- Home
- Blog
- Marketing Blogs
- Why Australian Retailers Are Leading The Way In Customer Experience (CX)
Why Australian Retailers Are Leading The Way In Customer Experience (CX)
Customer Experience (CX) Trends by Trail Blasing Australian Retailers
A happy customer is a potential return buyers. That is why Australian brands and retailers are so heavily focused on Customer Experience (CX).
Today’s digital eCommerce era has enabled the retail industry to constantly reinvent itself. All the new technologies stimulate disruption and provide retailers with a wide range of tools to enhance customers’ interaction. Brands can delve into consumer data and create meaningful connections.
The recently launched 2019 Hitting the Mark report by dotdigital revealed how APAC brands are performing in their digital efforts to improve customer experience (CX).
The report scores companies of all sizes and sectors based on their online customer journey, marketing campaigns, and engagement strategies.
When it comes to customer engagement, the majority of Australian retailers support mobile shoppers at a basic level, through responsive emails and checkouts. Some of them also roll out the red carpet for new customers, triggering branded welcome emails. Moreover, brands are offering customer communication via other channels, such as SMS, social media, and mobile apps.
What is customer experience / CX?
Customer Experience (CX) refers to the overall perception a customer has of a brand based on their interactions across various touchpoints. It encompasses every stage of the customer journey, from the first point of contact—whether through a website, social media, or customer service—to post-purchase support and ongoing engagement.
A positive CX is built on factors such as ease of use, personalised communication, fast response times, and overall customer satisfaction. Businesses that prioritise CX focus on delivering seamless, enjoyable, and value-driven experiences that meet or exceed customer expectations. In Australia’s competitive digital landscape, strong CX strategies help brands build loyalty, increase customer retention, and drive long-term business success.
Examples of Good and Bad Customer Experience (CX)
Good CX Examples:
- Seamless Online Shopping: A customer visits an e-commerce site, finds a user-friendly interface, gets personalised product recommendations based on browsing history, and completes a purchase effortlessly. They receive instant order confirmation, real-time shipping updates, and an easy return policy.
- Responsive Customer Support: A business offers 24/7 live chat, prompt email responses, and social media support. A customer with an issue receives a quick, helpful resolution without long wait times or having to repeat information.
- Omnichannel Consistency: A customer starts researching a product on a brand’s website, later sees a retargeted ad on social media, then visits a physical store where staff have access to their online wishlist, ensuring a smooth and personalised experience.
- Proactive Problem Resolution: An airline notifies customers about a flight delay via SMS and email, offers rebooking options within the app, and provides compensation without requiring customers to go through lengthy processes.
Bad CX Examples:
- Complicated Checkout Process: A user tries to purchase an item online but faces a lengthy form, hidden fees, and no guest checkout option, leading to frustration and cart abandonment.
- Unresponsive Customer Support: A customer submits a complaint via email and receives an automated response stating that they will get a reply within 10 business days, with no follow-up or solution provided.
- Inconsistent Branding and Service: A customer receives conflicting information from different support channels—one representative says a refund is available, while another says it’s not—causing confusion and distrust.
- Lack of Personalisation: A frequent shopper at an online store gets generic promotional emails that are irrelevant to their preferences, making them feel unvalued and less likely to engage with the brand.
Prioritising good CX helps businesses in Australia build lasting customer relationships, improve retention, and gain a competitive edge in the market.
Email content is still the king
You may have read this a thousand times before, but quality email content remains the key to improving customer engagement and growing your customer database. Retailers with strong email campaigns, powered with quality and personalised content, are the ones to cut through the noise and trump the competition in this challenging market.
Timeliness, personalised subject lines, a good brand introduction, and a quick call to action are some of the important email features that can encourage a positive action from customers.
According to dotdigital’s benchmarking report, among 30 retail brands across ANZ and Singapore, only 38% scored on email relevancy, while 48% performed well for email best practices.
Surprisingly, one in three companies did not send an abandoned cart email, but on the other hand, 97% have a triggered welcome email campaign in place.
The report further highlighted that 80% of the respondents offered newsletters and an email subscription.
What are branded welcome emails?
Branded welcome emails are the first automated messages a company sends to new subscribers, customers, or users after they sign up, register, or make a purchase. These emails serve as an introduction to the brand and are designed to make a strong first impression by reinforcing the company’s identity through consistent branding elements such as logos, colour schemes, fonts, and messaging tone. A well-crafted branded welcome email not only expresses gratitude for the user’s interest but also provides essential information, such as next steps, key product features, or exclusive offers.
By maintaining a cohesive brand experience, these emails help build trust, set expectations, and encourage further engagement, whether that’s exploring the website, making a purchase, or following the brand on social media.
Customer Experience (CX) in the post-purchase experience
It’s common for retailers to neglect the post-purchase experience when this is in fact as important as the beginning of the customer journey. By not providing any form of aftersales communication, brands miss out significantly on opportunities to reach customers at critical moments of their journey.
Interestingly, the survey shows 43% of brands did not send a product review request, ultimately losing out on advocacy.
Sending a post-purchase email not only makes customers feel important but allows brands to collect and action customer feedback on both products and the overall shopping experience.
Personalisation and omnichannel experience (OX)
Omnichannel Experience (OX) refers to a seamless and integrated customer journey across multiple channels, both online and offline. It ensures that users can interact with a brand through various touchpoints—such as websites, mobile apps, social media, physical stores, and customer service—without disruptions or inconsistencies. The goal of OX is to provide a unified experience where customer data, preferences, and interactions are synchronised, allowing for personalised engagement regardless of the platform used.
For example, a customer might browse a product on a mobile app, receive a targeted email about it, and then purchase it in-store without losing any progress or information. By creating a smooth and interconnected experience, businesses can enhance customer satisfaction, strengthen brand loyalty, and drive higher conversion rates.
According to the report, 60% of brands do not practice basic segmentation and fail to take into consideration individual consumer preferences and needs. It also revealed that companies only scored 20% for their omnichannel experience.
Consumer insight is key to creating a marketing strategy that maintains customer conversion and retention.
By leveraging automation techniques, brands can engage with their customers in a timely manner while showcasing a unified brand message across all platforms.
Therefore, investing in building personal connections with online consumers is pivotal for companies looking to drive valuable engagements and differentiate themselves. Retailers that favour less-advanced automation techniques fail to connect with their customers at the right time through the right channel.
Technological advancements have empowered companies to tap into consumer behavioural data and automate their marketing campaigns to deliver exceptional online experiences.
Brands that adopt an omnichannel strategy can reach consumers with a consistent message across all channels. With the latest technology coming into play, marketers will be able to gather deeper insights about their customers through e-receipts, click-and-collect initiatives, behavioural tracking, and re-targeting with Facebook ads, for example.
Brands that are doing well
According to the dotdigital report, the most successful brands are promoting their omnichannel presence by adding social media links in the footer of their newsletters. Mobile apps, which supplement websites with consistent experiences, were also featured with strong calls to actions.
SurfStitch emerged as the leader for email marketing.
The brand is using a data-driven approach to welcome new subscribers, sending them an ‘At Your Service’ welcome email. Stylish photography and engaging content across its campaigns make it easy for consumers to get in touch with the retailer by using automated questions on Facebook Messenger.
The Iconic came in second. The brand was a clear leader in last year’s report and continues to excel in almost every area of digital marketing. Flawlessly optimised messages for mobile, well-rendered images and easily-tappable CTAs; The Iconic makes the most of every email that is sent to customers.
The abandoned cart email is exemplary; key information, which included a compelling offer and clear CTA, was presented attractively and above the fold. Finally, the varied use of models (of all shapes and sizes) stood out in The Iconic’s photography; such inclusivity highlighted that the retailer is very mindful of its full range of customers.
Cotton On’s digital initiatives are highlighted in the company’s great customer segmentation, however, the brand focuses on sales promotions while neglecting readers of any editorial content.
Zalora, HipVan (online furniture retailer in Singapore), EziBuy, Adore Beauty, Youfoodz, Officeworks, Kogan are the brands that made it to the Top 10 list.
In the current retail and online store / the online eCommerce landscape, brands need to focus on being customer-centric, mobile-friendly, and content-rich to create an excellent digital marketing campaign that hooks and retains consumers.
Therefore, brands aiming for success need to move beyond one-way communication and into personalised customer experiences that reach customers at the right time and through the right channel.
Have questions or need help? Reach out to us, Australia’s best SEO agency, today!
