Leveraging the Human Element to Create Better Digital Experiences for Your Customers

It’s no secret by now that the world has become increasingly dependent on digital interactions over the years. Regardless of where you go or the types of products or services you need, brands prioritize digital solutions to help provide them to you.

As a business, there is no end to the number of ways you can incorporate new digital tools and services into your marketing initiatives. Whether adding AI-driven chatbots on your site for on-demand customer support, or leveraging intelligent analytics to suggest relevant products during checkout processes, there are many unique possibilities to leverage digital experiences to your advantage.

However, the problem with many of these business initiatives is that they often lack one important ingredient – the human element. Without this, it’s hard for your messaging to resonate, and you can quickly lose touch with the needs of customers you’re trying to connect with.

Why the Human Element Matters in Business 

Most businesses feel that digital tools give them the ability to streamline their operations and provide better services to their customers, and there’s no doubt about this fact. However, many times these solutions depersonalize the brand  and can make experiences feel somewhat “cold” or “lifeless.”

Still, this can be a challenging notion to get behind since there are a lot of successful brands today that primarily leverage digital customer experiences. Take Amazon, for example. Amazon has built its entire company on an incredibly expansive digital ecosystem, relying very little on human interactions.

However, certain mass merchant retailers like Amazon build their business model on high volume transactions and have very little competition they need to worry about. Most businesses, however, especially those in service industries like restaurants, have to be more strategic in their marketing approach. These industries thrive on positive customer experiences and word-of-mouth advertising. If they stick to strictly digital marketing initiatives, it won’t take long before customers are looking for better experiences elsewhere.

How to Connect The Human Element With Digital Experiences 

Focus on Your Customer’s Needs

It’s important for businesses to always maintain self-awareness when trying to address their customers’ needs. It’s all too easy to get pulled into the trap of assuming everything is working well without really considering what’s important to your customers.

Another common mistake businesses make is classifying their customer satisfaction ratings into broad terms like “happy” or “unhappy.” These metrics don’t really add enough perspective as to what’s needed or what’s working well in the business.

Knowing if a customer got everything they needed out of an interaction is one thing, but considering whether their experience was difficult or if they might prefer other solutions is another altogether. Unfortunately, digital-only solutions don’t always allow you to extract these types of insights, and you should never underestimate the value that a human connection can provide.

Make Experiences More Personalized

“Personalization” has become a buzzword for many marketing teams today. The reason for this is that customers want to know that a brand values them individually, and not just as part of a larger statistic that helps business increase their revenue stream.

Customers want to know that you’ve taken the time to really consider who they are as a person and how you can improve their experiences. While you might be able to extract this information over time through your digital tools, the reality is that customer needs aren’t static – they change all the time.

This is why blending digital and human engagements is an important strategy for businesses. When you directly speak with your customers on a regular basis, it helps you to pick up on nuances that data reports don’t always show.

Keep Engagements Natural

Unfortunately, a lot of customers have become accustomed to getting impersonal responses from the businesses they connect with. This is why adding more human interaction into your business support processes can make a real difference. Customers want the assurance of knowing that if and when they’re experiencing issues, a real person is on the other end, helping them address it.

The more you personalize your marketing efforts on social media, email, or chat solutions, the better it shows a genuine interest in what your customers need. When doing this, however, you want to make sure you’re keeping your interaction natural and less scripted. 

While all businesses may have their own preferences on the type of voice or tone being used, it’s important to remember that your customers are real people and communications shouldn’t lack personality.

Really Listen to What Users are Saying

Avoiding customer issues in your business is highly unlikely, especially as you scale. However, how you deal with them makes all the difference in your ability to keep a customer loyal to the brand long-term.

If and when your customers have a problem, getting them a solution quickly is important. However, for some customers, part of the “solution” you provide should also consider the feelings on the matter. Simply offering a solution, but not allowing them to explain their frustrations to a real person, is inconsiderate and shows a lack of accountability. 

Interacting with a real person also helps business show their customers that they’re great listeners and value perspectives from others. Providing customers with a format where their needs can be expressed and the business responds to those needs quickly and efficiently can go a long way in creating a loyal customer following.

Always Be Humanizing Your Brand

There is no doubt that technology can help your business create more seamless and streamlined brand interactions for your customers. But it’s important to remember that there should always be a good balance when leveraging technology for your business and incorporating the human element when needed.

By following the guidelines discussed and considering the importance of real human connection in your marketing efforts, you’ll be able to create much stronger relationships with your customers while helping your brand to stand out from your competition. 

About the author:

Chris Bretschger, Managing Partner at Bastion Agency, is a seasoned marketer with over 20 years of experience in integrated marketing. He has developed brand strategies, managed media campaigns, and built analytics tools for clients like Mazda, Adidas, Jenny Craig, and Kia. When not leading Bastion, Chris enjoys superyacht regatta racing on the open seas.

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