{"id":365,"date":"2024-01-31T23:11:21","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T23:11:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/?p=365"},"modified":"2024-03-01T20:03:25","modified_gmt":"2024-03-01T20:03:25","slug":"how-to-evaluate-whether-that-latest-digital-trend-is-worth-adopting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/how-to-evaluate-whether-that-latest-digital-trend-is-worth-adopting\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Evaluate Whether That Latest Digital Trend is Worth Adopting"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Nowadays, new digital trends are hitting the scene almost constantly. While this is exciting, it is also difficult to know which trends are worth adopting and which to drop or ignore. The current pace of technological change means you can quickly be left behind while your competitors snap up all of your customers.<\/p>\n<p>In order to avoid this happening, you need to evaluate the range of choices available to you and not be\u00a0terrified of trying something new.<\/p>\n<p>But which digital trends are worth adopting and which are the ones to leave well alone?<\/p>\n<p>Before you adopt any new technology, consider whether it does\u00a0<strong>any of the following<\/strong>\u00a0(HBR):<\/p>\n<h2>1) Does it eliminate customer pain?<\/h2>\n<p>Before you invest into a new technology, you need to\u00a0<strong>know your customer\u2019s biggest pain points<\/strong>. Look for tools and solutions that facilitate experiences that are driven by the customer\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n<p>Here are 4 of the top <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/\">consumer pain points and remedies<\/a> so you can prevent them:<\/p>\n<h3>a) Too Much Research Required \/ No Time \/ Poor Filtering Options<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Needs-based Digital Advisors:<\/strong>\u00a0reduce complexity by engaging shoppers in an interactive conversation and guiding them to suitable products\u00a0<strong>based on their needs and known preferences.\u00a0<\/strong>It allows you to avoid complicated, research-heavy shopping experiences that quickly drive your customers away.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mobile Shopping \/ Apps:<\/strong>\u00a0allow customers to browse, explore and purchase on the go.\u00a0<strong>Asos\u2018<\/strong>\u00a0customers can view products and buy them with just one click. The fashion retailer also stores preferences so shoppers can see items similar to their previous choices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Artificial Intelligence \/ Machine Learning:<\/strong>\u00a0allow customers to find the most fitting product in a shorter amount of time, even when there are hundreds of options.\u00a0<strong>The Northface<\/strong>\u00a0recently launched an\u00a0AI-powered personal shopper\u00a0called XPS. It combines big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to help customers \u2014 particularly new ones \u2014 navigate and find the right jacket. 75% of the customers who used the Jacket Finder said they would use it again.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>b) Lengthy Delivery Times \/ Long Queues<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Same-Day Delivery:<\/strong>\u00a0customers are growing to expect more service. From groceries to furniture, anything can be sent straight to the customer\u2019s doorstep a few hours after the order has ben made.\u00a0Amazon\u00a0is one of the first offering this service in a plethora of cities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Click and Collect:<\/strong>\u00a01 in 5 shoppers said that choosing something online and picking it up in store\u00a0changed their experiences.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Self-Check Out:<\/strong>\u00a0takes away the need for the customer to line up in long queues and speeds up the process of paying.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>In-Store Sensor technology:<\/strong>\u00a0track store traffic to anticipate high-traffic and allocate more staff to the registers when they\u2019re needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>3D Printing:<\/strong>\u00a0can cut down on delivery times as it\u2019s becoming easier to print at home. It has also been proven to save customers money if they simply\u00a0print household items\u00a0rather than buy them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>c) Lack of Interaction with Products \/ Missing Sensory Experience<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Product demonstration videos:<\/strong>\u00a0can help you give your customer a clear insight into your products and learn how they work.<br \/>\nHere\u2019s a short video to show you how best to create\u00a0product demo video.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Virtual \/ Augmented Reality:<\/strong>\u00a0layers virtual objects or holograms on top of your existing environment in real-time to allow your customers to \u201ctry on\u201d and experience products. Global retail giant\u00a0Alibaba\u00a0has\u00a0launched Buy+,\u00a0a VR store\u00a0that allows shoppers to walk through a VR shopping mall with stores like Macy\u2019s, Target and Costco.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Ikea is also\u00a0experimenting with VR\u00a0to allow their customers explore one of three differently-styled kitchen room settings.<\/p>\n<h3>d) Missing Information in the Store<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>In-store kiosks and interactive<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>signage:<\/strong>\u00a0by providing \u2018live\u2019 access to stock and\u00a0product advice<u>,<\/u>\u00a0retailers can provide customers with quick access to information, even when a store associate isn\u2019t available or busy with other customers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Technically-enabled staff:\u00a0<\/strong>equip your staff on the ground with digital devices to help them quickly provide customers with the support and information they need.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mobile-enhanced stores:<\/strong>\u00a0provide free in-Store Wi-Fi or allow customers to scan QR codes to look up additional product information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>2) Does it elevate your customer service?<\/h2>\n<p>Is there anything more frustrating than having a problem and not being able to resolve it quickly? \u00a0With your adopted technologies, you should consider whether or not it will\u00a0<strong>noticeably and materially improve your customer service<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Technologies to consider:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>(Interactive) Guided Troubleshooting:<\/strong>\u00a0lets you\u00a0optimize your self-service offer\u00a0by allowing customers to resolve issues on their own and when they want. Instead of browsing through tons of articles or having to call a support line, customers can answer a few questions to describe their problem and receive immediate support on how to solve it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Chatbots \/ AI:<\/strong>\u00a0mobile messaging is quickly becoming the dominant form of communication for consumers. With chatbots you can effectively improve and automate the customer service experience to communicate with customers, support them, and solve issues in real-time 24\/7.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Live Chat and Co-browsing:<\/strong>\u00a0provide transparent, communication in real-time<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Insight-driven Marketing automation:<\/strong>\u00a0Streamline and automate your business processes and customer communication based on insights from customer data and interactions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>3) Does it create a differentiated, personalized customer experience?<\/h2>\n<p>The question you need to ask yourself is whether the technology allows you to create a\u00a0<strong>seamless, more personalized experience<\/strong>\u00a0that\u2019s unique to each customer.<\/p>\n<p>Personalization Trends and Must-haves:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Personalized website or mobile app experience:<\/strong>\u00a0match the customer\u2019s geography, demographic data, behavioral information, or purchase history to serve up relevant content<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Personalized tips and advice:<\/strong>\u00a0provide first-time visitors with personalized shopping guides and engage customers with relevant best practice tips and advice to make the most of the products they have purchased. (Digital Advice for Marketing)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Predictive analytics:<\/strong>\u00a0you can collect and analyze all the insights necessary to personalize your marketing efforts for customers, making it much more effective and useful.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Technology is constantly evolving and an endless range of options appear. When evaluating whether that latest digital trend is worth adopting, you should stay focused on understanding what your customers need and want.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s worth considering whether these digital technologies are actually going to improve your customer\u2019s experience, help you build a competitive differentiation and can change your business for the better.<\/p>\n<p>Which trends would you want us to add? Sound off in the comments below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nowadays, new digital trends are hitting the scene almost constantly. While this is exciting, it is also difficult to know which trends are worth adopting and which to drop or ignore. The current pace of technological change means you can quickly be left behind while your competitors snap up all of your customers. In order [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":388,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pexels-rdne-stock-project-7363061.jpg",1920,1280,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pexels-rdne-stock-project-7363061-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pexels-rdne-stock-project-7363061-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pexels-rdne-stock-project-7363061-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pexels-rdne-stock-project-7363061-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pexels-rdne-stock-project-7363061-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/pexels-rdne-stock-project-7363061.jpg",1920,1280,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Bill Widmer","author_link":"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/author\/bill\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Nowadays, new digital trends are hitting the scene almost constantly. While this is exciting, it is also difficult to know which trends are worth adopting and which to drop or ignore. The current pace of technological change means you can quickly be left behind while your competitors snap up all of your customers. In order&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=365"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":448,"href":"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365\/revisions\/448"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.guided-selling.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}