Customer-centric eCommerce: Tips for creating the perfect user journey

In recent years, online shopping has become a significant part of our lives. Providing a convenient and hassle-free way of purchasing goods and services, eCommerce now accounts for 19% of the world's retail sales.

Despite the millions of customers that try to purchase online every single day, you need more than a website to create a profitable eCommerce business.

One of the best investments you can make is in a customer-centric experience.

In this post, we will explain what the modern-day consumer expects from online retailers while sharing a few tips for creating the perfect user journey.

What makes the perfect eCommerce user journey?

A perfect eCommerce user journey is tailored to the needs and preferences of each individual customer. Retailers should strive for a seamless experience that guides their visitors from the moment they land on their website to the point of purchase and beyond.

To achieve the above, you need to understand your customers' behavior, preferences, and pain points. This may require market research, on-site data analysis, and multiple rounds of customer feedback. 

It’s important to look for answers within your own business rather than spending too much time looking at others, because only you know what your customers need when they land on your site.

To demonstrate the differences in customer expectations, we’ll look at the requirements for two very different businesses.

Let's say I'm a luxury fashion customer heading onto a brand's site for the very first time. The experience should sell the brand and its story,  providing detailed information on each item. Price is less of a concern in this industry – the storytelling and visual elements are what sells.

Conversely, a DIY enthusiast might know precisely what they need before heading onto a site to gather tools for their latest project. The experience should make it easy for them to find what they're after among thousands of products. It should also include recommendations of complimentary items to help with the job in question. 

The user journeys in these examples have very little in common, hence why gathering feedback and understanding your buyer is crucial.

How to truly understand your customers

Before you can create a customer-centric eCommerce experience, you must first understand your customers. There are some basics you should already know:

• Who are they?
• What are their interests?
• What motivates them to shop?

That basic level of understanding can be enhanced by data collection and analysis around your site. Useful information includes:

• What do they typically buy?
• What product information do they need?
• How long is a typical experience?
• Will they make multiple visits before purchasing?

This data is invaluable to creating a logical user journey, but it can't tell you everything. The next step is to use surveys, customer reviews, and feedback to gain insight into your customers' behavior and what they make of your existing experience.

Don't forget, if a customer raises a point about something specific, go back through your analytics to spot a potential issue. For instance, if you keep hearing about difficulties at the checkout, see how many customers abandon their cart at this stage. 

Talking to your customers will give you more than enough ideas for improving your user journey. Still, here are some fundamental tips that apply to every brand.

#1 Optimize your website design

A well-designed website design goes a long way to creating a seamless user journey. The design should be easy to navigate, responsive, and visually appealing.

If you could nail one of the many elements of a well-designed website, make it website speed. A site that takes one second to load will have a conversion rate 3x higher than a site that takes five seconds. That might mean using JPEG images instead of PNG/GIF, or rethinking your choice of plugins.

A mobile-friendly website is also vital, as 60% of eCommerce sales now come from a smartphone or tablet.

#2 Use personalization

If you want to make your experience customer-centric, personalize more parts of it.

According to research from Epsilon, 80% of customers are more likely to purchase from a business that uses personalization.

A great example of embedding personalization within your experience is with product recommendations. By issuing tailored suggestions based on cart contents, purchase history, and recently browsed categories, you can enhance your user experience while making your customers more valuable.

See how Adidas recommends socks for customers buying shoes. This is a simple yet effective method of a customer-centric experience. 

With a personalized experience, you can show your customers that you understand their needs.

#3 Support your customers

Sometimes, the customer journey isn't straightforward. Problems may arise, and questions can stifle progression. That's why efficient and responsive customer support is essential in creating a positive experience and user journey.

The best retailers have a dedicated support team operating multiple communication channels to cater to all preferences. Email, live chat, phone, and social media support are all popular choices for the modern-day consumer. 

If you do add an extra channel, be wary of response times. Zendesk reports that the majority of customers (51%) expect to get a response within five minutes on the phone, and 28% expect the same from live chat.

Customer support is also key to retention. A study from eDesk showed that over 90% of people who leave bad reviews will have talked to a customer service representative beforehand. That means there is either poor support at some point in the journey, or an opportunity to turn a negative experience into a positive one. 

By using customer support to alleviate any concerns, you could see a big improvement in your conversions.

#4 Include a post-purchase follow up

If a well-designed website is key to acquiring customers, the post-purchase follow-up is your key to retaining them.

Personalized thank-you emails, coupons on future purchases, and engaging newsletter content are three ideas to consider.

By showing that you care about someone's experience even after they've purchased, you improve their loyalty and increase the likelihood of repeat business.

#5 Utilize customer feedback

Finally, you've listened to your customers to create your experience, but remember to check in with them to see how you're doing.

Not all customers will readily give you their time to share thoughts on what they like and dislike about shopping with your brand, so consider using a small incentive to get more responses. A $10 gift card or money off future purchases are standard techniques for driving more survey responses. 

Simply providing a method for customers to leave feedback is another way to show you care, and that you're listening to their opinions.

Start your journey today

Creating a customer-centric eCommerce experience is not an overnight process. It requires continuous effort and dedication to create something that works for every visitor on your site.

By making an effort to better understand your customers, optimizing your website design, personalizing their experience, providing efficient customer support, and following up post-purchase, you can create a seamless and unique journey that works for your brand.

Follow these tips, and you will go some way further to building a business that acquires more customers and keeps them coming back for more.