Although ecommerce websites could be very convenient, some lack something that customers really need. One of these things is customer service that you get from a physical store.
But if you are looking to get ahead of the competition, you could offer excellent online customer service akin to the level of service offered in physical stores.
The Importance of Online Customer Service
You might not realize it, but customer service plays an immensely vital role in the purchase funnel. Think about this, when you are thinking of purchasing a product that’s sold by multiple companies, what’s your reasoning for choosing one company over the other?
Although brand familiarity and equity typically play a huge part in your decision-making, it will usually come down to your trust in the company, the support offered with it, and how fast you can get the item.
All these factors are under customer service, which means that it’s important for companies to sell their customer service along with the products they offer. But how can you offer superb online customer service in your ecommerce site? Here are some ideas:
1. Always request feedback.
Although you might not always get glowing feedback, any feedback is helpful. If you’re really intent on offering exceptional customer service, you need to know what customers are saying about your products, business, service, and brand.
Make certain that your ecommerce website has a powerful site search and navigation capabilities. So, when you’re having your site created or redesigned by a website design expert in Provo, invest in strong navigation and site search functionality to keep site visitors satisfied and avoid unneeded interactions that will just waste time and end up with visitors not buying anything because of your site’s poor design.
2. Be crystal clear.
Avoiding issues on orders starts with including as much product and purchase details as possible on all orders. Details should include clear product descriptions, return and shipping policies, guarantees, warranties, and other details that might impact the customer’s shopping experience.
Offer various choices. The mere fact that customers are looking around your ecommerce site is proof that they love seeing various options.
So, it goes without saying that you should also give your customers options for customer service. Rather than just offering the standard contact form, offer options such as Skype support, Facebook messenger, toll-free telephone numbers, and live chat.
3. Offer free shipping.
While this will cost you some money, it will help impress customers and encourage them to convert and perhaps buy more from your site in the future.
4. Follow up on your customers.
Rather than just sending out promos weeks or months after a customer buys something, send out irresistible offers and deals right after they purchase because they’ll be more likely to buy again because of the deal. Doing this will also show how much you value their patronage.
Yes, most ecommerce stores don’t put that much effort into their customer service, but it must really be given sufficient emphasis. So, when thinking of improving your online store, evaluate your current customer service strategy to see how you can improve on it.
