Boosting sales by transforming customer digital experiences

Conor Egan, Vice President, Product, Contentstack, explains how retailers can drive sales by transforming customer digital experiences through their choice of content management system

Commerce is almost as old as civilisation itself. For thousands of years people would buy with a handshake, knowing well the goods they were buying and the person selling them. These interactions were personalised.

Fast-forward to today, Conor Egan, Vice President of Product at Contentstack points out that commerce is primarily done, not between two people, but between a consumer and a brand. Companies need their potential customers to see themselves in the brand, and that requires excellent storytelling and personalised experiences—enter the content management system (CMS).

Mastering the art of storytelling

Creating engaging and personalised digital experiences and storytelling can significantly increase sales by strengthening customer connections and brand loyalty. A study from Accenture Interactive found that 91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that recognise, remember and provide relevant offers and recommendations.

Of course, product quality is essential to success. But that is not the first thing that will win a new customer. When a brand tells stories that reflect a customer's values, lifestyle, or aspirations, it fosters a sense of identity and belonging. When done right, it can replicate that personal connection of buying from another person and can increase the likelihood that customers will choose that brand over its competitors.

Retailers and brands can use their CMS to weave product pages that are rich in aspirational and interactive media, include customer testimonials, and deliver not just information about the product but what the customer's life with the product will be like. The story needs to draw the consumer in and welcome them to be part of the brand.

The right CMS can also deliver personalised content tailored to user behaviour, demographics, and preferences. A report by Econsultancy revealed that 93% of companies see an uplift in conversion rates from personalisation efforts, such as showing different homepage banners or product recommendations to different users based on their browsing history, geography or preference on record.

Reaching more customers

Customers also now interact with brands on more touchpoints than ever. They may see an ad on Google, an influencer using the product on social media, an in-store kiosk or a phone app. The right CMS allows brands to manage and distribute content across all their channels, not just their website, which is what legacy CMSes were built for. This ensures consistent messaging and a seamless customer experience across all touchpoints.

Moreover, brands can use their CMS to repurpose and adapt content for different channels without having to recreate it from scratch. For example, a blog post can be easily converted into a social media caption, email newsletter, or in-app notification, keeping customers engaged throughout their buying journey. This can all be accelerated with generative AI that can help go from a single messaging document to variants for all channels.

Launching new experiences quickly and easily allows retailers to seamlessly integrate the marketing tools retailers rely on to reach thier customers. This approach helps to increase sales and maintain customer loyalty.

Content-driven data insights 

An effective CMS analyses content engagement, identifies popular products, and tracks user drop-off points. This data-driven approach refines content strategies and strengthens go-to-market efforts, ultimately boosting sales.

Additionally, the right CMS unifies customer data, product inventory, and web content within a single platform, providing insights into user interactions and content effectiveness.

A CMS also needs to provide tools to experiment and refine content with A/B testing and rich feedback about where a story is resonating and not resonating.

Supporting the entire customer journey

Savvy marketing teams are now thinking about the entire customer journey. This cannot be done in silos. Which content is going to capture attention and make a retailer, brand or product stand out? Once the customer's attention has been captured, is it possible to make all subsequent interactions more and more personalised based on what they share about their activity?

Once a brand drives a single purchase, how is it going to nurture loyalty and drive future purchases? They are all part of the same path and the marketing stack needs to understand and help optimise the entire journey.

The marketplace is noisy, and digital experiences are now the competitive frontline. Capturing customers’ attention demands continuous innovation, access to best-of-breed technology, and strong localisation and personalisation capabilities.

Technology can’t tell a story, but it can help tell it in the right way, to the right audience, wherever they are in their journey. By gaining an experience edge, brands can push the boundaries of what’s possible crafting digital experiences that meet the ever-changing demands of their audience.

The bottom line

Commerce has changed a lot in the last few thousand years, but the need to connect with customers has not. A brand or product story must be aspirational, and make customers feel like they are a part of the same story.

The right CMS is a powerful tool that enables businesses to create engaging, personalised, and data-driven digital experiences. By leveraging CMS features such as dynamic content delivery, rich media integration, and user-generated personalised content, brands can craft experiences that resonate with their customers. This not only enhances customer engagement and loyalty but also drives conversions and increased sales.

In today’s competitive market, delivering tailored, engaging experiences is key to standing out and achieving sustainable growth and a boost in sales.