The retail industry is perhaps one of the most fickle and volatile industries out there.
There always seems to be that new hot product, company, and brand, which means staying current, relevant, and hitting all your sales targets is a constant struggle. Online retailers face a particularly competitive environment thanks to the many online options customers have.
One way that these online retailers are working to promote customer loyalty and bring in new customers is to improve the customer experience.
If this is something that your online retail business hasn’t given much thought to, it’s time to change up your approach and give credit to the importance of customer experience.
Here are some ways you can work on the current experience you provide and improve it.
Simple, Smooth and Speedy Check-Out
When a customer makes a decision to purchase an item from your online store, they are looking to check out in a smooth, secure, and worry-free manner.
Not only that they want to be given a variety of payment options and feel as though the process has been built with their needs in mind. You can ensure all of this happens by giving thought to your point of sale equipment and making sure it’s up to par, such as the type of system you can find with Vend’s point of sale software which can be simple and effective.
Not only does it make customers happy, Vend offers all kinds of fabulous tools and features that you can take advantage of, which will help your business operate more smoothly.
There are services that can help improve your overall customer experience, such as Kayako, who exists solely to help businesses improve their customer service.
Quick Website Speed
Another tip is to ensure that your website is user-friendly, meaning it loads quickly and smoothly. Customers aren’t going to have the patience to wait for pages to load and photos to appear. Statistics show that a customer will move on and leave your site before they sit around and wait for slow sites.
On the same note, your site needs to be just as effective on a desktop computer as it is on a mobile device. Making sure it is optimized for mobile use is imperative nowadays thanks to the reliance people have on mobile devices.
Live Engagement with Customers
Another tip is to provide live engagement with your customers, which means a help/support service.
A video, voice, or text chat allows customers to ask questions and get immediate answers, which means they are more likely to go ahead with their purchase.
Studies have actually shown that if a customer can converse in real-time, the conversion rate increases by a whopping 10 times.
Informative Content and Pictures
If you’re selling products/inventory on your website, then you need to be sure that you are including plenty of high-quality photos from different angles, as well as in-depth written information about the product itself.
More information and images is always better. Give your customer the ability to buy upon first view, or to see many more pictures and learn a lot more about the product, if they choose.
Showcase an eye-catching custom packaging design to entice customers to check out your product selections. Research has shown that packaging influences purchasing decisions, so invest in how you package your product and show it off with professionally taken product photos.
A Combination of Fixes
When it comes to improving the online retail customer experience, there is no one-size fits all solution. Rather, it is a combination of solutions that will provide real results.
If you’re constantly improving your business, and learning how to sell more, you’ll see an upward trend.
Keep improving and moving forward. Keep growing your business. Keep learning.