Creating a thorough digital strategy is extremely important especially now as more Caribbean businesses have migrated online. A digital strategy requires a guide to various factors such as digital solutions, social media content, a website and e-commerce. An effective digital strategy comes from a customer perspective approach, that centres its priorities and solutions to the customer’s experience and expectations.
That being said here are some tips to make an effective Digital Strategy in the Caribbean
1. Prioritize Your Digitization
The first part of a digital journey for any company should be customer journey mapping. Through this process, companies can fully understand a customer’s experience and then form a strategy to meet the customer where they are.
A digital strategy does not only include online options for customers, it also includes digitally transforming certain departments internally before offering a seamless digital solution for the client. After mapping their customer journey, many Caribbean companies will realize that they will need to digitize internal systems first and even train staff.
Digital transformation can be intimidating but companies must understand what needs to be done and align the transformation with the reality of the structure and finances of the company. Most companies in the Caribbean will have phases for their digital transformation, i.e Phase 1 -5.
2. Make it Easy for the Customer
This step will look different for every company and their customers. For example, a younger demographic will expect online solutions to engage or purchase the product or service. However, some older demographics may struggle to adapt to digital solutions in the Caribbean. Companies may prioritize digital options while still allowing more traditional formats to cater for all of their customer’s needs.
The priority is having systems in place to help clients have an easy experience both off and especially online. The customer journey road map will indicate areas where the company needs to improve.
3. Enable Customer Purchase
The end goal of creating all these digital solutions is, of course, eventual customer purchase. What most Caribbean businesses forget to think of when forming their social media and website strategy is being customer-centric. It is important to prioritize a fulfilling digital user experience across the company’s digital touchpoints.
This includes areas such as a convincing ad, a user-friendly website, easy communication on social media, website (chatbots), payment solutions online, delivery options and more. Essentially, making the experience from social media to purchase as seamless for customers and the business as smooth as possible.
This blog is based on a discussion from a First Atlantic Commerce Live show with Christianne de Freitas, the Digital Strategy Manager of the Financial Services Sector at the ANSA McAL Group. You can catch the video here.
First Atlantic Commerce provides online payment solutions and international credit card processing for merchants and banks in the Caribbean and Central America. Our services allow merchants to accept and process credit and debit card payments online! Learn more about our online payment solutions and how you can implement it on your website today!