Why boosting connected experiences is key to business growth

In today’s digital age, consumers have come to see seamless and personalised interactions as an essential part of their exchanges with a brand or company; regardless of the channel or device, customers expect a cohesive and ‘connected experience’.

These experiences are no longer optional but have become a critical factor in driving business growth and fostering brand loyalty, especially in light of economic headwinds and rising competition.

Insights from Salesforce’s State of Connected Consumer report suggests that every nine out of 10 of UAE-based customers agree that the experience a company provides is just as important as its products and services.

Accounting for 90 per cent of all private corporations in the emirates, family businesses in the UAE are involved across a range of sectors – from real estate and retail through to tourism, shipping, and logistics. Even though these sectors widely differ, the customer naturally expects the same level of world-class service with every business it deals with.

According to Salesforce, more than 80 per cent of customers expect consistent interactions across departments – and 90 per cent are more loyal to companies that provide this consistency. For family enterprises, providing an integrated, connected experience across verticals could be a gamechanger.

Integrated touchpoints

The number of touchpoints a consumer has with a company today has grown exponentially – gone are the days when customers would interact with a brand solely through a single platform. Now, these interactions may happen through a website, mobile app, social media, physical store – often in combination.

Take for instance, the retail sector. The customer journey takes place either online or offline, or sometimes both. Feedback is instantaneous, through reviews on shopping platforms or social media.

Moreover, the customer is always connected to a brand, constantly updated on the latest promotions or reward programmes.

Omnichannel strategies are a great way to connect these various touchpoints to create a holistic journey for customers.

A real-time inventory system can help retailers convey product availability, while click-and-collect services can help minimise wait times.

Mobile apps can offer personalised product recommendations, exclusive discounts, and link to loyalty programmes. Meanwhile, interactive social media campaigns can keep customers updated on latest offers and serve as a medium for two-way communication.

Another example is the real estate sector, where firms can leverage multiple platforms, such as websites, social media, mobile apps, and physical offices, to connect with clients at different touchpoints. This enables prospective buyers to explore properties online, schedule virtual or in-person tours, communicate with agents through various channels, and access comprehensive property information.

The role of tech

For family businesses, enabling such an integrated ecosystem will require greater consolidation of information – essentially, different teams and verticals will ‘need to talk to each other’. As such, there is a need for greater adoption of digital technologies to streamline this process.

The UAE’s appetite for digitalisation makes the adoption of digital technology highly feasible.

Under the Digital Economy Strategy, the UAE’s digital economy is expected to grow to more than $140bn in 2031, up from nearly $38bn at present, according to a recent report by the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy. There is strong backing from the government to cultivate futuristic models across sectors.

Digital solutions and data analysis can enable businesses to gain valuable insights into customer behaviour, preferences, and pain points. They can build better customer personas and help improve their service offerings.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning takes this a step further, helping companies navigate and analyse in real-time the copious amounts of data generated with every interaction.

However, it is important to obtain customer consent before capturing any data to avoid violation of trust, abiding by the UAE’s data and consumer protection laws. Companies must be transparent in what information they are gathering and how this will be used.

End-to-end connections

Connected experiences should not be limited to individual touchpoints but must encompass the entire customer journey.

From the initial awareness stage to post-purchase support, companies must strive to create a frictionless journey for their customers.

By analysing the customer journey and identifying pain points or bottlenecks, businesses can implement improvements to enhance the overall experience.

All of this needs to be tied together with a cohesive brand identity and uniform messaging to help customers recognise and connect with the family business as a whole.

Research consistently shows that companies delivering exceptional customer experiences outperform their competitors in terms of revenue growth and customer loyalty. When customers feel valued and receive personalised and seamless interactions, they are more likely to become brand advocates.

Additionally, connected experiences can lead to increased customer retention, repeat purchases, and higher customer lifetime value.

By investing in connected experiences underpinned by digitalisation, family businesses in the UAE can drive revenue growth, gain a significant competitive advantage and contribute to the UAE’s reputation as a forward-looking business hub. Most importantly, they can highlight their commitment to their customers and provide impeccable service, every step of the way.

Stephen Rea is the chief enterprise excellence procurement officer at Al Ghurair Investment

Read: How leveraging connected experiences in logistics can build resilient supply chains