Keeping Design, Content and AI in online harmony

Starting a New Year presents opportunities to reflect on the past and visualise a future where online customer journeys are:

· Attractive and innovative designs

· Informative and accurate content

· Capable of understanding customers and their needs

A trip around the Internet tells its own tale of opportunity, as many large and medium sized organisations seem to struggle to balance these 3 areas. Sites can be overcrowded with content, visually confusing or make little use of AI features to drive up customer engagement and readability. Knowing how to change can rely on traditional methods of analysis with customer journey mapping still providing valuable information on business areas, their products and processes. The data captured through analysis should support the business direction and investment, as the goals for getting this right can be substantial: increasing business volume, reduction in expensive contact with improved customer experience and engagement.

Enhancing customer experience in an online journey is often badged as Digital Transformation, led by designers providing attractive and eye catching outcomes. Whilst this may deliver an initial ‘Wow’ factor there is inherent risk in failing to realise benefits unless there is consideration of the customer and the product. Digital Transformation must also implement tools that inform and validate customer experience mapping and predict customer’s intent whilst aspiring to a frictionless outcome.

AI capabilities that capture what customers are really trying to do, how and when allows solutions to be developed that best match customer expectations and can be reflected by backend process. The information gathered and the inexpensive configuration opportunities of AI allow test and learn areas where new customer engagement can be validated and refined. An approach I have seen greatly improve business stakeholder engagement, it gives them a sense of control and opportunity to influence based on true customer information and value, not internal opinion.

The information captured enables analysis to streamline transactions, identify pain points and reduce operational inefficiency. Customers can expect a refined experience that considers more customer types including the vulnerable, disabled and those less than satisfied to accelerate resolution and a positive outcome.

Once the customer experience is stable and understood expansion of the data captured and analysed can start to predict what the customer does on the site even before they know themselves. This personalisation maximises the income generating and cost saving opportunities and once again can be tried, tested and refined until the right outcomes are realised.

Content, Design and AI capability working in harmony to achieve these outcomes can be realised today with the right approach and stakeholder engagement. The winners will be the early adopters who grow their market share and loyalty through exceptional customer experience and manage their costs through insight on customer’s true needs and reaction to operational fulfilment.