Author: William S. Dickinson

Technology and the customer experience is ever expanding and 2018 is being called the transition year.

“2018 looks to be a year of change for technology, and customer service will need to evolve with the advancements it brings. 86% of customers will pay more for a better customer experience, so there’s no question about the benefits of using the smart technology that 2018 will offer you.” ~ Roxanne Abercrombie

That is an amazing prediction as we have made amazing discoveries over the past 10-years. We discovered that technology alone is cold — and since about 2008, we tech-driven marketers have been wrapping our heads around how we can bridge the gap between human and computer interaction.

Technology and Artificial intelligence — in its many forms — has in itself, opened up many doors of opportunity.

Within the expanded ability to develop and implement seamless technology is moving faster than anyone can keep up with and the biggest benefactor (and also the biggest need) is customer service. I am surely not saying that customer service will not still be “human”, it is just that the interface will get smoother in all capacities.

The Ubiquitous Use Of Technology

Did you know that 88% of website visitors are unlikely to return if they have a bad experience? These things get updated all the time, and candidly, I didn’t know that it was being measured at 88%. My point is that stats like these are cold, and they only tell half the picture. The other half is about the engagement… invisible engagement.

But, how do you get that invisible engagement?

That is the challenge. We don’t think about the interface with humans, but we still think about every encounter with the A.I. we engage with. Is it getting better? Of course, it is and at a startlingly fast pace. (Are you interested in Artificial Intelligence?)

So, bottom line, if you want repeat traffic and return customers, you need to optimize your website for customer service — and today’s A.I. technology can help.

Some of the Technology to Engage and Optimize

Tools are available to help mitigate the “immediate engagement needs” of today’s visitor to your main online hub — your website.

Many third-party systems offer engagement options and, for the most part, can all be fine-tuned to fit your typical visitor’s profile. Options include; Time to engage with a pop-up message; overlay, engagements; exit engagements; and much more.

One that I like is Sumo® for site engagement layers/popups. Right out of the box, it is pretty powerful. I also like Olark® for a professional chat.

So how do you easily tell your story? One of the best ways is to develop explainer videos!

The video is often cited as a tool that helps drive various areas of business performance, and the numbers back up those claims:

97% of marketers say the video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service.

76% say it helped them increase sales.

47% say it helped them reduce support queries.

76% say it helped them increase traffic.

80% of marketers say the video has increased dwell time on their website.

95% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service.

81% of people have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.

69% of people have been convinced to buy a piece of software or application by watching a video.

85% of people say they’d like to see more video from brands in 2018.

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Thie following is more about explainer videos, whiteboarding, and marketing videos in general!

“Did you know that using explainer videos on your landing pages can increase conversion rates by as much as 80%? Explainer videos keep customers on your page longer giving your marketing message more time to sink in and ultimately creates the emotional relevance that converts clients.

Not all videos are created equal.

Let me put it this way, a marketing video is like the type of clothes you wear. You can’t wear the same outfit to go to a rock concert, a job interview, and your cousin’s wedding, right? Likewise, animated explainer videos come in all sorts of styles each tailored to different audiences.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular a screencast video is a simple low-budget type of video that showcases how your product or service works — they’re more about education than branding but these work well for prospects who like to try before they buy.

Cartoon-style explainer videos are all about storytelling.

Your company is the hero who saves the day by solving your customers’ problem. They’re usually pretty funny and are great for humanizing your brand and building trust. The characters represent your various brand personas, so it’s important to know the gender age and interests of your target market. If you’re targeting end users, small businesses or startups, cartoon style videos are a great choice.

Whiteboard animation is a super engaging technique because the content is created in front of the viewer’s eyes. These videos are great for explaining complex information in a straightforward way and ideal if your marketing IT solutions or computer software motion graphics offer an elegant and engaging style for businesses with a more serious profile like financial institutions. You can even add some 3d animation to make the video more impressive.

Now you have a better idea of what kind of video could work for your landing page to convert like crazy! As for what to wear to your next pitch sorry, YumYum can’t help you there.” ~ YumYumVideos

Let’s get your marketing actually working for you soon!