by Ray Schultz , Columnist
Source: www.mediapost.com, February 2023
Big brands should not get smug about the customer experience they provide — only 11% of online shoppers feel that firms exceed their expectations all the time.
And a mere 4% are always pleasantly surprised by messages they receive, according to Consumer Engagement Report, a study by MessageGears.
What’s more, 87% say that less than half the brand marketing messages they receive are personalized.
And 66% don’t remember opting in for communications.
Yet 61% will open messages that are relevant or from their favorite brands, especially email.
Of those polled, 53% prefer to get marketing/promotion messages via email, versus 17% who like in-app notifications, 12% who favor SMS and 7% who want push notifications.
Only 11% do not want email at all.
And email works as an ecommerce driver: 59% of shoppers have made an online purchase directly from an email promotion, and 32% have done so in-app, 25% by SMS and 19% by push.
But 49% strongly agree that they will unsubscribe from a brand that sends too many/irrelevant messages, and 28% somewhat concur.
Still, only 17% are extremely annoyed when a brand communicates in a generic way that does not reflect their interactions, and 32% somewhat agree. Another 31% neither agree or disagree.
How often do they want messages? Not that often:
- Weekly — 30%
- Monthly — 21%
- A few times a week — 16%
- Every couple of months — 12%
- Daily — 11%
- Never — 10%
Moreover, the most important demand for 59% is keeping their data secure.
In addition, 38.4% want timely and helpful responses to customer inquiries, and 30.8% expect that communications are in sync across different channels. And 26.2% crave relevant product recommendations. But 49% say the least critical deliverable is personalized digital messages.
How often do these consumers buy online? They do so:
- 2-3 times a month — 34%
- About once a week — 25%
- Few times a week — 20%
- About once a month — 20%
These days, 55% place the most online orders on their mobile device, and 32% place the most orders on a PC/desktop unit. Another 13% use both.
The full study can be found here.
