Salesforce recently released its 4th Connected Customers Report, providing valuable insights into customer behavior and expectations in the modern digital age. The report is based on a survey of more than 8,000 consumers worldwide and offers key takeaways for businesses looking to connect with their customers. Here are some of the key findings from the report.  

  1. Customers Expect Personalization

According to the report, 70% of customers expect personalized experiences when interacting with a company. This includes personalized recommendations, personalized content, and personalized offers. This highlights the importance of businesses collecting and analyzing customer data to provide personalized experiences that meet individual customer needs.

1. The Importance of Trust

The report found that 54% of customers will only do business with a company with trust. This emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining customer trust through transparency, security, and ethical business practices.

2. Social Media as a Key Channel

The report also highlights the importance of social media as a key channel for customer engagement. 61% of customers use social media to research products and services, while 71% expect companies to have a strong social media presence. This highlights the importance of businesses having a social media strategy that includes regular customer engagement through social media channels.

3. The Rise of Messaging Apps

The report also highlights the growing importance of messaging apps as a key customer engagement channel. 72% of customers have used messaging apps to communicate with businesses, and 64% of customers expect companies to offer support through messaging apps. This highlights the importance of businesses’ messaging app strategies to engage with customers on their preferred channels.

4. The Importance of Omnichannel Engagement

Finally, the report emphasizes the importance of omnichannel engagement for businesses. Customers expect to be able to engage with companies across multiple channels seamlessly. 72% of customers expect companies to know their purchase history across all channels. In comparison, 67% of customers expect to be able to start an interaction on one channel and continue it on another. This highlights the importance of businesses having an omnichannel strategy that provides a seamless customer experience across all channels.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Salesforce Connected Customers Report provides valuable insights into customer behavior and expectations in the modern digital age. By understanding these key takeaways, businesses can build better customer relationships and provide personalized experiences that meet customer needs.