Have you ever wondered what makes an e-commerce website successful? One of the main ingredients is the overall good customer experience. We have selected 5 actions that you should do to improve e-commerce customer experience.
Even though e-commerce is more and more integrated into our lives, a lot of people still do not know much about it. Retailers can see this as an opportunity to educate their public and, at the same time, attract and convert them into customers.
1. Offer high-quality content
Having a blog on an e-commerce website brings benefits to the business. You can write about topics concerning your products, trends, tips, and tricks, how to’s, etc. Also, high-quality visual content works well, such as images, gifs, videos. Be informative without boring your readers. Be consistent with your content and make it very engaging. High-quality content has a huge impact on the audience’s decision-making process.
Keep in mind that you should also produce high-quality content for social media too, not just for your blog. Create nice and engaging content that people can share. Content should be interesting, useful and entertaining. Also, it can be used as an acquisition tool to attract and build your audience.
2. Have a simple check-out process
Shopping cart abandonment is a big problem in e-commerce. Users have different intents when they access your website. Some are just looking (like window shopping), some use their shopping cart as a Wishlist, some just want to compare prices. In these cases, abandonment is somehow unavoidable. But, according to a Baymard study, 23% of consumers abandon their shopping carts because of a check-out process that was too long or too complicated. This means almost one in four people.
Try to make your check-out process as simple as possible. Display all fees from the beginning, so the customer won’t end up having to pay more than expected. Make the check-out process as short as possible. Offer a wide variety of payment methods. Don’t forget to include your return policy and contact forms, so customers know you are available in case they have any problem.
3. Deliver a user-friendly, well-designed website
Customers want an interface that is easy to navigate on, and that helps them find what they need in a short time. Make sure your online store is well organized on categories, and that customers can filter items after various criteria. Also, include a good search engine. The user experience should be flawless from the home page to the check out page.
Think of your website as your online business card, it sets the first impression. This is why you want to have a positive impact on your potential customers. Make sure your website doesn’t look outdated or unappealing because it might be perceived as not trustable. Besides the impression your website gives to potential customers, a well-designed website is good for SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
4. Offer secure payment methods
The payment methods that you use on your website must instill confidence in your customers. People are concerned about the safety of their data when making online payments, so retailers should give them the guarantee of safety. Secure payment methods protect against fraud, sensitive information leaks, and other security issues. For your e-commerce business to grow, it is vital that your customers can trust you with online payments.
Add as many payment methods as possible: credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, cash on delivery, e-wallets, PayPal, etc. Also, you can invest in obtaining security certificates and place them on your website, as an indicator that your customers can trust you.
5. Improve your customer service
Flawless customer service is essential for several reasons. First of all, customer service represents your image, mission, vision, and values. Potential customers make assumptions about your e-commerce business based on your website, social media presence and customer service. Great customer service provides value if it focuses on treating the customers well and exceeding their expectations. Last but not least, customer retention is cheaper than customer acquisition. Keeping loyal customers is less expensive than getting new ones. Satisfied customers become loyal buyers.
How to provide better customer service: have customer service policies, train your employees regularly, be responsive, ask for feedback and use it. Take time to regularly review the feedback you receive from customers and apply changes to your business methods according to it.
As e-commerce keeps growing, your business must keep up. You need to continually improve your brand because customers expectations are high, and word of mouth spreads fast. Creating an emotional connection with your audience is one of the most powerful ways to improve customer experience in your business.
Would you like to read more about e-commerce? Check out this article and find out some e-commerce mistakes that you should avoid.