Great web design without functionality is like a sports car with no engine – Paul Cookson.

If you want to increase conversions, sell more products and win customer loyalty, you first need to take a deep, hard look at your website. Is it offering the customer what they want? Is it easy for your customer to get from point A to B without having to jump through hoops to get there?

Today’s customer has an increasingly short attention span. Moreover, today’s customer is looking increasingly towards the digital space to meet their needs. Combined, the two result in a customer who wants what they need NOW and will use technology to get it. If they have to navigate through a confusing website, can’t reach customer service to get a problem resolved, or need to head into a store to get what they need, they might just exit your business, never to return.

As such, never before has the importance of a digital transformation been felt more than in the post-pandemic world. Read on to find out if your company needs digital transformation consulting.

What is Digital Transformation?

Digital transformation, in the simplest of terms, is the integration of digital technology into every area of a business. It is not easy to pinpoint a specific definition of the phrase, as digital transformation will mean different things to different companies. It may include automating some of your processes to offer quicker service to your customers, going paperless or harnessing the power of social media to reach your audience.

A recent example of a company moving towards digital transformation is the furniture brand IKEA. A new app feature allows customers to use their app to scan the barcodes of products they like as they walk through the store and place them in their cart. When they reach the designated mobile payment counter, all they have to do is scan the unique QR code and pay. This feature offers a win-win solution to both customers and the company: it eliminates long queues at counters and helps the company cut down on costs associated with manning more checkout counters and paying overtime or holiday pay, especially during the busy shopping season.

Why Does Digital Transformation Matter?

In the post-pandemic world, digital transformation is no longer a choice; it’s a matter of survival. Today’s customer is incredibly tech-savvy and expects to get what they want as soon as they need it. The pandemic taught businesses an incredible lesson: if you can’t adapt quickly to changes in the industry, you have almost no chance of survival. And with our fast-paced digital world, changes happen every second of every day.

Understanding your audience’s requirements, challenges and what they hope to see when they open your website or download your app can help you stay on top of the changes your business model needs. Consistently meeting changing customer expectations signals to consumers that you have their best interests at heart, making them more likely to buy from you even when a competitor has a better price. At the heart of it, the customer is in the driver’s seat and will impact your company’s digital maturity.

But as much as the customer drives digital transformation, digital transformation can, in turn, impact the customer experience, resulting in higher brand loyalty, more conversions and more customer engagement.

How to Get Started With Digital Transformation?

To help your business get started with digital transformation, you may find the following steps helpful:

• Think about your strategy

In 2018, of the almost USD1.3 trillion invested in digital transformation, about 900 billion was wasted. This was mainly because of jumping too fast onto the bandwagon without a sound strategy. To ensure digital maturity, ask yourself the following questions:

• Where is my company today?
• Where do I want it to be tomorrow?
• What can I do to get it there?

This is because understanding the fundamentals of your business and ensuring it has the capability to survive in an ever-changing digital landscape is necessary for any digital transformation strategies you try to execute to stay strong.

• Become obsessed with your customer

Jeff Bezos, Founder and CE of the biggest e-commerce store in the world, Amazon, has repeatedly said that the number one driver of their massive success has been their obsessive-compulsive focus on the customer. When you understand what the customer is looking for, you can design solutions designed to address their problems, resulting in the customer returning to you to do business.

To achieve true digital maturity, involve your customer-facing team early and often in your strategy meetings. These individuals constantly interact with your audience and are aware of the challenges customers are facing, their opinion of your brand, and how they believe your business could improve.

For a true digital transformation, every department in the company must come together and ensure a great digital experience is offered to customers.

• Create a bond with your customers

In this hyper-personalised era where we are displayed ads based on our Google searches, where Facebook knows precisely what movies we enjoy, and Spotify offers us a curated list of music based on our most listened songs, we like it when businesses know us personally. Isn’t it convenient when you’re browsing through an e-commerce website consistently showing you items you might want based on your previous browsing history?

However, when talking about the digital space, businesses often need help to add the human touch their consumers crave to their interactions. Customers want to feel like they’re essential to the brand and not just another name in a list of names. A study by Accenture reveals that 75% of customers are more likely to buy from a brand that addresses them by their name, knows their purchase history and recommends products based on it.

Newpath, a leading digital transformation consulting agency in Melbourne, boasts a team of technology-agnostic, creative technologists enthusiastic about making waves in digital transformation. We pride ourselves on seeking the best outcome for clients as the priority for a successful partnership. From offering Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM solutions to our transparent, strategic planning, our award-winning agency can help you get started on your road to complete digital maturity.