Keeping customers satisfied is essential to the long-term success of your business, especially in a competitive market. Satisfied buyers may become loyal customers that have a higher lifetime value, helping to spread the word about good online shopping experiences. Here are four essential approaches that make for a winning customer-centric strategy:
Create convenience
Providing a convenient shopping experience to customers fosters a sense of loyalty. Buyers are more likely to return to your website if they find it’s easy to navigate and responsive to mobile devices, and if they are able to find items quickly and accurately. Offering a quick and easy checkout process, and providing the right payment and delivery options goes a long way with today’s consumers, who place a lot of value on seamless digital experiences.
Offer the right support
Customer service and support should be seen as an integral part of the customer’s journey and not only as a post-purchase resource. If offered as a guide at each stage of the shopping journey, there is greater opportunity to boost sales and increase post-purchase satisfaction rather than just using customer service as a means to resolve concerns and complaints. Communicating with your customers through a variety of channels – live chat, email, or social media – creates and strengthens relationships that help increase conversions.
Provide consistent and personalised experiences across all channels
Shoppers expect to receive the same information and experience regardless of the channel they use. Collecting accurate, comprehensive, up-to-date customer information and insight to create a single view of your customer allows for a consistent experience, with quality service available at each touchpoint.
A sensible data strategy that captures the shopper’s behaviour across all channels will help create targeted experiences aimed to reflect each individual’s shopping habits and preferences.
Introduce user-generated content for social proof
The popularity of user-generated content (UGC) is growing. Besides encouraging reviews, brands are encouraging their customers to share images and videos of them using their products. Digital shoppers seek the information they are looking for to influence their purchase decision through their peers’ opinions and authentic experiences. Other customers’ reviews and pictures provide social proof for the undecided shopper, so are an effective way to create a more engaging online experience as well as increase brand advocacy.
In conclusion, embodying a customer-centric strategy that focuses on improving the overall shopping experience will help you drive sales and encourage customer loyalty for years to come. You want to make sure you’re offering a seamless, convenient experience across all channels for customers to make them return and influence their peers to visit.
About PFS
A leading global commerce service provider, PFS enables brand and specialty retailers to achieve their commerce goals. As an ecommerce solutions provider, we combine consulting, agency, technology and operations to deliver unique and branded customer experiences, creating Commerce Without Compromise. Learn more about our solutions at www.pfsweb.com