Reliance on eCommerce has been on the rise for years, but the pandemic saw a widespread acceleration of digital shopping. This shift gave consumers a taste for the convenience of shopping from home, and the habits that developed during quarantine are now here to stay.
Here are some tips to help you re-imagine the buyer’s journey in the post-COVID economy:
Make Your Website Compatible Across All Devices
An increasing number of U.S. consumers are relying on their smartphones to make online purchasing decisions. Your website should accommodate this traffic.
For starters, you’ll need to develop a “responsive” web design that automatically adjusts your website to mobile devices. You’ll also want your menus and navigation bar to be easy to use by those shopping with their thumbs.
Feel the Need for Speed
Consumers come to your eCommerce site expecting convenience. Make sure your site loads quickly — otherwise, shoppers are likely to close the window and search for the same product at one of your faster-loading competitors.
Focus on Your Menu
One of the most important parts of your eCommerce platform is your navigation system. Customers should be able to quickly navigate to what they want without a lot of unnecessary clicking or scrolling.
Implement a “site search” feature that lets website visitors simply type in what they’re looking for so that their shopping experience can be more direct and personalized.
Don’t Overcrowd Your Content
The COVID pandemic has given consumers an expert-level ability to scroll through and navigate eCommerce platforms.
You may feel tempted to include lots of information about your products, but less is generally more. That is to say: too much content can crowd the screen and distract from the customer experience, making customers less likely to commit to a purchase.
Include Customer Reviews
The 2020 pandemic shifted many businesses to eCommerce platforms. What makes your business stand out from the crowd?
Let your past customers tell the story — include customer reviews on your website. These reviews might be about your company in general, but ideally, they should review your products. This way, customers can take other users’ experiences into account when making a purchasing decision.
Communicate Inventory Data on Your Site
With so many shoppers surfing the web, consumers want to know where they can get the item they want when they want. One of the ways you can help them choose your business is by providing inventory data directly on your webpage.
Let shoppers know if the item is in stock or, if necessary, include a backorder date. This way, customers can have greater confidence in your ability to deliver, whether today or in the immediate future.
Make It Easy to Contact You
If your business provides services, then you’ll naturally want it to be easy for customers to connect with you. But even if your eCommerce business sells tangible products, you want to make yourself available for customer questions.
Make sure your contact details are easy to find, such as in the footer of every page or even at the top of your search bar. If you have the bandwidth, offer live chat so that customers can ask questions or provide real-time feedback.
Let Customers Save Their Shopping Carts
It’s not uncommon for customers to add something to their shopping cart but then search a few other websites before making their final purchase. Letting them save the item in their cart makes it easier for them to return to your site and make their purchase.
This approach also helps you minimize cart abandonment — the phenomenon where shoppers add products to their cart only to never actually buy them.
Clearly Communicate Your Return Policy
Unless you’re an eCommerce giant, customers may be wary of clicking the “purchase” button on your site. Offering a clear-cut return policy can greatly boost customer confidence, giving them a “safety net” in case they need to return the item.
In most cases, the possibility of a return is all they need to convince them to make a first-time purchase, and it may even help you land a regular customer.
Offer Free Shipping
Every customer responds to the word “free.” And in today’s online retail environment, free shipping is often just a way of remaining competitive. Requiring a minimum purchase (e.g., $25 or more) to qualify might also encourage shoppers to add more items to their carts, so the cost of shipping is offset by greater sales volume.
Improving the eCommerce Ecosystem
At DigitlHaus, we believe in creating online stores that people want to buy from. We can help you design, refine, and implement a strategy that increases business and improves your online reputation. For more information, contact us today.
