The days of consumers staying loyal to companies are looking numbered, with typical customers now switching between brands without hesitation. The famous rule of 20% of customers accounting for 80% of turnover is already becoming more like 40% of customers generating 60% of turnover, but businesses have an opportunity to stand out from the crowd of competitors by utilising data to create a truly outstanding customer experience that will bring back loyalty.

Companies must put their customers at the centre of a digital ecosystem, that links all the possible customer contact points and moments of interaction with each other, including different channels (online and offline) and other relevant partners (suppliers, bloggers, etc.). During each interaction data is generated, and the preserving and processing of this data in a single central database can be the key to a personalised experience for each individual customer in real time, giving them an extreme feeling of customer-orientation.

Implementation of a digital ecosystem should be thoroughly planned and built around the following three foundations:

Data centralisation

Whether it is using a mobile app, logging on to a website or visiting a retail store, all touch points available to customers generate data. The existence of a single central database to collate and coordinate this data is essential to offer an outstanding personalised experience, wherever they are.

Apple is a great example of a business doing this well. By using just one Apple ID per customer to centralise all the data flowing between their different appliances and channels, customers have the benefit of knowing that even if they lose their iPad, they have the luxury of knowing that within five minutes of purchasing a new appliance all their personal data can be restored, while all their iTunes music is available on all the appliances of the same family.

Faster than real time

With data centralisation it is possible to personalise almost anything for the customer in real time. Each customer has a different background and needs, but websites and apps can adjust themselves on the basis of the available customer data to increase the relevance of the information they provide.

I recently visited Disneyworld to test out the MyMagic+ system for myself. After making my reservation on the Disneyworld website, I received a personalised e-mail from the hotel that was tailored based on the information I had provided. It began: "Dear Steven, thank you for your reservation. We see that you are travelling with your children. The following restaurants are perhaps suitable to give your children an unforgettable day out." When I reacted positively and booked their suggestions, my reservations were shown in my Disney Experience mobile app just a minute later. These real-time updates of information across different channels of communication generate a strong feeling of confidence and trust.

Partner model

To be utilised effectively, customers must be at the centre of their digital ecosystem. For many one-channel organisations this requires a considerable transformation to a customer-oriented one, but it also demands a degree of openness towards other partners that are providing touch points for the customers.

Again using Apple as an example, they do not build all the apps available in their app store, but instead open up their system so that others can contribute their ideas. This is win-win-win as it gives Apple more applications, the consumers more choice and the other participating partners a reliable platform and distribution network on which to build. The same model of openness is currently developing in a number of different sectors, including automobiles, where like Apple, General Motors has opened its network to allow external designers to develop new apps for GM cars using details about the engine and technological refinements of the vehicle.

 

By Prof. Steven Van Belleghem, Author of The Conversation Company and The Conversation Manager. 

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