Digital Transformation in the Era of COVID-19

Earlier this year, I participated in FUTR’s ‘Digital Experience 2020’ event where I delivered a presentation about the impact that COVID-19 has had on brands of all sizes and in particular the way it has sped-up the rate of, and need of, digital transformation by months, or in some cases, years. 

Now, as 2020 draws to a close, it is incumbent upon business leaders to reflect on the past year’s challenges and changes (some of which I outlined at FUTR) and consider key learnings as we approach 2021. Here’s my take:

A Year of Digital Change

A global pandemic dominated headlines this year and its effects reverberated around the world, leaving no business untouched. While the spread of a coronavirus was arguably nothing new, COVID-19 triggered and accelerated an unprecedented political and commercial transformation, the latter characterised by digital technology’s increasing prominence. 

A significant reduction in footfall for many businesses was a key driver in the digital transformation. As governments forced many companies to close their stores to customers, companies found that digital projects needed to be completed much more quickly than initially planned. Plans for change and upgrades which may have been scheduled for months down the line had to be implemented within weeks within certain businesses. Furthermore, online presence, digital resources, and the ability to engage customers online became even more important to consumers’ decision-making processes. In short, more emphasis rests on the ‘digital front door’ of businesses.    

The Impact on Google My Business

A key component of any business’ digital front door is Google My Business (GMB). Trends for GMB Listings showed marked variations in the number of views throughout 2020, with dips in view numbers occurring in Q2 when lockdowns were implemented in many countries. However, the drop was temporary, and GMB views began to pick up again in Q3 quickly.

Views were not the only metric affected by the events of 2020; conversions skyrocketed around mid-May to surpass pre-pandemic levels.  Now, GMB conversion rates remain higher than before the pandemic highlighting how consumers’ behaviour has adapted and shifted to online channels.

Meanwhile, following a dip in Google review volume that bottomed-out in June, a notable upswing in review volume occurred in July and August, returning review volume almost to the levels seen in January and February before the pandemic took hold. 

As expected, reviews mentioning COVID-19 safety measures at locations became prevalent. Businesses that listened to their customers’ reviews were those that adapted quickly to shifting expectations. 

Search Trends

The way consumers are looking for businesses online through the Google search engine is also changing, and Google has cemented itself as your business’ ‘digital front door’. The following statistics about consumer search trends reinforce this notion:

• A typical business gets x10 more traffic through Google My Business than on their websites.
• ‘Near me’ searches have increased by 50% in the last 12 months
• 51% of Google searches are now ‘zero-click.’ This is especially important to note, as now most web searches go no further than your GMB page. Your website is no longer the primary source of information about a business online.

The implications of these trends are monumental for all companies. Nowadays, investing heavily in your company website is no longer enough - you need to pay as much, if not more, attention to your GMB listings, especially if you operate multiple locations. Your company must have the means to maintain and update its presences on GMB, with up-to-date location information and reviews to which you actively manage. Only by doing these things can your company be at the front of the pack when consumers are looking for goods and services online.

Digital Transformation Considerations

Previously, companies tended to three distinct areas of their digital presence:

• Digital Experience
• Social Media Experience
• Customer Experience

Nowadays, these three areas have merged to signify a paradigm shift where these areas are now one.

Company leaders must strongly consider the strength of the digital experience they provide by asking themselves, “Does my customer have the information that they need in the first digital interaction with my business?” Ensuring the customer has the correct information dictates that GMB listings are optimised and up-to-date.

Consumers widely use social media to interact with businesses, so it is also vital that companies equip themselves to meet consumers where they go online. For example, a customer raises a query with your company via your Facebook page. How well prepared and equipped is your organisation to respond in a timely fashion?

Furthermore, the digital transformation extends to companies’ customer experience (CX) operations. From a journey mapping perspective, does your current survey programme enable you to truly understand your customers’ experience as they engage with your business across different touchpoints?

Winning in The Digital Transformation

To win in the digital transformation, you need both the best of Online Reputation Management (ORM) and CX. We call the convergence of these practices ‘Reputation Experience Management’ (RXM) where ORM and CX grow symbiotically. Excellent reputation helps customers see that other customers got great CX from you. And when they come to your doorsteps, CX management listens, understand and improves their experience — and the resulting endorsements get seen in Search where, now, you can perpetually win business.

Want to find out more about RXM and how to win in the digital transformation? Reach out to me via my profile anytime.

In the meantime, I’d like to take the opportunity to wish my connections and colleagues a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the new year!