How is customer experience important for eCommerce growth? Put yourself in the shoes of the average shopper. They have multiple options for purchasing an item. Not only can they drive to their local merchant, but there are likely competitors in your industry. If you don’t make their experience stellar from start to finish, you risk losing them to another business.
Forbes Insights in connection with Treasure Data surveyed 1,000 consumers and 200 CX professionals. They discovered around 74% of consumers likely buy based on experience alone.
You likely already know how important CX is to your bottom line. Here are some ways to improve your CX and retain the clients you have while attracting new ones.
1. Beautify Your Site
When the customer lands on your website, is it visually appealing? The looks of your site might seem less important than the way it functions, but you have to grab the user in the first few milliseconds they land on your page.
If your site is ugly or it isn’t clear what you offer, people are likely to bounce away. Step back and look at your eCommerce shop through your users’ eyes. Is it clear what step they should take when in the buyer’s journey?
2. Improve Customer Service
Around 86% of people say they’d spend more money if it meant they had a better customer experience. One way you can ensure they walk away happy is by having professionally trained and pleasant customer service reps.
Give your people the power to solve problems without fear of retribution. Customers want to know you’ll answer their questions and fix their issues fast and without aggravation.
3. Test All Functions
Spend time making sure every element on your eCommerce site functions correctly. Click on all links and ensure they go where they should. If there is a form, fill it out and submit it. Does the user get a confirmation message? Where does the action they took go?
4. Take Phone Calls
The Invoca Buyer Experience Benchmark Report shows 87% of respondents felt talking to a real person on the phone made them more confident in higher-end purchases made online. Adding a toll-free number to your list of ways to contact your brand gives people a higher level of confidence in your satisfaction guarantees.
5. Go Mobile
The majority of Americans use their smartphones to go online at least some of the time. Make sure your eCommerce store is set up for mobile browsing. Avoid lengthy forms and seek out integrations with third-party software to input personal data more effectively and with fewer taps.
For a truly stellar CX, your site must be as usable on a small screen as a desktop. Test your site on different devices and different screen sizes.
Survey Your Customers
Ask your customers what works well for them and what you can improve. Ideally, you’ll constantly tweak your digital store design to better meet the needs of your clients. As you add new products, look for better ways to showcase details. Speed up and automate repetitive tasks. Always put the customer first and they’ll be more loyal to you and may even help spread the word about your brand. Customer experience is the key.
