It’s easy to see how a poorly designed, confusing website might drive customers away. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With just a little effort and time, you can create an online store that will improve the customer experience and increase sales and bring in new customers. Here are five ways that fixing these things on your e-commerce site will help:
1) poor customer service
2) confusing website navigation
3) outdated information
4) no up-to-date promotions
5) products don’t match pictures/descriptions.
Let’s dive into each of these points one by one…
Five key steps for a successful career in digital marketing
Poor customer service
Customers expect online stores to be well-organized, functional, and helpful when they need assistance. They don’t want to be told that “the website is having technical difficulties” or that a package will ship in a week even though it’s supposed to arrive the next day. Unfortunately, customers who have a poor experience with your e-commerce store will tell their friends/social media followers or leave you a negative review. A great way to fix this is to make sure your email support is 24/7 and takes care of issues immediately.
Online stores should also have an option for live chat so that customers can instantly reach out if they need help. Studies show that live chat can increase conversions by 30%, so it’s worth investing in. Whether you need a simple widget or a professional service, there are plenty of options out there, and they’re very affordable.
Confusing website navigation
Your online store shouldn’t be like a maze; customers should be able to find their way around easily and quickly. If you have too many categories, be sure to sort them into sub-categories that are easier for customers to navigate. This will cut down on the time it takes for people to find what they’re looking for and make your site more user-friendly.
Another way to improve navigation is by including product filters so shoppers can narrow down their search by size, color, material, price range, etc. And of course, remember to have a search bar that works!
The do’s and don’ts in online content marketing
Outdated information
Keeping your website up-to-date is extremely important if you want customers to visit often and make purchases. In addition, people need accurate information about products they are looking at or considering buying. This includes price, availability, features, and more.
It’s important to update your store regularly with accurate information and build a team that can handle customer complaints and questions. If you’re not updating your store and getting rid of the bad reviews (positive reviews will bring in new customers), you won’t be able to gain as much traction.
No up-to-date promotions
Customers visit online stores to find the best deals. If you’re not offering current sales, coupons, discounts, or other types of promotions, your customers will go elsewhere. There are so many promotional tools out there that offer different kinds of offers (flash sales, limited-time offers, loyalty rewards, referral rewards, etc.) that it should be simple to find one that fits your business. And don’t forget to offer free shipping!
And what’s the point of a sale if you don’t have any customers? Promotions can help build a customer base and create buzz about your online store. You want people talking about you and recommending you to others.
20 Ways to Boost Traffic with Email Marketing
Products don’t match pictures/descriptions.
Finally, remember that your products should match what people see on the website. If the color or size is slightly different than described, customers may be turned off and leave a negative review. Having clear pictures and accurate descriptions of each product will improve conversions and, ultimately, your bottom line.
You can take several steps to make sure your online store is driving customers away from your brand and not the other way around…
1. Make sure your email support is available 24/7 and takes care of issues immediately
2. Implement a live chat option to increase conversions by 30% [more information here]
3. Keep your website up-to-date with an accurate product, price, and availability information
4. Offer current promotions (and don’t forget free shipping!)
5. Make sure your products match the pictures and descriptions on the site.
While it may seem like a lot of work to maintain your online store, customers are extremely important to the success of your brand. If you’re not doing all you can to keep them happy, you could lose them to another online store.