Modernizing the Digital CX, a Modern Utility Imperative

Facts are facts: post-pandemic all customers are now digital converts, and the upcoming generation of utility customers have grown up as “digital natives” with computers in their pockets since they were children. Customers increasingly demand the same modern, intuitive, proactive and highly personalized digital experiences from all of the companies where they do business, and expect to be met in their digital channels of choice.

In this fast paced and dynamic environment, energy utilities face a critical challenge: capturing and maintaining the attention of their customers on digital platforms. As utility executives entrusted with shaping the future of their organizations, your role in enhancing the digital customer experience (CX) has never been more vital. The advent of advanced technologies, shifting customer expectations, and the increasing reliance on digital interactions have necessitated a transformative approach to how energy utilities engage their customers online.

Yet, utility’s digital experiences remain outdated, at least according to their customers.

That lack of innovation in the digital experience costs utilities in terms of customer engagement and satisfaction, according to JD Power. But, it’s not always clear to utility executives where their CX creates obstacles, or how to improve the outcomes.

This article lays out the challenges directly, addressing the issues that have hindered customer engagement on energy utility websites and providing actionable insights to modernize the digital CX. From outdated interfaces to limited content offerings, slow loading speeds to mobile unfriendliness, we recognize the obstacles that have impeded meaningful customer interactions. More importantly, we present a roadmap to rejuvenate digital experiences, effectively aligning them with contemporary standards and evolving customer expectations, so that utilities can leap over their digital CX chasm. Let's explore a roadmap for a seamless and engaging digital customer experience—one that not only meets but exceeds the expectations of today's tech-savvy consumers. Progress on this journey of modernization supports the strategic imperative for utilities to transform their CX and thrive in our increasingly digital age

Charting this course toward the modern utility CX means knowing and acknowledging where we are, and many energy utilities in the US face similar digital challenges. Customers find our websites and portals outdated, difficult to navigate, and time consuming to use. Some of the most common challenges include:

Lack of User-Friendly Interface: Energy utility websites often suffer from complex and outdated user interfaces, making it difficult for customers to navigate and find the information they need. If the website is not intuitive and easy to use, customers are more likely to leave quickly, and stats regularly indicate that they do. If you don’t think so, check your Google Analytics to determine traffic levels, repeat traffic levels, time on site, pages per session, and rage metrics. That comprehensive dashboard tells those critical CX narratives.

Limited Information and Services: If the website only provides basic information about billing and account management, customers won't find it engaging enough to spend a lot of time on. Lack of additional services, such as energy-saving tips, personalized usage insights, or interactive tools, can discourage prolonged engagement. Customers visit your site usually with questions, so they expect to find links to helpful information, immediate answers, and smart search features to get answers. If navigating your site requires “insider” knowledge to find information within 3-5 clicks, it’s already failing your customers.

Irrelevant Content: If the website doesn't offer content that is relevant and valuable to the customers' specific needs and interests, they won't spend much time exploring. Customers will leave if they don't immediately see content that addresses their questions or concerns. Customers want blogs, reviews, videos, widgets, and personalized recommendations like they find on the websites of their other service providers, so if content on your site isn’t regularly updated, customers won’t find much reason to visit, or to learn about utility programs and values.

Slow Loading Speeds: Slow-loading websites frustrate users and discourage them from staying. In today's fast-paced digital world, customers expect websites to load quickly; and when they don’t, customers assume something is broken, damaging a utility’s already fragile digital reputation. If you don’t have monitors to illuminate site performance, page load speed, and the apps that impact performance, you don’t have a modern CX approach.

Mobile Unfriendliness: With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets, customers often access websites on mobile devices. In some surveys, as much of 70% of utility marketplace and website traffic starts on a mobile device like a phone or tablet. If your website is not optimized for mobile viewing, most customers won't find much value from it. How often do you visit your utility website from your mobile phone? Customers almost always do, and many of your customers' only computer is their smartphone, so it pays to know where your design lacks responsiveness to mobile interface standards.

Many of our utility clients lean on comprehensive market studies, user groups, and design reviews before embarking on a digital transformation project. Unfortunately, expensive consultants usually tell you what you already know, and you don’t have more cycles to spend contemplating the challenges. Your customers and their most trusted brands innovate around digital experiences daily, so we don’t have time to waste.

In fact, though, no one needs more than a quick self-assessment to see if your digital experience feels outdated. Visit your corporate site on your mobile phone. If it’s hard to navigate, read, and find information quickly, it’s outdated. If it fails to load easily on a mobile phone, the design probably isn’t responsive, or at the very least, your architecture isn’t optimized for mobile delivery and consumption.

Now, shift to a desktop view. Is the news current? Do you see recently updated content? Can you easily find links for a new energy start, how to register for outage notification, where to pay bills online, and how to enroll in a mobile app, demand response, time of use, or payment assistance programs? Can you buy an LED bulb or apply for a rebate online? If not, your experience doesn’t address some or all of the top reasons customers visit your site.

Finally, check your dashboards for traffic, page load, repeat visits, visitor demographics, and overall network performance. Don’t have a dashboard for these key performance indicators or don’t know the trends? You’re already behind the curve.

Admittedly, that’s a worst case scenario. Nearly every utility website includes a digital energy start, or at least obvious telephone numbers to call to start/stop and transfer service. All utilities have a network operations team that can provide basic network performance reports, if not real time dashboards and alerts. Many utilities have experimented with marketplaces for energy efficiency products, though most fail to attract much customer traffic. Some utilities have insights from Google Analytics and services like Quantum Metrics to gauge insights about their customer digital behavior. But, customers still overwhelmingly report that utilities fail to deliver modern digital experiences that they have come to expect, so it’s worth a quick self-check to orient ourselves in the digital ecosystem.

With that starting perspective, it’s much easier to chart a course for success to catch up with the demands for a modern utility CX. Energy utilities can take several steps to address the factors that hinder customer engagement on their digital websites and ultimately enhance the overall user experience:

User-Centric Website Design: Develop a user-friendly, “mobile first,” and modern website interface that is easy to navigate, visually appealing, and intuitive. Prioritize clear and concise menus, prominent search functionality, and well-organized content to guide customers seamlessly through the site, and be sure to employ responsive design to meet modern mobile user expectations.

Comprehensive Services and Content: Expand the range of services and content beyond basic billing and account information. Provide valuable resources like energy-saving tips, personalized usage insights, educational articles, and interactive tools that address customers' needs and interests. Include a marketplace that offers your Beyond the Meter products and services, and consider future categories where customers want utility insights. Beneficial electrification, multi-commodity conservation, and electric vehicles provide utilities trending and helpful topics for customer engagement.

Personalization: Implement personalized content and recommendations based on customers' historical data and preferences. By tailoring the website experience to each individual, energy utilities can make the content more relevant and engaging, encouraging customers to spend more time exploring. And, extend this personalization to all digital communications. Customers don’t want 1:All emails in their inbox, so personalizing digital communications encourages more engagement, click through, and traffic to your new CX.

Optimize Loading Speeds: Invest in website infrastructure and optimization techniques to ensure fast loading speeds. Minimize large images, utilize caching, and optimize code to create a seamless browsing experience that keeps customers engaged without frustrating delays. And, be sure to monitor performance on an active basis with alerts when performance falls below industry norms. Free tools and benchmarks can quickly accelerate attention to website performance that pays huge dividends to customer appreciation and engagement.

Mobile Optimization: Ensure that the website is fully responsive and optimized for mobile devices. Design with a “mobile first” approach, ensuring that all features and content are accessible and user-friendly on smartphones and tablets. Mobile traffic probably already dominates your user visits, so it’s a good idea to make “mobile first” a full time strategy.

Engaging Visuals and Multimedia: Incorporate visually appealing graphics, videos, and infographics to enhance the website's visual appeal. Visual content can effectively convey complex information and engage customers, encouraging them to spend more time on the site. In our experience, no partner delivers better on modern engaging content than Questline Digital with ready made libraries that offer utilities a quick way to leap ahead of the content gaps.

Clear Calls to Action (CTAs): Implement clear and compelling calls to action throughout the website. Encourage customers to take specific actions, such as signing up for energy-saving programs, requesting information, or providing feedback, to keep them engaged and involved. Making your website easy for customers to get things done and accomplish their goals dramatically improves customer satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty.

Regular Updates and Fresh Content: Maintain an active blog or news section with fresh and relevant content. Regular updates on industry trends, policy changes, and energy-saving initiatives can encourage repeat visits and longer engagement periods, as well as increase the open rate and click-through of your ongoing digital communication.

Accessible Customer Support: Integrate easily accessible customer support options, such as live chat, chatbots, or contact forms, so customers can quickly get assistance when needed. A positive support experience can improve overall customer satisfaction and encourage prolonged website usage. Chatbot technology makes it easier and more affordable than ever for utilities to modernize their digital experience, especially considering the upcoming generation of Millennial and GenZ customers will increasingly resist contact with legacy call-in support.

By prioritizing these strategies, energy utilities can develop digital platforms that cater to customer needs, provide value-added services, and deliver a seamless, engaging experience, ultimately boosting customer engagement and satisfaction. The road to a prosperous future for energy utilities hinges on the modernization of their digital customer experience (CX).

As utility executives overseeing CX, you bear a seemingly overwhelming responsibility. We hope that article offers practical steps to assess your position in the transformation journey and navigate the essential stages for achieving the modern utility CX that customers expect. Your evaluation might unveil straightforward measures or a more extended roadmap for success. Regardless of your starting point, achieving a modern utility CX aligns with objectives of customer engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty—vital currencies for future-focused utilities. Your customers deserve an outstanding online experience, and we're here to assist you with a strategy and roadmap for consistent, cost-effective, and highly satisfying progress on that journey.