One of the hardest things any company can achieve in the modern day is originality. Whether you are looking to build or rebuild your business, originality and/or being different is always a good thing. In such a competitive industry like eCommerce, what can your company do to survive? If you own an online store and you want to be different from everybody else, it’s important to remember that originality is not necessarily the same thing as being different. Let’s show you some practices that can keep you ahead of the curve.
Increase Trust
No eCommerce business is as big or as popular as the massive marketplaces like Amazon. This is why trust is such a crucial component of building your business. You can build meaningful relationships with clients in a number of ways, as trust is not just about customer service, but can encompass aspects like SEO. For example, you can build on the reputation of your website and earn the “trust” of the Google algorithm by incorporating more backlinks. While this is something an SEO agency can do for you, the idea of trust is something we’ve all got to remember is not purely down to the humanized components. Of course, there are things that you can do to build strong and meaningful relationships, such as live chat, but ultimately being a trustworthy business is all about transparency and honesty. If you increase the trust for your business you will have people coming back to you because they know you are more reliable than the rest out there.
Be Quick To React
We live in a 24/7 world and this means we’ve got to be quick on the ball when it comes to offering the right products and services. When we have a customer who is not pleased with what they see or they are about to click away from the website, this is where being reactive and offering instant assistance can make a big difference to how they perceive you but also how you do business to earn people’s trust. When you become quicker in how you deal with customer complaints or queries, you are more likely to retain these customers. In a modern world where a customer can click away for the simple reason that your website page won’t load fast enough, being fast is vital.
Provide a Variety of Payment Options
Customers want to pay for items on their terms. When we offer multiple payment options, we are making life easier for our customers, which will make them more inclined to stick around. Many companies are now adding payment options such as PayPal, but if you really want to go further you’ve got to incorporate cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency is one of those aspects that many people might not view as a trustworthy practice, but things are changing for the better. Because cryptocurrency is a decentralized currency, people are more inclined to purchase from you when they are based on the other side of the world. If they bought items from you in their own currency they would be subject to additional bank charges. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it is certainly food for thought.
An Attractive Design
In the world of eCommerce, the way we take a picture is vital to turning a browser into a buyer. People will always want to see items before they buy them. We don’t have the luxury of going to a store and looking at the item when we are browsing online, we need to provide as much of a “3D” experience as possible. Many companies are now working hard at improving the customer experience by creating ways for customers to see the item in a 3D manner. When you browse online, you have the option to see a 360-degree representation of the item. It’s also worth pointing out that sizes are pivotal because if a customer buys something thinking it’s a certain size, but they make the mistake, they will inevitably blame you for it. As much information as possible in combination with attractive product images is so important.
The Right Customer Service
The product is not everything. If you have a better set of product features than your competitors that doesn’t mean you’ve won the battle. But when you facilitate a better way for customers to engage with you to talk about the product, this can make a big difference. For many businesses, competing in the realm of customer service is one of the few ways to differentiate themselves. Giving your customers the ability to talk and reach out to customer service agents is a simple thing, but it can set you apart. This is especially true in smaller businesses that are starting an eCommerce store on a website like Etsy. While many customers may give you the benefit of the doubt as you are a one-man band, the reality is that if you can be quick and give them amazing customer service they will remember you more for it. Therefore, giving your customers a wider array of contact choices and having a solid plan on how you can remedy customer complaints will make a big difference. Customer complaints are not fun, but you can help customers by solving their problems quickly while also giving them something to make sure they do not go away empty-handed.
Create an App
Many customers will prefer to use a mobile app over visiting your website. If you can create a mobile app, this is going to give your customers a far better purchasing experience. Because without it, you will very likely lose sales. Mobile is understandably more popular, but you should still make the effort to ensure that your website is mobile responsive. One of the simplest things in Search Engine Optimization is guaranteeing your website is mobile-friendly. If it’s not, you will be penalized and you will see a drop in your rankings on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
Deal With Shopping Cart Abandonment
This is something a lot of the bigger companies are now utilizing. Online shopping cart abandonment is representative of the loss of a customer that was about to purchase something from you. Sometimes, people will abandon their shopping cart because it’s too much hassle, exorbitant delivery charges, or the very simple fact that your website is just too slow. One of the best ways to remedy this is to send prompt emails reminding them (gently) to check out. You can sweeten the deal by reminding them of an offer that’s expiring soon. You can also implement live chat just to see if there is something you can help out with directly. The basket is like the finish line, and if you can help them over it, this is going to make a massive difference for both sides of the equation.
Deliver What You Promised
You offer a service and all your customers want is to get what you promised them. Delivering your product promptly is all you need to do. If you keep your promise, you can keep your customers. The hardest lesson for any small business is that the bigger companies will always have the advantage because they are better known. This is why you need to make sure that you are different from the glut of eCommerce businesses out there.
There’s a lot you can take on board. But the lessons can be extremely simple. If you win a customer’s trust, this is going to differentiate you from competitors in their minds, which is where it counts.
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