The Role Customer Experience Plays in Marketing

How Marketing and Customer Experience Go Hand in Hand

It’s no coincidence that a majority of the world’s most admired brands have the reputation for providing the best customer experience. Companies like American Express, Starbucks, Apple, and Amazon were not only ranked among Fortune’s Most Admired Companies in 2015, but they also made it to the top 10.

Many people attribute these companies’ success to the hefty amount of money they invest in marketing every year. And while it isn’t wrong to say that their marketing and branding efforts have played a critical role in their success, it’s unfair to ignore how equally important their customer experience has contributed as well. After all, providing good consistent customer experience leads to an increase in customer satisfaction, translating into customer loyalty, retention, price premium, referrals, and many other advantages. And if you ask your customers, they’ll tell you the same thing:

• 7 in 10 Americans said they were willing to spend more with companies they believe provide excellent customer service.
• 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated.
• Almost 9 out of 10 U.S. consumers say they would pay more to ensure a superior customer experience

Knowing why it’s critical for marketing and customer experience to be aligned is something that all businesses, big or small, can benefit from. The relationship between the two is straightforward: customer experience retains the customers that marketing obtained in the first place.

Providing a consistent quality product and keeping your customers happy should always be your primary focus. And studies support that, finding that not only is it 6-7 times more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to keep a current one but that on average, loyal customers are worth up to 10 times as much as their first purchase. And when you see that there is a 60-70% probability of selling to an existing customer vs. 5-20% probability of selling to a new prospect, it makes sense why keeping your existing customers happy is so important.

Many small businesses make the mistake of expecting marketing to solve all their problems. Yes, marketing can draw in more customers, but it won’t excuse your sales associate from being rude or explain why you didn’t follow through on your promise to meet expectations. What marketing can do is bring awareness to your brand, creating the opportunity for your customer experience to convert and retain customers. And now with 58% of Americans performing online research about the products and services that they are considering purchasing, it’s more important than ever that you extend your customer experience through online channels as well.

To learn more about how customer experience can help transform your business, contact us today! We’ve helped hundreds of inspiring companies like yours achieve long-lasting relationships with their customers.

According to 75 Customer Service Facts, Quotes & Statistics