There’s an ongoing campaign among businesses that are trying to improve their competitiveness, and it’s called customer experience.
Customer experience describes the various interactions of buyers with your company from the time they gain awareness of your brand until they make a purchase.
A positive customer experience offers major advantages for your business. Customers who are happy with your brand of service are 11 times more likely to recommend you, according to research firm Temkin Group. Likewise, 86% of customers who are satisfied with their interactions with your company can become your loyal fan base—increasing profitability from repeat purchases.
The bottom line here is that excellent customer experience has a huge impact on your brand image and ROI such that marketing experts predict that majority of buyers are willing to pay more to receive a better customer experience.
Follow these tips to help your company deliver a good buying experience that online customers will appreciate:
1. Personalise Your Interaction and Offers
You have a lot of customer data at your disposal. Use it to fully understand who your customers are and where they are in their buying journey.
Based on this information, you can tailor your messages to a more personal level and give better recommendations that will delight your customers. Use their first name to address them properly when you communicate via SMS or emails. You can also look at their past transactions so you could send them offers that are related to their unique interests.
It’s important to take note of all the information that your customers share with you so that you don’t waste their time with offers that are not relevant to them.
2. Respond Quickly
Technology has changed consumers’ perception as to how companies should be available to answer their queries or pick up their request 24/7. Never leave your customers waiting longer than necessary, as they will be quick to take their business elsewhere.
If you can’t respond to an email or chat message immediately, letting your customers know how much time it will take you to get back to them should be part of your customer expectation management policy.
3. Deliver Fast
A fast delivery service can set your e-commerce business apart from other online retailers. It’s a must that you invest in this area.
If your website or social account says you offer same day delivery in Sydney, you should deliver on your promise. It would be best if you have a contingency plan to ensure that your customer receives the package on the dot without any delay.
You should also make it easy for your customers to track their shipment and get instant support from your delivery team in real time.
4. Take Responsibility for Your Mistakes
Minor slips or big blunders could happen to anyone. If you find yourself in any of these situations, be humble enough to admit your shortcoming and correct your mistakes immediately.
Encourage everyone in your team to be accountable for their actions instead of blaming someone else. If you have to foot the bill for your customer to prevent a potential disaster or make up for the inconvenience, then, by all means, do it.
5. Incentivize Actions
Be on the lookout for customers who give you repeat business. Often, they will be willing to receive upsell or cross-sell offers from you, especially when you’re giving them exclusive deals.
Time is an essential factor for this selling opportunity, so make sure to present your offer while they’re on your website or as soon as they have completed the purchase.
In exchange, you should be generous in giving them incentives to keep them coming back to your store – whether it’s a discount coupon for their next purchase or reduced shipping fees – anything that lets them save money to use in future transactions with your business.
6. Listen to Your Customers
The shopping preferences of customers are constantly changing, and unless you’re quick to adapt, you might lose your relevance in today’s very competitive business space. You could use surveys, polls, or contests to gain insights into what your customers need or want, and then customise your products or service to enhance their shopping experience. Don’t hesitate to try out your customers’ ideas when you see there’s a clamor for something new.
7. Build a Strong Relationship
Customers are taking note of every good and bad experience they have with companies. It goes without saying that you should build customer loyalty by demonstrating 100% commitment to serving your customers well.
In fact, a study by The Economist Intelligence Unit relates a customer-friendly experience to customer retention, which in turn, results in repeat purchases.
Customer experience is redefining the way companies are doing business with their target market. At its core, customer experience is about delighting customers in every stage of their buying journey—from providing them relevant information about your brand to making product recommendations and delivering items they purchased at lightning speed.
Keep your customers happy to keep your cash register busy!