There was once a time when you needed to visit multiple physical stores across your area just to get the best deals. Well, that time has long gone now. Today with the rise of ecommerce websites and the dawn of the social media, searching for the best deals over the internet is no more than a click away.
The modern consumer is becoming savvier these days (I am sure you could relate to it). Not only that but also discerning and always having an eye for both the quality of the product and the service offered. This, however, makes it difficult for the companies to stand out, especially with the likes of ecommerce giants such as Amazon and eBay.
But what we have seen so far with building an online store is that there are customers out there who show incredible loyalty to the brand they like. And so much so that it is even turning them into brand advocates, doing word of mouth publicity for your ecommerce store.
So, our question is, have you ever thought about what that might be, that is bringing the customers back to you for more? Or in other words, how do they build a loyal customer base and you don’t? After all, the competition is as tough for you as it is for them.
So, what is it that is setting your ecommerce website to failure but others for success? Let’s find out-
1. You leave a poor impression
First impression matters and it matters a lot. It is very important for you as an entrepreneur to present a strong, recognizable brand that gives your visitors a sense of what you do. Let’s look at the things you need to work at-
- Use colours that are not only strong and consistent but also say something about your brand.
- Use logos and artwork everywhere you have an online presence.
- When you build an online store, make sure your tone is friendly and not patronising.
- Try to give your brand a personality, something people can relate to.
- Lastly, try to develop buyer personas as well, so as to adjust your tone etc. to suit the target demographic.
2. You social media activities are a mess
Social media has completely changed the way people do business. Having inactive social media accounts send the wrong message to the people. It can either mean you aren’t doing business any longer or simply don’t worry about your online reputation.
Moreover, if your ecommerce website messes up on social media, it can very easily damage your brand reputation. The reverse is also true. If you take your social media profile quite seriously i.e. deal with complaints and problems in a correct way, it can easily give your business the boost it needs to grow and succeed.
Figure out what you want.
In simple words, don’t be a statistic and learn how to use social media properly. That is if you really want to boost customer loyalty. Here’s a list of whatnots to do when you build an online store.
- Never argue with customers on social media.
- Do not delete any complaints made on social media, it makes you look bad.
- Never ignore comments, engage with your followers as much as you can.
- Make it a habit not to involve with trolls or abuse ever
3. You do not reward your customers
One of the best ways your customers stay loyal to your brand is by rewarding them from time to time with special offers and discounts. However, don’t overkill it.
Instead, you can use them on your ecommerce website on special occasions. You can also offer them as incentives to customers for sharing your products and pages on social media. Other ways to reward your customers include-
- Creating a loyalty card scheme
- Giving free items with multiple purchases
- Offer a referral bonus or reward
- Celebrate your customers by featuring them on your site
4. You don’t offer a personalized user experience
Winning customers’ attention is anything but easy these days. There are businesses out there working hard to personalize their marketing efforts so as to build lasting relationships with their customers.
Amidst all this, how far do you think your ecommerce website sending generic emails or web push notifications will get you? That’s right, nowhere.
But don’t worry, that is what we are here for. Below are some of the finest ways to personalize the user experience
- Recommend product categories based on browsing behaviour.
- Suggest complementary products as well
- Send personalized offers to returning customers
- Remind them of previous engagements
- Use geo-location targeting
- Send personalized email based on user behaviour
5. You are difficult to get hold to
Have you ever wondered how frustrating it can get when you build an online store to serve your customers but they can’t even reach you? It might be because you have kept your contact information a secret.
And what does this imply? That either you don’t want to hear from them or aren’t interested in helping them out.
Avoid this unfriendly behaviour at all costs. Make sure your customers can easily find your contact details online. Also, we recommend that you offer multiple communication channels to your customers for contacting you. These include
- Phone calls
- Text messages
- Emails
- Live Chat
- Contact form on your ecommerce website etc.
6. People aren’t talking about you
It’s highly unlikely these days that online shoppers will purchase anything without researching on the internet. So if they cannot find any reviews or testimonials regarding your products or your brand itself, it would be quite hard for them to take the plunge.
Just remember, the more reviews and customer testimonials you have on your website and on social media sites, the more convinced your customers will be of their decision to shop from you.
But how will you recommend your customers after building an online store to leave a product or service review? Let’s find out.
- Create different spaces to leave reviews
- Ask questions at the right moments
- Respond to every review, even negative ones.
- Share positive reviews on social media
- Offer incentives for reviews
7.Your store isn’t secure for online payments
The question of online payment security is as hot today as it was when the ecommerce industry started flourishing. It doesn’t matter how high-quality products or services you are offering, if you cannot guarantee security in terms of online transactions to the customers approaching your ecommerce website, they might hesitate to trust you.
So what can you do to offer a secure payment connection, one that is trustworthy and widely recognized by your customers, let’s see
- Choose a secure platform and hosting
- Secure your admin area
- Switch to HTTPS
- Back up your data regularly
- Use geo-location anti-fraud software
- Lastly, never hold client card data
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Parting Thoughts:
Customer loyalty is extremely vital for ecommerce sites. It helps ensure that you can compete in today’s insanely competitive marketplace. That’s why it's so important to keep your customers engaged when you build an online store.
And while building, you can use special offers, social media, personalization, etc. mentioned above as a means to strengthen customer loyalty besides turning them into brand advocates to shout out the virtues of your products across the internet.
And while you are at it, check out StoreHippo, a leading ecommerce platform provider that offers a diverse solution to satisfy all your business needs. The amazing features it offers greatly assist in building and strengthening customer loyalty. So, don’t wait!
Connect with us today and avail 14 days free trial.
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