deliver ecommerce excellence
If you are just starting your online sales journey or are a major retailer there are some things which you just have to get right. Success in ecommerce comes by making the experience your customer has easy, fulfilling and if you are lucky, maybe even fun. Not only will this ensure you get repeat visits but it will help you build on the basics to face other challenges – such as selling in different markets. Getting the simple things right is what so many people fail to do. Trying to be clever or different, generally doesn’t work, so here is an ecommerce checklist of 10 key points that every online store should concentrate on delivering perfectly, every time. If you go through this list and there are things on here which you are not doing then it is time for a site and process review.
1 – Blistering performance
Inherently linked to conversion, the faster your site the better the customer experience. As we move to a time where mobile devices are the primary tool for shopping this is going to become even more important. Speed is arguably the most important factor.
2 – Great design
A nice looking site, that is built with SEO rules in mind and displays well across devices will tempt customers in and build confidence. If your site looks shabby or “too busy” then it will put customer off. Just as in physical retail – your storefront reflects directly on your brand.
3 – Well displayed products
Most of the points on this list can be applied to a physical world, it is no different with product. Great photos, clear descriptions and guides will all help a customer make a decision. You should know your product inside out, so make sure you get this across.
4 – Easy navigation and search
Make it easy for your amazing products to be found! Search should have auto-complete, suggestions, product weighting and filtering / sort-able results. Breadcrumbs make it easy for a customer to find their way around, don’t let them get lost and frustrated.
5 – Cross-sell and upsell
While these sales tactics might seem tacky or unnecessary they work. Making recommendations for further purchases (even at checkout) will increase your average order value and make your store more profitable.
6 – Clear engagement and communication
Send out meaningful emails which include: welcome, order placed, order shipped, special offers and a newsletter. When you deliver customer service make it as easy and helpful as possible. If you take away a customer’s problem they will be more likely to recommend you or shop again in future, which is worth more than the price of a refund.
7 – Hassle-free policy for returns, delivery and pricing
Tell the customer the full cost, how and when delivery will take place and what happens if they want to return their item. 90 days money back with no questions will build on confidence and will remove a barrier to purchase. Make your customer feel safe.
8 – Clear, simplified checkout
A simple form with a nice layout and no necessary options. While it’s great to capture customer details, you can also let them check out as a guest so they don’t need to sign up. Postcode lookup for address completion makes a huge difference and these days it is expected. Make the final interaction with your site a good one.
9 – Understand the customer journey
Make sure you have customer monitoring that lets you analyse the site and application performance. Real User Monitoring (RUM) will help you understand what is causing a customer to abandon the site or have an issue. Review and remediation are the name of the game here, you can’t have too much data.
10 – Be the expert
If you are knowledgeable about your product then it is another reason to bring customers back to the site. Sharing expertise, knowing your market and keeping things current on a blog will make things engaging and interesting. If someone comes to your site regularly there is more chance they will buy something.
Now, this ecommerce checklist does assume that you have a great product to sell and you can fulfill orders in a timely manner. Free and next day delivery are all offers to have at your disposal (if possible) but if you have a unique proposition then customers may be willing to wait. The strategy behind getting the basics right means there should be lower barriers to sale. The more seamless the interaction the better your chances of selling. The easiest way to ensure you get it right is by ticking things off this ecommerce checklist on your regular website reviews.
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