7 Strategies to Elevate Customer Experience in Your Online eCommerce Store

Quick Summary: Imagine you run a very successful website (online store) selling premium, sustainable clothing. Your clothes are made from eco-friendly fabric and get great reviews. But offering just a great product is not enough to thrive in the global market, definitely the quality of your product is important but there’s something called “customer experience”. Relying only on product quality won’t give you reputation, it won’t attract, engage or retain your customers. In an online ecommerce store, offering a satisfying and wholesome experience is crucial for customer loyalty. 85% of buyers are ready to even pay more for exceptional customer service. 

What exactly is ecommerce customer experience? 

Ecommerce customer experience is your customer’s overall journey while navigating through the e-store. It includes every touchpoint a visitor passes through, right from the moment he discovers your brand to engaging in the billing process. 

This includes customer service, website navigation, refunds, exchanges, returns and checkout process. A positive customer experience makes him feel valued. Also, it encourages them to recommend your brand to others. 

Strategies and ideas to improve ecommerce experience of a customer 

1. User-friendly website- Making your website user-friendly is the first and the most basic step in improving the ecommerce experience of a visitor. An user-friendly website makes it easier for customers to explore what they need, learn more about your products and services, and purchase them effortlessly. 

• A simple and clean layout helps to navigate through the website quickly and results in faster loading times which doesn’t frustrate your visitor. 
• Improving your checkout process helps customer in billing so they won’t leave items in cart as it happens with many online stores. 
• Responsive design of your website helps people in purchasing via any of the available devices, as these days most of the purchasing happens through mobile. 

2. Clear and neat product pages- In order to create an ever-lasting customer experience, it’s crucial to appeal to your customers’ emotions, by creating clear and neat product pages. The headline of the product should be easy to understand, providing necessary details to guide customers toward making a purchase without confusing them.
3. Personalisation- Personalizing the ecommerce experience for a customer is essential for every brand, like using customer names while dropping any notifications. Or like Myntra does– addressing customer’s name while they are waiting in the IVR. You can also give personalized recommendations to your elite customers, providing a more wholesome shopping experience. Imagine a customer browsing through your site, instead of generic suggestions, they receive recommendations based on their past purchases or wishlist. 
4. Proactive in customer communication- Proactive communication is crucial, by anticipating and addressing customer queries before they escalate further, you can enhance the overall purchasing journey and satisfaction. Keep your customers informed about their orders, shipping status, order tracking details, or any relevant information to build transparency. 
5. Omnichannel presence- A customer ecommerce experience can significantly be improved by crafting omnichannel strategies. Today’s customers expect more than just traditional brick and mortar shop or basic online shopping experiences. Services like convenient return options, social media orders, faster pickup and delivery, and ability to track orders have become a preference for many. 
6. Quick response time- Responding actively and promptly to customer queries shows them you value their time, fostering a sense of confidence and satisfaction. This approach directly affects the word of mouth of your brand, how loyal your customers are and how much are retained. This should be a top priority if you are looking to elevate a customer’s ecommerce experience. 
7. Organized conversations- Storing conversations with customers in an organized manner helps to track issues effectively, spot trends and ensure timely responses. 

5 Examples of Mind-blowing eCommerce Customer Experience 

It’s time to take some inspiration from these brands- 

1. Amazon- Amazon is popular for its one click purchase feature, highly tailored recommendations to suit individual preferences, and seamless return process. It also helps shoppers valuable insights through customer reviews and ratings, videos by influencers etc. 
2. Apple- Apple is known for its tremendous popularity among people, it gives shoppers valuable insights through customer reviews, aiding in the decision making. The brand also provides comprehensive and clear product information and a streamlined checkout process to enhance the overall ecommerce experience of a customer. 
3. Sephora- Being a leader in the beauty industry, Sephora allows customers to try makeup virtually on its website. This innovative and unique approach allows shoppers to make well-informed decisions while exploring the website. 
4. Netflix- Netflix has positioned itself as the prime source of entertainment. Its clean categories makes it easier for new users to understand what’s been offered. Personalized movie recommendations and seamless streaming across various devices ensure that the users enjoy a non-stop entertainment experience. 

Conclusion

Delivering an ecommerce customer experience that stands out and goes beyond offering a premium quality product is essential in today’s hectic world where nobody has time to scroll through overwhelming websites. Users want a seamless engagement with the brand from discovery to post-purchase. Brands like Netflix, Amazon, Sephora and Apple meet the user friendly requirements and elevate their consumer experiences. If you are looking to build  ecommerce store, contact us or set up a meeting with us for best results!