Those once loyal to the high street have been forced to look elsewhere for their purchasing needs, giving online stores the opportunity to increase their market share.
The key to making the most of this opportunity is to focus on a customer experience that goes above and beyond. Doing so will help drive conversions through authentic reviews and persuasive social proof - and once converted, turn new customers into your own loyal consumer base.
It’s not just those that have had to move their physical stores online that are adapting to change right now. Even established online retailers are switching up the gears in response to growing demand and increased competition.
Satisfaction is key here. Deliver below expectations, and you’ll quickly see your customers look elsewhere. Deliver on expectation and you might just muddle through. But those that go the extra mile? They’re the ones that will generate increased consumer loyalty and an influx of reviews that set them apart in a crowded marketplace.
So be sure to listen to the customer voice and adapt your service to surpass all expectations.
The current climate has brought an increase in traffic for online stores without the need for any additional marketing. That’s great news, but don’t take it for granted. Many of these new customers are shopping online out of necessity, and whether they will continue to do so in the long run will largely be determined by the experience they have.
Remember that this particular set of consumers are used to face to face interactions, so you need to offer a responsive approach to customer service. Make yourself readily available to answer any purchase queries they might have.
Like with our chat functionality, which you can use to learn more, ensures we’re always available should our clients need us.
While every ecommerce store should collect product reviews it's hard to talk to those customers who didn't checkout. Most eCommerce platforms offer access to information on abandoned carts, and you should be using this to understand more about the buyer journey, where they encountered problems, and why they failed to complete their purchase.
With the fallout of COVID-19, consumers face a great number of uncertainties, and these extend to shopping online. A drop in your checkout success rate could be due to a common issue, or it could be the result of increased competition.
If you do identify a recurring problem, it goes without saying that you should do your best to resolve it. If no such issue exists, improve the customer experience by sending a gentle reminder to those with abandoned carts, or by offering incentives like discounts to entice them back to their purchase. You could also consider directing them to your reviews. By sharing positive feedback, you build trust and stand to save abandoned transactions on the basis of consumer confidence.
No one wants negative reviews. But sadly, you can’t please everyone 100% of the time – especially in today's challenging circumstances. The market has changed, and so has your audience and their individual needs. There are ways To Handle Negative Reviews but a simple solution is to improve a negative experience with proactive communication.
Make sure you have a review invitation email in place to request feedback. Within this review request ask if they have any issues and point them in the right direction for support. The point here is not to divert or dismiss a bad review, it’s to ensure a good customer experience by resolving the issue in such a way that a negative becomes a positive.
One of the strongest types of review is one that shows how a negative experience was transformed by great customer service. These reviews demonstrate a genuine concern for customer satisfaction and prove that you value people over profit.
So, don’t shy away from sharing this type of feedback. Instead, use it to your advantage and show just how committed to the customer experience you are.
By offering customer service that is second to none, you’re not only likely to receive glowing reviews and recommendations. You’re also likely to convert more potential buyers into customers, and more customers into loyal consumers. Consumers that once shied away from online stores in preference for the high street.
And since the digital retail space has opened up in ways no one could ever have predicted, there’s never been a better time to put customer service at the centre of your eCommerce review strategy.
