How digital-first is your business? Here's how to find out

A digital-first business is one of those concepts a lot of brands erroneously label as just the next buzz term being used online.

In reality, the idea of digital-first is a key shift in the mindset of any business strategy, presenting new challenges and opportunities at the same time.

What is a digital-first company? First of all, it’s an answer to the need for convenient and digital consumer solutions, a need that drastically increased over the past few years.

Digitally savvy consumers today are also more demanding in terms of the types of engagements and experiences they want.

More and more people are turning first to apps and online platforms for their needs, and in many cases, we’re seeing the emergence of a digital-only approach.

What is the meaning of digital-first?

What exactly is a digital-first business strategy, and what does it mean to go digital-first? It means approaching any new opportunity or solution with the understanding that it should be as digital as possible.

It also means adopting more innovative, intuitively designed, digital-based solutions, keeping in mind that new digital players are adding another dimension for traditional businesses to contend with.

Consumers' preferences for online channels and platforms will increasingly determine the success of brands in the future.

Immediacy, adaptability, analytical capability, omnipresence, and communication are some of the characteristics of the digital customer. They have adapted to new technologies.

Online marketing isn't the only component of a digital-first business strategy, there’s a lot more to it.

It is about adopting an agile mindset that embraces continuous change and integrating technology like cloud and APIs to enhance the customer and employee experience.

So what are the requirements for a digital-first business, and does your business meet all of them?

Seamless customer experience

First of all, a digital-first business should have a seamless customer experience, to provide consistent personalised experiences throughout the whole journey.

Customer experience refers to the whole journey a customer takes when researching, buying, and using a service, and research shows that 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a seamless experience.

Accenture says 51% of customers will use a business again if they receive personalised feedback and updates.

Every digital-first business strategy needs a kind of customer experience that is efficient, smooth, enjoyable, and consistent across all channels, and loyalty is no different.

It is important to provide your customers with a seamless service in order to keep them satisfied and loyal to your business. A satisfied customer is also very likely to spread the word.

A great example of this is Tickit, a WLL-powered rewards program that offers members instant rewards for shopping at virtually any destination across the UAE.

Tickit is the first program in the Middle East to debut an effortless redemption via a virtual payment card that users can add to their mobile wallet, providing a seamless omnichannel experience.

Users are showing their enthusiasm for this seamless loyalty experience, making it clear that this kind of user experience is what customers are really looking for.

Agile technology

The second key to every digital-first business strategy is agile technology. And that, in today's dynamic market, means modular technology.

Modular technology allows for flexibility, control, and efficiency in loyalty management systems because each module can be interchanged with another. It lets you construct a loyalty or engagement program that fits your exact needs.

Modules can quickly and easily be adapted to changing customer behaviours, and you can add or remove them depending on your needs. This allows you to craft personalised experiences that cater to the needs of each customer.

The benefits of using modular tech are several: first of all, as we explained, it provides the flexibility to adapt and evolve loyalty programs as business needs change.

Modular technology is also more cost-effective than traditional software. You’re not investing in a generic standard solution, but only in the modules you need. By doing so, you can use resources more efficiently.

A great example of an agile digital-first business strategy comes from Wavin, a leading plastic piping manufacturer, who built a loyalty app using White Label Loyalty’s technology. 

Thanks to White Label Loyalty’s modular approach, Wavin could easily ‘add on’ an AI-powered analytics module to gather insightful analytics and run special campaigns, allowing the brand to make data-driven decisions on how to meet customer needs.

This brings us right to the heart of the last key of a digital-first business strategy.

Data-driven decisions

The third key to a digital-first business is data-driven decision-making, which involves gathering data based on key performance indicators, analyzing it, and translating it into actionable insights.

A data-driven business uses facts, or data, to find patterns, inferences, and insights to inform its decisions.

Rather than making decisions based on your preferences or dislikes, you should make them based on facts and patterns you have derived from them. Think facts instead of biases.

If you want to see one of the best digital-first business examples making great use of data-driven decisions, you can check out the case study about our client Biscuit and the blog post that explains more about the tech behind Biscuit.

White Label Loyalty’s API technology provided Biscuit with advanced data insights that allowed them to track the success of their loyalty program and gather insights about customer behaviours, preferences, and patterns.