Innovating for more engaging customer experiences

Zoom’s Michael Chetner shares tips for leveraging unified communications and developer tools to grow your business.

Whether you’re in a team of two or fifty people, simple, secure and reliable communications technology is now a modern business essential.

The challenge for SMEs will be how to choose and implement the right tools in a sustainable, cost-effective way that not only benefits customers, but also optimises the hybrid workspace for all employees.

The current state of innovation

Every business is at least partially digital by now after being thrust into the world of hybrid work and living. And while we’ve seen some incredible examples of innovation and resilience of the past two years, it’s the next phase of innovation that will be critical for continued growth in the years ahead.

Many customers are now just as tech-savvy as businesses – sometimes, even more. The younger, digital native generations are growing up in a world of simplicity and refined algorithms that demand to be met, and the businesses that don’t look to innovate the way they deliver experiences to these groups risk getting left behind.

Customers are seeking a one-stop platform that can provide a seamless and hyper-personalised omnichannel experience. And businesses born in the cloud, such as Atlassian and Canva, responded to these needs by weaving unified communications not only into their internal workflow, but also in the way they interact with customers.

These businesses’ lack of legacy systems meant that they could respond quickly to the recent spike in demand for digital services. While the scalability of these larger digital natives might be unattainable for smaller businesses and startups, there’s inspiration to be found in their innovative, people-first mindsets.

The power of human connection

The business currency of the future is the ability to build meaningful connections with employees, customers, and their end-users – wherever they may be. Even as we return to in-person events and office interactions, there’s still a keen appetite for remote access to services across a range of industries.

In the health and education sectors, video has become an important way to maintain a human element of connection and break down the barriers of distance in virtual communications.

Telehealth in particular has allowed for patients to receive treatment from the comfort of their own homes, with transcription and live translations increasing accessibility and inclusion for patients around the country.

The proliferation of edtech startups is another great example. Post pandemic, students now expect their learning experience to be immersive, high-quality, and easily accessible. A recent report by IBRS found that digital upskilling and innovation have been critical for educators across New Zealand and Australia.

Hybrid learning is best sustained by tools that are easy to use and integrate into learning management systems, and online learning platforms such as LingoAce have creatively pivoted their offerings to tap into the growing demand for it. With many edtech platforms already built on the cloud, it’s easy to embed features like real-time video interactions, gamification, or even augmented reality and virtual reality elements into the learning experience. 

Bringing it all together

Collaboration is a key component of innovation. We’re seeing numerous startups in this region partnering with enterprises to leverage their ready-made solutions and developer tools as a way to get their feet off the ground. Generally, businesses are modernising their operations faster than ever, and developers have found themselves at the forefront of these transformations.

So, while building new applications or features from scratch might be the digital-native way, this isn’t attainable for all businesses. A smarter approach is tapping fit-for-purpose solutions like software development toolkits (SDKs) or application programming interfaces (APIs) that provide the flexibility to customise and integrate specific features into existing offerings.

Many of our customers are using the Zoom Apps SDK to build their apps, tapping into our global and diverse audience by listing their apps on the Zoom App Marketplace. Others are making the most of integrated apps such as DocuSign, Miro, Asana, and more to offer more engaging experiences for their own teams and customers.

If you’re looking for inspiration, check out how startup Home Live has used video SDKs to create the ‘Netflix of real estate’ and innovate how people access property inspections.

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you move ahead in your own innovation journey:

1. Meet your customers where they are. Our modern workforce and customer segments are increasingly geographically dispersed. As you think about engaging customers, consider how to provide options that are best suited to them, whether that’s a video call, phone call, or instant chat.

2. Find a comprehensive communications platform which suits your team. The right tools will improve collaboration and deepen connectivity, regardless of location. Virtual receptionists and rooms fitted with video conferencing hardware can help to bridge the gap between in-person and virtual – and ensure everyone is included in the conversation.

3. Leverage app integrations and developer platforms for scaling and support. Partnering with a developer platform can help alleviate pressure from your team, as they can provide the appropriate resources and talent to help you innovate and grow your business, without the investment required to build and run everything yourself.

For many businesses, bringing these processes all into the one platform will be the way forward.

Michael Chetner heads up the Australia and New Zealand division at Zoom.