From So-So to Sensational: How to Wow Online Shoppers

Gone are the days when online shoppers tolerated slow load times or confusing checkout processes. With consumers able to instantly price compare and buy from anywhere, online retailers need to wow and delight shoppers to earn their business.

👉 Mediocre customer experience means forgettable interactions and high churn. Exceptional customer experience creates vocal brand advocates.

Just look at the data:

• 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for great customer experience.
• Companies exceeding customer experience [CX] expectations enjoy 60% higher revenues compared to competitors.
• Loyal online shoppers have a 3x higher lifetime value than first-time buyers. [Source]

Getting customer experience right has become imperative for ecommerce success. But where to start on the journey?

Customer Experience Strategies

This comprehensive guide reveals 10 proven strategies to take your online customer experience from so-so to sensational. We’ll cover everything from optimizing product pages to streamlining checkout, providing exceptional service across channels, personalizing recommendations, and leveraging data to continuously improve.

With these tips, you’ll create end-to-end digital experiences that delight customers, fuel brand love, and drive sales growth for the long-haul.

The stakes have never been higher when it comes to online customer experience. Let’s explore how leading retailers are meeting the moment – and how you can too.

1. Hypnotize Customers with Compelling Product Listings

Listings make first impressions. Ensure titles, copy, images and video quickly communicate the product’s value and benefits.

• Lead with keywords in titles, weave organically in descriptions
• Address buyers’ questions – specs, materials, care instructions
• Conversational tone, like a helpful salesperson, not a robot
• Alternate images to showcase key features
• Videos demonstrate usage, scale, and components
• Easy to scan with bullet points and bolding
• Mobile optimized – legible imagery and copy on any device

Pro Tip: A/B test listing content and visuals. Analyze performance data to refine.

2. Remove Roadblocks in the Buying Journey

Like an obstacle course, poor UX triggers frustration and abandonment. Streamline navigation and checkout.

• Intuitive categories and site search to easily find products
• Filters to narrow selection
• Visual hierarchy, breadcrumbs, product trails
• Guest checkout reduces required fields
• Pre-fill names, addresses, payment for registered users
• Progress bar through checkout
• Instant error messages identify issues

Pro Tip: Use session replays to pinpoint and fix pain points.

3. Woo Customers with Free Shipping and Returns

Make buying irresistible by eliminating financial risk. Offer free shipping guarantees and return policies.

• Free shipping thresholds
• Prepaid return labels in package
• Local return drop-off points
• Instant refunds once received
• Free exchanges for different size or color

Pro Tip: Promote guarantees on product pages and in email campaigns.

4. Deliver 24/7 Customer Service on All Channels

From phone and email to chat, social media and beyond – be available across every channel your customers prefer.

• Unified knowledge base empowers consistent support
• Chatbots provide instant answers around the clock
• Track CSAT (customer satisfaction)
• Monitor resolution time and set SLAs
• Omnichannel software unifies data and workflows

Pro Tip: Identify most common customer questions and optimize FAQs.

5. Light a Fire Under Customers with Scarcity and Urgency

The threat of missing out prompts action. But use selectively.

• Limited-time promotions
• Closing countdown timers on products or offers
• Low inventory warnings or limited edition products

Pro Tip: Test different urgency elements on product pages. Analyze conversion impact.

6. Stay Top of Mind with Lifecycle Email Campaigns

Targeted emails bring customers back and boost lifetime value.

• Welcome series for new subscribers
• Cart abandonment emails
• Browse abandonment messages
• Re-engagement offers for inactive users
• Win-back campaigns for defectors

Pro Tip: Segment and personalize content with CRM or email platform.

7. Pinpoint Usability Issues with Session Replays

Watch real user sessions on your site to identify pain points. Look for:

• Slow page load times
• Broken elements and error messages
• Confusing navigation or information architecture
• Form field confusion and abandonment
• Shopping cart or wishlist issues

Pro Tip: Prioritize fixes that impact critical user paths and conversions.

8. Turn Customers into Ambassadors with Ratings and Reviews

Customer-generated content builds trust while fueling SEO. But stay authentic.

• Post-purchase review prompt
• Curate and display reviews, hide poor quality
• Respond respectfully to negative feedback
• Moderators filter inappropriate or fraudulent reviews

Pro Tip: Analyze reviews for product insights and improvement opportunities.

9. Wow Shoppers with Relevant Recommendations

Leverage data to deliver personalized suggestions.

• Individual product recommendations based on purchase history, views, demographics
• Content recommendations like guides, related products, comparisons
• Similar items carousel based on current product
• Order status dashboard with tracking, history, favorites

Pro Tip: Balance automation with human curation for relevant recs.

10. Continuously Analyze Data and Optimize

Insights from analytics tools and primary research inform enhancements.

• Web analytics to identify popular entry pages, conversions, drop-off
• Heatmaps show click density
• Session replays uncover usability struggles
• Voice of Customer surveys and feedback
• Churn analysis provides retention insights
• ** tools** connect data from all sources

Pro Tip: Align teams on priority issues and coordinate improvements.

Aditional tips to consider

👉 Mobile Optimization for Seamless Omnichannel Experiences

Ensure seamless experience across smartphones, tablets, and apps. Test across iOS and Android. Optimize navigation and keyboards for thumbs. Offer app-exclusive features.

👉 Surveys Offer a Voice of the Customer Pulse

Use surveys to gather qualitative feedback on experiences, emotions, and pain points. Ask for ratings on specific interactions. Segment users for comparative feedback.

👉 Testing Unlocks Innovation

Continually test new features and experiences with a percentage of users first. Analyze impact on KPIs. Only roll out winning variations wider.

👉 Brand Storytelling Forges Emotional Connections

Build an emotional connection through compelling brand storytelling and messaging. Emphasize shared values and higher purpose. Make customers the hero.

👉 Unified Insights Reveal Systemic Issues

Consolidate insights from surveys, reviews, service tickets into a single CX dashboard. Identify systemic issues frustrating customers. Assign ownership for fixes.

Delivering Memorable Customer Experiences

Providing an exceptional ecommerce customer experience is no longer optional, but essential. However, CX improvement is not a one-and-done initiative – it’s an ongoing journey.

The strategies covered in this guide reveal key areas where online retailers can start making an impact through focused efforts:

• Hypnotic product listings that sell themselves
• Frictionless navigation and buying flows
• Proactive, omnichannel customer service
• Personalization that feels like magic
• Promotions and perks that exceed expectations

But ultimately, customer experience is about emotion as much as function. It’s about crafting end-to-end digital experiences that resonate on a deeper level – tapping into shopper motivations and forging an emotional bond.

The goal is moments of delight that spark joy, solve problems, and convey how much you value customers’ time, money, and trust.

To consistently deliver such moments, ecommerce brands must embed customer experience thinking into their culture:

• Listen continuously to the Voice of the Customer
• Empower teams to identify and remove pain points
• Collaborate cross-functionally to connect insights
• Invest in UX design, research, and optimization
• Celebrate and promote customer-centricity

With this strong cultural foundation, you gain agility to constantly evolve experiences and stay ahead of customer expectations.

The payoff for outstanding CX is immense – increased conversion rates, lower acquisition costs, expanded lifetime value, and invaluable brand advocacy.

By championing excellent digital experiences across the shopper journey, online retailers can strengthen loyalty in an increasingly fickle marketplace. They can turn customers into fans, and one-time buyers into lifelong brand champions.

CX 101: Common Questions Answered

Q: Where should we start in improving our customer experience?

A: Begin by listening to customers through surveys, reviews, and service interactions. Identify the top pain points and areas of friction. Focus initial efforts on quick wins that address common issues.

Q: How much does improving CX cost?

A: Results come from focusing on the right priorities, not big budgets. Many CX best practices have low incremental costs but outsized impact – like crafting better product listings or optimizing checkouts.

Q: How long does it take to see results from CX efforts?

A: Some changes like faster load times have instant impact. But cultivating loyalty through great experiences compounds over time. With continuous improvement, gains build on each other.

Q: How can we get internal teams onboard with the CX focus?

A: Rally leaders around customer-centric goals. Connect insights to emotions and human stories. Celebrate CX wins and champion user advocates. Lead by example.

Q: What metrics best reflect CX health and progress?

A: Well-rounded metrics quantify business impact (revenue, conversions, cost per acquisition) and qualitative feedback (CSAT, NPS, reviews).