To ensure the long-term future of your e-commerce business and your sales, you need to focus on customer satisfaction. And to do that, it’s crucial to know what your customers really want! In this guide, you’ll discover the 10 expectations your customers will have in 2024, and how to increase your sales thanks to them.
As you know, customer satisfaction has a direct impact on customer loyalty, and a satisfied, loyal customer will recommend a company to friends and family. For you, the e-retailer, this means not only continued sales, but also an increase in orders, so you obviously have everything to gain from taking care of your customers.
To achieve this, we first need to know what consumers want, and therefore what customers expect from e-commerce. That’s why in this article you’ll discover the top 10 expectations of your customers, and our tips for meeting them.
A simple, personalized customer experience
One of the key aspects of e-commerce customer expectations is the ability to easily retrieve their shopping cart. It’s a detail that, while seemingly minor, can have a major impact on customer satisfaction. A shopping cart that can be saved and retrieved at any time ensures that your customers don’t lose their product selection, and optimizes their shopping experience.
The option ofinitiating a purchase in-store and finalizing it online meets the need for a flexible, personalized shopping experience. This is an increasingly common expectation among e-commerce customers. This fusion of physical and digital commerce offers your customers a more consistent and convenient shopping experience. Their ability to move effortlessly from one purchasing channel to another increases their satisfaction and loyalty to your brand.
Customers also appreciate a seamless shopping experience that takes them from product selection to final purchase in just a few clicks. To meet these expectations, you need intuitive navigation, simplified purchasing steps and an easy checkout process. By setting up a fast, frictionless purchasing tunnel, you minimize the friction and frustration that can arise when browsing a website.
Finally, your customers greatly appreciate the opportunity to benefit from promotions linked to products they have already purchased or like. This gives your customers the feeling of a personalized shopping experience, reinforcing their connection to your brand. What’s more, by offering them promotions on products they like, you increase the likelihood of them making a purchase.
Be able to imagine yourself in possession of the product
Allowing your customers to imagine themselves in possession of the product is a key expectation of e-shoppers in 2023. Offering high-quality photos that show the product in real-life situations greatly helps to achieve this. This not only gives your customers a clear idea of what the product will look like on a daily basis, but also enhances the value of your product.
Product videos play a crucial role in meeting e-commerce customer expectations. Whether showing the movements of a garment, explaining how a gadget works or demonstrating the robustness of a product, videos offer an immersive experience that goes beyond the capabilities of static images. For example, a product demonstration video can help to dispel customers’ doubts and increase their confidence in the purchase.
To take this a step further, 3D modeling is the next big trend ine-commerce customer expectations. Industry giants such as Nix or L’Oréal, which offer make-up simulations via camera, or Ikea, which offers 3D visualizations of furniture, are redefining the way customers interact with products online. By offering customers the chance to see products from all angles and in different environments, 3D modeling can help reinforce the idea of owning the product before it is even purchased.
Whether the company is committed to CSR (for the planet and for people)
Today’s consumers are increasingly aware of their environmental impact, and are looking for ways to make their purchases more sustainable. They want to be reassured that their purchase is less harmful to the planet. One way of doing this is to give preference to local products, such as “made in France”, which reduce the carbon footprint caused by transport.
Another important aspect of CSR involvement is theuse of recycled materials, such as recycled cotton. Labels indicating the use of such materials reassure customers that their purchase is helping to reduce waste and the use of natural resources.
E-commerce customers also expect their purchases to be delivered in an environmentally-friendly way. This may involve the use of electric vehicles or other low-carbon modes of transport. But you could also reduce your delivery distances by adopting a multi-warehouse strategy, with storage facilities located as close as possible to your customers. Shippingbo can help you make this strategic choice, so that you can manage your operations smoothly and efficiently.
Finally, CSR is not just about the environment, but also about employee well-being and respect. Customers want to know that the products they buy are the result of fair and respectful work. Valuing your employees and their know-how is very much appreciated by e-shoppers, as for them a purchase can also be a recognition of the work and expertise of those who have contributed to the creation of the product, and therefore also a guarantee of quality.
Reassurance about how their data will be used
With cyber-attacks on the increase, the protection of personal data has become a major concern for e-commerce customers. They appreciate it when companies only ask for information that is strictly necessary for the execution of their service. Adopting a policy of data minimization, requesting only essential information, is particularly appreciated by e-shoppers.
What’s more, customers appreciate transparency about how their data is used. They want to know what the data they provide is used for, and how it is used to improve their experience. Be transparent and clearly explain to your customers how you use their data to optimize their shopping experience.
Finally, it’s essential to give customers control over their data. They should be able to choose whether they want to share their data, and for what purposes. Give your customers control over their data-sharing preferences.
Choose how you want to be delivered
Flexibility is key to meeting e-commerce customer expectations, and even more so for an e-commerce business. Your customers want choice when it comes to delivery. To help you make this choice, Shippingbo offers you its “carrier mapping” feature to facilitate your multi-carrier management. In this way, you can assign a carrier to each of your orders according to your criteria, and thus multiply your transport solutions, to offer your customers maximum choice, without any additional technical difficulties.
Speed is another important customer expectation in 2023. Having the option of D+1 delivery is an increasingly sought-after feature.
What’s more, customers want the freedom to choose the delivery location that suits them best. Whether at home, at the office or at a relay point. To guarantee customer satisfaction, it’s a good idea to diversify your delivery offerings, both in terms of speed and destination.
Convenience is also a key consideration when choosing a delivery method. Customers want to be able to choose a delivery date or time that suits them best. Offering your customers the possibility of scheduling delivery according to their availability is therefore ideal for a satisfying customer experience.
Finally, the cost of delivery is a key factor in the online shopping experience. Customers are looking for affordable delivery options that don’t add significantly to the total cost of their purchases. For this, offering delivery to a relay point can be a good alternative, as can click and collect if you have a store.
Communicating with a flexible customer service
Responsiveness is a key value in customer service, and one that your customers will be expecting in 2023. You need to be able to provide your customers with information quickly, to avoid increasing their dissatisfaction, especially if they contact you because of an inconvenience.
With advances in technology and changing communication habits, it’s essential to offer your customer service on multiple platforms. Customers need to be able to reach you via live chat, phone calls, chatbots and email. Accessibility is key to effective communication and high customer satisfaction.
As well as responding quickly, it’s imperative to solve customer problems effectively. This implies a deep understanding of your products and services, and an ability to find and implement solutions that meet your customers’ specific needs. Fast problem resolution builds trust and promotes a positive buying experience.
Keeping in touch with people
Customers appreciate the convenience of technologies like chatbots and FAQs, but sometimes they need a more personal interaction. So it’s essential to give them the opportunity to talk to a real person when digital resources aren’t enough. Make sure you have a team of customer advisors ready to provide more personalized and detailed answers.
Sharing experiences and helping other consumers is becoming increasingly popular. Forums enable your customers to share their experiences, give and receive advice, ask questions and get answers from other consumers. They’re an excellent way of creating a community around your brand and enriching the customer experience.
Transparency and authenticity are highly valued by today’s customers. They want to know about the company’s history, values and people. So make sure you present these elements clearly on your website. The idea is to create a personal bond with your customers, showing them that they’re dealing with an organization made up of people “just like them”, and not just an anonymous corporate entity.
Access to simplified and secure returns
Customers need a clear understanding of the returns process before they make a purchase. It is therefore essential to have a clearly defined and easily accessible returns policy on your website. Before adding a product to their shopping cart, customers should be able to view details of the returns process, enabling them to shop with confidence.
Refund security and respect for return deadlines are essential to customer satisfaction. So it’s crucial to communicate clearly how long the refund process will take, and to always meet the stated deadlines. Doing everything you can to make your customers feel secure when they make a return is an excellent way of increasing their confidence in your company.
The returns process should be as simple and effortless as possible. For example, offering quick and easy access to the return label can greatly simplify the returns procedure for your customers. This means they could easily print the return label at home, without having to go through complicated or time-consuming procedures. This will improve your customers’ overall shopping experience.
Being listened to even when they don’t have a request
In e-commerce, every customer review counts and can influence many potential buyers. So it’s essential to value all your customers’ opinions, whether positive or negative. By responding to all feedback, you show that you take their opinions into account and are committed to constantly improving your services.
Customer reviews are a goldmine of information for online shoppers. They provide an honest overview of the product and service. Displaying all your customers’ reviews on your site can help other consumers make informed purchasing decisions.
Sending out satisfaction surveys allows your customers to share their shopping experience and gives you the opportunity to improve your services. Even if not all customers complete these surveys, it’s an important way of showing that you care about their experience and expectations.
Every purchase is important. That’s why, after each transaction, sending a thank-you e-mail to your customers can be a simple gesture showing your gratitude and reinforcing your customers’ sense of importance and recognition. It shows that you value every customer and strive to offer them a personalized and rewarding experience.
Preferential treatment for non-customers
As an e-tailer, it’s a great idea to offer your loyal customers exclusive promotions for future purchases. This creates a loyalty loop that encourages customers to come back and buy again. It’s an easy way to reward loyalty and increase customer satisfaction.
Setting up a loyalty points system or a loyalty card is another way of encouraging customers to return. Each purchase made could generate points that can be exchanged for discounts or benefits on future purchases. It’s a win-win strategy that rewards customers for repeat purchases.
10.3 Offer the possibility of sponsoring someone else
Referral programs are an excellent way of expanding your customer base. They encourage your existing customers to recommend your company to their friends and family, creating a steady stream of potential new customers. By offering incentives to referrers, such as discounts or exclusive benefits, you create an engaged community around your brand.
Conclusion
Knowing your customers is therefore an undeniable lever for ensuring their satisfaction and loyalty. And if some of the above points, such as responding quickly to after-sales requests, are fairly obvious, are you sure you’re taking into account all your customers’ satisfaction criteria?
Less frequently mentioned, logistics remains a crucial aspect of customer satisfaction, which is why Shippingbo can help you optimize it. How can we help? By providing you with THE tools you need to effectively manage every aspect of your supply chain: order processing, preparation, warehousing, delivery, etc.
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