Since the pandemic shut down brick-and-mortar businesses, companies and consumers alike have been relying more and more on online shopping. Even with in-person operations picking back up, many are still hesitant to go out when it’s unnecessary. Because of the increased rate of online shopping, it’s more important than ever to give customers the best online shopping experience you can.
Update User Experience
User experience is critical to the success of your online storefront. This means making your site easily navigable. If consumers can’t easily find what they want on your site, they’ll go somewhere else. Loading speed is important in a culture that values instant gratification. If it takes too long to load, they’ll go somewhere else. Your site should be formatted for mobile use as well. And you need to make sure the checkout process is smooth and painful. If not – you guessed it – they’ll go somewhere else.
Improve Shipping
Shipping can be a pretty big pain point for businesses and consumers. There are plenty of issues that can complicate your shipping process. You’ll want to identify those and eliminate them. A simple slip of a finger can make the difference between a customer getting what they ordered, a package being sent to the wrong address, or maybe not being sent out at all. Offering too many shipping options complicates order fulfillment and may result in items being shipped or charged incorrectly. It also might negatively impact delivery schedules. It’s better to only offer a couple of options, if you elect to offer more than one.
Manage Expectations
It’s critical that you manage consumer expectations—especially right now with the COVID-19 pandemic. More online shopping means a greater strain is placed on order fulfillment and delivery. This might mean longer delivery times and potential delays. It’s important to be upfront and honest with consumers about what they can expect from you and your business. Don’t promise something you can’t deliver. If, despite your best efforts, things fall through, contact the customer immediately. Being proactive is one of the keys to effective communication with customers. You’ll find they’re happier if you contact them about the problem and present a solution, rather than if you wait for them to contact you.
It’s more clear now than ever before that a business website is critical to a company’s success. In order for a website to be effective, however, it needs to provide customers with a positive shopping experience. If this is something your site needs to improve on, consider updating the user experience on your site. Address any issues that arise with your shipping processes. Learn how to best manage your customers’ expectations. You’ll find that by addressing these things, you retain more customers than you have before.
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