Everyone loves getting a 10 percent off coupon, but online shoppers are bombarded with discounts and limited-time offers. If you want to wow your ecommerce customers, you’ll need to provide value to them beyond discounts. Offering seasonal and cyclical discounts is almost expected these days, but there are other ways to go above and beyond to impress customers and encourage their loyalty.
Freebies
Human psychology is a funny thing, especially when it comes to the principle of reciprocity. Basically, in life and ecommerce, “humans feel obligated to reciprocate (pay back) those who do something for us.” This is why offering a customer a freebie once in a while can actually motivate them to make a purchase in return.
If you throw in a sample size of your newest product, a pair of branded socks or a “buy one, get one free” duplicate, you’re building goodwill between your online store and your customer. Since you’ve provided value, they’re more likely to return the favor by buying something.
Stellar Customer Service
It’s impossible to put a price tag on great customer service. Despite the fact there’s a screen between the shopper and the store, they still want to know they can access support at the drop of a hat. Principles of strong customer service in ecommerce include:
- Accessibility across a number of platforms and channels (live chat, email, phone, social media, etc.)
- Timely responses across multiple channels
- A record of customer service interactions in case a customer has follow-up questions or comments
- Understanding the customers’ wants and needs to really solve their problems
Helpful Content
If you can become a go-to source for content, you’ve become a trusted authority within your industry. Let’s say you sell electronics. Devices and accessories often come with many parts and directions. You can make it easier for your customers, and build credibility for your store publishing helpful content relating to the technology you sell.
Useful content can take many forms, from how-to blogs to video tutorials. You can create infographics, make informative social media posts, answer FAQs in your email newsletters and more. Becoming a source of quality information for your customers strengthens your relationship with them and positions your website as an authority on all things electronics.
Flexible Shipping
What people want out of order fulfillment boils down to flexibility. Giving customers multiple shipping options, each with its own price point and delivery estimate, makes it easy for customers to get what they want. A shopper trying to save can choose free standard shipping, while someone with a bigger budget but a shorter timeframe can expedite the process. Buyers appreciate having options at the end of the checkout process.
Flexible Returns
It’s a huge relief for shoppers to know they can return something if it doesn’t work out. This helps lessen purchase anxiety because their decision seems less final. Offering a generous return policy, and spelling it out clearly on your website, is one way you can provide true value to your customers. It’s generally a good idea to offer free return shipping for items customers want to send back and to give them a feasible window in which to decide.
Standard policies usually allot for 30 days, but 60 days is better for people with busy lifestyles. While it’s important to make sure your return policy is cost-effective, it’s also crucial to treat your customers well. Your return policy alone can make or break the sale up front.
Prioritize providing value to your ecommerce customers beyond just discounts and you’ll bolster their loyalty and trust, along with your conversion rates.
