[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/09\/29\/drive-customer-engagement\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/09\/29\/drive-customer-engagement\/","headline":"A galaxy of opportunity: 5 must-read posts on customer engagement","name":"A galaxy of opportunity: 5 must-read posts on customer engagement","description":"The customer reigns in the new world. If you aren't delighting your customer, your competitors will. Five must-read posts on customer engagement.","datePublished":"2017-09-29","dateModified":"2022-03-29","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jenn-vande-zande\/#Person","name":"Jenn Vande Zande","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/jenn-vande-zande\/","identifier":229,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ef76ed873963201b65acc65a3cb353caa294225a4e9a8427f011077842dd955c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ef76ed873963201b65acc65a3cb353caa294225a4e9a8427f011077842dd955c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Future of Commerce","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/logo-foc-schema-app-1.png","width":172,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/thumbnail-b9f455c13693031113a54b6fe29a3dbc.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/thumbnail-b9f455c13693031113a54b6fe29a3dbc.jpeg","height":375,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/09\/29\/drive-customer-engagement\/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/commerce\/","name":"Commerce","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commerce","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q26643"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/customer-engagement-58\/","name":"Customer Engagement","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_engagement","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q5196451"]},{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/marketing\/customer-engagement-marketing\/","name":"Customer Engagement","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Customer_engagement","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q5196451"]},"Customer Journey",{"@type":"Thing","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/marketing\/","name":"Marketing","sameAs":["https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Marketing","http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q39809"]}],"wordCount":611,"keywords":["Big Data","Cloud","Customer Engagement","Customer Experience | CX","Customer Service","Digital Marketing","E-commerce","Omnichannel","Retail","SAP Hybris"],"articleBody":"While we all know the digital age altered the world completely, one thing will never change\u2014customers demand to be engaged. But how do you drive customer engagement in a world where we’re all competing for digital attention?Think back to the pre-internet era when you went to the corner shop to grab a Popsicle in the summer time. You had a direct engagement with the person who took your cash and gave you your change. Or when you went to the doctor’s office and had to ask for your medical records on paper.I can think of a thousand examples of customer engagement from the analog world, and all of them were a natural outgrowth of one simple factor: being a human being.Today, it’s harder. Yes, we’re all still human, but now we conduct so many of our interactions via screens that it’s easy to forget there’s a person on the other end of that transaction.If we want to drive customer engagement, we have to be thoughtful about how we build those customer relationships now, because we’ve (mostly) eliminated that one-to-one, in-person exchange.So what does it mean to really engage? Your customers offer you their information and personal data, so how are you using technology to return that trust in the form of a relationship? Engaging your customers doesn’t mean sending them an email with their name in the salutation or sending them a direct coupon in the mail for something they may have purchased previously. I’m sorry, that’s so 2004. It’s time to engage for the future.Here are some of our most popular reads on how you can create a robust, lasting relationship and engage with your customers\u2014and not just when it’s time to drive that transaction.Don’t forget about your B2B customers – they want more from youGreat customer engagement isn’t limited to the world of B2C. Research suggests that 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience, and customers who are fully engaged represent an average 23% premium in terms of share of wallet, profitability, revenue, and relationship growth compared with the average customer.Read more here.Pay that parking ticket with less painTranslating policy and legislation into citizen services is a huge task for modern government organizations. From paying your property taxes to applying for a building permit, people no longer have the time (or patience) for paper and long lines. However, with the right technology, smart cities can provide seamless, digital service to every citizen.Read more here.The burning question: what is customer engagement, anyway?That’s the magic question, isn’t it? Customer engagement will always look different for every brand, but there are some basics: great service, thoughtful interactions, quick and easy fulfillment and, hopefully, becoming a trusted advisor.Read more here.Don’t overlook the power of the cloudProviding a fast and responsive experience is critical to providing a strong first impression and successful customer engagement in the long term. Don’t let slow-loading web pages or less-than-perfect payment processes spoil what could otherwise be a beautiful relationship.Read more here.Make it simple – no one is looking for a complicated relationshipWe live in a day and age of instant gratification, where customer relationships are more complex than ever. If you\u2019re not exceeding your customers\u2019 expectations of customer service, chances are, your competitors are chomping at the bit to do so.Read more here.  Your customers are managing 85% of their relationships online. Omnichannel CX can provide everything they want \u2013 and more.Get started HERE."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2017","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"09","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/\/09\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"29","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/\/09\/\/29\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"A galaxy of opportunity: 5 must-read posts on customer engagement","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2017\/09\/29\/drive-customer-engagement\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]