While the eCommerce industry has definitely gained momentum over the past decade, it still has a long way to go. It is true that eCommerce stores give customers the luxury of ordering products from the comfort of their own home and get them delivered to the doorstep. But, they still cannot compete with the confidence that customers feel upon evaluating and testing a product at a physical store. So, how can the eCommerce industry gain leverage required to strive in business?
The answer is Customer Experience (CX).
An eCommerce brand can only grow if its visibility is recognized in the online platform by its users. Therefore, the success of every eCommerce business inevitably depends on the customer experience that differentiates them from hundreds or thousands of other brands providing a similar service or product. So, if you don’t make a meaningful effort towards providing a value-added service that will be etched in your customers’ memory, you are still far behind from gaining visibility.
When it comes to eCommerce businesses, the problem that customers face is not a lack of choice. Rather, it is the mammoth amount of choices that leaves customers feeling overwhelmed. The Holy Grail they look for is a humanized brand that understands their requirements better than others. Did you know that companies that maintain an emotional connection with customers outperform their competitors? This is why eCommerce businesses should exclusively focus on providing a unique customer experience.
If you are still not convinced, take a look at some of the ways in which CX impacts eCommerce businesses below. We have also provided some classic examples of online ventures that keep customers at the top.
Unappealing websites drive customers away
When it comes to online businesses, first impressions matter a lot. If you don’t invite customers with a fabulous website or social media account, there’s a chance you will lose them forever. 57% of internet users don’t recommend a business with poorly designed website and 88% of customers tend to stop engaging with online brands after a poor experience.
Your website experience matters because your website is your store. Making it simplified and user-friendly is important to ensure that visitors can easily browse your products. It also makes the buying process faster which is highly appealing even to an impatient buyer who needs to get things done as fast as possible.
If you are looking some inspirational websites that are geared towards making things easy for customers with no-fluff or fluff that actually matter for business, take a look at these recommendations from HubSpot.
Strong online presence leads to high conversion rates
The competitive eCommerce sphere requires brands to offer exceptional customer service. In this regard, businesses that make use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the form of chatbots to assist customers around the clock are more reliable in the eyes of customers. Moreover, brands that focus on engaging with customers by maintaining an active presence on social media platform are identified as more trustworthy. In fact, 71% of customers who had a positive social media experience with a brand tend to recommend it to their family and friends.
One eCommerce venture that does it glamorously is the New Zealand-based fashion store, Glamour Boutique. In fact, they have gone beyond chatbots and offer FaceTime facilities for customers who are interested to have a closer, detailed look at the latest on-store arrivals.
Differentiated customer experience improves loyalty
Providing personalized customer experience is the key to reach the customer’s heart. You show them that you know exactly what they are looking for and they keep coming back for more suggestions! Online businesses that pay attention to tailor-made customer experience gather vital information of their customers and purchase records to deliver something better in return. These can be recommendations of products or services that align with customer’s preferences or any other marketing content that are context-specific, relevant, and useful.
You might not have noticed it or given it much thought, but Netflix is a pro is proving personalized customer experience. It utilizes an algorithm to provide suggestions of new movies or TV shows via email based on what content you viewed in the past. By knowing the kind of movies you are into, it technically lures you into keeping the subscription going on and on!
Customer Experience is no longer a complementary aspect that businesses consider as something nice-to-have. It has become a necessity, especially for the eCommerce industry, where survival is tough, and you need to execute every possible tool to keep your valuable customers close. So, if you are a member of the eCommerce sphere, you know what to prioritize from this moment!