We’re often asked how to turn a good online shop into an amazing online shop.
So here are three of Lingo’s favourite tips on how to make your customers love your e-commerce store even more than they do already.
1. Only show customers what they want to see
Being able to filter products allows customers to find what they want more easily. If your customer is only interested in products of a certain size or a certain colour, how much easier would their search become, if they could filter out everything else. And how much more positive would their experience of your website be!
Successful filtering relies on formulating a robust filtering strategy (how do customers search and why), before carefully categorising and tagging all products appropriately. It is an advanced e-commerce feature, so it is important to be clear on the limitations of your system from the outset.
2. Think differently about delivery
One of the big trends in e-commerce at the moment is Click & Collect. If you have a significant local customer base as well as one or more physical ‘shopfront’ location, introducing Click & Collect as an alternative to traditional delivery might be something to consider.
Customers may wish to avoid the delivery fee and the need to wait in for a courier driver. Meanwhile you are saved the ‘hassle’ of packing goods up for courier pick-up.
Alternatively, there are now improved delivery services available from most couriers. They will collect from you and keep in touch with your customer until the delivery is received, even giving a timed delivery slot by text or email.
3. Cross selling not hard selling
“If you liked this, you might like this.” And with these simple words your customer is persuaded to put three more items into his or her shopping basket. There are some cross sells that are obvious: a duvet cover and its matching pillow-cases for instance. However clever cross-selling can extend beyond matching sets.
Consider what else the customer could ‘need’ in relation to their purchase. A new pair of walking boots could be linked to blister pads and hiking socks. Alternatively, in the case of interior design or fashion, why not suggest products that fit within the same ‘look’ or ‘style’. If your customer likes the chic pencil skirt, they could be persuaded to buy a skinny leather belt too.
Central to all these suggestions is ensuring that you put yourself firmly in your customers’ shoes when developing your e-commerce strategy.