According to a recent Forbes article, customer interactions in 2021 are becoming more conversational. But what does this mean for your business, and how can you ensure success?
From acquiring new customers to onboarding and providing ongoing service, businesses must enhance the end-to-end customer experience. A key part of this is how information is collected. Customers need to provide information throughout their journey with a business, often by filling out forms. Unfortunately, this process is often neglected, leading to impersonal and frustrating customer experiences.
Let's look at three ways businesses can optimize their form processes to reduce abandonment rates, build brand loyalty, and create a more conversational experience.

1. Ditch the Outdated Tools

Legacy tools like paper-based or PDF forms can be off-putting. Too often, businesses ask customers to download, print, and scan paperwork or enter already known information into an online form. If forms aren’t web or mobile-friendly, customers might avoid them altogether. About 50% of consumers prefer online forms over paper, and 35% want forms to be easy to access on mobile devices.

2. Simplify the Process

Nearly 60% of customers will abandon a form if the process is too difficult. Most consumers recently indicated they would likely abandon an interaction if a company has an inefficient process for collecting information. Despite this, many businesses still use paper forms (about 50%) or static online forms (nearly 60%). Using adaptive forms, where data is collected gradually at strategically timed intervals, can significantly reduce abandonment rates.

3. Embrace Digital-First Conversations

The future of customer interactions is digital-first. Businesses need to understand customers individually to better meet their needs and provide additional value. Paper-based and static interactions create a gap between customer expectations and what is delivered. Cloud-based solutions that offer intelligent, conversational experiences allow businesses to collect data gradually, asking relevant questions based on previous answers, and enabling customers to start and stop the form without losing information.

Transforming Customer Engagement

As businesses rethink customer engagement, it's essential to shift from one-way, transactional communications to meaningful, two-way conversations. Investing in forms transformation is a crucial step in optimizing the customer experience.

Beyond just collecting information, redefining how information is gathered allows businesses to respond quickly via preferred channels—a critical component at every stage of the customer lifecycle. Smart forms modernize information collection, empower customers to initiate conversations, and remove friction from interactions.

Enterprises must engage their customers in dynamic, two-way conversations, effectively collecting information and using it to respond appropriately and quickly. This approach is critical throughout every stage of the customer lifecycle.

Implementing an omnichannel CRM solution like SmartComm can help your business achieve this by providing a seamless, conversational customer experience across all touchpoints. Ready to enhance your customer interactions? Explore the benefits of an omnichannel CRM solution with SmartComm and transform your business today. Book a demo to find the perfect fit for your needs.