The average person handles 98 business emails daily, making it increasingly challenging for companies to stand out and build genuine relationships with their target audiences. This flood of messages has not only reduced the impact of communication but also raised a crucial question: How can businesses create lasting connections in such a competitive environment? Enter customer engagement platforms—not just game changers but the game itself.
Despite the evolving customer behaviors and market trends, success hinges on delivering a consistent customer experience throughout the entire journey—from pre-purchase to post-purchase and beyond. Customer engagement platforms excel in this area, providing a comprehensive solution to manage complex customer relationships.
In this article, we’ll delve into the world of customer engagement platforms, exploring their significance in today’s digital landscape and highlighting the 11 top platforms of 2024. By leveraging these platforms, businesses can navigate the intricacies of customer engagement, ultimately fostering stronger connections and driving growth. But before we start, let’s understand the basics and know what a customer engagement platform is.
What is a customer engagement platform?
A customer engagement platform is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) tool designed to enhance customer experiences and streamline communication between businesses and their customers. These platforms facilitate interactions across various channels, including emails, websites, apps, live chat, chatbots, and automated texts. The aim is to boost customer response rates and achieve the desired outcomes.
Why use customer engagement software?
You know what’s harder than keeping up with the Kardashians? Keeping up with your customers! That’s where customer engagement software comes in, acting like a personal assistant who understands your customers better than they understand themselves.
Picture this: You send a customer a welcome letter, and they feel like they’ve just been invited to an exclusive club. Or, you provide a link to download your app, and it feels like you’ve handed them the keys to a hidden treasure. It’s all about making them feel valued, as if they’re the star of the show.
But it’s not just about making them feel good; it’s also about being strategic. With advanced customer interaction analytics, you can monitor their behavior (in a completely non-invasive way) and tailor your communications to meet their real-time needs. It’s like having a crystal ball that reveals what your customers want before they even know it themselves.
And let’s not overlook efficiency. Customer engagement software streamlines your communication channels, interactions, and team coordination, allowing you to spend less time managing tools and more time delighting your customers.
So why use customer engagement software? In a world where personalized, seamless experiences are the norm, it’s a powerful tool that sets you apart from the competition. Plus, who doesn’t want a little magic in their business strategy? But for that magic to work, it all starts with understanding how a customer engagement tool operates.
How does a customer engagement tool work?
Using a customer engagement tool provides businesses with a comprehensive view of their customers, offering insights into individual journeys and preferences. This tool not only personalizes interactions but also streamlines operations through automation, allowing teams to concentrate on strategic engagement.
Additionally, it equips businesses with engagement metrics driven by first-party data, enhancing decision-making and optimizing engagement strategies. Here’s how these tools typically operate in nine steps:
- Collect data from various sources, including websites, apps, and social media.
- Aggregate and store this data in a centralized location for a unified view.
- Segment customers based on demographics, behavior, and preferences.
- Tailor interactions and messages for each customer segment.
- Engage customers through channels such as email, SMS, push notifications, and social media.
- Automate tasks like sending emails and responding to inquiries.
- Analyze customer behavior and campaign performance to gain insights.
- Gather feedback through customer surveys to refine products and services.
- Continuously adjust strategies based on feedback and analytics.
11 Best customer engagement platforms
Zendesk
Zendesk’s customer engagement platform is a versatile solution renowned for its robust customer service tools. It allows teams to handle service requests across major channels, including email, live chat, voice, SMS, and social media, all from a unified workspace. The platform’s Suite plans to include additional features like customizable help centers, community forums, and the Answer Bot chatbot for instant customer assistance.
🚀 Top features
- Help center
- Answer bot
- Sales tools
Overall verdict
Zendesk’s key advantage is its ability to integrate with various tools and platforms, ensuring a seamless workflow. Users can easily integrate customer documentation or knowledge bases, aiding Level 1 support in handling common issues. Additionally, Zendesk offers multiple support levels, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.
However, some users find Zendesk’s pricing on the higher side, particularly for smaller businesses. There are also limitations, such as difficulties in tracking multiple people’s efforts on a ticket and occasional latency issues.
Overall, Zendesk Support Suite is a powerful tool for managing customer support interactions, providing a broad range of features and integrations. Despite some drawbacks, its efficiency, organization, and customer satisfaction benefits make it valuable for businesses aiming to enhance their customer service operations.
Customer testimonial
Strengths
Zendesk Support Suite’s cloud-based software enables me to deliver better customer service across multiple channels. I appreciate its integration of email, chat, phone, social media, and self-service options into a unified agent workspace. The platform’s automation, reporting, and analytics features help optimize workflows, and the Talk add-on allows customers to call or text the same number!
What could be better
There is little to dislike about Zendesk Support Suite as it is comprehensive and user-friendly for customer support. However, pricing could be more flexible and affordable for smaller businesses. Some advanced features and integrations require technical knowledge and customization, which can be challenging for non-experts. Nonetheless, these are minor compared to the overall benefits and value.
Source: G2 Pricing: Plans start at $19 per month for Zendesk Support Trial: Free trial available
Intercom
Intercom’s customer engagement platform is a comprehensive solution that empowers sales and marketing teams to engage proactively with prospective customers. It offers a range of features, including in-app messaging, chat conversations, customer surveys, a shared inbox, and a knowledge base builder, making it ideal for businesses seeking a full-service customer communications platform.
Top features
- User-friendly interface
- Conversation history
- Macros and AI technology
- Alerts and notifications
- Unified inbox
Overall verdict
Users value Intercom’s user-friendly interface, which facilitates easy engagement and access to conversation history. The platform’s AI technology, macros, and alerts streamline communication and build client relationships. Its integration with other tools and platforms enhances its efficiency for customer service.
However, some users have reported issues with Intercom’s search functionality and occasional bugs. The pricing structure and learning curve for certain features are also noted as drawbacks. Despite these, Intercom is praised for its effectiveness in managing customer interactions, making it a valuable tool for enhancing customer service efforts.
Customer testimonial
Strengths
The AI enhancements added to Intercom in the past year have been incredibly beneficial for our customer support team. The ability to create dynamic outbound engagement workflows via the Series tool has been crucial for our onboarding and nurturing strategies.
What could be better
Certain aspects of Intercom present a learning curve. Creating workflows, organizing users/companies, and adding specific automations can be challenging and time-consuming. Familiarizing oneself with workflows and utilizing help articles can be difficult. These issues are more relevant for additional features than everyday use.
Source: G2 Pricing: Starts at $39 per seat Trial: Free trial available
HubSpot
HubSpot is a comprehensive customer engagement platform offering a range of tools to streamline and enhance customer interactions. Its suite includes Marketing Hub, Sales Hub, Service Hub, CMS Hub, and Operations Hub, consolidating customer interactions on a single platform. HubSpot offers flexible plans to accommodate various business sizes, with many valuable features available for free.
Top features
- Marketing Hub
- Sales Hub
- Service Hub
- CMS Hub
- Operations Hub
Overall verdict
HubSpot’s customer engagement platform provides an extensive array of features across its various hubs, including Marketing, Sales, Service, CMS, and Operations. Users appreciate its intuitive interface, CRM integration, and onboarding process. The platform offers automation for chatbots, workflows, and dashboards, enabling active engagement with website visitors, automated feedback collection, and data visualization. However, some users find the cost breakdown and modular charges for each module a drawback.
Customer testimonial
Strengths
The integration between HubSpot’s Service Hub and Sales Hub is a significant advantage. It allows service agents to access detailed customer information with just a few clicks, aiding in determining the next steps and offers.
What could be better
Connecting a custom survey triggered by a ticket to that ticket is limited. Ideally, custom surveys should be based on interactions and connected at the ticket level, which can be challenging to manage.
Source: G2 Pricing: Starts at $50 for two seats Trial: Free trial available
Kangaroo
Kangaroo offers a robust loyalty and rewards platform designed to enhance customer engagement, acquisition, and retention through gamification. Its tiered pricing plan includes features ranging from basic reward points and redemption to advanced email and SMS marketing. The platform also provides reporting tools to understand customer behavior and optimize campaigns, with integrations with ecommerce and POS systems.
Top features
- Integration with POS Systems
- Communication tools
- Loyalty rewards programs
- Customer support
- User-friendly interface
Overall verdict
Kangaroo Rewards is a versatile platform enhancing loyalty and customer satisfaction. Users value its seamless integration with POS systems like Lightspeed and Shopify, facilitating rewards program management and customer communication. Its ability to streamline communication through channels like email, text, and push notifications is a standout feature.
However, some users have noted issues with the email template builder and the transition to a new version. Overall, Kangaroo Rewards is a solid choice for implementing a comprehensive loyalty and rewards program, with room for improvement in areas like email marketing and user interface design.
Customer testimonial
Strengths
Kangaroo Rewards helps maintain a strong connection with customers through consistent communication, loyalty rewards, and analytics. The integration with Lightspeed and Shopify ensures a unified system for in-store and online operations. Kangaroo offers a robust approach that caters to both store and customer needs.
What could be better
The email template builder needs improvement for better formatting and design. The transition to a new version has resulted in the loss of some capabilities from the old version.
Source: G2 Pricing: Starts at $59 per license Trial: Free trial available
Klaviyo
Klaviyo is an AI-powered marketing platform that transforms customer engagement through automated email and SMS campaigns. Its advanced features include customer segmentation for targeted messaging, personalized email templates, dynamic content based on customer data, and interactive surveys. Klaviyo’s detailed tracking reports and integrations with CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot help businesses connect with customers personally.
Top features
- Customer segmentation
- Automated email flows
- Integration with Shopify
- SMS marketing
- Personalized email templates
Overall verdict
Klaviyo is a powerful platform, especially suited for e-commerce businesses. Users appreciate its ease of use, automation capabilities, and advanced segmentation features for targeted messaging. Integration with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify and support for multiple channels make it versatile. However, some users find the pricing high and experience occasional issues with customer support responsiveness. Klaviyo is a top choice for enhancing customer engagement efforts.
Customer testimonial
Strengths
Klaviyo’s segment feature is highly effective for categorizing clients and unveiling eCommerce trends, particularly with first-time buyers. Integrating a loyalty program is seamless, and workflows for critical steps like abandoned carts and welcome emails are straightforward.
What could be better
The GIF-creating option is somewhat limited. Adding more dynamic elements to email campaigns would help in demonstrating products and improving customer relationships.
Source: G2 Pricing: Starts at $35 Trial: Free trial available
Optimizely
Optimizely is a customer engagement platform that enables businesses to deliver exceptional digital experiences. With tools for web, mobile, and other digital channels, Optimizely supports A/B testing, multivariate testing, personalization, and analytics, helping businesses tailor their content and offerings to individual customer preferences. The platform is designed to drive engagement, increase conversions, and deliver greater value to customers.
Top features
- User-friendly interface
- Comprehensive content management
- Seamless integration with other tools
- 24/7 customer support
- Visual campaign calendars
Overall verdict
Optimizely is praised for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive content management features. Users appreciate its integration with other marketing tools like HubSpot and the availability of 24/7 customer support. The platform’s ability to streamline workflows, provide data-driven insights, and offer visual campaign calendars is highly valued. Some users note a learning curve for new features, but Optimizely’s customer support effectively resolves usability issues. Overall, Optimizely is considered a versatile and efficient tool for customer engagement.
Customer testimonial
Strengths
Optimizely’s flexibility is highly appreciated. It allows for engaging UX and efficient content management. The platform’s workflow tools and oversight features improve operational efficiency and content implementation.
What could be better
Complexity with Optimizely can sometimes be challenging, especially when supporting testers. Updates on a website may interfere with existing tests, causing the need for extra attention and adjustments.
Source: G2 Pricing: Contact for pricing Trial: Free trial available
Twilio
Twilio is a versatile communication platform that enables businesses to create scalable and personalized customer interactions. It offers a range of APIs and tools for voice, SMS, chat, video, and email communication. Twilio is known for its reliability and integration capabilities, making it a popular choice for businesses aiming to enhance their customer engagement across multiple channels.
🚀 Top features
- API for Alerts
- Customer Journey Feature
- Messaging Reliability
- Documentation Quality
- Authentication Services
- Integration with CRM
Overall verdict
Twilio’s platform is praised for its broad range of communication tools and ease of integration. Users value its reliability and the ability to handle sensitive data securely. The API support for OTP verification, automated notifications, and customer journeys is particularly beneficial. However, some users have concerns about customer support responsiveness and pricing, especially for SMS and voice services. The setup process can be complex, and the cost for certain features may be high.
Customer testimonial
Strengths Twilio’s OTP verification is fast and reliable, providing an essential security feature that integrates seamlessly into different platforms.
What could be better The requirement to pay before sending OTPs to unverified numbers can be frustrating. Offering free trials or a minimum number of attempts before requiring payment would be beneficial.
Source: G2 Pricing: Starts at $15 per month Trial: Free trial available
Mixpanel
Mixpanel is an advanced analytics and engagement platform that offers deep insights into user behavior. It provides real-time data analysis, event tracking, and customizable reporting to help businesses optimize their marketing strategies and drive growth.
🚀 Top features
- Real-time data analysis
- Event tracking
- Funnel analysis
- Customizable reporting
- User behavior analysis
Overall verdict
Mixpanel is recognized for its powerful analytics capabilities, offering valuable insights into user behavior and campaign performance. Users appreciate its real-time analysis and event tracking. However, the platform can be complex for beginners, and pricing might be a concern for smaller businesses. Despite these challenges, Mixpanel is considered a valuable tool for data-driven decision-making and understanding customer journeys.
Customer testimonial
Strengths Mixpanel’s reliable tracking of user activity, including transactions and session behavior, provides comprehensive insights that enhance product and service offerings.
What could be better The dashboard formatting options are limited, making it difficult to present reports dynamically. Enhanced customization options would improve user experience.
Source: G2 Pricing: Starts at $20 per month Trial: Free trial available
Typeform
Typeform excels in creating interactive and engaging surveys and forms. Its platform is known for its intuitive design, which allows users to build forms and surveys that are both visually appealing and easy to use.
Top features
- Seamless data collection and management
- Responsive forms for desktop and mobile
- Integration with Google Sheets and Zapier
Overall verdict
Typeform is highly regarded for its ease of use and visually appealing form designs. It integrates well with various tools and supports conditional logic for more interactive surveys. While its pricing is higher compared to some alternatives, the features and user experience justify the cost. Some users wish for more flexible pricing plans and additional features like editing submitted responses.
Customer testimonial
Strengths Creating versatile forms for different platforms is straightforward with Typeform, and the ability to gather valuable insights through quizzes and surveys enhances customer engagement.
What could be better The monthly subscription costs might not be justified for users who don’t need Typeform frequently. More flexible pricing options could make it a better fit for occasional use.
Source: G2 Pricing: Starts at $25 per month Trial: Free trial available
Iterable
Iterable is a cross-channel marketing automation platform designed to enhance customer engagement through personalized experiences. It supports various communication channels and provides tools for campaign creation, audience segmentation, and real-time analytics.
Top features
- User-friendly interface for campaign building
- Custom Events for tracking success
- Integration with various platforms
- Personalized campaign creation
- Easy data feed creation for email templates
- Intuitive campaign design
Overall verdict
Iterable is praised for its robust features and ease of use. Users appreciate its campaign building capabilities, segmentation, and automation features. The platform’s integration with other tools and frequent updates contribute to its effectiveness. However, some users find content catalog creation and pricing limitations challenging. Overall, Iterable is a strong choice for businesses with complex marketing needs.
Customer testimonial
Strengths Iterable’s user-friendly interface and robust features significantly enhance marketing efforts, with effective segmentation and automation driving better engagement and conversions.
What could be better Improving the content catalog creation process and offering more flexible pricing options would enhance the platform’s usability and appeal.
Source: G2 Pricing: Starts at $500 per month Trial: Free trial available
Benefits of leveraging customer engagement solutions
1. Revenue growth
Engaged customers are more inclined to adopt and upgrade products, leading to increased revenue. Studies reveal that these customers can generate a 23% premium in terms of share of wallet, profitability, revenue, and overall relationship growth.
2. Reduced customer support needs
Customer engagement platforms help decrease the volume of support requests by enabling businesses to offer proactive assistance and guide customers to find answers independently. This results in more efficient customer success at scale.
3. Competitive advantage
In today’s market, customer experience is a crucial differentiator. By focusing on customer engagement and utilizing the right tools, businesses can create exceptional customer experiences that set them apart from competitors.
4. Stronger customer relationships
Customer engagement transcends transactions, fostering deeper relationships and enhancing loyalty. By interacting with customers across various channels and touchpoints, businesses can build meaningful connections with their audience.
5. Increased customer retention
Engaged customers are more likely to remain loyal to a brand, leading to lower churn rates. By continually nurturing customer relationships and addressing pain points, businesses can boost satisfaction and loyalty.
6. Cross-selling and upselling
Customer engagement platforms reveal valuable consumer insights, allowing businesses to tailor recommendations and target cross-selling and upselling opportunities. This results in higher conversion rates and increased customer lifetime value.
7. Increased subscribers and audience reach
By delivering valuable and relevant content through multiple channels, businesses can attract and retain subscribers, broadening their subscriber base and reaching a larger audience.
8. Shorter purchase cycles and better conversion
Engaging prospects throughout their buying journey can expedite decision-making, leading to shorter purchase cycles and improved conversion rates.
9. Word-of-mouth marketing
Engaged customers are more likely to become brand advocates, actively promoting and recommending a business to others. This can drive organic growth and enhance the brand’s reputation.
