Why E-Commerce Customer Experience Matters in 2023

Did you know that even when hundreds of other eCommerce stores are offering the same products and services, you can still penetrate the market, make sales, and scale your business?

How is that even possible?

We now live in a world where winning over customers and earning their trust has less to do with what you’re selling and more to do with the kind of experience you provide them.  

Customer experience is at the heart of your success. It’s the key to differentiating yourself from your competitors and increasing your customer base.  

This is why you want to wow your target audience and provide them the ultimate eCommerce customer experience unique to your brand. This should be from the time they discover your eCommerce store, browsing across your West Palm Beach web design and making a purchase, to offering post-purchase support.  

Remember, 61% of customers won’t hesitate to switch to a competitor after a single bad experience with your brand. So, every interaction matters.  

What is eCommerce Customer Experience?

Customer experience encompasses every interaction a customer has with your brand. This is from the moment they hear about you, to the moment they make a purchase, and up to the time they seek post-purchase support.  

It refers to people’s perception of how your business treats them. The more positive and satisfied they feel towards you and your procedures, the more they’re likely to buy, remain loyal, and even recommend you to others.  

In other words, how they feel influences their behavior and loyalty towards you. According to research conducted by PwC, 73% of people consider customer experience as a crucial factor in their purchasing decisions.  

And yet, only 49% of consumers say that businesses provide a good customer experience.  There's a gap between customer expectations and what companies are providing consumers.  

If you're not mindful about the experience you provide across all touchpoints, they will feel neglected and might interpret this as being "treated badly". No one wants to buy from a business that treats them badly.  

As more and more consumers shop online, it’s becoming increasingly important to provide an excellent eCommerce customer experience. This 2023, make sure you exceed their expectations.  

5 Reasons Why Good Customer Experience is Essential for a Successful eCommerce Business?

If you want your eCommerce business to succeed this 2023, you need to prioritize your customers’ happiness. Here are the five reasons why:

1. Customer Satisfaction is a Necessity

Customer satisfaction is more important now than ever before, especially since consumer expectations are ever-increasing. Research shows that having a high satisfaction rate can lead to higher lifetime value, stronger brand reputation, and increased customer retention.  

People want to have control over their experiences online. They want to be able to shop at the convenience of their couch, pay in whatever method is most convenient for them. Some may even opt to  have the option of same-day delivery.  

Be consistent and accurate with meeting your customers' expectations and surprise them with extra care and support across all touchpoints. By doing so, you not only provide them with the kind of experience they crave but also exceed their standards.  

A happy customer contributes up to 2.6 times as much revenue as a customer who’s only somewhat satisfied. And, it is 14 times as much profit compared to a somewhat dissatisfied customer.  

So, what exactly do customers expect from your eCommerce store?  

• Allow your customers to shop in any way they want. This means using an omnichannel retailing approach.

• Use a clean web design in West Palm Beach with an uncluttered interface and icons, with the shopping cart in clear view. You want users to feel guided through their shopping journey, and have a clear focus towards checkout.  
• Lean towards a more visually appealing website design in West Palm Beach. Use animation and optimize for mobile.  
• Provide search result usability. Customers expect to find filters for a more robust search. They want to be able to refine the results they get by using attributes that are meaningful.  
• Shoppers seek out customer reviews before buying. Make your feature them in your eCommerce store.  
• Provide immediate support to online shoppers via chatbot. It helps boost customer satisfaction, and allows you to drive leads down to your sales funnel.

• Shoppers want to have a more personalized experience. Use data wisely to present product recommendations and other forms of personalization that wow customers.  
• Provide multiple payment methods to make it incredibly convenient for buyers to make a purchase.
• Simplify your checkout process to get rid of any friction and motivate shoppers to buy right away.  

2. New Customers Are Motivated to Keep Doing Business with You

Experience has become a valued asset for any type of business. When you provide new customers with a great eCommerce experience, they're more likely to buy from you again in the future and turn into loyal customers.  

But why is it so important to convert new customers into lifetime customers? 80% of your future profits come from only 20% of your current customers.

Customer acquisition can cost 7 times more than maintaining an existing one.  Despite being essential to keep acquiring customers to create a profitable business. Returning customers tend to spend 67% more compared to new customers. They're also easier to sell to and are more likely to refer you to others compared to on-time buyers. This proves that a loyal customer base is critical to sustaining and growing your business this 2023.  

Keep your customers happy to keep them loyal to your business and to grow your customer base. Increasing your customer retention by just 5% can boost your business's profitability by an average of 75%.  

Here are a few things you can do to improve your eCommerce service and motivate new customers to buy from you again in the future:

• Ensure you have fast customer service. People have high expectations, especially when it comes to customer service. They expect you to respond to their queries right away. Research showed that 89% of consumers consider how fast a business responds to their initial query when deciding which eCommerce store to buy from.  

• Communicate proactively and transparently. 97% of customers expect to be able to track their orders throughout the entire shipping process until it reaches them. Make sure you provide real-time order status and be proactive in your approach to solving customer concerns. Be transparent about what's going on and how you will solve the problem.  
• Respond to both negative and positive reviews. Respond politely to negative reviews and have empathetic conversations to make your customer feel heard and cared for. This will motivate others to give feedback and it can also help you win back angered customers.  
• Make it easy for customers to leave feedback and reviews by optimizing your website design in West Palm Beach for mobile.  

3. People Seek Third Party Validation When Buying Online

Did you know that 96% of consumers no longer trust advertisements? If you want to convince modern consumers to buy, you need to highlight customer reviews, feedback, and feature user-generated content.  

People seek third-party validation when buying online so your goal is to raise a community of customer advocates. Focus on providing excellent customer experiences and ask customers to share photos of themselves using your products. You should show others why people love your brand and urge them to give your products a try.  

It’s also a great way to engage your audience and reinforce brand loyalty!

This 2023, incorporate user-generated content into your marketing strategy to showcase your products in a more customer-centric way.  

Here are some user-generated content marketing strategies for 2023:

• Create branded hashtags and use them to organize your posts and boost your visibility online.  

• Update your product pages and in-store campaigns with user-generated content.
• Run contests and giveaways on social media to generate UGC and boost brand awareness.
• Collaborate with your most loyal customers, influencers, and communities to promote your brand through Livestream, social media posts, hosting exclusive events, being active in online discussions, and many more.  

4. Customer Experience Can Be Your Competitive Advantage

If you're struggling to differentiate yourself from other businesses, a great customer experience can be your competitive advantage. It can make you stand out from your competitors.  

Customers don't only compare products and prices, but also service and user experience. To win over customers, make sure you provide them with great experiences and give them access to other people's experiences with your brand too!

Show them how others are very much pleased with how you do business. This will influence them to quickly build confidence in you and wouldn't feel the need to look elsewhere to buy. 88% of people read reviews to get an idea of the kind of experience they provide. The more positive reviews you have, the more you’re likely to win over customers this 2023.  

Stand out from your competitors by embracing a customer-centric approach toward providing satisfaction.  

5. Personalized Experiences Build Connection and Trust

Consumers are constantly being bombarded with marketing gimmicks and advertisements from hundreds of brands every day. So, how can you cut through the noise and build a strong relationship with your customers?

Providing a personalized experience is the answer. This 2023, you want to make each one of your customers feel special, cared for, and important to your business.  

This enables you to build rapport, create trust, and foster a strong, long-lasting relationship.  

Here's how you can create a personalized customer experience this 2023:

• Ask the right questions and collect the right feedback to better understand customer needs.  

• Use customer data to determine where they are on their journey so you can present the right content and solution.  
• Connect with your customers directly by addressing them by their first names, responding quickly to inquiries, and giving them tailored content that suits their needs via email.  
• Use chatbots or live chat to quickly respond to customer queries and provide support. Studies show that customers tend to seek answers to questions when in the process of buying, and those who can interact fast through chat spend 60% more per purchase than those who don't.  
• Provide customers the ability to self-personalize with filters and other self-service capabilities. Incorporate this into your website design in West Palm Beach to foster a delightful eCommerce experience this 2023.  

Looking for a Website Design in West Palm Beach that Boosts Customer Experience in 2023?

No doubt that providing an excellent customer experience can take your business to the next level. And, a great eCommerce customer experience starts with a fully optimized website design in West Palm Beach and offering great customer service.  

Make sure you deliver the best experience possible to all your customers this 2023 by partnering with experts. At Digital Resource, our digital marketing specialists and web design experts will work with you to optimize your eCommerce business. We’ll create a more visually appealing and functional website that delights and converts visitors.  

Contact us today if you want to start boosting your sales before 2023!