E-commerce

Online Customer Journey – What do Shoppers Expect?

The study further highlighted how about 80 percent of online consumers think that the shopping experience brands offer them are as important as the deals and products they offer. An excellent online store design, quick checkout, properly optimized product pages are vital for a good online customer journey. However, that is not all, as customers expect more. 

What Else Do Customers Expect?

Before Buying

Shoppers these days want user generated content, which includes reviews, testimonials, product ratings, pictures etc. Things like these can significantly increase engagement, leading to improved conversation rates. However, that is not all, as today’s consumers are more likely to buy from a band when they receive personalized discounts. 

For instance, if a shopper is price sensitive, they will add items to their cart and search for deals on their browser. This will most likely cause them to and fro from the online store to find the right coupon. Personalizing the shopping experience by predicting what customers want can be helpful and retain them for the future. E-commerce stores can provide them discounts on their site, making sure they don’t have to look for them elsewhere. 

During the Purchase

Consumers don’t just want to look at product videos and images. They also read descriptions to make sure the item they are buying suit their particular needs. For instance, a person shopping for clothes would look for material information and sizing guide to visualize their purchase. This is where 3D solutions can be quite helpful and help e-commerce merchants develop interactive 3D photography for customers. 

The next thing to make sure is whether customers are consuming the right information. According to research, 11 percent of the traffic in most online stores sees unauthorized apps. These ads are usually injected by the consumer’s browser with the help of adware and can come through web apps and browser extensions. So, even if you have optimized your product page properly, it may still have issues on the consumer end, which you must fix for a better online customer journey.  

After Buying

While the during and before part of the purchase process really matter and can make or break the online customer journey, e-commerce merchants still have some responsibilities to take care of. Once a customer purchases an item, stores must communicate with them effectively, making sure they are engaged. 

Using solutions like web push notifications like live chats, chat bots and Facebook messenger can be quite helpful in such instances.  These channels can automate the initial part of conversations, helping retain customers for the future. Brands can also utilize these platforms to offer customers information regarding deals and discounts post purchase. 

Remember, timely messaging and personalization can help improve your retention rate and profitability significantly. Since repeat customers usually have a higher order value, focusing on retaining a customer after they have already purchased from you is vital. 

Improving Customer’s online Journey the Right Way

If you look at some of the biggest brands with an online presence, you will immediately notice that they implement most of the strategies discussed in this piece and it is time that you follow them too. According to a survey, about 70% consumers believe it is vital for brands to have interconnected processes. These begin from the point of brand discovery to how customers explore their products and buy from them. 

As mentioned earlier, modern shoppers want online retailers to offer them a seamless omni-channel experience. If your e-commerce store has also been getting decent traffic but is having a hard time converting shoppers, it would be best to make some changes to your online customer journey. Using customer optimization tools like Conversion Guard and focusing on the considerations and tips discussed in this piece can help you retain customers and increase your profitability. 

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