5 Strategies for Building a Customer-Centric Online Store
The pandemic that hit the world in 2020 truly boosted a shift in the way people shop. The world of eCommerce had already been growing and this unfortunate event only sped up the entire process.For anyone wondering what they need to do to start an eCommerce business and make a decent profit, you have to start with the basics, source your products, build your website, as well as make the entire environment customer-centric.To make this idea a reality, keep reading. Below, you will find great tips that will help you make your online store customer-centric.
Customer-centricity at the core of your business
Being customer centric means putting the consumer first in every choice your business makes. When making decisions, always keep the consumer in mind, from the items you design to the marketing campaigns you establish, and everything in between.It's also an important aspect of organizing your company around the customer, which entails creating an open, centralized, and secure environment where every customer interaction matches your brand values and supports transparency.This is exactly what may separate your business from the other e-commerce businesses out there and that could mean the difference between success and failure.
Brag with social proof
A display of other people's decisions, thoughts, and reviews about a product or service is known as social proof. Consider Amazon's star ratings or app store text reviews. These are examples of user-generated content that is genuine and made by users who have used the product or service.Humans are sociable creatures by nature. That’s why social proof matters when talking about customer-centricity. We want to know that the decisions we make are correct and that others agree with us. Customers want the same level of assurance when shopping online.They want to know that other people who have bought the services or products have enjoyed it, found it useful, and are confident in its authenticity. This is achieved by displaying social proof.Look no further than Airbnb for tips on how you leverage social proof to increase e-commerce conversions. Airbnb displays star ratings for various characteristics of the property, as well as text reviews written by actual visitors. This helps overcome any inhibitions or reservations that their potential customers could have.
Voice assisted shopping
Your buyers want a simple, quick buying experience. You may reduce the time it takes for customers to complete a purchase in your store by using Voicefront.ai. Allow visitors to shop using their voice to drastically reduce the sales cycle from start to finish.It's the equivalent of incorporating Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant into your existing sales channels. You can quickly link your product catalog and create a personalized voice shop with Voicefront.ai's Shopify integration (if you have a Shopify website).Furthermore, a voice-assisted shopping experience is a fantastic opportunity for branding. You're actually having a conversation with your customers, which allows you to create your brand voice in a completely new way.
AI is your friend
When you come into a physical store, you're greeted by a friendly store assistant who helps you in finding the product you're searching for. This feature, however, cannot be used in an online store.But luckily, there is a workaround and it's in the form of a live chat AI application. A live chat tool is computer software that allows website users to connect with you in real-time. It could be staffed by a human or managed autonomously by a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence.But how does a live chat tool help an online store become more customer-focused? When someone or a system cares about making the customer's buying experience more convenient is an act of customer-centricity in and of itself.In fact, professional live chat software can go above and beyond by recommending products to customers. These product recommendations will closely mirror the user's tastes as determined by their shopping or browsing habits.
Facebook and Instagram shopping
A new sales channel has emerged, and it's a big one. Now, you can turn your Facebook and Instagram pages into real-life online storefronts with Shops for Facebook and Instagram. Shops have been steadily increasing across regions, so it's very likely that you can use them.Setting up and selling directly from your Facebook page or Instagram account takes simply a few minutes. This is a great e-commerce trick if you already have a significant following on those platforms.In addition, Facebook has teamed with Shopify to run Shopify-powered stores. This means you can instantly link your product catalog to Shops if you already have a Shopify-based e-commerce site.If you're using Facebook or Instagram to advertise your business, why not let consumers buy directly from those platforms? It is clearly a customer-centric strategy to provide a frictionless shopping experience.Keep in mind that early adopters will reap the greatest rewards. Create your Facebook and Instagram Shops as soon as you can to build a formidable e-commerce empire.
Final words
Customer-centricity means putting the customer at the center of everything a company does. If you want to have a customer-centric business, you should implement the tips from this article.After all, customer-centricity is one of the primary goals of every business. And yours should be no different.