{"id":18695,"date":"2023-04-28T03:45:51","date_gmt":"2023-04-28T07:45:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=18695"},"modified":"2026-02-12T04:17:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T09:17:51","slug":"how-stellar-customer-experience-can-reverse-declining-brand-loyalty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/how-stellar-customer-experience-can-reverse-declining-brand-loyalty\/","title":{"rendered":"How stellar customer experience can reverse declining brand loyalty"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/category\/growth-customers\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Growth &amp; Customers<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow stellar customer experience can reverse declining brand loyalty\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2023-04-28T03:45:51-04:00\">April 28, 2023<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"How stellar customer experience can reverse declining brand loyalty\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/how-stellar-customer-experience-can-reverse-declining-brand-loyalty\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/author\/jeanhodges\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/04\/jean-author-image-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Jean Hodges<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do customer experience well and you can build enduring relationships and create sustainable, long-term value for your business. Do it badly and you risk losing even your most loyal and long-standing customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do customer experience well and you can build enduring relationships and create sustainable, long-term value for your business. Do it badly and you risk losing even your most loyal and long-standing customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-customer-experience\">What is customer experience?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Customer experience can be defined as the holistic understanding of how your business engages with its customers at every point of their buying journey\u2014from marketing to sales to customer service, back office, and support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It reflects how your customers feel when they interact with your products, services, and organization. And it\u2019s the sum total of all interactions a customer has with your brand, from the moment of initial brand awareness to their post-purchase feelings and perceptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-customer-experience-matters\">Why customer experience matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How your company chooses to define its customer experience\u2014how you decide you want people to feel when they come into contact with your company\u2014can play a crucial role in driving loyalty, growth, and sustained revenue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s because when people feel good about their interactions with your business and have a positive experience with your brand, they want to stay with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a result, when your customer experience is good, you will earn more revenue, retain more customers, and gain additional customers through the recommendations and referrals of your existing highly satisfied customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Get your free guide on creating the best customer experiences<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Implement stellar customer experience from the start and prevent any potential decline in brand loyalty with this free guide.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-c57ce582-b3a2-43bf-90bc-77d3b7877e74\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1214\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Guide-Image_090310_April-Blog-1214x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"people in office\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Guide-Image_090310_April-Blog-1214x810.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-prevent-a-decline-in-brand-loyalty\">How to prevent a decline in brand loyalty<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sounds easy, doesn\u2019t it? However, you need to stay ahead of the game and resist any urge to be complacent when things are going well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cMeasuring and tracking customer experience is essential to helping your organization achieve success, but doing so requires a thoughtful process.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<cite>What is customer experience (CX)? And how can you measure and improve it? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.surveymonkey.co.uk\/mp\/what-is-customer-experience-and-how-to-improve-it\/?program=7013A000000mweBQAQ&amp;utm_bu=CR&amp;utm_campaign=71700000098441131&amp;utm_adgroup=&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_source=adwords&amp;utm_term=&amp;utm_kxconfid=s4bvpi0ju&amp;language=&amp;test=&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwzuqgBhAcEiwAdj5dRjvBhEuggngK8qmRn01NlJrV024u4cu_3be_mqO33aUSqv6kZV92FRoCb0oQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds\">Survey Monkey<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today\u2019s customers are sophisticated. And they\u2019re aware of their own agency\u2014which means they can easily be swayed. The hard truth is that it doesn\u2019t take much to turn even the most loyal patrons off your brand. One poor experience\u2014an unhelpful interaction with your support team, a supply chain delay without explanation or apology\u2014and they can start to explore what else is on offer in just a few clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-true-cost-of-poor-customer-experience\">The true cost of poor customer experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you reframe that in terms of B2C businesses, you can get the full impact. Imagine you went into a high-class shop and the assistant was rude, or you\u2019d gone out for an expensive meal and the food was atrocious, would you return? It\u2019s likely that you wouldn\u2019t. So, those establishments would not only lose out on your business in the immediate and short-term\u2014they\u2019d also lose out in the long and wider term as anyone you shared your experience with would likely avoid those places too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The old rule of thumb was that it cost 5x more to get a new customer than it did to keep an existing customer.&nbsp;Not so drastic, perhaps, if a shop loses a sale or a restaurant takes a hit on the service charge\u2014but if we return to the world of B2B, it\u2019s likely that we could be talking about potential losses in the multiple thousands if not millions of dollars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can see why it makes good business sense, then, to provide everything your customers need to feel supported and to avoid at all possible costs the business version of a shoddy shop experience or a poor restaurant meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there\u2019s even more to customer experience than that. Because when considering how much to spend to create new or retain existing customers, it\u2019s also important to consider the concept of customer lifetime value. Remember it\u2019s easier to sell to an existing customer than it is to acquire a new one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cCustomer lifetime value (CLV, or CLTV) is a metric that indicates the total revenue a business can reasonably expect from a single customer throughout the business relationship.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<cite>How to Calculate Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) &amp; Why It Matters<br>Clint Fontanella, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/service\/how-to-calculate-customer-lifetime-value\">HubSpot<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-deliver-value\">How to deliver value<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the digital space\u2014your website, online forms, emails, and social media\u2014customers have come to expect unified and seamless experiences when they interact with your organization across all digital channels. In simple terms, they expect to be able to find what they want, when they want it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your digital offering involves disconnected processes, lacks personalization, and demonstrates an ignorance of your customer\u2019s place in their buying journey you run the risk of losing their interest and custom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cInstead of treating customers merely as \u201cbuyers,\u201d businesses need to recognize them as ever-changing multi-dimensional people who play many roles, each providing new opportunities for value creation.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<cite>Keeping Up with Customers\u2019 Increasingly Dynamic Needs<br>David Droga and Baiju Shah, <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2022\/09\/keeping-up-with-customers-increasingly-dynamic-needs\">Harvard Business Review<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-put-your-customer-at-the-heart-of-your-business\"><strong>Put your customer at the heart of your business<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To avoid this, you need to make sure you\u2019re providing relevant, personalized\u2014and friction-free customer experiences across every touchpoint of your business. Do this well and you can not only retain your existing customer base, but can create a distinction that sets you apart in the market and attracts new customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Get your free guide on creating the best customer experiences<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Implement stellar customer experience from the start and prevent any potential decline in brand loyalty with this free guide.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-c57ce582-b3a2-43bf-90bc-77d3b7877e74\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1214\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Guide-Image_090310_April-Blog-1214x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"people in office\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Guide-Image_090310_April-Blog-1214x810.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-focus-on-your-sales-and-support\"><strong>Focus on your sales and support<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Creating positive customer experiences across your organization means looking at your customer journeys, making sure each touch point is friction-free, and adding value where possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cA lot of companies focus on the old notion that it costs 5x more to get a new customer, but in doing so, they lose focus on what really matters\u2014connecting with customers and delivering value &#8211; now and in the future.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<cite>Does It Still Cost 5x More To Create A New Customer Than Retain An Old One?<br>Blake Morgan, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/blakemorgan\/2019\/04\/29\/does-it-still-cost-5x-more-to-create-a-new-customer-than-retain-an-old-one\/?sh=1bb3ca763516\">Forbes<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can mean applying elements of user experience (UX) with your web services and social media accounts to upsell and cross-sell products and services. This must come with a constant awareness of where your customer is in their buying journey so as not to risk bombarding them with messaging or, conversely, letting a warm lead to go cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-focus-on-your-customer-service\"><strong>Focus on your customer service<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In terms of customer service, good customer experiences might look like adding a team of call handlers to manage issue resolution on a one-to-one support basis, rather than using an email form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It could involve investing in faster managerial response times for account inquiries. Or it might require an investment in an email sequence to confirm order placements, providing hands-on pre- and post-sale assistance and technical support, or seamless product activation with engineers or technicians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-focus-on-the-back-office\"><strong>Focus on the back office<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Behind the scenes experiences matter too. Each customer\u2019s ordering process should be smooth and secure, from initial inquiry through to processing and fulfillment and\u2014where needed\u2014after-sales care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-measure-cx\"><strong>How to measure CX<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best way to find out how your customers feel about the customer experience you provide is to conduct market research. A cost-effective way to do this is with surveys because they\u2019re scalable and can be segmented\u2014helpful when your database can be made up of hundreds if not thousands of people worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They\u2019re also actionable and easy to interpret, and trackable so you can see how responses can vary over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can also introduce focus groups and a range of metrics like the <strong>Net <\/strong>Promoter Score\u00ae (NPS) to measure the customer experience at specific time-based intervals or to follow up on a defined set of customer experiences. Or the Customer satisfaction score (CSAT) which can measure your customers\u2019&nbsp;overall&nbsp;sentiment of products, services, and your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u201cWhen most companies approach customer experience, calculating how much a customer is worth is seen as a nefarious activity &#8211; something done in a basement. But knowing how much your customer is worth can help you make smarter, more accurate investments in your relationships, rather than spending a lot of money everywhere.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<cite>Does It Still Cost 5x More To Create A New Customer Than Retain An Old One?<br>Blake Morgan, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/blakemorgan\/2019\/04\/29\/does-it-still-cost-5x-more-to-create-a-new-customer-than-retain-an-old-one\/?sh=1bb3ca763516\">Forbes<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-true-impact-of-customer-experience-on-business-continuity\"><strong>The true impact of customer experience on business continuity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you understand the power of providing customer experiences that engage, support, and delight your customers you build lasting customer loyalty that ensures business continuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can also differentiate yourself from the competition, create distinction, and enjoy the positive business and customer outcomes that will drive accelerated and sustainable business growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Discover how to create experiences your customers will love with this guide to<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-five-critical-errors-of-customer-experience-teams\"><strong>The five critical errors of customer experience teams<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019ll learn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>How to understand key journeys across the customer lifecycle<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The purpose of your role as a CX professional<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How to consider the larger context of CX<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How not to make a business case based on opinions &amp; predictions (and learn why data insights&nbsp;are the way forward)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why you need to engage cross-functional teams in CX planning &amp; measurement&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Get your free guide on creating the best customer experiences<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Implement stellar customer experience from the start and prevent any potential decline in brand loyalty with this free guide.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-c57ce582-b3a2-43bf-90bc-77d3b7877e74\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1214\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Guide-Image_090310_April-Blog-1214x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"people in office\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Guide-Image_090310_April-Blog-1214x810.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to our Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get our latest business advice delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-ab515c6e-7e90-4c2f-a67e-113872516e8b\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Working from home with tea in hand\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hub\/staying-competitive\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStay competitive\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-23456 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters tag-accounting-101 tag-boss-your-business tag-small-business tag-staying-competitive business_type-small-business card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-642394299-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-642394299-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-642394299-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-642394299-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-07-31T07:18:42-04:00\">July 31, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">15 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/how-to-write-an-invoice\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tHow to write an invoice and what to include\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tLearn how to write an invoice with our practical guide. Discover what to include, common payment terms, invoice types, and tips to help you create professional invoices and get paid faster.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-31913 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-technology-innovation tag-cloud-technology tag-customer-acquisition tag-digital-transformation tag-growing-a-business tag-small-business tag-staying-competitive tag-technology business_type-small-business business_type-growing-business industry-software-saas\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/key-saas-metrics-to-track\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1406088800-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1406088800-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1406088800-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1406088800-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-07-17T09:57:01-04:00\">July 17, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">13 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tThe essential SaaS business metrics every business should be tracking\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-30823 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accounting-101 tag-boss-your-business tag-business-intelligence tag-cash-flow tag-small-business tag-starting-a-business tag-staying-competitive business_type-small-business business_type-growing-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/how-to-track-business-expenses\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1190223207-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1190223207-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1190223207-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1190223207-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-24T09:08:55-04:00\">June 24, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">13 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow to keep track of business expenses\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-29062 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations tag-boss-your-business tag-business-intelligence tag-growing-a-business tag-inventory-management tag-productivity tag-staying-competitive tag-supply-chain-management business_type-small-business business_type-growing-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/what-is-an-order-management-system-oms\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1417607997-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1417607997-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1417607997-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1417607997-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-10T10:25:03-04:00\">June 10, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">19 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tWhat is an order management system?\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-29253 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-boss-your-business tag-business-strategy tag-cash-flow tag-growing-a-business tag-inventory-management tag-staying-competitive tag-technology business_type-small-business business_type-growing-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/sales-order-management\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1307905824-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1307905824-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1307905824-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/10\/GettyImages-1307905824-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-05-29T06:38:00-04:00\">May 29, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">1 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tSales order management best practices and optimization\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Positive customer experiences are crucial for the success of any business. In this article we cover exactly how to create positive customer experience. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1680,"featured_media":18696,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[155],"business_type":[40,41],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[],"imagine_tag":[233,230],"coauthors":[930],"class_list":["post-18695","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growth-customers","tag-staying-competitive","business_type-small-business","business_type-growing-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-us","author_name":"Jean Hodges","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/04\/1-1.jpg","imagine_tags":{"233":"Medium Businesses","230":"Small business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice US","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1680"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18695"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18695\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/18696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18695"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=18695"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=18695"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=18695"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=18695"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=18695"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=18695"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=18695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}