Measuring digital customer experience (CX): key strategies and tools

Whether it’s shopping on a website, interacting with an app, or chatting with customer service, how customers feel during these digital moments can make or break their relationship with your brand. Think about it—how many times have you chosen one brand over another simply because the online experience was smoother or more enjoyable? 

As digital technology continues to evolve, so too do the ways brands connect with customers and how these interactions are perceived. CX is not just important; it’s a key driver of loyalty, satisfaction, and business growth. But here’s the challenge: how do you effectively measure something as fluid and subjective as CX?

Once you have the data, how do you improve it, boost customer satisfaction, and—when budget time comes—prove that investing in CX is truly worth it? The answers can shape the future of your brand.

While customer behavior can be complex, there are a few key metrics that provide a reliable window into how your customers feel.

• Net Promoter Score (NPS):

Have you ever been asked, “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend?” That’s NPS in action. It’s a quick way to gauge customer loyalty and satisfaction. High scores mean your customers are happy and will likely return. But low scores? That’s a sign something’s off. The trick with NPS is not just collecting it but following up to understand why customers gave the score they did.

• Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT):

CSAT asks a simple question: “How satisfied are you with this experience?” It’s great for getting immediate feedback, whether someone’s just completed a purchase or interacted with customer support. If you notice low scores here, it might be time to ask: are there particular steps in the journey that frustrate or confuse your customers?

• Customer Effort Score (CES):

How much effort do your customers need to put in to get things done? The easier it is for them to achieve their goals, the more likely they are to stick around. Ask yourself: are we making it easy for our customers to resolve issues, find answers, or complete a transaction? The lower the effort, the better the experience—and the higher your customer retention.

• Time-on-site and bounce rate:

High bounce rates and low time-on-site could suggest that visitors aren’t finding what they’re looking for or are frustrated by the site’s design. Tracking this data helps you spot patterns that might be affecting the overall customer journey.

• Qualitative feedback:

Numbers are important, but stories matter too. Qualitative feedback—like open-ended survey responses or comments from user testing—helps you understand the "why" behind the data. What are your customers really saying about their experience? Qualitative insights often reveal the root causes of issues, allowing for deeper improvements.

Now that you’re thinking about what to measure and how to measure it, let’s talk tools. The right tools are vital for capturing customer feedback, analyzing data, and making informed decisions to enhance customer satisfaction. 

1. Customer feedback platforms:
   Want to capture NPS, CSAT, or CES data? Platforms like SurveyMonkey or Qualtrics make it easy to create surveys, gather feedback, and analyze trends. The key is to use the feedback you get to drive real change that aligns with your business goals.
2. Website analytics tools:
   These tools help you understand how customers interact with your website. What pages are they visiting? Where do they drop off? Do you have heatmaps that show where customers click most, or are you reviewing session recordings to spot user frustration?
3. Social listening tools:
   Social listening tools let you monitor and analyze these conversations in real time, giving you insights into brand sentiment and emerging issues.
4. CRM systems:
   A robust CRM helps you understand your customers’ histories with your brand and track their interactions, purchases, and preferences. The true impact, however, is how you use this data to create more personalized experiences for them.

Measuring CX isn't just about collecting data. It's about using that data to create a better customer experience. But how to go about it in the most effective way? Here are some best practices that can help you not just collect data, but make it actionable. 

1. Segment your audience:
   Not all customers are the same. Some might be repeat visitors, while others are new. Some might browse on mobile, others on desktop. By segmenting your customers based on behaviors or demographics, you can understand their unique experiences. This will reveal how different customer segments experience your brand.
2. Map the entire customer journey:
   Do you know exactly where your customers are interacting with your brand online? Whether it’s on your website, mobile app, or social media, tracking each touchpoint is key. By mapping out the full customer journey, you can pinpoint where things are going well—and where they’re falling short.
3. Take a multichannel approach:
   Think about how you engage with brands today. You might start on a mobile app, continue on a website, and then reach out via chat. To really understand CX, you need to capture data from all of these channels. So make sure you’re tracking customer interactions across every platform they use and using that data to create a seamless experience.
4. Use real-time data:
   In today’s world, waiting days or weeks to get feedback just doesn’t cut it. Real-time data lets you fix problems as they happen—before they turn into bigger issues. That’s where using tools that provide real-time insights, like live chat surveys or instant feedback forms, come in handy. 
5. Break down silos: 

   CX isn't just the responsibility of customer-facing teams; every department—whether it's marketing, sales, IT, or customer support—plays a role in shaping the customer experience. 

   For instance, imagine your marketing team runs a new campaign, driving traffic to your website, but they don’t communicate this to customer support. As a result, the support team may be unprepared for a surge in inquiries or not know how to address questions related to the promotion. 

   This disconnect can lead to frustrated customers. Breaking down these internal barriers means that everyone is all marching to the beat of the same drum: delivering a seamless, unified experience for your customers.

6. Connect CX to business outcomes:
   Here’s a big question: do you know how improving CX impacts your bottom line? Whether it’s increasing sales, boosting retention, or lowering support costs, connecting the dots between CX metrics and business results shows the real value of your efforts.
7. Track CX regularly:
   It’s easy to collect data once and then move on, but are you tracking CX over time? Customer needs change, and so do expectations. Regularly reviewing CX metrics helps you stay on top of trends and ensure you’re adapting to new challenges.

If customer experience is about delivering happiness to your customers, measuring CX is about making the most of data that leads to actionable improvements. At DPDK, we breathe and live that philosophy. When Diergaarde Blijdorp, one of Europe’s most popular attractions, needed to elevate their digital presence, they turned to us. 

We’ve collaborated closely with their team to overhaul their digital strategy and drive meaningful change across every digital facet of their customer experience. The results? Increased visitor engagement, streamlined digital interactions, and a reinvigorated brand that continues to captivate audiences. And just like that, a transformative and trustful partnership was born. Go have a look at the full journey in our case study here.

Some brands seem to nail their digital customer experience, others struggle. While measuring CX is undeniably important, it’s merely the tip of the iceberg. Delivering an exceptional CX goes far beyond data and metrics; it begins with a foundation of thorough research and deep empathy. That’s where the true magic happens—transforming insights into engaging experiences that resonate on a personal level and foster lasting loyalty.

With over 20 years of experience under our belt, that’s what our digital agency has been up to: building an expertise in turning these insights into long-term value. Whether you need to map the customer journey, implement advanced personalization, or optimize your digital platforms, we’re here to guide you every step of the way, just like we did for Diergaarde Blijdorp. 

The ball's in your court now. What's your next move? When you’re ready to create a CX your customers will remember, you know where to find us.