Why Digital Transformation Must be a Top Priority for Brands (and How Salesforce and 1440 Can Help Make it a Reality)

In the world of business, the phrase “digital transformation” is one that’s used often. But it’s more than just a buzzword. Instead, digital transformation has become a necessity for any brand expecting to meet the ever-changing of modern shoppers.

But what exactly is digital transformation?

In this blog, we’ll explore what digital transformation is, why it must be a top priority for any customer-centric brand, and how Salesforce and 1440 can help brands make digital transformation a reality.

What Digital Transformation is — and Why it Matters

The best place to start a discussion about digital transformation is with a definition of the phrase.

Digital Transformation, Defined

Of course, there are many definitions floating around on the internet, but we like the one from our friends at Salesforce the best. Per Salesforce, digital transformation is “the process of using digital technologies to create new — or modify existing — business processes, culture, and customer experiences to meet changing business and market requirements.”

Now, let’s break down what that means.

Consumer Behavior and Expectations are Shifting – and Brands Must Adapt with Digital Transformation

In the last decade, consumer behavior and expectations have shifted significantly. Namely, the ways consumers interact with brands (and want to interact with them) have changed – a lot.

For starters, the places consumers choose to shop have changed. While trips to brick-and-mortar stores were once the default, this isn’t the case anymore. Instead, a growing number of consumers opt to shop online – regardless of the type of product they’re in the market for. And of course, the growth of eCommerce has gone into overdrive during the COVID-19 pandemic. Per Digital Commerce 360, eCommerce in the U.S. grew a staggering 32.4% in 2020, accounting for 19.6% of all retail sales.

The ways that consumers seek out service have changed, too. While visits to the customer service desk and calls to an 800 number are still viable options, digital service channels like email, live chat, messaging apps, social media, reviews, and Q&A are gaining favor. In fact, according to Salesforce’s State of Service report, 87% of service professionals indicate consumers have increased their use of digital channels during the pandemic.

Brands can no longer rely on paper-based or analog strategies that worked just a few years ago. Instead, they’ve got to adapt – and do so quickly –  in order to survive and thrive. The way to do so is through digital transformation.

Of course, digital transformation involves more than simply converting paper and ink documents to digital ones. Instead, it’s about transforming the experiences your customers have with your brands. And it must be done with the customer as the north star. As Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce, put it, “Every digital transformation is going to begin and end with the customer, and I can see that in the minds of every CEO I talk to.”

Digital transformation (when it’s done well) allows you to provide value at every touchpoint – and deliver personalized experiences throughout the purchase lifecycle.

Take, for example, marketing. Blanketing all shoppers with the same marketing and messaging experiences is no longer effective. Instead, brands must transform their approach to marketing. By using past purchases and site behavior, brands can deliver more tailored shopping experiences. This is something Amazon does well. When a shopper visits Amazon on a web browser or mobile app, they have a site experience completely tailored to their past purchasing and browsing behavior.

As another example, consider customer service. Posting your customer service phone number and hours of operation won’t cut it. Modern consumers want to get the service they need wherever and whenever they seek it out. And they expect to get it in their native language. That means brands must be equipped to deliver service around the clock through a variety of digital channels, including social media, reviews, Q&A, live chat, messaging apps, and others. Customer service teams should have access to a given customer’s history in order to deliver personalized, individual service that doesn’t require a customer to repeat their issue a half dozen times. And they must have the tools needed to communicate with customers regardless of language.

Digital Transformation Investments are Growing – and Paying Off

A growing number of brands recognize the importance of digital transformation. As such, investments in digital transformation are growing. According to research from Deloitte, respondents said they planned to increase their investments in digital transformation in 2020 by 15%.

And it seems these investments are paying off. The same Deloitte research found that greater digital maturity is associated with better financial performance.

But how can brands get started?

How Salesforce and 1440 Can Help Make Digital Transformation a Reality

Digital transformation is necessary. And clearly, it can have a big impact on your bottom line.  But the reality is, it can be a large undertaking that can seem overwhelming…especially when you consider the fact that 84% of digital transformations fail (Salesforce).

However, the right technology can help.

Salesforce: More than a CRM

One key technology for digital transformation is one you may already be using: Salesforce.

Salesforce made a name for itself as a customer relationship management (CRM) platform. But it’s so much more. Salesforce’s Clouds – Marketing, Sales, Service and Commerce – all work together to give you a complete view of your customers. And those views enable you to deliver personalized, seamless experiences across all stages of the customer lifecycle.

Salesforce is a powerful solution right out of the box. But one of the beauties of the platform is that it can be customized to fit a brand’s unique digital transformation goals. And that’s where 1440 comes in.

1440: The Solutions You Need to Deliver Great Digital Experiences Throughout the Purchase Journey

Successfully operating a brand requires a lot of behind-the-scenes processes. But oftentimes, these processes are clunky and disparate, which results in disjointed customer experiences.

Every customer interaction matters. And even a single misstep can cost you a customer. Research from PwC tells us that a third of consumers would stop doing business with a beloved brand after just one bad experience. The pressure’s on to get it right.

1440 consolidates key backend processes, empowering you to streamline operations, deliver great experiences that delight customers, and ultimately, achieve digital transformation – right on the Salesforce platform.

Our solutions are built for Salesforce. And each one is developed to empower you to deliver great digital experiences, wherever and however your customers choose to interact with you.

Consumers – especially those shopping online – depend on reviews and Q&A when determining which products best fit their needs. With Reputation Studio, you can monitor, respond to and analyze all of this content right within Salesforce – regardless of where the review was submitted.

Once a customer makes a purchase decision, Commerce Studio helps you delight them with muti-channel order management.

We recognize that a growing number of consumers are forgoing phone wait times and trips to the customer service counter and opting to use messaging channels to get support. Messaging Studio allows you to communicate with your customers through their favorite messaging channels – right from Salesforce.

And finally, Translation Studio allows you to easily communicate with any customer in any language throughout the purchase journey.

Accelerate Your Digital Transformation with 1440

Digital transformation is a must. Brands that don’t make it a priority will quickly fall out of favor with modern shoppers.

The right technology can help make digital transformation a reality. Ready to see firsthand how 1440’s suite of solutions can empower you to deliver great digital experiences and achieve digital transformation? Schedule a demo today.