Managing a virtual store is a job full of challenges. E-commerce profitability remains low compared to physical retail, operating costs are high, and user acquisition is expensive.
One of the best ways to attack these barriers is to offer a seamless online shopping experience for the customer. How to do it? Well, there is no magic formula, but with good practices you can improve the relationship with the user and even increase the conversions of your site custom screen printing.
Here we show you some tips that help any manager achieve good results. Do you want to discover them? Keep reading!
Know the reasons that leave your customers dissatisfied when they make purchases online
We have all already received a complaint from a consumer, right? When operating in the Internet sales segment, it is possible that, at some point, there will be a certain degree of dissatisfaction with your brand.
So, before starting to draw up strategies to delight the user, it is good to understand the reasons that lead them to lose patience when shopping on your site.
According to a study (available in Portuguese) carried out by ITBroker , a market intelligence company, which focuses on marketing and sales, 48% of people point out delays in deliveries as a fact of dissatisfaction with virtual purchases. Already 22.7% complain because they did not receive the merchandise, while 15% of consumers complain of having purchased a defective item.
Another issue that generates dissatisfaction is the lack of information about the article. According to the Radar e-commerce survey , in 2017 alone, 82% of users abandoned carts and one of the main reasons is not having access to sufficient information about the products they are looking for.
Although these numbers are for the Brazilian market, purchasing behavior among Latin American countries is similar.
This high rate is related to the fact that people cannot touch or try the product, as they do in physical stores, which makes their decision difficult. Therefore, every detail regarding the merchandise makes a difference, after all, it is through this information that the choice will be made.
Being attentive to these indices and thinking about efficient strategies to combat them is essential to change the way you organize, disseminate and even increase the turnover of your online store. In the next topic, we will give you some tips to change these numbers. Check them out!
7 tips to improve the online shopping experience
Good practices are always welcome for those who act on the Internet and want to conquer the consumer, right? Below we list the most important tips to provide a perfect experience for your user. Keep reading!
- Have the customer at the center of your strategy
It seems obvious, but sometimes, companies forget to act according to the needs of their buyers. The profile of users is changing: they are more demanding, they operate on multi-channels and they want to have the same attention, whether in the physical or digital environment.
According to a study published by Universalpay , the Internet influences more than 50% of purchases made through the practice of price comparison. In this scenario, it is extremely important to integrate your strategies to capture the attention of each person throughout the entire shopping day.
More than that, it is necessary to know the customer deeply to exceed their expectations. The luck is that in the digital world they always give clues, whether in a comment on social networks or even the browsing time on a page.
With the data at hand, the manager can know what expectations are implicit in a business transaction, the best channels to engage with this customer, and even what their priorities are in life. All of this creates personalized attention and increases the chances of closing deals.
- Make a detailed description of each item
Do you remember that at the beginning of the text we mentioned that the lack of information is one of the factors that most prevent people from buying online? So, you have to describe in detail each product you have on your website .
It includes the most basic information to the most specific. The type of content, of course, will depend on the profile of your client and also the segment of your company. If you sell electronic products, for example, it is more interesting to talk about weight, battery type, memory, functionality and other technical data.
Don’t forget to use keywords when writing about the article when setting up your online showcase. Such terms are relevant to SEO practices and help achieve better search engine rankings.
Near the product description, a space for comments and user evaluations . This simple action passes more credibility to a potential client, since they will have access to opinions that are not institutional.
- Update product images
Visual appeal has always been part of the purchasing process. This is how it works in supermarkets and shopping center windows. So why would it be different in your e-commerce?
Well, following the same principle of the description, the more details and angles you can show of the merchandise, the better. It includes zoom functions so that the user almost has the sensation of touching the product.
Of course, don’t forget to only post quality images . Also, you always have to fill in the alt text for the photo. This way, if the site is ever slow to load the image, the buyer will know which item they are looking at.
- Invest in usability
A Google study (2017) revealed that 53% of visitors abandon mobile sites that take more than three seconds to load the page. And for every second the user waits to load the site, the conversion rate decreases by 12%.
These numbers are scary, right? Therefore, investing in usability is essential to consolidate your e-commerce. Make a responsive site, that is, adaptable to any screen size.
Another tip is to go for visual appeal, offering clear responses on the device according to the customer’s actions. This is valid when putting an item in the cart, searching for products and even at checkout. The important thing is that all the steps are simple, fast and transparent.
Having a good e-commerce platform also helps make your digital point of sale perfect. Find partners that offer image standardization and automation, standardize sales reports, facilitate the work of search engines, among other configurations that can improve your operational management and make your business more agile.
- Have a fast and effective service channel
Is there a greater frustration than trying to return or exchange a product and not being able to do so? Or worse yet, that they ignore you and give you terrible service? On the Internet, the situation has one more aggravating factor: we cannot hear the tone of voice or see the expression of the seller, which reduces the humanization of the interaction and causes noise in the communication.
In this scenario, carry out training with your officials, regardless of the channel of contact with the user. Encourage them to be considerate and available to resolve customer questions. Think that this is another opportunity to get to know your buyer in depth.
Another important point is to have a very clear and objective customer service, which speaks the same record as your buyer persona, in order to clarify the most recurring doubts. In addition to reducing the work of the support team, you provide more transparency and trust to visitors.
Finally, it facilitates the exchange and returns of merchandise, with transparent steps on how the customer should proceed in case the item does not meet their expectations. An interesting action is to allow the exchange of what was purchased through Internet purchases at physical points of sale, for example. Think of a store in your country that does this. Do you realize the enormous difference this makes when purchasing?
- Meet the delivery deadline
The obvious must be said: there is no deadline that is not met or debt that is not paid. This also applies to gifts, discounts and delivery time. Online sales meet the profile of the new customer, who increasingly appreciates immediacy.
For example, according to the 2017 e-commerce market overview (Brazil), 43.5% of customers in that country abandon the purchase due to delivery time. Therefore, do not make him wait longer than necessary to receive his product. If possible, deliver the product earlier than promised. This way, the customer will feel special and will have more confidence in your service.
If any unforeseen logistics arise, for example, notify us in advance. It also makes it clear on its website what the product inventory is like. The main thing is to focus on an honest conversation with the end buyer.
- Create attractive promotions
Who doesn’t like a promotion that raises their hand! Create exclusive offers on the site or you can even integrate them with physical stores. Bet on advantage or discount clubs. This is intended to show the consumer that we value them, a lot.
Another tip is to create a blog to educate your users. It is important to become an authority on a topic to attract more people and visits to your store.
If we take again the Panorama of the E-commerce market as a reference, 87.5% of online commerce adopts the content marketing strategy. Because? E-businesses that have blogs and other channels have twice as many visitors and 4.9 more customers than competitors.