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Online shopping has made the experience of buying products much more convenient for consumers. However, one way that online stores are still failing to compete with the high street is the lack of quality customer service and human interaction available online.
Shopping in a physical store can help to put many consumers at ease, encouraging them to stick around for longer and if the in-store experience is as positive and as memorable as it should be, then consumers are more likely to return to your business in the future.
However, it is possible to make consumers feel just as good about your business when shopping online, as these five top tips from e-commerce experts Webretailer.com reveal.
- Have a website that loads quickly
Whether shopping online or in-store, nobody likes to be made to wait when out shopping, and consumers will really value a system that is as efficient as possible.
Most customers have short attention spans, and if your website fails to load on their screens pretty much instantly, then they are likely to look elsewhere.
Having a website that loads quickly is the first step in communicating to your client base that you can be trusted. This goes for both the mobile and desktop versions of your website.
- Be easy to get in touch with
There’s nothing worse than trying to find a number or email address for customer support, and having to click and scroll through endless pages of a company’s website. The experience can be enough to put customers off coming back to a website, or even using it at all.
Making your contact details front and centre of your website will communicate to customers that you are approachable and have nothing to hide when it comes to your business.
Offering on-site live chat is another great way to create the in-store experience, as many consumers prefer to interact with another person before making a decision on whether or not to make a purchase. Including this feature could make or break a significant number of sales.
- Win people over with attractive visuals and layout
High street stores put a lot of effort into their visuals and layout, all to catch the eye of potential customers and maintain their attention when in-store.
Your website should strive to do the same thing, utilising colours and shapes that complement each other and represent your business to grab the attention of consumers and keep them on your page for as long as possible.
Remember that when it comes to graphic design, less is often more, and most of the time a simpler but memorable design will have a more positive effect on consumers.
- Display positive customer feedback on-site
Consumers expect businesses to talk up their own qualities, but when fellow consumers have had positive things to say about your business, those comments are much more valuable and are more likely to sway other people’s opinions.
Be sure to display any positive customer feedback front and centre of your website, and remember to keep those comments fresh. If your only positive feedback comes from years back, then consumers will be more likely to have doubts about your business.
To ensure that you have a near-constant stream of positive feedback coming through, make your comments and reviews section easy for customers to both find and use.
- Offer freebies and deals where you can
Everyone loves a deal, or better yet a total freebie, so offering these incentives can get customers on-side and make them more likely to do business with you, and more importantly, keep doing business with you in the future.
Even offering something as simple as free shipping will leave consumers feeling they have had a positive experience using your site. Offering free shipping is a subtle way of communicating to your client base that there are no hidden costs with your business, a value that consumers will take away and remember about your business.