Guide: Digital Transformation
Adopting an Omnichannel Approach
Digital Transformation is no longer an option
Preferences in communication have changed. Recent studies indicate that 75-80% of communication originate from a mobile device. This includes voice calls, messaging (text, chat, social) and email interactions. Specifically, the smartphone has changed behaviors, with 85% of the population in North America owning smartphones (Pew Research Center). The convenient access of internet, video, email and messaging has led to preference changes in communications. PwC estimates that voice now accounts for less than 20% of communications interactions – pure voice minutes have declined by over 1 trillion minutes per year since 2014 (2.2 trillion total in 2014 to less than 1.2 trillion in 2023).
Digital channels have reshaped how businesses interact. The goal is to have a seamless, “omnichannel” experience – enabling the business to successfully handle any contact in the most efficient, effective manner possible. These include live chat, text messaging, social media, email, video, and more.
This Digital Transformation Guide reviews the key benefits and considerations in adoption of a digital strategy. The inclusion of native digital channels offers a major advantage for organizations adopting cloud platforms. With the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly bots, the digital value proposition has evolved further – enabling faster, smarter, and more personalized interactions that drive customer satisfaction and revenue growth.
The Digital Pillars for Modern Cloud Communications
1. Live Chat:
Live chat remains one of the most immediate and effective ways for businesses to engage customers. It offers real-time responses and can be enhanced with AI-driven chatbots to provide 24/7 service and quick issue resolution.
2. Text Messaging
Traditional SMS and text messaging are crucial in business communications, offering high open rates and timely information sharing. Additionally, services like Apple Business Chat allows users to contact businesses directly through the Messages app on their Apple devices, enabling seamless, secure interactions. The adoption of Rich Communication Services (RCS) promises deeper, more interactive experiences. RCS supports multimedia content, read receipts, and suggested replies, providing businesses with a more dynamic communication tool that combines the simplicity of SMS with the features of messaging apps.
3. Social Media
Social media platforms have become powerful communication tools for businesses. Cloud-based solutions allow companies to manage multiple accounts, automate responses, and maintain engagement across platforms like X/Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. In addition to public posts, social media messaging platforms—such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram Direct—play a critical role in customer engagement. These platforms allow businesses to have private, real-time conversations with customers, providing personalized support, product recommendations, and transactional updates.
4. Email
Email remains a staple in business communication, and cloud platforms help manage campaigns, automate workflows, and track engagement metrics. The integration of AI in email marketing enables personalized recommendations and more efficient targeting.
5. Video
Video conferencing and messaging have gained prominence, particularly in remote work environments. Cloud solutions provide high-quality, reliable video communication, integrated with other tools to create a collaborative and engaging experience. Adoption of video as a customer channel has become more common, particularly for high-touch premium customers, healthcare telehealth and video kiosks.
AI's Role in Digital Transformation
AI is increasingly central to the transformation of cloud communications, particularly in the form of bots that streamline processes and improve outcomes across different communication channels.
1. AI-powered Bots
Chatbots and virtual assistants can handle routine inquiries, freeing live agents to focus on more complex tasks. With natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML), these bots can understand customer intent, provide relevant answers, and learn from interactions to improve over time. This leads to faster issue resolution and a better customer experience.
2. Automation and Personalization
AI enables businesses to automate repetitive tasks such as scheduling appointments, answering frequently asked questions, and providing product recommendations. Personalized experiences, such as suggesting products based on customer behavior or preferences, help increase conversion rates.
3. Data Analysis and Predictive Insights
AI analyzes large volumes of communication data from emails, texts, social media interactions, and video calls to generate insights. These insights enable businesses to predict customer needs, optimize communication strategies, and refine their offerings for better engagement.
Benefits of Digital
Digital channels offer significant advantages to organizations that adopt them as part of their strategy:
Omnichannel Engagement
Digital transformation breaks down silos between communication platforms, allowing customers to interact with businesses through their preferred channels, whether it’s text, social media messaging, or video. This creates a unified and consistent experience that increases engagement and drives customer retention.
Asynchronous Communications with Multiplicity
Expectations around service level vary based on the communications channel. For example, voice interactions require quick service by a dedicated agent during the interaction. Meanwhile, email and messaging often have a delayed response and allow the agents to handle multiple interactions at the same time. This leads to a higher rate of productivity for employees handling digital interactions.
Enhanced Customer Experience
The integration of multiple communication channels—such as live chat, social media messaging, RCS, and Apple Business Chat—enables customers to interact with businesses on their preferred platforms. Personalized interactions powered by AI improve responsiveness, leading to higher satisfaction and customer loyalty.
Increased Containment Rate
With AI-powered bots and automated workflows, businesses can handle a larger percentage of customer queries through digital self-service solutions. This boosts containment rates by reducing the need for human intervention in simple cases, enabling faster resolution of issues and freeing up resources for more complex tasks.
Enhanced Efficiency and Productivity
Digital channels provide convenient access to information and automation. By automating routine communication tasks, businesses can focus on core objectives. Employees are freed from mundane, repetitive work, which improves productivity and operational efficiency.
Revenue Growth
The combination of improved customer satisfaction, higher containment rates, and personalized engagement results in increased sales opportunities. Targeted messaging and timely responses, powered by AI, help drive sales and create upsell opportunities, ultimately contributing to revenue growth.
Future Outlook for Digital Engagement
As cloud communications continues to evolve, the role of digital channels will expand. We can expect high adoption of RCS, as well as continued growth in video communications. As AI evolves, sophisticated bots are becoming capable of handling more complex tasks, enabling predictive communication strategies that anticipate customer needs, and allowing deeper integration of AI across all communication channels.
Businesses that embrace digital communications, especially in an omnichannel strategy will not only improve their internal efficiency but will also create more meaningful, timely interactions with customers, ultimately driving loyalty, retention, and revenue.
Digital Adoption Will Continue to Grow
The digital transformation of communications is rapidly reshaping how businesses interact with their employees and customers across many channels, including live chat, text messaging, social media, email, video, and more. AI plays a crucial role in enhancing these interactions, driving efficiency and effectiveness through automation, personalization, and data-driven insights. By adopting an omnichannel approach with AI-powered communication tools, businesses can increase their containment rates, improve customer satisfaction, and realize greater revenue growth.