At Evolution Business Marketing & Communications we pride ourselves in our commitment to providing our clients with the most valuable insights and knowledge. As part of this commitment we attend many industry events and seminars to keep a close eye on new developments and strategies that can benefit our clients.
Earlier this week Evolution attended Ecom World 2021, a digital event built around a series of webinars covering a wide variety of ecommerce and online sales topics. The event featured many interesting and insightful speakers. One speaker that we focus on today is Luke MacFarlan, the CEO of Skafos, an ecommerce software developer.
In his webinar, McFarlan touches on a critical aspect of ecommerce – the buying experience. Many of us are familiar with what a pleasant brick-and-mortar buying experience looks like – efficient store layouts, attractive displays, short lines and helpful staff – but creating a pleasant online buying experience seems a little more abstract.
The online buying experience is so important to customers that many choose to pay more for the same product from an ecommerce retailer that has a straightforward, user-friendly site compared to cheaper competitors with clunky or outdated ecommerce systems.
As an ecommerce retailer, MacFarlan explains your online presence is all the information that a potential customer has when making a judgement about the reliability and values of your company. This judgement is made in seconds and once made it is almost impossible to undo. Does your page load quickly or slowly? Are recommended products relevant to them?Is your product selection page easy to navigate? Is your site mobile friendly?
There are dozens of criteria that potential customers will judge your ecommerce business on before purchasing a product – make sure your site is somewhere that you would to buy something from before you can expect others to do so.
When creating or optimizing an ecommerce system, you should make sure that purchasing through your system provides your customers with tangible benefits compared to your competitors. MacFarlan references a survey in which 74% of respondents stated that they do not want brands to define their journeys, and instead want brands to offer experiences that help them carve their own paths.
With so many ecommerce retailers in the marketplace, differentiating your ecommerce system from the rest of the pack can make a significant positive impact on your business. Ensuring that your customers are treated as equals, and not just as sources of revenue, will help foster a positive experience for them when they purchase from you.
One of the most effective ways of establishing parity in your customers’ buying experience is to enable simple and quick means of feedback. One useful method involves asking customers if a particular recommended product is relevant to them with buttons saying “Yes” or “No”.
By implementing this in a non-intrusive way, both sides benefit. The customer is presented with products that solve their needs and wants, and as the ecommerce retailer you are able to sell additional products and create an enjoyable buying experience for your customers.
Based in Nanaimo, Evolution Business Marketing & Communications is your Vancouver Island full-service digital marketing agency. We have the knowledge and expertise to help your business continue to grow in the digital marketplace. Call us at +1 (250) 740-1844 or email us at info@evolutionbusiness.ca today to find out how we can help take your business to the next level.
