With the e-commerce industry proliferating, online stores continuously have to put their best foot forward. One of the most effective ways to stay competitive is to provide excellent customer service.
Here are four practices that will help you reduce bounce rates, attract repeat sales, and build a loyal following.
Establish a solid returns policy
Unlike in brick-and-mortar stores, online consumers don’t have the chance to examine the physical product before purchasing it. This is why every e-commerce site needs fair and honest return policies.
When creating your store’s return policy, be as specific as you can. Map out each stage of the return process and create a game plan that prioritizes customer convenience. The clearer your return and exchange policies, the better your chance of directing the customer back to the sales funnel.
Implementing a solid return merchandise authorization (RMA) management solution lets you streamline the return of goods to the warehouse or return center. It will enable your team to handle discrepancies, establish protocols for different types of returns, and hasten the transfer of the product.
Invest in customer aftercare
After-sales service involves all your efforts in connecting with customers after they purchase your product. The right aftercare strategies will keep customers coming back.
Offering exclusive promos and coupons to past customers can trigger a new purchase. Investing in attractive and high-quality packaging is a great way to delight your customers and prove that you put the utmost care in delivering their orders. Consistent packaging can also solidify your brand image.
Consider sending heartfelt cards and exclusive promos to your customers on their birthdays or subscription anniversaries. Timely gifts let you reach customers months after their last interaction with your site. Birthday emails are easy to automate and can significantly improve customer engagement.
Optimize for mobile
Research shows 59% of shoppers believe being able to shop on mobile is a vital factor when deciding which store or brand to buy from.
With the majority of shoppers switching to mobile, it’s high time for e-commerce stores to be scalable for all kinds of devices. When optimizing for mobile, the first step is to improve your site’s loading speed.
A fast website provides an easy browsing process, which enhances a visitor’s overall experience with your site. Slow loading time, on the other hand, contributes to higher user bounce rates and missed opportunities for sales.
Mobile optimization also involves implementing a solid UX/UI (user experience/ user interface) design. Here, your font size and call to action buttons matter. Ensure that text is readable, graphics are high quality, and coding is clean and straightforward.
Collect feedback
Gathering feedback is a tried and tested way to gain in-depth and meaningful insights about your customers. This will help you better align your services and processes with their needs.
Many e-commerce sites use automated online surveys to measure customer satisfaction. It’s also a great way to pinpoint existing gaps in your customer service and further improve your strategies.
Answering a survey takes time and effort. Consider offering incentives like exclusive discounts for survey respondents. You can also insert surveys into your email newsletters to ensure your customers don’t miss them.
In today’s fast-paced world, e-commerce businesses must rethink their workflows based on changing consumer expectations. By providing top-notch customer care, e-commerce sites can stand out and grab more opportunities for business growth.
