Retail industry is dynamic; it is always adapting to better cater to the changing customer needs, preferences, and behaviors. The past decade has seen advancements that have propelled the retail industry dramatically forward. No matter how much the industry changes, one idea will stay the same: “Customer experience is paramount.”
Over the years, the approach to delivering an unparalleled customer experience has changed. As the digital age continues to blur the lines between our physical and digital worlds, retailers are re-imagining every aspect of their business, eCommerce user experience being at the forefront.
Read more: Omnichannel Customer Experience Makes All the Difference
Here are 11 key pillars of an impeccable eCommerce user experience:
Omnichannel experience
Customers are increasingly using more channels to shop and expect a seamless experience when switching from browsing product catalogs on laptops to completing their purchases on smartphones, and then sharing their experience on social media. This makes it critical for retailers to keep on innovating to provide seamless, frictionless, cost-effective omnichannel experiences at every touchpoint.
Mobile optimization
Mobile has empowered customers more than ever before. Customers now find the products they are looking for from anywhere in the world, at the right availability, and at the right price. Essentially, they are carrying the stores around in their purses and pockets, and this is where retailers need to be. Research predicts mobile eCommerce sales to account for 54% of total online sales by 2021. If you want to capture this large chunk of mobile shoppers, you must prioritize a positive mobile-friendly eCommerce user experience.
Personalization
People are busy and always juggling different tasks throughout the day. Personalization establishes a more meaningful relationship. Providing suggestions based on prior transactions helps shoppers quickly find products that they are more likely to approve of. This speeds the shopping process up and finalizes the sale in the shortest time possible.
Easy navigation
Cluttered websites with confusing navigation can disorient and scare visitors away. Good website design guides customers through the online store. Shoppers should be able to seamlessly explore all the offerings. Ecommerce giants have designed their online stores to enable full accessibility for customers. Additionally, eCommerce websites should provide search and sort options, as well as offer further convenience through filtering by different product characteristics.
Customer analytics
Having a comprehensive understanding of the customers’ needs can be key to a sustained competitive advantage. Insights resulting from engaging with customers as they go through their shopping journeys across channels can enable businesses to provide personalized experiences and value-added services that turn customers to brand advocates.
Great product information
Customers are more informed than ever. They thoroughly examine the products and services before they commit to the purchase. Additionally, online shoppers of today have shorter attention spans. Ecommerce stores should provide concise, comprehensible, and compelling product descriptions with engaging visuals to ensure conversions.
Interactive eCommerce user experience
If they don’t get the experience that they are looking for, customers will hesitate little to make the switch. Consistent needs of the customers need to be catered to with a seamless online eCommerce user experience through interactive design. It allows retailers to engage actively, interact, and automate the shopper’s experience, thereby improving their user experience and conversion rates.
Impactful online merchandizing
Whether online or in-store, the primary objective of successful merchandising is to make it easy for customers to find and buy the desired products. Many eCommerce companies might not realize the potential of product badging in increasing sales. Product badges are small ‘virtual stickers’ that can be added to online product listings to call attention to specific details. Product badges can:
- Make it easier for shoppers to find the products they are looking for,
- Help shoppers make quicker purchasing decisions, and
- Efficiently and creatively educate your website visitors.
Simple and secure checkout process
Once a product is chosen and purchase decision is made, retailers need to seal the deal as quickly as possible. Streamlining this step is critical in the buying process. When faced with a complicated checkout process, customers can choose to leave right away. Moreover, since a lot of sensitive personal and financial data is involved, eCommerce sites should ensure robust security that guarantees an exceptional experience.
Effective customer support
Today’s world is ‘on’ 24/7; customers expect quick responses and actions to their queries. A HubSpot survey highlighted that 90% of consumers want “immediate” responses from customer support, and 72% define “immediate” as “within 30 minutes.” Offering prompt and effective customer service and support is one of the best ingredients to boost customer experience.
Enhanced post-purchase experience
Customers are looking for effortless and transparent experiences. They expect to hear from online retailers not only before they buy, but after as well. Most of the customer experiences are designed to lead up to the purchase, which is the final goal. However, this is not the end of the customer experience but the beginning of a relationship. To drive long-term loyalty and engagement, retailers need to ensure regular interaction with their customers, provide them seamless visibility of their order statuses and ensure high quality content for customer satisfaction.
Reimagine your eCommerce user experience with Visionet
Visionet’s deep expertise combines a range of digital consulting services and premium solutions for seamless eCommerce. Leveraging the power of Microsoft Dynamics 365 and our robust collection of Dynamics 365 services and accelerators, we deliver unparalleled eCommerce experiences that delight your customers by empowering you to:
- Unlock a flawless omnichannel experience for customers that delivers unified in-store, call center, and website experiences.
- Augment highly personalized recommendations into the customer experience online and at the point of sale (POS).
- Produce responsive, elegant, and intuitive user experiences with our customizable themes for Dynamics 365 Commerce.
- Draw meaningful customer insights by combining data from different Dynamics 365 platforms as well as external sources to better serve your customers.
- Maximize category-wise product visibility to improve click-through and conversion rates with customizable product badges.
- Ensure secure, simplified and streamlined cart and checkout processes for customers.
- Personalize service with 360-degree customer views and deliver value at every touchpoint.
- Keep the conversation going with our personalized post-purchase customer interaction platform to foster brand loyalty.
As a strategic partner with Microsoft, Visionet’s unique knowledge of the Dynamics 365 platform along with deep expertise in the eCommerce space can unlock unprecedented success for your business.
Get in touch with our experts to explore more.