Ecommerce is about one thing above all – convenience. It’s no longer about finding the cheapest price but instead, the easiest and fastest solution.
However many retailers are still struggling to make the necessary changes to offer their customers a one-stop shop when it comes to a seamless customer service and an efficient shopping experience.
In part one of our series, we take a look at what retailers can do to gain a competitive advantage when it comes to convenience. We look at what technology and services are here to stay, and what you’ll need to invest in if you don’t want to be left behind in the highly competitive world of Ecommerce.
Social shopping
With 3 out of 4 shoppers now consulting social media before they purchase (Digital Marketing Magazine, 2015), online shopping has become a social experience that can be engaged with at any time, anywhere with anyone. The new ‘shop’ buttons on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest are tipped by many to become key buying routes in 2017 and social shopping sites such as Polyvore and Fab.com make social shopping seem like a natural choice.
If you’re looking at where to invest in next, then consider posting your inventory on more than just your own Ecommerce website – look at how you can integrate your products with social media, making purchasing and sharing your products a fun, casual and a sociable experience.
Next day delivery
Impatient consumers who are shopping online want goods now. In fact, next day delivery is the preferred option for 52% of online shoppers yet shockingly 18% of multichannel retailers fail to offer it (Ampersand, 2017). It’s a missed opportunity that’s frustrating consumers, delivering poor service and reducing conversion.
In fact, many brands are now offering VIP services for their most dedicated customers, allowing the consumer to pay an annual fee and receive free unlimited next day delivery.
So next time you’re wondering how to reduce your abandonment rate then look at whether your delivery service is satisfying the customer’s demand for instant gratification. If you’re not offering your consumer the option of getting their purchase within 24 hours then someone else will – meaning you’ll lose good business to bad service.
Faster ways to pay
We want to shop quickly and effortlessly which means paying without the hassle of fumbling around for debit cards. From good old reliable Paypal and the new Apple Pay to Mastercard’s selfie or fingerprint payment app (Mastercard, 2016), make sure your customers don’t need to think before they buy online or in-store.
One touch payment systems undoubtedly reduce the barriers to purchase and make shopping as pain-free as possible. And the ability to login to multiple accounts using our social profiles prevents the frustration of forgotten passwords and login details, reducing the likelihood your shopper will abandon your site.
These are just three ways you can make your customers’ lives easier and make your online shopping experience faster and more efficient. And providing a more convenient, seamless and quicker shopping experience doesn’t just improve the customer experience – it increases conversion meaning investments you make in your services will increase your sales.
In part two of our guide we’ll take a look at three more ways to improve the convenience of your customers’ shopping experience – from unifying your omnichannel infrastructures to smarter ways to deliver content.
