EDITOR ’ S QUESTION

More people went online to do their supermarket shop , order takeaways , sort out their banking and buy items for hobbies . And as they shopped more online , their expectations became higher . Websites needed to be quick , easy-to-access and easy-to-use .

Now , as people start to emerge from lockdowns , what will their expectations be when they are outside of their home and also what will their expectations be as they continue to shop online ?

Content-as-a-Service ( CaaS ) is gaining popularity in the customer experience space as brands jostle for market share . Marketers are seeking innovative ways to get the right content in front of potential customers and to manage the increasing number of digital touchpoints throughout the customer journey .

Bluegrass CEO , Nick Durrant , said : “ In the digital world , marketers need to understand the power of content and redesign their strategies to include voice , video , Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) and Machine Learning to continue reaching consumers . However , for marketers it could be challenging to manage and deliver content to multiple channels effectively .

“ In trying to reach these digital touchpoints it remains a challenge to present the same content to different devices and platforms . Although traditional Content Management Systems ( CMS ) such as WordPress store all content in one place , there are limitations as to where and how this content can be used , and as such one needs to create a unique version for each platform .

“ With CaaS , all content is stored in its original format . Various digital platforms like websites , smartphones and apps can access this content and present it by using an Application Programming Interface ( API ), as CaaS separates the content from formatting .”

Emma Maslen , VP and General Manager , EMEA & APAC , Ping Identity , has spoken about how retailers have had to adapt . One of the biggest gains has been persuading net-new customers to come online – many of them from older demographics that had traditionally shied away from online stores . As a result , e-tailers are adapting the shopping experience and one of the biggest changes is the metamorphosis of customer service focused high street brands – of which Marks and Spencer in the UK is a great example – that are extending their ethos into online communities .

She said : “ An instore innovation was the launch of checkout-free technology using mobile payment to all its UK stores , allowing instore customers to skip checkout queues by selfscanning and paying for their items using their smartphone and then simply leaving the store .

“ Yet , even with these efforts , the practical issues around lockdown caused M & S , like most high street stores , to experience a massive reduction in sales .

“ However , its online e-commerce sales were up 75 % according to its latest interim results . And the firm is also set to launch 46 new websites to expand its reach to over 100 countries , from Argentina to Uzbekistan . The website experience itself has also improved – with many subtle additions enhancing the online user experience . An interesting example is the implementation of guest accounts , which allow customers to pick , pay and go without having to setup a full-blown account .”

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