Building a Consumer Grade Experience for Business Clients
By Tish Whitcraft, and Chief Customer Officer,
Tish Whitcraft,
Excellent customer service is no longer just associated with consumers. Business clients are increasingly comparing their experience and interaction with their personal consumer experiences and expectations. One area that illustrates the issues and opportunities for B2B client experiences is in the world of “programmatic advertising” a relatively new technology having a seismic impact on the global advertising economy. Customer service is a strong consideration that clients consider when choosing a partner like OpenX to provide their programmatic technology and become their monetiza tion engine.
“There has never been a greater need for programmatic solution providers to define and deliver an exceptional, consumer grade experience for our publisher clients”
Unlike an advertisement in a traditional print publication that may not be relevant to the majority of readers, an online ad can be precisely targeted to be as relevant to the viewer as possible when a publisher (website or app) is using programmatic technology to sell their online ad space. This process has revolutionized the way ad space and ads are bought and sold online, in blazingly fast marketplaces, and has created an industry that depends on the technological prowess of a few platforms to power billions of precisely delivered ads daily.
Publishers recognize revenue by effectively selling their online ad space. Because programmatic technology is less than a decade old, there is a wide range of technological capabilities among publishers and an inconsistency around integrations sophisticated ad exchanges. This causes a great deal of confusion. This confusion creates a sense of not understanding how to manage and optimize advertising revenue opportunities a great opportunity to build a consumer grade experience keeping it elegant, intuitive and fast.
The ad tech industry lags in the CX area and catching up to other B2B industries looks more like a SaaS model, given the technical complexity and implementation approach required. Programmatic technology is rapidly becoming the dominant technology for half-a-trillion ad dollars spent each year. More people are consuming
Implementation is the first impression
A great CX does not begin and end when the deal is signed that is the beginning stage of a thoughtful and sophisticated journey with the client. Strong CX starts with understanding the client’s business needs, framework, and objectives to set achievable expectations and ensure the product is a perfect match. Speed is paramount in the ad tech industry, which means every detail of an implementation must be meticulously planned and project managed and often starts before the agreement is signed.
This includes technical sales consultation and project management from experienced teams to mitigate any potential issues and ensure the process is streamlined. Launch teams on site at the client should be a standard operating procedure and is a vital part of building confidence and trust. Not only does on-site expertise help clients master new technology faster, it also ensures implementation plans are carried out flawlessly and provides a level of comfort for the client knowing immediate action can happen if needed.
Make the process scalable
Business clients are consumers too they know many online services to be intuitive and elegant and expect B2B standards to be even higher. Technology providers must build a framework that allows for repeatability, simplicity, and consistency an enterprise grade infrastructure that reflects the same level of reliability and experience as a consumer site.
Skilled technical support teams should be present at every touch point, keeping quality standards high and disruption levels low. The result is seamless integration that is both on time and on quality, regardless of the size of the business. Additional practices, such as establishing a system of regular feedback, enable clients to express their feedback in real time. Access to ongoing valuable insights allows platform providers to constantly improve their operations and service.
Provide convenience
To ensure a memorable experience, communication must be as flexible, tailored, and convenient as the technology itself. In the digital space, clients often require answers 24/7, particularly when you’re managing their revenue. Online platforms, such as OpenX’s forthcoming partner portal, enable clients to find instant answers to questions when it is convenient for them. Such platforms are more than simply a place to access content and information. They are a means for clients to enhance their product knowledge, provide feedback that fuels product development and to interact with other customers to share best practices.
When clients require more in-depth support, such as strategy advice or advanced product insight, tech suppliers need to offer one-on-one support. A system can never replace personal services, such as telephone operators and in-house technical experts. Building today’s customer journey includes allowing clients to choose how they want to interact, as well as when and where.
Multiple communication channels does not mean driving clients to more efficient channels, it represents convenience and choice. The human component is just as important in business as it is in the consumer environment, and with competition in the B2B digital environment increasing a consumer grade experience is vital to achieve differentiation. By providing flexibility, convenience and proper account management to publishers, ad tech platform providers can not only drive an increase in yield and efficiency for customers they become a trusted advisor and partner.
