The online retail experience has evolved a great deal since its inception. The advancements made in this industry have changed the way people will shop forever. Online shopping is convenient, simple and most importantly, safe in the dangers of the pandemic. Online shoppers are able to explore what seems like an endless supply of product and service listings, compare features and prices of similarly listed products and services, satta matka and even get an understanding of other customers’ experiences with a product or service through feedback and reviews. These capabilities have surged an enormous growth in the online retailing industry. In fact, in 2019, online retailing raked in over $3.5 trillion globally from a combined two billion people shopping online.
The largest contributor to this online shopping phenomenon has indefinitely been Amazon. Amazon has changed the way that other retailers look at their online presence. Boasting over 13 million different product options, Amazon users have no shortage of options. Which is a huge benefit when you have nearly 200 million unique users visiting your marketplace platform every month. This sort of impact does not go unfelt by other online retailers in the industry. Amazon has set some unrealistic expectations for other online retailers to meet in order to retain their customers. For example, most online shoppers now expect other online retailers to ship their products as expeditiously as Amazon. Amazon’s prime shipping has become the standard for most consumers, so when other retailers are unable to offer that to customers, they become dissatisfied.
This can be disastrous for smaller online retailers that lack the logistical prowess of Amazon. Though other online retailers may be unable to provide such swift shipping times, it is important to look for other ways to please their customers despite this. For example, even if a company isn’t able to ensure a package be delivered within two days of an order like Amazon, they can include a rigorous shipment tracking page on their website that will keep the customer in the know of where their package is at all times. This can help improve the overall customer experience, despite not possessing the logistical capabilities of expedited shipping.
Shipment tracking is a great start in making the after-purchase period more convenient for your customers. However, consider additional ways in which you can make other aspects of a customers’ life more convenient while shopping through your products or services. For example, for new visitors to your site, how easy is it to purchase a product? Do you require a user to create an account prior to purchasing? After a new user is created, can they save their payment and shipping information for future purchases to simplify the reorder process? Being able to autofill information like this is a critical element in increasing repeat purchases from customers.
Returning to the importance of shipment speeds, it’s no surprise that customers are more likely to purchase from a site that can ensure quick shipping. However, despite customers preferring to receive their orders in a timely fashion, what’s even more important to them is the price associated with shipping. 70% of shoppers would rather wait a longer period of time for their shipment to arrive if it means that shipping would be free. If you know your shipment capabilities are lesser than your competitors, look for ways to decrease the shipment costs your customers pay as a result. One way this can be accomplished is through an automated storage and retrieval system that can help coordinate warehousing and transportation efforts more effectively. For more information on how to keep your online customers satisfied, check out the featured infographic below.
Author bio: John Hinchey is VP of Sales for Westfalia Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of logistics solutions for plants, warehouses and distribution centers. He has more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing and warehouse automation.