5 Tips on How to Improve the Client Path in E-commerce

The E-commerce Customer Journey: a series of steps a customer traverses on an online business website as they decide whether to make a purchase. In this article, we'll explore techniques and strategies to simplify and optimize this journey, enhancing outcomes for businesses.

The customer's journey starts from the moment they first contemplate buying a product or service and continues right up until the point of purchase. For many, this journey even extends beyond, evolving into brand loyalty.

The digital shopping journey can be broken down into six stages:

• Recognizing a need,
• Exploring options,
• Making a choice,
• Completing the purchase,
• Retention, and Cultivating loyalty.

Seamlessly guiding customers from one stage to the next can greatly influence an online store's success.

Throughout this journey, every interaction with a customer, from start to finish, must be fine-tuned. A website should feature intuitive navigation, comprehensive decision-making information, and essential support elements. Collectively, these elements should shepherd customers down the sales funnel, smoothing out any potential rough spots.

SaleCycle, a company that monitors millions of customer paths across various industries including fashion retail, general retail, and tourism, offers valuable insights on boosting online conversions.

Below are five tips to refine the customer journey and ensure a seamless experience.

Effective marketing techniques that can trigger a buying decision include:

• Displaying limited stock quantities,
• Showing the number of views a product has,
• Indicating how many people have made a purchase,
• Highlighting the number of reviews left by customers.

Such prompts induce a FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) effect, capitalizing on the psychology of loss aversion, and can be a potent motivator for purchase.

Integrating this type of information into the product description gives an aura of demand and potential scarcity, potentially hastening a customer's decision-making process.

The "bandwagon effect" is also a powerful motivator. Demonstrating that a product has garnered significant interest can be influential.

For instance, a subtle note beneath the "purchase" button that says "14 people are viewing this product right now" can be compelling.

What exactly is social proof, and how does it influence? It's the concept where people believe their purchase decision is justified because others who've bought before them are content with their acquisition.

For instance, customer testimonials can be particularly compelling. They signal to potential buyers that other consumers have not only purchased the product but also value it highly. This is also affirmed by high ratings and a substantial number of units sold.

Another exemplary method of leveraging social proof can be observed in hotels. They showcase how many individuals have booked a room and the timing of their booking. This establishes a sense of validation and urgency for potential customers.

Running a sale? Offering free or next-day shipping? If so, it's essential to highlight the deadline for these deals to your shoppers.

E-commerce countdown timers can give customers that extra nudge to finalize their purchase. By instilling a sense of urgency, you're aiming to cut short their deliberation and push them towards sealing the deal.

One of the most cost-effective yet potent touchpoints with a customer is email. Gaining a website visitor's consent to receive email newsletters elevates your relationship with them to a whole new level.

Now, you can dispatch reminders about abandoned carts or current promotions to them.

- Abandoned Cart Emails: Often, shoppers will add items to their cart but won't follow through with the purchase. Gentle reminders about their abandoned items can coax them back to finalize the sale.

- "Recently Viewed" Emails: If a customer browsed but didn't add anything to their cart, consider shooting them an email featuring items they recently looked at. Pairing these with complementary products can further amplify the enticement.

Employ cross-selling and upselling techniques in your emails to maximize the potential purchase value.

Don't forget about your existing customers! If they've already made a purchase, follow up with emails that showcase products similar to or compatible with their previous buys.

Motivate customers to act by offering a limited-time promo code. Design it in a way that's sure to catch their eye.

Time your promotions around holidays or significant sales events. Offering a discount coupon or free shipping during these times can be particularly appealing.

Open rates for such promotional emails are 2.5 times higher than the average email blast. A well-executed promo code strategy can substantially boost conversion rates.

Remember, these are just some ways to streamline your customer's journey. There's always more you can do to enhance their online shopping experience.

Ensuring that your website or app is user-friendly is paramount.

Take the time to navigate through your own site, emulating the shopping experience from a customer's viewpoint. Reflect on how you'd like to make an online purchase and what would simplify the process. Chances are, your customers are thinking along the same lines.

To guarantee you don't miss anything, ask yourself:

• Is all essential information readily available and presented clearly? Is it straightforward to input contact numbers and addresses?

• Would auto-fill options be beneficial? This feature can expedite and streamline the checkout process, potentially reducing customer drop-offs.

• Does your platform offer flexible search options? How many payment alternatives do you provide? Aim to cater to the majority of your clientele.

• Is your site mobile-friendly? Given that most people own smartphones, and recent studies indicate that a significant portion of retail traffic originates from mobile devices, it's imperative to optimize your site for mobile usage to enhance conversions from these devices.

To achieve high sales in e-commerce, it's not enough to merely offer trendy products at attractive prices. You must meticulously map out the customer journey from the moment they land on your site until they complete a purchase. Then, work diligently to eliminate any obstacles at critical touchpoints.

You can find cues on how to accomplish this on top-tier e-commerce platforms. They've invested considerable time and resources to optimize every page and button. Adopt their strategies and tactics, but remember to consistently test every modification you implement. Here's to high conversions for you!