Many retail businesses do not understand the importance of working on their eCommerce customer experience. While it has become essential to increase customer loyalty and customer satisfaction, many companies have difficulty achieving these goals.
Online shoppers have many different options to buy online, and they will undoubtedly prefer the alternatives that offer them the best customer experience and journey. Few things are as painful as a customer journey that is not designed to fit customers’ needs.
Every eCommerce customer expects an easy-to-use digital product. Failing to deliver one may result in a poor customer experience. Although this does not sound like something terrible, in reality, it can have a lasting negative impact on your business.
In this post, we discuss the importance of working on your eCommerce customer experience. By doing so, you will be able to improve your metrics and, in the long run, strengthen your brand and business reputation.
Why Does the eCommerce Customer Experience Matter?
Having an online store isn’t just about allowing your customers to buy whatever they want. When it comes to an eCommerce site or custom app, the how is very important. Customers not only want to buy something. Online shoppers want to do it in a way that satisfies their expectations of what they think the right customer journey should be.
Customers expect their buying experience not only to be smooth. They also want it to be memorable. With so many different options to buy from, eCommerce businesses need to find ways to stand out. This is the safest way to customer retention.
When your eCommerce customer experience does not meet customers’ expectations, they will find some other alternative. This might be a harsh fact to accept, but it is true. That is why you have to make sure to give your existing customers precisely what they expect. The problem is finding out what that is.
Look, for example, at companies like Amazon and Etsy. Their success has not been only because they offer a unique value proposition regarding what customers can buy. An important element that has also helped them get to where they are is their obsession with the customer experience.
To guarantee your customers receive what they want, it is crucial to focus on the different touchpoints they might encounter throughout their buying journey.
The Customer Journey
A poor customer experience is often a symptom of deeper problems. When a company does not think deeply about the customer experience, there isn’t a single attributable cause. However, it can indicate that attention might be focused on other things that might not be as important as having satisfied customers. When this happens, you should probably stop and reconsider your strategy.
One of the best ways to solve any potential problem that might impact customer satisfaction is to focus on the customer journey. By doing so, you will be able to consider each touchpoint your customers have with your eCommerce solution. Addressing your customer experience from this perspective allows you to solve specific problems while at the same time preserving a bird’s eye view of your business.
The level of attention to detail that a journey offers you can help increase your customer loyalty. Customers will start noticing how you present them with unique ways to make their experience better, differentiating yourselves from other not so attentive competitors.
The eCommerce customer experience should be something that any eCommerce business prioritizes. To make sure your eCommerce customer experience is at the center of everything you do, consider the following:
- Ask questions that help you understand what might go wrong. For example, when a customer experiences a problem, how can you help them solve it?
- Gather personal data but not as a way to make them buy more stuff. Instead, harness the power of personal data to address issues, even those that haven’t occurred.
- Focus on specific stages like the checkout process or tracking features, but always consider them from the broader perspective of the customer experience.
- Establish a way to measure and monitor the customer experience. A net promoter score, a customer satisfaction score, and similar metrics can help you do this. However, keep in mind that tools like a net promoter score are only as good as how your entire systems work.
- Pay attention to details like having high-quality images of the products you sell. This might sound trivial, but you would be surprised at how many businesses don’t understand the importance of visual elements in an online store.
Improve Your Customer Satisfaction
When it comes to improving the customer experience of any online store, there isn’t a single thing to do. Probably the most important thing is finding ways to improve your eCommerce customer experience systematically and rigorously.
Many companies don’t have the necessary project management tools and skills to do so. If this is your case, don’t be discouraged. You can always find an eCommerce development company that can help you address any issue related to your customer experience. These companies can help you build solutions that result in satisfied customers.
If you want loyal customers, don’t just improve your metrics. Align them with the eCommerce customer experience your customers expect and focus on the things that really matter.
