In the quest to deliver a seamless customer experience, brands are beginning to adopt a holistic approach. Rather than focusing on one specific channel or interaction point (for example, an omni-channel strategy), they’re instead looking at how different touch points can work together to create a more consistent and frictionless experience for customers. And as businesses continue to invest in these strategies, we’ve seen the emergence of several trends that will also play an important role in shaping the future of customer experience in 2023.

The importance of AI and automation in the future of customer experience

As customers are increasingly willing to adopt new technologies, and as the business case for investing in these technologies becomes more compelling, artificial intelligence (AI) and automation will become increasingly important in the future of customer experience. Given that businesses are still in the early stages of deploying these technologies, it’s important to note that the future of customer experience will be shaped in large part by the way these technologies are applied. And as AI and automation become increasingly sophisticated, they will enable a range of new strategies that weren’t possible before. For example, they will allow businesses to scale their operations while making better use of their existing resources (e.g., enabling companies to respond to customer issues faster). AI and automation will also allow businesses to provide more personalized experiences, and to use machine learning to more quickly understand how customers are interacting with their brands. Overall, these developments suggest that we will soon see the rise of more sophisticated and personalized experiences that are delivered in real time from any device.

Rich content will be at the core of engaging experiences

As the world of marketing expands beyond digital channels and into the physical world, we’re beginning to see the rise of what we’re calling “rich experiences.” These experiences feature a wealth of content (e.g., videos, images, and text) that is designed to help customers make better decisions and feel like they’re truly getting what they want. For example, car companies have traditionally relied on showrooms to help customers select models and options. But now, some of these brands are also adding AR experiences that let customers virtually “try out” different models and colours. In the future, we’ll see more brands adopt this approach, and we’ll also see the rise of more interactive experiences. In particular, we’ll see the rise of “smart experiences” that use sensors and AI to tailor their content and recommendations based on where customers are and what they’re doing.

Virtual and augmented reality will change how we interact with businesses

As more brands implement virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) strategies, we’ll see VR and AR change how businesses interact with customers in a variety of ways, including how brands market their products, how customers try and purchase products, and how they receive and interact with service and support. For example, VR and AR will allow companies to create more customized experiences that can be tailored to the individual needs and preferences of each customer. In the near future, we’ll also see the rise of AR “try before you buy” features that let customers see how a product will look in their home before they buy it.

The rise of conversational commerce

As voice technologies continue to improve, we expect voice commerce to become a key channel for shopping. And given that voice is often the natural choice when people are in the middle of another task, we expect the growth of “conversational commerce” over the next few years. In the future of customer experience, we’ll see most retail brands start to offer voice-activated shopping experiences that let customers order products with their voice. And as this channel becomes more popular, businesses will also be able to use speech-to-text technology to create more customized shopping experiences that meet the needs of each individual customer.

Wrapping up

In the future of customer experience, we’ll see brands continue to expand their strategies beyond digital channels and into the physical world. They’ll also look to deliver more personalized experiences that are tailored to the specific needs and preferences of each customer. And given that AI and automation are enabling new strategies, businesses will be able to scale their operations while making better use of their existing resources. In addition, AI and automation will allow companies to provide more personalized experiences, and to use machine learning to more quickly understand how customers are interacting with their brands. And as this evolution continues, we’ll also see the rise of more sophisticated and personalized experiences that are delivered in real time from any device.