It is critical for e-commerce businesses to develop real and long-lasting relationships with customers to cultivate long-term growth and viability for your business. As we all know, it’s much cheaper to keep a customer than go out and engage in digital marketing and acquire new customers. There are several different tactics businesses can deploy to help strengthen trust and build credibility with their prospects.
In this post, we will break down five specific ways an e-commerce business can build stronger relationships with its customers.
- Excellent Customer Support
- Customer Loyalty Programs
- Minimizing Customer Effort
- Increasing Social Proof
- Actively Responding on Social Media
Excellent Customer Support
Exceptional customer service is hard to come by, but prioritizing how you interact with your customers can go a long way in building loyalty. According to recent research, approximately 70% of unhappy customers whose problem was solved by customer service were willing to shop with the business again. E-commerce businesses rarely interact with customers directly, so the few times you directly engage should be meaningful and focused on putting the client’s needs first.
There are a wide variety of ways to improve customer support. This can include revamping your FAQ page, building more in-depth support pages, or creating a clear customer support webpage that details all forms of communication an end-user can take advantage of to find a solution to their problem.
Live chat and phone support are still critical components of a successful e-commerce customer support plan. Approximately 86% of consumers still prefer to interact with a human agent. Talking to a real human being drastically improves the user experience and builds trust. It also allows your team to hear real-time feedback on how to improve your services.
If you really want to elevate your customer service, you can integrate it all through one platform like Okendo.
Customer Loyalty Programs
Customer loyalty programs are a great way to improve relationships with customers, while also driving increased revenue. A strong loyalty program will be meaningful for both long-term clients and newly acquired customers. Through carefully curated discounts, rewards, and promotions, you can provide meaningful benefits for those that repeatedly give you business.
Loyalty programs are also a great way to express gratitude to your clients. A small thank you can go a long way in cultivating trust. Small notes on birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays are a great place to start building a more personalized experience.
Minimize Customer Effort, Maximize The Experience
Never underestimate the power of your website experience. Usability is not only an SEO ranking factor, but it plays a big role in keeping your end users engaged and willing to purchase from your site. Making products easy to find and the checkout seamless will help increase conversions.
Additional usability techniques to consider focusing on include:
- Increase Educational Content: For your best-selling items, offering educational content will help your end users find answers to their problems. It can also provide further clarification on what sets your product apart from other competitors.
- SMS Marketing for Tracking: Customers want to know where and when their order will arrive. SMS marketing allows end users the ability to be in the know immediately after purchase.
- Focus on Mobile Experience: Don’t forget that a majority of buyers are viewing your site on their mobile phones. Review your navigation and accessibility for mobile devices to ensure all users are getting a smooth experience with your website.
Share Social Proof Everywhere
E-commerce businesses should post glowing reviews everywhere. Approximately 88% of customers trust reviews as much as a personal recommendations. Showcasing the positive things your customers are saying about you should be shared generously throughout all of your communications.
Consider incorporating reviews into your product pages, category pages, email footers, Facebook ads, etc. Utilize the images your product is tagged in by happy customers. Sharing photos of your products being used by your team and customers can be the “proof” prospects need to finally convert.
Direct Engagement on Social Media
E-commerce brands likely have social media accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok. While these tools are great resources to share your products and brand initiatives, they are also great tools to directly engage with your customers.
Prospects and clients may pose questions on your posts; this is a great place to publicly respond and provide clarity. It also shows you are willing to meet your customers wherever they reach out.
These direct communications will help you build meaningful connections with your customers and they will also be able to see your dedication to being responsive and receptive to their feedback.
Building a strong and meaningful relationship with your e-commerce customers will not come overnight. Instead, it will be nurtured over time. Remember to constantly look for ways to reduce any friction or issues your customers may face when trying to interact with your brand. Just like any good relationship, it will take work, but the end result will be worth it.
Greg is the founder and CEO of Stryde and a seasoned digital marketer who has worked with thousands of businesses, large and small, to generate more revenue via online marketing strategy and execution. Greg has written hundreds of blog posts as well as spoken at many events about online marketing strategy. You can follow Greg on Twitter and connect with him on LinkedIn.
