Digital Customer Experience Trends Manufacturing Leaders Embrace

People who work as engineers, procurement managers, and MROs face many challenges in their jobs. One of these challenges is finding the information they need on a supplier's website. They are used to getting excellent digital experiences from the brands they are familiar with. They expect the same from potential suppliers for their companies.

To support the needs of B2B buyers and the changing buying behavior, manufacturing companies are investing in transforming their growth strategies and digital customer experiences. By integrating advanced digital technologies and data for customers, brands have seen revenue increase by 6% to 10%.

What is a digital customer experience 

Digital customer experience means that a prospect has interactions with your company through digital spaces. This includes visits to your website and social media, messages from email campaigns, chats with customer service, and downloads and applications of digital products. 

Today's B2B customer experience can be complicated because businesses need to think about all the areas people are interacting with their brand as well as what devices people are using. 

Generally, implementing digital strategies can help your business serve as a resource for customers and make it easier for them to do business with you. This can be a great growth strategy in itself.

Digital Customer Experience Trends 

What makes for a good digital customer experience in 2022? Do you understand your customers' journey with your company, and do you provide what they need when they need it?

Leaders in the space are improving their customers' online experience by carefully selecting digital tools that match their needs and behaviors.

Publishing A Knowledge Center Or FAQ Page

It is important to have a good online knowledge center so buyers can research the right solutions on their own time. This will also let buyers learn at their own pace. It is also important to have FAQs that can answer common questions quickly. This will help customers make a purchasing decision quickly. 

• Do I need a custom product or will a standard product work for my needs?
• What material should I use for my project?
• How long does it take to build an injection mold?
• What cleanroom classification do you work with?

Make your website easy to use by providing answers to common questions. This will help your customers find the information they need without having to search through your website. It can also help them decide if you are the right company for them before they contact you.

Offering Product Data In Formats Your Prospects Need

Giving your customers a great experience is important. 93% of customers are likely to buy from you again if you have a good experience. This means making sure products are delivered on time and in the format that the customer expects. 

Manufacturers who provide downloadable CAD/BIM files complete with performance data and specs across multiple distributor sites and sales platforms are more likely to win new business. That’s because studies show that engineers who download CAD/BIM files are valuable leads, and 82% of those CAD/BIM downloads turn into sales opportunities. It is critical that the product files you offer are complete and include the proper performance data to work within a specifier's digital plans

Having access to product design data that is centrally located makes it easier for engineers to do their jobs. They can work faster and without errors. Managing changes digitally helps ensure that everyone has access to the most up-to-date information. This also avoids the delays and mistakes that can happen when changes are tracked manually.

Adding Product Configuration Functionality For eCommerce

When you are looking for supplier parts online, an industrial sales survey showed that 49% of engineers want to be able to configure the product options. 46% of people also want a part number search. Providing complete product data on your website is important to the digital customer experience because it helps buyers understand how your products can fit their specific needs.

Engineers want to be able to customize your digital product so that it fits with their application. They choose the components for a product, so manufacturers need to provide them with a good digital customer experience. This means giving them accurate product details and enhanced eCommerce capabilities so they can explore the form, fit, and function of the product. This will help drive them towards buying conversations.

In a 2021 Industrial Buyer’s Search Habits Survey, 40% of industrial buyers said the quality of a supplier’s website impacts their decision to partner with the company. A website’s functionality is important for user experience and lead conversion. One purchasing agent stated, “Having more online information like specifications, pricing, lead time, and stock levels are important when vetting new suppliers. I’d prefer to work with companies that give me the option to order products directly from an online product catalog." 

Investing In Chatbot Functionality

Today's buyers want and expect immediate access to information. They are turning more to digital self-service support instead of speaking with an agent over the phone. A chatbot can quickly deliver the information they are looking for.

Chatbot technology can provide customer support 24/7. The chatbot can answer basic questions and also help users find relevant content on the website. The chatbot may also persuade a website visitor to make a decision faster. Chatbots can also gather data from their interactions with customers. This data can help your support and sales teams to personalize their interactions with customers.

Many businesses are using chatbots to improve the digital customer experience. A Salesforce research study found that 68% of businesses who use chatbots say their team has seen a reduction in call time because chatbots decrease customer wait times.

Leveraging Video Content 

Making videos can help make your brand different and more well-known. In a survey, almost 70% of people said they would rather learn about a new product or service through video. To use videos to improve your customer experience, focus on telling your brand story and teaching people about your products and services. Have videos ready that answer common questions or FAQs so that customers can choose how they want to learn about you.

Customers who are interested in purchasing a product from a manufacturing or industrial company want to be able to learn about the following:

• Your shop floor and facility
• Your brand story and overview of your company
• Detailed information about specific projects you have worked on

After creating a video showcasing this information, make sure to publish it on all your media channels so that customers can see it. This includes advertising it on social media, in emails, on website pages, and anywhere else you can think of.

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