But if you are a business operator, you do not want to escape the online store experience. In fact, it is likely one of your top priorities to make this aspect of your business something the general public flocks to. As you have likely discovered, this is easier said than done. The internet is a big place and there is a lot of competition from both a business and website point of view. To stand out amongst all these will push you to your breaking point. Thankfully for your sake, we are here to help, and computer scientist Jarod Lanier is responsible for the first piece of advice, “Create a website that expresses something about who you are that won’t fit into the template available to you on a social networking site.”
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Below, you will find five strategies for making your online store an experience for customers.
1. Seamless Navigation
There was a time when people were impressed by a single web page. At the same time, an entire website was awe-inspiring. However, the internet has been around long enough, and used widely enough, to where most people do not even think about it in these terms. It is part of everyday life. As a result of this, people expect no technical issues or glitches when visiting any website. Ensure this is the case for your online store before you attempt anything else.
“You’ll never quite get there but end users expect perfection with their online experiences,” said Chris Gadek, Head of Growth at AdQuick. “That being said, you should never stop trying to get there. Otherwise, the issues will pile up.”
This is an excellent point. But it is also important to remember online navigation pertains to more than just the basic functionality of your online store. Is your site visually appealing? Is it intuitive in every manner possible? These two questions get to the real heart of the matter here - setting yourself apart from the competition. You know just as well as we do that there is no shortage of online retailers. To turn a profit in such a reality, you must be intentional in all you do. Including the design of your online store.
“Everyone has an opinion on web design, but time and time again, simplicity has been shown to be a real winner,” said Rachel Roff, Founder and CEO of Urban Skin Rx. “Though, do not forget you have to be tasteful if you go this route.”
2. Mobile Customers Need To Be a Priority
Walk into any public space across the world and you will find more people on their phones than not. This is another result of the internet becoming part of daily life. Like it or not, people use their phones for everything. Including online shopping. But, these mobile devices do not function in the same way a traditional computer does. Their smaller screens call for website design that is entirely its own and not the desktop size squeezed down.
“Nowadays, when you’re designing your online experience, you should be creating two websites,” said Omid Semino, CEO and Founder of Diamond Mansion. “One for mobile users and the other for those on their computer; if you don’t, you’ll likely lose sales.”
This is not to say you should go out of your way to create two separate experiences. Whether people choose to shop on the go or at their desk, it should be obvious they are visiting your company’s online store. Like the rest of your branding and marketing, your mobile site should continue to lean on the same logos, colors, and language. This way, visitors will become familiar with what they are viewing rather than becoming confused before clicking away.
“There are quite a few companies out there who rely solely on sales via mobile devices,” said Karim Hachem, VP of eCommerce at La Blanca. “That shows the buying power of the customer. To match that, you must give them a mobile shopping experience.”
3. Compare Your Site To a Traditional Shopping Experience
In many, many instances over the last three years, the internet has been somewhat of a saving grace. In fact, some may argue the pandemic would have been unmanageable without it. However, in that same amount of time many of us have come to realize that there is no true substitute for real-life experience. While online shopping certainly is not going anywhere, who is to say you cannot work to make it more immersive?
“One of the biggest problems about online shopping is the lack of information,” said Melanie Bedwell, E-commerce Manager at OLIPOP. “How big is the item? What’s it made of? Is there a picture of it that isn’t marketing material? If you can give the customer this information, you’ll do pretty well for yourself.”
Of course, not every customer is cut from the same cloth. There is a reason demographics exist after all. Eventually, a customer will pose a question larger than the information covered on your product page. Clearly, you cannot leave them hanging in the wind. As a solution, you might try introducing an on-demand service where customers can have these queries answered.
“Artificial intelligence has become a big player in the realm of marketing and sales,” said Ryan Rottman, Co-Founder and CEO of OSDB Sports. “You’ve probably seen a few chat rooms where a bot answers your questions; this is exactly that.”
4. Customer Service
Speaking of customers, this group of people should be your utmost priority on every level possible. But you know this. Otherwise your business would not be in the position it is today. That being said, there are a couple additional steps you can take regarding customer service on your website which will elevate the overall experience. For starters, having real human beings on the end of your customer service channels will make a world of difference.
“There is a digital solution for everything under the sun, including customer service,” said Lyudmyla Dobrynina, Head of Marketing North America at Optimeal. “But nothing will ever replace the level of communication people can achieve in real-time. Be it phone calls or chat rooms, your retail site should have real people behind it.”
But people are only one part of the online store experience. Logistics are an equal part of this equation. Between shipping products and the inevitably returning of a few of these, you will certainly have your hands full. But that is how it should be - receiving or returning products should not be a hurdle for your customers in any way shape or form.
5. Make it your own
The harsh truth about running an online store is that the internet has more of these than any one person could visit in their lifetime. This reality poses an interesting dilemma - how do you distinguish your website from all of these? A brief visit to a handful of such sites will show you there is a lack of creative flair. Many online stores appear one and the same on a surface level. This is no way to make an impression.
“I cannot stress this enough—design your website inside and out,” said Lionel Mora, CEO of Neoplants. “There’s enough websites out there where you need to do something worth clicking on.”
Practically speaking, this starts with two things - your landing page and the consistency of your design. As when meeting another person, first impressions of your online store do not receive a do-over. Whatever the customer finds upon first click will be what they judge. Which is why your landing page is so vital. From there, it should be consistently apparent to every end user that they are continuing in a single experience throughout their visit to your site.
“Have you ever clicked on a link in a website and it took you to a page that did not resemble wherever it was you just came from?,” said Chris Bridges, CEO of VITAL Card. “I think we all have. To prevent this with your own site, use identical themes and language across every page.”
If all the information above has left you feeling a bit lost at sea so to speak, it could be that the current version of your site does not measure up. But, never fear. User-experience expert and author Steve Krug had some words for you, “If there’s one thing you learn by working on a lot of different Web sites, it’s that almost any design idea—no matter how appallingly bad—can be made usable in the right circumstances, with enough effort.”
