In the dynamic world of eCommerce, engaging customers can often feel akin to the rapid swiping of online dating. Just as individuals sift through profiles on dating platforms, shoppers swiftly browse through online stores. To cultivate enduring relationships with customers, businesses must transcend mere attractive deals and focus on crafting unforgettable shopping experiences. This involves guiding customers through their journey with tailored advice and service, ensuring a smooth shopping and post-purchase experience.
The sports and outdoor industry serves as a prime example of this strategy, as demonstrated in a recent analysis. Out of 20 online stores examined, 13 offer welcome gifts for newsletter subscriptions, eight have loyalty programs, and only two provide four distinct communication channels. Markus Rohmeyer, Chief Product Officer at Novomind AG, emphasizes the significance of customer service in this sector: "Offering advice and personalized service before, during, and after the purchase provides a competitive advantage, contributing to an ideal digital commerce experience."
Enhancing Customer Interaction
Personalization features, such as curated product lists and tailored search results, have become standard tools for enhancing customer experience. The integration of conversational commerce is also becoming crucial. Services like availability alerts, reminders for abandoned cart items, and personalized product suggestions via messaging apps encourage repeat visits. Successful eCommerce businesses integrate omnichannel commerce with robust customer service, ensuring quick responses through the customer's preferred communication channel.
Omnichannel Communication: The Key to Success
Today's consumers expect seamless interactions across multiple touchpoints. Whether it's chatting with a service center, accessing product information via an app, or using intelligent FAQ centers and chatbots, customers demand flexibility. "Seamless" software solutions that consolidate all channels into a single system help maintain an overview, optimizing the customer experience and enhancing service efficiency.
Access to order history further streamlines customer service, improving response times and reducing returns. Despite the importance of excellent customer service, many eCommerce businesses underestimate its value. In physical stores, staff can address customer needs directly, but online, this requires strategic planning. Offering a variety of communication channels is crucial, yet the sports and outdoor industry averages only two touchpoints per store.
Live Chat: A Competitive Advantage
Live chat services offer significant benefits in eCommerce, providing quick assistance without long wait times. A study by Forrester Research found that 63% of customers prefer live chat over email or phone contact. This preference underscores the competitive edge live chats offer, enabling companies to deliver fast and direct service.
Building Customer Loyalty
Loyalty programs are a powerful tool for fostering customer relationships, with 54% of online shoppers making repeat purchases due to such programs. Despite this, only eight of the 20 surveyed online stores offer loyalty programs. These programs, along with newsletters, can significantly boost sales and customer loyalty. Offering discounts or welcome gifts for newsletter sign-ups can encourage initial purchases, as demonstrated by 11Teamsports, which provides an 11-euro welcome gift.
Additional benefits for customers include point collection systems, loyalty bonuses, exclusive offers, and personalized recommendations based on purchase history. However, service quality remains a critical factor. In a stress test, creativestyle's eCommerce experts evaluated the effectiveness of retailers' contact channels. They found significant variability in response times and quality, with some stores failing to respond altogether.