Creating “Real-Life” Experiences As an E-Commerce Brand

Companies that see mediocre sales results via their e-commerce sites often are lacking in terms of a customer experience strategy. An e-commerce brand isn’t simply an online catalog that offers products and services for sale. It must offer an experience that verges on what a shopper would expect from a real-life interaction – only more convenient.

Social Customer Service

Shoppers often want to see their desired products in action. A livestream via a social media platform like Facebook can attract serious attention and engagement from different target audiences. Livestream a demo or include real-time experiences like pop-up events or limited-time offers that count down quickly. It’s also important to have a dedicated social customer service team ready to address online issues via Twitter, Instagram, etc. as they are received through the e-commerce customer journey.

Individualized Attention

Instead of delivering a generic experience, understand and anticipate what each customer needs. Provide suggestions or guidance through online chat features, and offer complimentary products or services that’ll add value to the entire transaction. Ask yourself, if the customer was deciding on a purchase in store, how would a salesperson handle guiding a customer through a purchase transaction?

Focus on the E-Commerce Customer Journey

Shopping on an e-commerce site isn’t always about searching for the lowest price on a few items. Often, the online shopper will select an item that fulfills one step in their e-commerce customer journey. For example, a person who visits your online store for health products and searches for “meal replacement bars” may benefit from blogs about diet and nutrition and how-to videos demonstrating healthy, at-home recipes. Anticipate the customer journey through email campaigns and other types of content that will help provide the information they are seeking.

Optimize Amazon Profiles

Amazon is an amazing resource for shoppers when it comes to product descriptions, specifications, reviews, comparisons, and details. This deep dive into each item on the Amazon website is, in essence, an encyclopedia for the modern age, and a major benefit for any shopper. Your site must confidently assert information and understand that today’s shopper demands quick and easy access to information and will quickly abandon any business that fails to deliver. Ensure you are responding to customer reviews in a proactive way that will help bolster your online reputation.

Minimize Interaction Costs

This concept refers to the physical and mental effort required of a customer when interacting with an e-commerce site. Does the site require unnecessary scrolling, clicking, or typing? If it does, it’ll quickly lose the interest of the person through their e-commerce customer journey, they’ll abandon their cart, and “walk” out of the store.

One of the primary benefits of online shopping to the customer is convenience. However, convenience should never surpass the need for customer service on as much of a one-to-one level as possible. Create strategies that speak directly to your customers and give them more of the real-life experiences they seek.