We all talk a lot about customer experience, and for good reason.
The shift to digital has been a complete game-changer, and consumers have more options than ever before. Long gone are the days of pulling out a massive phone book to find a new primary care physician or travel agent for your next vacation, or driving an hour to the nicer mall for back-to-school shopping. Consumers today want to quickly find what they are looking for, and they use a multitude of devices to do so. Because we all aspire to deliver standout customer experiences at every touchpoint, we must constantly and consistently deliver, measure, and refine those experiences.
Here’s where an optimization program is critical. In the latest #AdobeChat, the conversation focused on the role of an optimization program in regards to the overall customer experience, important elements of an optimization program, and where to even begin.
Here are some key takeaways from the discussion.
Let’s start with the fundamentals. What role does optimization play in regards to the overall customer experience?
There was strong consensus here. Clearly, when it comes to customer experience, the role of optimization is critical.
- Why do digital marketing if you aren’t optimizing? May as well put a billboard outside instead via @joeDmarti
- Optimization helps us make the experience more relevant to our customers and more meaningful to us as well via @CTrappe
- Any worthwhile #marketing organization will have a robust #optimization program in place. Success comes by testing & testing via @markboothe
Share three recommendations for building an effective optimization program.
For some, this answer was just as obvious as the first.
A2: 1) Test; 2) Test; and 3) Test. #AdobeChat
— Russ Whitchurch (@gigazelle) May 10, 2017
@AdobeExpCloud A2: start small, test, go beyond normal conversion #AdobeChat
— Mordecai Holtz (@mordecaiholtz) May 10, 2017
Beyond testing, other recommendations included to be customer-centric, know your goals, and constantly optimize (from @CTrappe), while Rebekah Radice advised us to pay attention, optimize, and adjust for an improved experience.
Talk to us about the importance of data in an optimization program.
Sage advice shared around this question. Again, for most, the answer was glaringly obvious.
A3 When your Marketing and Customer Journey Walk Together, the Two Sets of Footprints Become One, Customer Experience. #CX #adobechat
— Ross Quintana (@Ross_Quintana) May 10, 2017
And from Russ Whitchurch: Data is the illuminator; without data, it is literally a shot in the dark. Shelly Lucas reminded us that beyond just the data, the context of the data is critical for analysis and optimization.
What role should automation play in the development and execution of an optimization program?
A big one.
- To build successful optimization programs at scale, you must use optimization (@markboothe)
- An optimization program is really just applied automation (@mowenranger)
- Optimization can only go so far without automation (@gigazelle)
Let’s talk about metrics. When building an optimization practice, which metrics matter the most?
It depends, really.
A5: the metrics are dependent on your industry and goals but RPV (revenue per visitor) is a sure bet & will score high w leaders #AdobeChat
— Kevin Lindsay (@kevlindsay) May 10, 2017
A5. Metrics translate how successful your efforts are. And, it shows us which deserve more attention. #adobechat
— #WinnieSun (@SunGroupWP) May 10, 2017
There are SO many channels today (mobile, desktop, app, etc). Where should my optimization efforts begin?
Answers here are a bit varied.
- Depends on where your focus is – start with where your idea audience is at and build from there (@SunGroupWP)
- Trend show mobile as a top channel so I’d focus there but don’t ignore others; engage audience where they are (@Mosulek)
A6: You should optimize for all devices. On average, US consumers use up to 5 devices, often 2 or more at the same time. #AdobeChat
— Dio Favatas (@DioFavatas) May 10, 2017
My digital ecosystem has so many pages/assets. Where should my optimization efforts start?
I spoke to my colleague, Dan Klco, about this question. He would recommend optimizing for influence on conversion and engagement, and automating long tail. Others said:
- Start anywhere – just start
- Look at top-ranked pages and what kind of device audience is using (@GlitterOtter)
A7: Demote #content with low #SERPS or low engagement to begin with. It need not live because 1 person wants it to (sigh). #AdobeChat
— Dio Favatas (@DioFavatas) May 10, 2017
Where are optimization programs going? How will things change in the next five years?
- AI and deep learning will make the surge of customer data manageable (@Ross_Quintana)
- The rate of optimization will go exponential – think Adobe Sensei (@mowenranger)
Yes humans can no longer manage all the decisions & stats alone. Embrace machine learning for reliable #optimization #adobechat https://t.co/zVspJ4gqQv
— Kevin Lindsay (@kevlindsay) May 10, 2017
You can check out the weekly #AdobeChat every Wednesday at (4 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. PT). This week’s edition is all about Improving Your Content Marketing – should be interesting!
