Fostering a winning customer experience optimisation culture

The foundation for success

Before embarking on an optimisation programme, it’s important to outline a plan defining exactly what you are looking to achieve, what success looks like, resourcing, what the process should be and who will be responsible.

This is a collaborative approach with key stakeholders, but there also must be a single stakeholder with the ability to have the final sign off.

We conduct a workshop to agree on the success criteria. This needs to be measurable and encapsulate the main business goals and customer objectives. It’s also important to prioritise activity into an optimisation road map. Where are the quick wins that can demonstrate immediate value? Which activities will be longer term and require additional development work?

Producing this clear framework for optimisation removes the possibility of ‘meek tweaking’, where you are testing small ineffective changes. It provides focus and clarity on success.

Using customer insight

A deep understanding of customers and how the product is performing against the success criteria, is essential to identify the key areas for optimisation.

Our Data Intelligence team assesses the customer experience from a quantitative perspective through Google Analytics (or alternative package). We use these insights to steer the focus of qualitative research and insights into ‘why’ issues exist.

We employ a variety of techniques to better understand user behaviour, including:

• Surveys
• Tree Testing
• Focus Groups
• User Interviews
• Ethnographic Studies
• Diary Studies
• Usability Testing

Without these insights, you’re just guessing at solutions and hoping that it works. In order to help our clients we need to understand their customers better than their competitors do.

Fostering a growth mindset

Teams are assembled with representatives across multiple disciplines with a clear understanding of the business objectives and customer needs.

We supply performance data, heuristic reviews and Voice of Customer research and give each team member:

• Opportunity to voice hypothesis suggestions
• Opportunity to see what has been tested the previous month
• Opportunity to gamify the successful tests suggested vs winners (leaderboards!)

This creates an environment where team members feel confident sharing ideas, are focused on core business and customer objectives and provide more test ideas to play.

Getting the team culture right allows us to move at pace identifying quickly what works and what doesn’t and maintain momentum without unnecessary blockers.

Sharing the results

Once an optimisation programme has been put in place it’s essential to share the results and insights across your business so all stakeholders understand the value you are generating. Successful teams use their results and insights to create strong relationships across the business.

Presenting the outcomes in a simple, engaging manner –tied into your defined success metrics –  helps improve decision making and drives improved collaboration between business areas to continually refine strategy.

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