While still high on the list, product quality and competitive pricing alone aren’t enough to attract discerning customers anymore. Everything else being equal, the modern shopper will always choose the online storefront that offers a more fulfilling customer experience.
What are the key factors to consider when crafting your customers’ CX journey? With your products and marketing already polished, what else can you improve to stand out? Explore the six cornerstones pivotal to an unforgettable customer experience and let your clients – and your business – reap the rewards.
1. Convenience & Speed
Converting website visitors into (return) customers as quickly as possible should be any E-commerce business’s top priority. That doesn’t mean you should flood customers with info or deals or rush them to buy something. Rather, their journey from first clicking on your website’s link to locking in an order should be smooth and painless.
It all starts with website optimization. One second is nothing in the grand scheme of things, but a website that takes a second too long to load is already enough to put some prospects off. Ensure that your storefront loads quickly and looks equally inviting regardless of the device users are accessing it from.
The website’s layout, branding, and color scheme need to be consistent. Nothing should be ambiguous about locating the desired product, entering payment information, or placing an order. Clearly defined segments and calls to action will prompt customers to explore more and help them discover what to buy next.
2. Readily Available Information
First impressions might count the most, but they don’t always clinch the deal. It should be easy for customers to find out additional info about a potential purchase. Easily digestible bullet points and testimonials are always welcome. However, you should augment them with quality pictures one can zoom in on and copy explaining a product’s usage.
You’ll want to tailor this additional helpful content to your industry. A shop selling fragrances may focus on the ingredients or the moods & emotions a smell is supposed to convey. Conversely, customers looking for electronic gadgets will appreciate a thorough technical specs segment.
3. Data Protection
While they don’t impact CX in real time, strong data protection measures are vital for your business’s continued operation and credibility. After all, who would want to buy from a store that doesn’t safeguard their customer data?
Running a small-scale E-commerce business is no excuse not to invest in cybersecurity measures. In fact, crooks are counting on the sense of unimportance many such businesses adopt and can easily bypass lax or nonexistent security.
Being responsible with customer data isn’t challenging. Keeping it inaccessible is crucial, and using a VPN lets you do so conveniently at barely any cost. The best VPNs you could find in comparison tables offer to reroute regular internet traffic through secure encrypted tunnels using different IP addresses.
That means no one can track your online traffic or exploit any data you send and receive since it can’t be deciphered without the proper key. It’s an excellent general precaution, doubly so if your employees work remotely or from different geographical regions.
VPNs can’t compensate for bad human habits alone, though. Reusing passwords is among the worst and can have damning consequences depending on your carelessness. Your other defenses don’t even need to be at fault! Imagine using the same password for your website hosting, CRM, and another account you created with a company that suffered a data breach. Your reputation and livelihood may suddenly be at risk.
That’s why preemptively instructing everyone on proper password use is essential. Better yet, get a password manager to automate password storage and generate far more secure alternatives.
4. Personalization & Human Interaction
Defining a clientele and catering to their interests is a core part of any business strategy. However, the modern customer demands a greater degree of personalization to rate their experience highly. Invest in tools that let you learn about customers, their behaviors, and preferences.
Craft surveys for newcomers to get a better sense of their needs. Once a customer has purchased something, you can keep them interested by suggesting similar items or ones people with similar purchasing histories also liked.
Timely access to information sends great businesses apart. Chatbots make a difference since you can have them answer FAQs and help visitors navigate your site 24/7. Even though their responses are getting lifelike, nothing beats a friendly and knowledgeable human on the other end of the line.
Have customer service staff handle interactions during working hours. Their courtesy and personalized responses should also extend to emails and other interactions. Strive to identify and resolve customer issues quickly and efficiently, and they’ll sing your praises from then on.
5. Giving Customers a Voice
Reputations live and die by the way companies treat their customers. Consistency, integrity, and a willingness to listen to the other side work wonders. Have easily accessible avenues through which customers can express themselves. Like your company’s social media profiles or a dedicated forum.
Visitors should have access to product reviews written by actual customers. Don’t shy away from the negative ones; demonstrate you’re willing to listen and help by addressing their concerns. Take constructive criticism to heart and refine new iterations if multiple users express concerns over your products’ quality or features.
6. Being There Even When the Journey Ends
The customer experience doesn’t end at checkout. Going above and beyond when you don’t technically have to anymore will leave a lasting impression. You can start by partnering with the most reliable and highly-rated shipping providers. Repeat sales are much more likely if customers know they’ll get their stuff safely and quickly. You should also make package tracking easier to heighten their excitement.
You can do a lot to remain in customer’s thoughts without being pushy. Offer incentives like discounts on their next purchase or a special loyalty program once you make a sale. Make it easy for them to leave feedback and have access to manuals, how-to videos, or any other materials that smooth out any friction when it comes to enjoying your products.
