CX is rising to the forefront of marketers’ minds, evolving into a sophisticated discipline and important pillar of customer acquisition and retention. Almost 90% of companies have shifted focus to compete primarily on the basis of customer experience (up from around 36% in 2010). But we still have a long way to go: although 4/5 brands think they provide a “super experience,” less than 10% of customers agree.

One frequently overlooked but crucially important component of CX is the email journey. Though not the newest or flashiest marketing technology, email remains an ROI powerhouse—and one of customers’ preferred ways to engage with brands. It’s one of the only channels that your audience actively ‘raises their hand’ to receive, and marketers’ best option for comprehensive 1:1 customer personalization.

It’s worth reevaluating email’s place in your own customer journey map—and what it could be bringing to the table for your brand.

The Digital ‘First Touch’

In many cases, an email is the first one-to-one interactive connection you can make with your audience. The customer experience begins here, and first impressions are critically important.

When someone subscribes to your mailing list or opts in for communication, they’re sending a clear message that they’re ready and willing to hear from you. The open rate for welcome emails is around 50%. That’s a huge opportunity that too often goes to waste.

A welcome email can set the tone for your entire relationship. Make a lasting impression with an incredible welcome email keeps customers coming back for more and sets the stage for substantial lifetime value.

Sending an Email Worthy of Your Brand

What your vision for your brand? Maybe you want it to be bright and helpful, or clever and entertaining, or serious and no-nonsense. There are a lot of ways you can shape a brand and its persona to connect with customers and plot a clear user journey map. But what you certainly don’t want is a brand that’s bland, confusing, or aimless.

Powerful brands call for powerful marketing, and powerful marketing means emails of the quality and caliber your company—and your customers—deserve. If your inbox experience is weak or outdated or inconstant, it undermines all the hard work you’re doing to establish a compelling and coherent brand voice.

The same old email strategy isn’t going to cut it. Whatever role you want your brand to serve, your emails need to rise to the occasion. New innovative email technology is making it possible to craft more relevant, personal, and brand-appropriate email experiences than ever. If you’re not keeping up, you’re at risk of getting left behind.

Consistency, Consistency, Consistency

Here’s a common (and perhaps familiar) scenario: a dynamic brand invests heavily in digital to produce a top-of-the-line website, viral online content, an irresistible social media presence, and more. But its emails still look and behave more or less the same as they did 10 years ago.

Most digital marketing channels have made huge strides forward in recent years in terms of interactivity, user experience, personalization, analytics, and more. But for the majority of brands, the email journey has remained stagnant.

That’s a huge problem.

95% of customers use three or more channels to connect with a company in a single service interaction (with almost 2/3 using more than one device). In a global consumer survey, most expressed frustration over inconsistent experiences or information presented across channels.

A powerful, compelling customer experience provides consistent, coherent interactions at every touchpoint. It’s jarring to encounter an engaging and user-friendly brand website, only to receive a flat, lifeless email afterwards.

The myth that “my emails are interactive” is one of the most common, and most dangerous, misconceptions among marketers. In reality, most emails fall far short of delivering the experience and engagement that other channels deliver.

Start delivering the email experience your customers deserve with more cohesive cross-channel experience. Bring your emails into the modern age with open-time relevance, dynamic content, and real-time personalization.