Your customers are pretty demanding. You have probably realized this if you have operated an e-commerce store for a while. Here is what they want:
- No hard-sell marketing/advertising.
- Ability to navigate your site easily and quickly on their mobile devices.
- Ease of purchase and protection of the personal and financial information
- A personal relationship with you. They want to know who you are and what you stand for before they do business with you.
- They expect you to provide value, to solve their problems, and to entertain, educate, and inspire them.
- They expect you to provide great customer service when they have questions or issues.
This is all a pretty tall order. Fortunately, you have lots of tools and platforms to help. Let’s take these demands one at a time.
- No Hard Sales and Marketing
This is an easy tip – just don’t do it. Consumers today are turned off by sales and marketing activity that only pushes products and services. They are more interested in the value that a brand can provide in solving a problem they have.
If you know your audience, you will know exactly what will appeal to it, what pain points it has, and how you can meet those needs.
Use the research tools that are available to you to get a complete picture of your audience. You can collect data about their preferences, their purchasing behaviors, their values, etc., and use that information to make connections with them first.
- Ability to Navigate Quickly and Easily
When a visitor lands on your site, they want a great experience. Give it to them, with a sleek design, quick loading pages, and lots of visual content. Explainer videos are great for providing the value of what you offer. Many businesses are now using AR and VR to provide engaging experiences. Clothing retailers and eyeglass sellers let visitors try on a product virtually; resorts are inviting potential customers to visit them virtually. If these types of experiences would be a fit for your business, there are now tools to do this. If not, solicit videos from your happy customers using your product or service. This provides far more social proof than just written testimonials which most consumers find suspicious.
- Ease of Purchase and Security
A majority of people are now making purchases via their mobile devices. First, they want to do so with as few clicks as possible. Second, they want assurance that their information is secure. You are using an SSL-certified payment processor, so put that emblem/logo in clear sight.
- Personal Relationships
This was touched on above, but it is worth re-mentioning. Consumers want to know who you are. Tell your stories, especially on social media and do so with visuals. Millennials and Gen Z’ers, for example, want to see social responsibility. If you participate in any community or charitable events; if you use recycled materials, if you contribute to causes, publicize these all over your social media platforms. And once initial contact has been made, personalize all of your messages, especially in emails.
Segment out your customers and potential customers and craft content just for them – those who have made initial contact, those who have been back re-considering your product or service, those who have purchased, and those who may be considering re-purchases. There is a wealth of tools out there to do this. Use them.
- Value, Entertainment, Education, and Inspiration
Engaging content does not and should not always be about your product or service. Have fun and show your sense of humor. Inspire your audience to participate with you in a giving program through their purchases (e.g., Toms shoes and Headbands of Hope); Publish a joke or inspirational quote of the day on your social media platforms; provide “how-to” videos. If you sell home décor, create blog posts that provide tips and tricks for decorating; if you are a realtor, tell sellers how to “stage” their homes. All of these things will keep potential customers engaged with you. Even if they are not ready to make a purchase now, they will remember you when they are.
- Customer Service – the Key to Satisfaction
This is a critical piece in your reputation as an e-commerce business. When customers have questions; when they have issues, you must respond immediately. Here are some basics:
- If you use a help desk or call center, you must have it staffed to deal with customers and resolve issues quickly. They’ll come back if you do.
- Live chat is a must. It is faster, your customers are receiving personalized service, and your agents can work with more than one customer at a time.
- Many of your customers prefer “self-service” customer service. Make this available on your site with such things as printable return labels, FAQ’s, etc.
- Have a system in place that will route your customers to a resolution of their issues. Many questions and issues are standard and can be handled through the use of chatbots. This frees your agents to personally deal with the more complex issues at hand.
It’s a competitive marketplace out there – one that is growing daily. If you want your share of that market place, then your focus must be on the customer – his pain points, his needs, his demand for a personal connection, and how he is engaged – not on you and your need for sales. Take these suggestions to heart, follow through, and you will grow that customer base.