It’s official. Not only has the world gone digital and the entire planet is now officially in the midst of the technological revolution (marking the end of the industrial revolution) having gone digital, but this new way of working, operating, and functioning is here to stay.
The year 2020 taught us a fair few lessons. And while one was that the relative importance of toilet paper fluctuated with every lockdown announcement, another was to look at the world around us differently. Businesses across every industry were impacted by the pandemic. As a result, the critical need to accelerate a digital transformation long underway happened almost overnight.
Medallia reports in a recent study that:
- Online and mobile banking has increased 85%
- More than half of US primary schools started the year completely virtual
- 61% of consumers surveyed say they've had at least one telehealth appointment
- Even manufacturers are talking about plans for "lights out" factories that are fully automated
Lessons 2020 Taught Businesses
Listen and learn: Listen to new channels to really know your customers and what they’re expecting from you. This will help create workflows to act on this information faster. And remember, many customers will be in different channels for the first time and may have different expectations
New customers should be treated like old ones: Digital channels are a new experience for nearly everyone, even your most loyal customers. Long-time in-store customers are moving to digital purchasing because of health and safety concerns, but as a result, savvy digital shoppers are experiencing more out-of-stock or delivery delays. They’ll no doubt reach out over this so it’s vital to find opportunities to obtain their feedback