5 predicted digital priorities for 2025.

The digital landscape is ever-evolving, and staying ahead is essential for businesses to thrive. As we approach 2025, several key trends are emerging that will shape the future of digital experiences. These trends, based on survey insights from 1,000 digital leaders, provide a glimpse into what businesses can expect and how they can best prepare.

1. AI’s future lies in expanded use cases.

AI is poised to redefine the digital world, but its success depends on broadening its applications. While 88% of digital leaders reported successful AI projects in 2024, 54% of unsuccessful projects were attributed to the limited scope of the AI applications.

To truly unlock AI's potential and make it a foundational technology, businesses must move beyond incremental productivity gains and leverage AI to fundamentally change how consumers interact with their brands. This requires a focus on developing AI solutions that address a wide range of customer needs and pain points, from personalized recommendations to streamlined customer support. A robust data foundation will be crucial for scaling these tools while ensuring accuracy and responsiveness.

2. Branded apps must deliver genuine value.

Branded apps are no longer a novelty, and in 2025, delivering exceptional mobile experiences will be paramount for driving customer loyalty. Digital leaders recognize that enhanced mobile capabilities will be the primary driver of digital customer experiences. However, with 20% of digital leaders predicting that consumers will be more likely to delete than download apps, the competition for space on consumers’ phones will intensify. To stand out, brands need to shift their focus from simply having an app to crafting the right app with features and experiences that provide genuine value and keep users coming back.

Personalization and engagement are key. While 55% of leaders point to promotions as a key retention strategy, 33% emphasize the need for immersive, unique features. All of this comes down to the right visibility to understand and anticipate consumer needs.

3. AI will continue to need a human touch.

As AI continues to advance, human interaction will remain a critical component of its evolution in 2025. Today, only 40% of companies invest in AI training, but that number is set to rise to 62% in 2025.

While AI-powered tools can streamline processes, provide insights, and enhance customer understanding, human interaction is still indispensable for forging genuine connections and providing personalized support. This underscores the importance of investing in employee training, particularly in the area of prompt engineering, to ensure teams can effectively navigate AI responses and unlock its full potential. Those organizations who choose not to invest in AI training for their teams will risk falling behind as they continue to face struggles with AI adoption, scalability, and return on investment.

4. Smarter tech stacks will drive agility.

In 2025, businesses will prioritize efficient tech stacks that enable agility and faster decision-making. With 46% of businesses planning to increase their digital tech stack budgets, the focus will be on tools that streamline workflows, automate tasks, and empower teams to make informed decisions quickly.

This doesn't necessarily mean bigger tech stacks; rather, it signifies a move towards more efficient software and enhanced processes. In fact, 49% of businesses intend to invest in tools that automate basic analysis, enabling teams to focus on higher-level strategic work. Additionally, 42% of businesses plan to invest in tools that integrate feedback from channels beyond digital, for a more holistic view of the customer experience.

AI will reinvent call centers.

AI is set to revolutionize customer support channels in 2025, particularly call centers, by improving customer experiences and boosting agent efficiency. With 27% of consumers planning to increase investments in call centers and 62% maintaining current levels, AI will play a pivotal role in optimizing these services.

AI-powered chatbots will handle routine inquiries, and AI-powered analysis can improve the effectiveness and efficiencies of agent conversations. This presents an opportunity for brands to reshape the perception of call centers, transitioning from long hold times and frustrating experiences to instant self-service answers and genuine human connections.

Bonus prediction: Every day is peak season.

The concept of "peak seasons" is fading. With discount days spreading year-round, 40% of consumers feel less urgency to shop during traditional holiday sales. For brands, this means treating every day like "peak season." Continuous optimization—through seamless, personalized journeys —will be the key to retaining customers and driving year-round engagement.

2025 once again sets a new bar for what a good digital experience looks like. For brands to keep up with the pace of changing customer demands it’s important to make investments from the ground up. This means building foundational data structures and investing in the right analytic tools to scale and evolve with their business.

For more information on how Quantum Metric can help you achieve these goals, check out our product demos.