In many industries, the knowledge and therefore the experience that customers receive is driven by modern technology. Of course, this technology is changing more quickly than before, which means the experiences that can be offered are also evolving more quickly. Corporate organizations need to ensure that they keep pace with such changes. For managers making investment decisions today, this means choosing from a large selection of solutions with different and rapidly changing technologies.

Let’s explore some of the key criteria and developments that managers need to consider when delivering an improved customer experience in today’s digital, multichannel world?

Mobile services

Mobile devices are quickly becoming the most important channel for customer contact and loyalty. Today, smartphones are more important as an e-commerce tool than computers. Today things are done while moving from A to B.

Digital experience management systems

Is content still king? No longer! While content remains important, how you manage all digital touchpoints and deliver not just content but also core services and coordinated marketing, commerce and service processes is paramount.

Multi-channel and multi-party information

Customer information must be recorded at all levels, across all channels. They must include interpretation of actions, data sources and identify all points of interaction with employees, partners and distributors. This requires the consolidation of information in an intelligent format.

Big data analytics

New analytical tools that provide descriptive, predictive and normative capabilities make it easier than ever to mine and understand the treasure trove of available data. These tools offer two different views – the past and the future – and link them to a prioritized action plan as a proposal.

IoT and customer experience

The IoT consists of millions of smart, connected devices and is of utmost importance because of the data it collects, produces and distributes. The ability to use connected products and other sensor-generated data to improve customer experiences is unprecedented – and a growing opportunity that everyone should take advantage of.

API connectivity

APIs can give your company the opportunity to respond more profitably and intelligently to customer interactions by enriching the process with additional data sources to make the process even more responsive, flexible and efficient. This allows you to create new, more personal and richer experiences. You can send a customer a video or text chat, a special offer, or even a “Help” article. This can be achieved by making it much easier to integrate and connect applications with people, places and data, allowing them to offer agile, reactive content from legacy and cloud systems.

Human or avatar service contact

A digital person (or “bot”) may speak on behalf of your company in the future. She accepts orders, offers support and answers questions. They may offer something for sale or may be able to process refunds. All of this and more is possible in response to verbal or written requests from customers and employees. It starts with simple requests and intelligent learning increases the service offering and features. Alexa, Siri and Cortana are ready to use; Companies are starting to benefit from such innovations.

Customer-focused virtual and augmented reality

This technology can provide enriching, immersive and deeply personalized experiences, unlocking the penetration of such technologies beyond gaming. For example, it will gradually enable things like e-commerce (e.g. high-end retail or car purchasing), education (e.g. higher education, workplace safety and employee training) and healthcare (physical therapy and virtual surgery).

Cybersecurity and customer loyalty

Not only do you need to make the most of every touchpoint, but you also need to consider how you can develop them and deliver new customer experiences. To ensure the long-term success of your business, a clear strategy that takes customer experience into account in the context of new technologies has become mandatory.

Fraud is a key concern for both customers and executives, particularly for e-commerce, banking and other online activities. The increasing and ongoing real threat of fraud makes cybersecurity critical as breaches result in customer churn and erode brand loyalty and customer trust.

These are just some of the key drivers shaping our industry today. What is clear is that technology is changing the customer experience. It is heavily influenced by the way customers interact with your website, mobile app, social media channels and contact center – in other words, the combination of technologies you provide.