ECommerce industry is a booming industry in today’s times. In this fast-paced world where everything is expected to be done on the tap of finger or the click of a button, the world has shifted from physically going to shopping malls to purchase items, to online shopping leading to a flourishing eCommerce industry. But the eCommerce space, even after having many platforms does not have many top-performing brands, apart from a handful like Amazon, Alibaba, etc.
While physical shopping is an engaging activity that combines the purpose of shopping along with experience, most eCommerce websites have failed to achieve that engagement with their customers.
Moreover, ECommerce industry provides too many options for users to choose from. This makes it important to know exactly what to do for your website to stand out from the rest.
Try eCommerce industry below tips on your website to work better
Less robotic and more natural.
Automation is the way to be, there is no doubt about that. Artificial intelligence and machine learning have benefitted the eCommerce industry in more ways than one by introducing tools like for example the recommendation system or chatbots. Where we have gone wrong is made the entire process more technical and robotic and less personal and natural. The essence of shopping from a physical store is lost when it comes to online stores. So what can be done?
Chatbots used should adopt a more conversational language so that it seems like a personal attendant or salesperson is helping out the guest rather than a mere artificial intelligence system trained to work according to some algorithm.
Personalize Content
The content displayed on the website must be personalized. Making the customer feel special and a part of the company’s family makes him/her more comfortable with purchases. When a customer makes a purchase, there can be an optional column before checkout where you can mention the purpose of your purchase, for example, Nancy’s bday. So next year, around the same time, if the same visitor visits the website, the website can remind them of Nancy’s birthday and enquire if they wish to buy something for that purpose. Remembering occasions specific to a customer apart from the generic holidays and festivals are likely to create a personalized bond with the customer.
Also, personalized campaigns can be used to send customized emails to customers about offers available exclusively for them depending on their purchase patterns.
Customer retention should also be made a focus by offering special perks to customers who have stuck around for a while, are frequent shoppers from your website. Early entry into website sale day and different loyalty programs can help increase the trust between your company and customers improving your business.
Dealing with issues of cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is a topic that is the talk of the town these days. It is because as more and more data is being maintained in online databases and data centers, cybercrime is also increasing exponentially. It is a primary concern to ensure the safety of data that belongs to the eCommerce company as well as its customers. Guest data and credentials if breached or stolen can be misused by cybercriminals for their advantage. As an eCommerce website owner, it is of utmost importance and it is your responsibility to safeguard all data during transmission and in storage.
Also Read: Why AI is a great option for eCommerce?
Many precautions can be taken to prevent unwanted incidents from taking place but the basic step that is needed is a website protected with an SSL certificate. Cheap Wildcard SSL certificate and other variants are an absolute necessity for any online business owner. Enabling SSL on your website helps customers trust the website as it is a certification of being a genuine website. Customers who trust the eCommerce brand are likely to invest in buying products from the website which will in turn increase business for your company.
Positive Exploitation of Social Media
ECommerce in today’s world of increasing social media can also be boosted by creating a social media family around your company and its products. Give customers incentives for sharing your products online or sharing pictures with your products. This will lead to increased market presence as well as advertising. As more and more customers begin sharing your products online or sharing their stories or testimonials about your product online, it catches the attention of other social media users and encourages them to also take a look at your products and possibly give a shot at buying them. Hence, not only did your company increase its social media presence, it formed an online family of its own and helped spread the word about your products.
Also, when people share product reviews from their social media handles it gives a face to the reviews being given and is a way to assure the potential customers that the reviews given are genuine and not fake spam reviews given to paint a fake picture. Think of an interesting hashtag, ensure that your company has social media handles on all social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Be sure to have someone to handle these mediums and respond to those who tag your company name or products on various platforms.
Give equal importance to web apps and mobile apps
Many eCommerce websites undermine the importance of mobile-friendly apps or platforms for their users. A lot of traffic for eCommerce websites is indeed fuelled from web apps but it doesn’t mean that the value of mobile apps can be taken for granted. A large population of customers prefers mobile phones or tablets to access eCommerce platforms making it an absolute must to make this platform available to them as much as the website is. It is important to make an app that is fast, efficient and manages the traffic well so that this section of the customers are also catered too well.
The above tips are just a beginning to help the eCommerce industry be more of an immersive experience than merely a purchase centric industry. The personal touch and engagement are what will help the industry thrive for many years to come. So go ahead and try these tips on your website to see the difference it makes for you and your website.
