OMR24 took place in Hamburg earlier this month, with 70,000 thought leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators coming together to explore what the future holds for the digital space.
Headline speakers included Tim Ferris, Carsten Koerl and even Kim Kardashian who spoke about the importance of authenticity in branding and marketing.
So – fresh from our trip to Germany – we thought we’d reflect upon some the common communication trends discussed at the event and share some actionable insights you can implement to stay ahead of your competition.
1. Conversational AI to Shape the Future of eCommerce
You’ve probably heard Conversational AI being spoken about a lot more recently, that’s because its usage is increasing extremely quickly.
As businesses continually search for ways to simultaneously drive efficiencies and improve their customer experience, Conversational AI-powered solutions are frequently being explored and implemented as they tick both those boxes.
Even if you’ve already implemented a chatbot in your business and thought ‘That’s that’, new potential use cases are constantly emerging – which – as you’ll soon see, is particularly true for the eCommerce sector.
Smarter customer service chatbots to improve CX
Like it or not, online customer expectations are growing.
Today’s customers expect instant answers to their questions and any product issues to be resolved quickly and with minimal disruption.
Meeting these needs solely with human agents can be extremely costly and not always the most efficient way for businesses to approach customer service – time differences, language barriers and sick days to name a few reasons why…
Customer service chatbots however aren’t prohibited by any of the above, and growing Conversational AI capabilities are enabling customer service chatbots to act and respond in a human way, without human deficiencies.
Better still, thanks to machine learning, chatbots are getting smarter and better at understanding context the more they interact with people. This virtuous circle ultimately ends in customer inquiries being solved quicker.
And as we touched already upon, quick answers that resolve issues = happier customers.
Internal chatbots to drive HR efficiencies
Similarly to how customer-facing chatbots are helping eCommerce businesses to improve their CX, HR chatbots are expected to become even more widespread to drive internal efficiencies.
By automating many routine HR tasks – like answering employee FAQs and logging leave requests – chatbots can reduce the administrative burden on HR staff and free them up to focus on more strategic aspects of their roles.
From an employee perspective, Conversational AI-powered chatbots enable staff to have confidential conversations they may not feel comfortable having with their managers or to seek advice outside of regular working hours.
Let’s say employee X is struggling to cope with their increased workload leading up to Black Friday but doesn’t feel comfortable raising it with their manager…
By speaking with their HR chatbot about how they feel, they may be directed to an employee handbook or prompted to speak with an external resource to resolve the issue.
Either way, the outcome improves the employee experience, reduces the likelihood of churn and helps drive operational efficiencies.
Fuel your marketing with conversational insights
Another way that eCommerce brands – and all other businesses – are expected to leverage conversational AI is by learning from and acting upon insights drawn from customer interactions.
Because by analysing the vast amounts of data generated through AI-enabled conversations, you can gain a deeper understanding of your customer’s preferences, behaviors, and pain points.
This data can then reveal patterns and trends that may inform future marketing campaigns, website layout or product descriptions for example.
Imagine you have a website chatbot that continually gets asked the same questions about a specific item you sell.
This would inform you that perhaps you should include additional information that addresses these frequently asked questions on the relevant product page.
Going one step further, why not leverage that data once more and create an email campaign targeting a segmented list of customers based on previous chatbot interactions?
See the possibilities?
The exciting thing about Conversational AI is that while its potential is only beginning to be explored, the impact it’s having on eCommerce and beyond is huge.
Some of the Conversational AI solutions we’ve provided for instance have helped leading brands solve mission-critical challenges in their businesses that drastically improve their CX.
2. Brands to Master Omnichannel Communication
The customer journey for an average online consumer is becoming so nuanced that traditional marketing methods no longer cut it.
A customer might see an ad on Instagram, head to your website a week later, then sign up to your email list, before eventually converting via an SMS link.
Four different channels, but also four different opportunities.
The brands that can act with agility and take advantage of those opportunities will be the ones best placed to thrive in an increasingly competitive market.
Here are a few ways you can do so.
Meet your customers on their preferred channel
Mastering omnichannel communication starts with identifying which channels your customers prefer to use.
There’s no point going all in on a particular channel if a large chunk of your customer base doesn’t use it, but at the same time, it also doesn’t mean you should ignore it altogether.
Are they more responsive to emails, social media ads, or SMS notifications?
Once you have this information, tailor your messaging to each platform.
This ensures that your communication feels personal and relevant, increasing the likelihood that your customer will engage with the content you’re sending them.
By focusing on the channels your customers are most active on, you can create more effective and targeted campaigns.
Whether it’s through the visual appeal of Instagram, the immediacy of SMS, or the detailed content of email newsletters, meeting your customers where they are maximizes your chances of connecting with them and driving them to take action.
Leveraging customer data for personalisation
The secret sauce behind meeting your customers on their preferred channel lies in the leveraging of data.
Leveraging the data you have at your disposal enables you to provide a more personalised experience and helps your customers feel understood, listened to and appreciated.
By collecting data from various touchpoints along your buyer journey, you gain valuable insights into customer preferences, behaviors and habits.
This information allows you to tailor your messaging, making interactions more relevant and engaging.
For example, if a customer frequently interacts with your brand via email, you can send personalised recommendations or offers based on their previous purchases or browsing history.
Similarly, if a customer prefers SMS notifications, you can use data to send timely and contextually relevant messages.
Integrating customer data into your omnichannel strategy ensures that every interaction is meaningful, ultimately driving customer satisfaction and loyalty.
What’s interesting is that almost every business today has access to a plethora of customer insights.
However, not all businesses have the capabilities to transform insights into actionable strategies that transform their customer’s experience.
Unified CX across all touchpoints
Creating a unified customer experience (CX) across all touchpoints is crucial for building a strong brand.
Customers should feel a seamless transition as they move from one channel to another, maintaining consistency in messaging, tone, and visual elements.
A cohesive experience across channels or touchpoints helps to build trust and ensures that customers know what to expect from your brand.
Whether interacting on social media, through email, or via SMS, the experience should be unified.
Implementing a unified CX strategy involves aligning your marketing, sales, and customer service teams, using integrated tools and platforms that allow for smooth communication and data sharing across departments.
Regularly reviewing and updating your customer journey maps can help identify any gaps or inconsistencies.
By focusing on providing a consistent and unified experience, you can enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately driving your business growth.
3. Proactive Security Measures Key to Minimising Risk
Another topic that repeatedly cropped up at OMR24 was the rise of cyber-attacks – both in volume and in severity.
Unfortunately, security breaches are now just a reality that most businesses face in the digital age and one that many will fall victim to at some point.
However, while security breaches often can’t be entirely avoided, you can implement procedures in place to reduce the risk of being targeted and, if hacked, minimize the repercussions.
Implementing robust security measures like ISO certifications and two-factor authentication (2FA) amongst other protocols can significantly enhance your data protection – let’s look at some of those in more detail.
Employee education & training
Your employees are often the first port of call when it comes to cyber-attacks and security breaches, meaning they’re also often your first line of defense.
In fact, according to figures from research at Stanford University and security firm Tessian, 88% of data breaches are caused by employee mistakes, underlining the importance of proper training and awareness programs.
Regular education and training can help them with the knowledge they need to identify and respond to potential threats.
Training should include recognising phishing attempts, password best practices, and adhering to company security protocols.
By fostering a culture of security awareness, you’ll significantly reduce the risk of human error leading to a breach.
Putting proactive security measures in place
As far-fetched as it may sound, while your team goes about their jobs, there are financially motivated hackers out there trying to infiltrate your organization.
That’s why being on the front foot and preparing your business for potential threats is essential.
Implementing two-factor authentication – or 2FA – is one of the most effective ways you can enhance your defences.
2FA requires your employees to provide two forms of identification before accessing sensitive information, making it significantly harder for hackers to gain unauthorized access to your systems.
This extra layer of security can prevent many common attacks, such as phishing and password theft.
By integrating 2FA, you’re adding a robust defense mechanism that significantly reduces the risk of breaches.
Staying ahead of potential threats by implementing 2FA and other proactive security measures is crucial for maintaining robust security.
Partner with trusted providers
Possibly the most critical step you can take to safeguard your business against security breaches is choosing the right partners.
Working with providers who prioritize security can help ensure your data is protected with the highest standards.
Look for providers that take security seriously and have robust security credentials, like ISO certifications, as these demonstrate a commitment to maintaining rigorous security protocols.
When it comes to CPaaS for example, Soprano Design is a trusted provider that upholds these high standards, offering secure and reliable communication solutions.
Our ISO certifications reflect our dedication to safeguarding your data and ensuring compliance with industry best practices.
Partnering with providers like Soprano not only enhances your security posture but also provides peace of mind, knowing your sensitive information is in safe hands.
That’s a wrap…
That’s a wrap on our key insights from the OMR24 Expo.
By embracing conversational AI, mastering omnichannel communication, and implementing proactive security measures, your business can thrive in the online landscape.
To stay ahead of the curve and ensure your business is well-equipped to handle the challenges and opportunities coming your way, get in touch with us and we’ll show you how our communication solutions can be customised to meet the needs of your business.
