customer experience

What’s Driving CX? 3 Predictions for 2023

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This is a pivotal moment for the state of customer experience (CX) as customers demand more connected, frictionless, and innovative experiences. However, despite the significance of CX, according to Forrester’s US Customer Experience Index, CX quality declined for 19% of brands in 2022. 

Today, there are more ways than ever to interact with consumers, and along with this multichannel experience come many variables that can impact CX. In 2023, economic uncertainty impact will inevitably influence your CX priorities. On top of that, your ability to use data to inform CX strategies will continue to be affected by even more stringent data privacy laws and regulations. 

With that in mind, here are a few of my predictions for the state CX in 2023.

CX will be at the forefront of strategies across the entire organization 

As we’ve seen many times, marketing budgets are often one of the first to feel the effects of economic uncertainty within an organization. This will continue in 2023; however, just because marketing budgets will decline doesn’t mean organizations will place less importance on the value they expect from the function. Despite the overall decline in marketing budgets, organizations will invest a larger proportion of those budgets on digital experiences. Brands see the value in digital marketing and need to get the most out of their technologies and data. That is where CX comes in.   

I foresee organizations will look more closely at how Customer Experience impacts the company as a whole and how CX insights can be integrated throughout to help make better business decisions. The organizations that will develop successful CX strategies in 2023 will be those that embed the importance of CX across the entire organization, as opposed to a siloed approach. 

Content innovation will be the key to differentiation

To remain competitive means constantly deploying content at a rapid pace across all channels. However, according to Acquia’s 2022 CX Trends Report, 74% of marketers struggle to create content that can be rapidly released across all their digital platforms in one go. The sheer number of digital assets required to support the ever-increasing network of channels can be partially to blame for this challenge, leaving you with a staggering volume of content to manage. 

To address this, organizations will need to stay agile by focusing on composable architecture and platforms that optimize their operations. To achieve this agility, you will need to leverage technology systems that bridge the gap between your marketing and IT teams. In the coming year, I expect marketers will increasingly invest in platforms that enable them to do just that. 

A prime example is a headless CMS architecture which allows organizations to deliver content to digital signage, wearable devices, chatbots, mobile applications, kiosks and more. With headless CMS, brands can ensure faster and more convenient shopping experiences through transactions on mobile applications, rather than a mobile browser, and basic transactions over chat channels. 

Headless CMS will facilitate greater collaboration between marketing and IT teams, meaning you can avoid vendor lock-in, unlock data from technology silos, and bring together tools to stay adaptable as the pace of technology changes. Ultimately, it helps you accomplish more.

Data privacy will be wrapped into digital brand experiences

Navigating the intersection of data privacy and CX will remain a challenge for brands in 2023. Users’ awareness of risks associated with data will only increase. As a result, innovative strategies in the development of digital brand experiences and zero-party data will become an even greater asset to marketing teams. CDPs will become essential to store zero-party data, keep it secure, and support the expansion of data privacy regulations. 

We’re beginning to see more brands think creatively about how to leverage the data customers already share and generate to improve their digital experiences. Spotify’s annual Wrapped release is an excellent example of this. Spotify has found a way to make data sharing exciting for the consumer, and other brands will look to replicate this strategy in the coming year.

Other trends will drive CX strategies beyond 2023

Looking into the next five to 10 years, more brands will also start preparing for metaverse adoption. This will include evaluating how we’ll interact with CX and brand building within the metaverse. It’s very early on, but it’s an area that will be important for planning and anticipating trends. 

Despite uncertain economic conditions that will continue to impact businesses, consumer spending habits, and the workforce throughout 2023 and potentially beyond, we can also expect to see businesses continue to prioritize customer experiences. Customers are demanding better experiences and see them as an extension of the product or service they purchase.

In order to be successful, businesses will need to adapt to the evolution of buyer experiences, including where and how their customers can purchase their products or services, and innovative technologies and strategies will help them achieve that. 

Deanna Ballew is the Senior Vice President of DXP Products at Acquia.

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