses are inevitably feeling the itch to deliver online and mobile experiences that drive sales, retention and service. However, there are still concerns: one of the biggest being the integration of digital with legacy systems. It’s much easier to start with an agile digital platform than it is to transform years of mainframe systems to mobile.

Once again, technology has become the focal point of discussion – but should it really be? As strange as it might sound, no. An organisation could invest a great deal in an app, but it doesn’t guarantee success; if the experience doesn’t connect with the end-user, it won’t matter. A business needs to put itself in its customer’s shoes and identify what he/she wants, while viewing technology as an enabler (not the be-all and end-all). The technology conversation needs to come only after the purpose of the experience has been defined and outlined.

Ally Bank is a good example of a business that got it right. The bank listened and imagined what their new generation of customers wanted. Then it did the research and tested the product, before unveiling a platform that was purposeful to the user. Finally, and more importantly, there was an emphasised importance that when users were navigating their Ally Bank experience, they were having a consistency across channels that felt unified.

Giving the customer what he/she wants might sound difficult, but it isn’t. An organisation needs to learn what the customer wants via their mobile device. The platform needs to be simple, functional, easy on the eyes, and serve a real purpose. Ultimately, the goal of any digital experience should be to make business more human in the technological age. It’s an interesting paradox.