Let’s face it: our world runs on online shopping. As globalization grows, eCommerce creates increased business opportunities and a lot of competition. So, how can your business stand out? As an online vendor, you must value the eCommerce customer experience. Marketing will draw customers in, but their shopping experience will earn loyalty and dollars.
Experts such as Alex Lysak emphasize the importance of a comprehensive and beautiful visual package, marketing strategy, and fantastic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for eCommerce success. You can find such an online strategy and SEO packages at ScanTeam.
Let’s look at how to improve the online shopping experience to earn loyal, satisfied customers.
Create a Complete Shopping Experience
From the homepage to the checkout, each step is crucial to engaging an online customer. The website design should make your product irresistible and encourage customer interaction. In the world of eCommerce, competition is steep, but once a client lands on your work, you have the power to hook them in and get them to buy.
Present an Irresistible Product
Whether your online shop sells artisanal jewelry, vintage furniture, or online service, the client must feel that your product is the best. This means creating a strong brand: stellar photos, compelling copy, and a beautiful layout, but there’s more to it than that.
A unique product with a story or cause may be more enticing than a similar product spotted at Target. What’s the inspiration behind the creation of these dazzling earrings? Maybe this coffee table was built using recycled materials. Customers want to spend their money on something special.
If a product comes in different colors or models, it should be easy to browse between them. Creating a user-friendly site is key to a successful eCommerce business. You don’t want a customer to get flustered while toggling between product options.
After putting so much work into a product’s digital appearance and story, it should exceed expectations when it arrives on a client’s doorstep. A product’s presentation and packaging in-person can leave a lasting impression. Include a personalized note or postcard to thank the customer for their preference.
Make Shopping a Breeze
There are many ways to make an online purchase. You want to make the browsing and buying experience easy for the client. Ultimately, the goal is a shopping cart full of products on your preferred platform.
Once the shopping cart is full and their credit card is ready to go, the payment process can’t have a single glitch. Make sure to accept a wide range of payment options, from credit cards to PayPal. Maybe there’s a discount available for a preferred method of payment.
Customers are likely to expect free shipping. Offering this service will remove any twinge of doubt as a customer weighs their options.
Communicate With Style
Just because a client is shopping online doesn’t mean they won’t want to interact with a sales professional. You can offer informative text, anticipate FAQs, and provide a chat function to support the customer virtually.
Online shoppers don’t want to be bogged down by text. Keep your website copy clear and concise. If the product has an interesting backstory or your business contributes to a charitable cause, that’s great. Share this information in a way that doesn’t clog your website with text.
Keep track of common questions and offer a detailed FAQ section to empower and educate an independent customer. A stellar FAQ section can help build trust and provide a dialogue without wasting any time.
These days, it’s essential to provide a live chat feature on any eCommerce website. A universal tool like Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp makes communication easy for both customers and businesses.
Personalize the Customer Experience
Online shoppers expect a bit of personalization from any eCommerce interaction. That could mean displaying recently viewed items or suggesting complementary products while browsing. It could also mean targeting advertisements that could lead to deals or discounts.
Depending on your client and product, be thoughtful about the level of personalization that’s appropriate. The idea is to entice the client, not scare them away by over-communicating.
As a business, make a plan for how much personalization is appropriate and appealing for potential and returning clients.
Stay in Touch
Be sure to keep in touch with satisfied customers. Since 2019, eCommerce customer experience trends have reported that many companies were disappointed with customer email interaction, despite its previous popularity.
Alternatively, invite customers to follow social media accounts for news or promotions. Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp can be used to periodically check-in with customers.
Ask for Feedback
Most customers love to share their experiences, whether positive or negative. Use this to your advantage when looking for ideas to improve the customer experience. It’s easy to embed surveys into an eCommerce website.
Once a customer has completed an entire transaction, it would be appropriate to ask how likely they would recommend your site to someone else. This 1-10 scale is known as the Net Promoter Score (NPS).
You can put together a comprehensive survey to gauge the customer experience in areas like website navigation, customer service satisfaction, ease of checkout process, or anything else that’s important to your brand.
Conclusion
In a competitive online market, it’s smart to seek recommendations for eCommerce business success. Using an intelligent product design, a smooth shopping process, and an appropriate amount of personalization, you can provide a memorable experience to new and returning clients.
