What customers want from online businesses has changed in recent years, and these expectations are believed to continue evolving in the future. This is due to the world of online shopping allowing individuals to fulfill their needs, often in a quick and simple manner. However, there is a tight competition to ensure your business is the customer’s first thought.
With this in mind, online businesses should look for ways to go above and beyond the customers’ needs. After all, it is this treatment that the customer will remember when they next want to shop, and your business will not want to pass up on this opportunity.
Thankfully, this post will explore three of the main expectations that customers have when shopping online and how your business can exceed these expectations.
Ease of Use
One of the first expectations customers have when shopping online is a website that focuses on the user experience. This means a website that is easy to use, fast when loading, and designed simply. These aspects are essential, particularly when you consider that 60% of online shoppers will abandon their baskets if the website has a bad user experience. For businesses, this statistic can be a troubling thought, but it should also be the motivation to improve the website.
To improve the user experience on the business website, there are various factors to consider, including clear navigation, call to actions, responsive design, as well as speed and performance. The first step to improve the user experience is to simplify the website’s design, as an overly complicated site can be overwhelming and result in a loss of sales. This will also affect how users can navigate the website; easy navigation is preferred so shoppers can find what they are looking for without too many clicks.
Additionally, optimizing the speed of the website will help you avoid customer frustration and high bounce rates. You can do this by choosing a reliable hosting provider, compressing images, removing unnecessary characters from HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, etc.
Fast Delivery
The second expectation customers prioritize is fast delivery. Home delivery offers a level of convenience that businesses should focus on providing to increase the chance of forming customer loyalty. According to this post, nine in ten consumers expect two or three-day shipping to be the standard, and carts will be abandoned if shipping times are too long, which can be detrimental to your business.
Businesses can improve the speed of their deliveries through a variety of strategies, and while it is possible for a business to complete this work in-house, it can be simpler to work with a third-party logistics company. Some companies, like Ryder, will work with all sizes and types of products to help businesses protect their brand reputations. For example, you can choose between models and tiers of the Ryder Last Mile Delivery to ensure the service you receive fits the needs of your business and surpasses the expectations of your customers.
This Last Mile Delivery service sees orders delivered to customers within two days from over 158 hubs nationwide. It aims to maintain steady customer satisfaction and make the most of brand identity by assembling furniture and installing appliances upon delivery, which is more than most companies offer.
Outstanding Customer Service
Finally, customers want to be treated well, and this is where customer service comes into play. It can be easy to become lost in the pattern of helping customers quickly before moving on to the next one, but this will negatively impact your business. Instead, make sure to spend time with your customers and actually connect with them.
Although it can be difficult to connect with you customers, your customer service representatives can do this through minor changes in their interactions. For example, in a web chat, a customer might ask for a returning a specific product due to damage; if this is the case, the representative can complete this request quickly but also let the customer know if they, themselves, have used the product and why it’s a worthwhile purchase.
Personalizing these interactions will build more trust between the business and its customers. You can try using the customer’s first name, remembering their likes and dislikes, and ensure the system makes note of their specific needs, and this information can be used to tailor their experience.
By understanding the ever-evolving expectations of your customers, you will have a better chance of turning them into repeat purchasers. This might require additional work at the beginning, but it will benefit your business greatly by increasing sales and customer satisfaction.
