Customer-centric e-commerce, as the name suggests, is all about one thing: great customer experiences. Moving from being profit-focused to customer-focused has helped many businesses get better overall. New e-commerce businesses pop up every day, but only some of them start with a customer-centric approach in mind. This guide by FOR® will tell you about the real meaning of customer centricity the one that helps you focus on customer behaviour and emotions to get better experiences and better business results.
It’s not an easy change though the whole company needs to be restructured to achieve this. The idea is not just for the customer to have a good interaction with employees at several touchpoints on their customer journey but to optimise every inch of the business so the customer is in the spotlight every step of the way.
customer database
You’re probably spending some time looking at customer data. But this is the source of truth you should be looking at. By using for example RFM segmentation (recency, frequency and monetary value scoring), you’ll be able to see who your most valuable customers are.
Customer Feedback
It’s said all truths are easy to understand once they’re discovered; the point is to discover them. So make it a habit to send your existing customer base feedback forms, ask them to review them on social media or Google and keep in touch with them about their experience. This is all part of customer relationship management and part of being customer-centric.
This will give you an objective view of how your business is doing and will also help you bond with your customers making them feel like they matter, like their interaction with you wasn’t just a one off but part of what your business does.
Mobile Browsing
Over 50% of your customers will browse your e-commerce website from their mobile devices. So ignoring mobile and focusing only on desktop features is a big mistake that will cost you a lot.
Whatever your business your number one priority should be to get everything working from every device. Only then can you start to think about the big picture.
Customer Support always
Log into any forum right now, and you’ll see a common complaint across all channels – people can’t find the support they need. Mistakes happen in every business, so you don’t want to make a customer angry or more frustrated because they’ve been charged extra, they can’t get into their account or cancel an unwanted order.
Having a 24/7 customer support number would be ideal, but to cut costs and optimize the experience you could introduce a live chat support. It’s great for clearing up misunderstandings, answering FAQs and resolving issues.
Return Policy
A complicated return policy can scare customers away. That’s especially true if they’ve heard bad stories from their friends about your return process.
Make sure the policy is written in plain language and is clear from all sides. Try to use bullet points and simple actions. Nowadays make as much of the process online as possible including forms, sending receipts and photos.
Warranties
It’s all fun and games until someone actually needs to return or exchange a product. Remember that even if the inconvenience wasn’t your company’s fault (maybe you’re just the middleman between the product creator and the customer), you need to consider the customer’s emotions. This is where utilizing the best market research tools can be invaluable.
They might be frustrated, annoyed, or even angry. A customer-centric approach understands that humans are not perfect, and sometimes blame is thrown at the wrong person. Compassion and empathy toward them will not only solve the problem more effectively but almost guarantee you keep those customer relationships in the long run. Plus, additional recommendations after the fact are just the icing on the cake.
Product videos
Product videos are one of the most useful features you can have on your website, especially if you sell tools and equipment that are hard to understand at first. Instead of having to read a long manual, bother a customer service rep, and get frustrated, your customers can just click play and have everything they need at their fingertips.
These are good before and after the sale. They are shareable (especially if the technology is unique) and can be used as a reason to stay in touch with your customers after the sale has been made.
Final Thoughts
It’s not new tech is always changing, sometimes so fast it’s hard to keep up with it. But if you want to stay ahead of the game, you gotta try.
New tech can help you increase customer satisfaction, gather data faster and improve your overall strategy in the long run. So even if it’s boring and time-consuming, make sure you stay current with the latest tools, strategies and systems for your e-commerce business! If you want to Boost your online presence by building a customer-centric strategy, you can contact Toni Hukkanen, the head of FOR®’s Digital Marketing Agency.