Customer service and generative AI: a uniquely transformational moment for the industry
Software company Intercom has been implementing generative AI in its customer support toolset. VP Customer Support Declan Ivory speaks to Econsultancy about what the tech means for the industry, from agent support and QA, to customer-facing bots and new human roles.
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Measuring the Effectiveness of Paid Search Integration
Being able to measure the performance and effectiveness of integrated marketing campaigns that combine paid search with other channels is essential for gaining an understanding of what worked, and what can be improved in future campaigns. This chapter looks at what measures to use and the toolkits, such as Google Analytics, that can help. Measuring […]
Landing Page Best Practice for Paid Search
The previous chapter looked at landing page strategy for paid search campaigns. This chapter considers best practice techniques for creating and optimising effective landing pages. Twelve best practice guidelines for landing pages To be effective, landing pages need to combine the following to improve the user experience and increase conversion rates: Usability Accessibility Persuasiveness Ability […]
Landing Page Strategy for Paid Search
Destination or landing pages (where clicks are directed) are an integral part of any paid search campaign. Effective landing pages convert more visitors, and in Quality Score-based search engines they make an ad more competitive. In fact, with paid search, securing the click is only the start of the conversion journey. The landing page plays […]
Social Quarterly: Q2 2024
The latest trends, developments and statistics in social media. Stories this quarter include TikTok’s potential US ban, new AI assistant features from Meta and Snap, and the ways in which the platforms are supporting their influential users, in what has been termed ‘the creator era’.
The Future of Marketing Automation
Marketing automation is an established tool among data-driven marketers, and this trend looks likely to continue as estimates predict the global marketing automation market will rise from $5.2bn in 2022 to $9.5bn in 2027.[1] Increased uptake, particularly on a global level, is attributed to pushing this growth, but changes and improvements in the tools’ features […]
Implementing Marketing Automation
Once the strategic foundations of a marketing automation approach have been laid, an organisation may progress through to implementing the strategy by following the eight steps outlined in this chapter. Set clear goals and objectives Setting clear goals on what implementing marketing automation is seeking to achieve is a crucial first step in the implementation. […]
Laying the Strategic Groundwork for Marketing Automation
To effectively execute a marketing automation programme, it is important to spend time upfront scoping out the role marketing automation could play in an organisation. Building a clear strategic foundation makes it easier to create any necessary internal business cases and move to the next step of implementation. Building this foundation can help create an […]
The Challenges of Marketing Automation
As with all new tools and technologies, the path to adopting marketing automation is not without challenges. Respondents to Econsultancy’s 2022 Future of Marketing survey foresee a variety of issues in implementing marketing automation, as illustrated in Figure 1. This chapter will explore this in more detail. Econsultancy’s 2022 Future of Marketing survey identified limited […]
Why Organisations Should Use Marketing Automation
Many organisations are using marketing automation to handle tasks that would simply be too laborious or time-consuming for marketers to take on. In this way, marketing automation platforms offer major gains in efficiency, which can translate into greater benefits for the business. This chapter considers the most significant benefits offered by marketing automation, and why […]
Defining Marketing Automation
By automating tasks that would be impossible to complete manually, organisations using marketing automation tools can free their employees to work on more creative or strategic assignments. This chapter provides a definition for marketing automation, looks at how it works within a marketing strategy and outlines the key features of marketing automation platforms. What is […]
Latest Articles
‘Always be testing’: How electronics retailer Elkjøp is optimising ecommerce
Julia Paulsen, Director of Ecommerce Nordics at Elkjøp, discusses testing and optimisation, including encouraging shoppers to log in, getting cross-sell right, and iterating search, ‘merch’ and personalisation.
‘Project Delta’: How Eurostar Group got its people on board with digital transformation
When Eurostar Group underwent a wide-ranging digital transformation following Eurostar’s merger with Thalys, the goal was to improve the customer experience – but bringing station staff ‘on board’ with the change was also critical.
How Pets at Home launched one-hour click and collect: an omnichannel case study
Pets at Home now fulfils 40% of ecommerce orders through click and collect (and 24% via the one-hour option). Joe Whitaker, Head of Digital Operations, discusses the brand’s omnichannel transformation in the Covid-19 pandemic, including change management and “winning the hearts and minds” of store staff.
‘Don’t be vanilla, be vibrant’: Holland & Barrett’s former CRM chief on standout loyalty programmes
The best loyalty programmes create an “emotional connection” and are about more than “getting the customer to the next transaction”, says former Holland & Barrett CRM chief Jonathan Haywood.
The empty chair: Why innovation should centre on customer needs
This article is adapted from a section of Econsultancy’s Innovation Best Practice Guide, written by Steffan Aquarone. The guide presents a set of simple, practical ideas, and Aquarone takes the word ‘innovation’ itself to mean ‘finding ways of doing things differently’. The empty chair is a concept synonymous with Amazon’s customer-focus. Despite their importance to the […]
A checklist for creating more inclusive customer experiences
Eight key steps to creating inclusive experiences, taken from Econsultancy’s Neurodiversity and Digital Inclusion Best Practice Guide.
What does user experience (UX) mean?
This article is reproduced from Econsultancy’s report, User Experience and Interaction Design, authored by Steffan Aquarone and Will Grant, and also available as a quick guide. Jakob Nielsen, a UX consultant who The New York Times has called “the guru of web page usability”, wrote: “User experience encompasses all aspects of the end user’s interaction with […]
Automotive transformation: How commerce capability is breaking down 100 years of business silos
The connected car requires a big transition at OEMs, including new commerce capability to be able to engage seamlessly with customers through sales, after-sales, and in-car commerce.
Why some luxury brands are using ‘passive’ CRM programmes
VML’s luxury retail lead Ricardo Catalano outlines three tiers of digital maturity in the sector, and why some maisons take a traditional approach with minimal data activation, despite placing a premium on customer relationships.
‘Your brand is your product and your product is your brand’: Kallan & Co’s Luca Picardi on digital design
Luca Picardi is Head of Brand Strategy at Kallan & Co., a design studio with a virtual working model (and offices in Helsinki, Melbourne and Christchurch). He has been working across brands and digital products for the last decade. Given Picardi’s schooling at Central Saint Martins and current teaching work at BAU school of design […]
Finding the sweet spot of personalisation
Drowning in data or relying on gut instinct? If customers want to feel valued, and marketers want efficiency and salience, where is the sweet spot of tailored communications and experiences?
‘A massive shift towards the customer’: agency CEO Jenny Burns on the year ahead
“A lot of people, for a long time, have been talking the talk but perhaps not walking the walk,” said Burns, CEO at design and innovation company Magnetic, highlighting the importance of customer insight and experience design.
Case Studies
Electrolux increases ecommerce conversions by 80% with personalised price drop notifications
The international appliance company utilised BlueConicto match product interest data with profile data and trigger targeted marketing emails. Electrolux | BlueConic
JOTT increases conversion rate from product recommendations by 95% with website migration
The French fashion brand implemented Nosto’s ecommerce experience capabilities to improve category merchandising, product recommendations and AI-powered site search capabilities. JOTT | Nosto
Castle Green earns £1m revenue by boosting sales of home extras 7% with digital assistant and CGI tours
The UK housebuilder partnered with Reckless to improve the user experience and ecommerce capability of its new homes digital assistant and customer relationship management platform Willow. Castle Green | Reckless
Quick Guides
Quick Guide to Achieving Omnichannel Excellence
An omnichannel strategy is essential for businesses hoping to succeed in a competitive market. This quick guide looks at the key benefits of an omnichannel approach and provides advice on developing a strategy for delivering seamless, joined-up customer experiences.
Quick Guide to Marketing Automation
This quick guide looks at the business benefits of marketing automation, including the ability to deliver personalised, omnichannel experiences to customers and improve acquisition, engagement and retention. It provides an overview of the main features offered by marketing automation platforms, and the key steps to successful implementation.
Quick Guide to Implementing a CX Strategy
This quick guide provides businesses with a starting point for putting their CX strategy into action, looking at the principles, techniques and metrics behind the delivery of exceptional customer experiences.