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What are the Moments that Matter?

September 29, 2015

Posted by: Peter Marcum

What are the Moments that Matter?

The other day I downloaded a study commissioned by Google and researched by Forrester called "Moments That Matter". The study examined intent rich moments that are critical to winning today's consumer journey. The research was fascinating, to say the least, providing information about the transformative journey of consumer behavior and expectations from “going online” to “living online,” all being fueled by mobile technologies.

The report states, "Instant connectivity to people, objects, and ideas fosters the expectation that everything can and should be immediately available on a mobile screen. Due to this new expectation, we abandon paths that cannot or will not deliver instant gratification — we now gravitate toward the online sources that provide the easiest-to-find answer, the payment app that sends money to friends within seconds, and the brand that is able to offer its wares in context and at our precise moment of need. Firms that fail to respond to this expectation will rapidly fall behind firms that do respond". Now read that last sentence and ask yourself—have you really even considered these issues? My guess is that most have not, which is both an opportunity and a threat. I’m not just giving you some hype—if you want to examine all the data behind this statement (and there is plenty), you can download the full report here.

Over the last five years I have learned a lot, and subsequently realized that as a company that creates digital experiences, we have to get better at advising our customers on these very issues. It is one thing for us to build things based on what people ask for, and it is another thing to build things that won't work to the best interest of our customers’ customer if we don't ask the right questions. After reading this report (and many others), ten "Truths That Matter" have jumped out at me, and I wanted to share these with you.

  1. Web sites are not just web sites they are moment-by-moment experiences you create for customers.
  2. Technology isn't just technology it is the experiential enabler that matters most to your customers.
  3. Knowing what matters to your customer should matter most to you.
  4. If you are a supplier, then asking your customers what maters most to their customers ought to matter.
  5. Your market presence starts with an online presence, and it ends with a mobile experience.
  6. Anyone can build technology, but not everyone can create an experience that matters.
  7. Technology changes—just as experiences do by the moment. Change is inevitable so get used to it.
  8. Customer experiences are organizational; they are not isolated to a product or department on a moment-by-moment basis.
  9. Only 2% of companies are set up to identify, deliver on and measure moments. What an opportunity!
  10. Times have changed and it is time we change our thinking or continue to fall behind. It is our choice.

Now is your moment to decide what matters. Is it what the market says or what you've been saying and believing? It’s time to decide whether mobile matters to you, and what moments matter to your customers. As we used to say in Kentucky, "The only thing that matters is a happy customer." Tell us how we can make you and your customers happier because it is the only thing that matters to us.

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