How Can Online Retailers Become More Successful Through E-Commerce Optimization?
E-commerce recorded a year-on-year growth of 23.2% in the first half of 2021 (source: statista). A further boost is expected for this year, which implies an increase in competition in the industry. Especially for smaller online retailers it is becoming more and more difficult to stay competitive and keep up with these developments. An extensive product portfolio, short delivery times and undamaged shipments are not enough to stand out from the competition. Are you prepared for incoming product inquiries, complaints and issues handling to deliver an excellent customer experience from start to finish? Based on current trends, the Spectos E-Commerce Monitor 2022 provides valuable insights into how companies can achieve successful e-commerce optimization.
1. Everyone Wants More Sustainability – But No Extra Charge
German consumers demand more awareness for sustainability in e-commerce. In this context, online shoppers put a lot of importance on suitable packaging sizes and recyclable packaging material. They are even willing to accept longer delivery times for an environmentally friendly delivery. But there is one thing consumers are not willing to do: pay a premium for it. Acting sustainably and in an environmentally friendly manner is increasingly taken for granted.
Online retailers should definitely keep this growing demand in mind to be successful in the future. The big players in e-commerce are leading the way: Amazon wants to deliver 50% of its shipments CO2-neutrally by 2023, while cooking box company HelloFresh is focusing on reusable packaging. Online fashion retailer Zalando is not only following the re-commerce trend of recycling old clothes according to the second-hand principle. The company is also trying to reduce its plastic packaging. Follow these examples and develop and communicate sustainable strategies for optimizing your online store – consumers will pay attention to this.
2. Service Quality Matters: From Visiting an Online Store to the Return Transaction
Did you know: the most common reason for disqualifying an online store is poor customer service, followed by complicated returns and excessively long processing times or no response to queries. This clearly shows that the customer experience does not end with placing an order. Customers should feel that they are in good hands at every point of the customer journey so that they can put their trust in you, from product inquiries to the whereabouts of a shipment to return processes.
For online retailers, top customer service is the key to high customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. Therefore, nothing should be left to chance. Regular customer experience surveys allow a change of perspective with authentic customer experiences to optimize individual contact points in a targeted manner. Integrated and automated solutions for service quality monitoring and feedback management support this process easily and efficiently.
3. Home Delivery Remains No.1
Parcel store, parcel station or post office branch – there is a wide range of flexible delivery alternatives. Nevertheless, from a consumer point of view, the immediate proximity to the home address is unbeatable, regardless of the age and place of residence of the respondents. Smaller online stores with limited options should focus less on a sophisticated range of delivery alternatives. It is much more effective to force their energies into good customer service to build long-term and stable customer loyalty.
4. High Delivery Quality Matters in the Customer Experience
Well-functioning processes have a significant impact on the quality of service. In this context, high delivery quality is an important driver for improving the customer experience and saves money at the same time. After all, every delayed shipment generates contact with customer service or, in the worst case, returns. A reliable network of delivery partners minimizes such interactions. Therefore, online retailers should implement solutions for more transparency in their delivery network.
Delivery performance monitoring for e-commerce optimization: sample view of a Spectos Cockpit
With specific ecommerce solutions, online retailers can closely monitor the performance of postal service providers per product, per region etc. Through the targeted processing of shipment data, customized benchmark comparisons and portfolio analyses can be called up in the Spectos Real-Time Performance Management™ Suite. These enable strategic decisions for the selection of regional delivery partners. What can this look like? Online-Retailer WIRmachenDRUCK demonstrates it:
5. Don’t Wait for the Customer to Complain!
Let’s face it, with online giants like Amazon, customer expectations are nowadays very high. For small businesses, with limited negotiation power with their delivery partners, excellent customer service is a MUST. With a smart solution for complaint management, incoming issues can be quickly resolved in the customer’s best interest. This means, no online shopper has to wait too long for a response.
In addition, proactive measures such as performance monitoring of delivery partners, Live Tracking, and Mystery Services are great means for a company to set itself apart from its competitors through outstanding service. The systematic testing of service quality allows the identification of potential disruptions in the customer journey in real time. Use this to your advantage and respond to issues even before they are raised as complaints by customers. For example, you can apologize in advance for delivery delays and automatically send small gifts, such as discount codes etc.
Your Online-Customers in Focus with Continuous E-Commerce Optimization and Top Service
In 2022, consumers place very high value on good service quality and excellent customer service. These factors should be actively addressed by eCommerce companies to optimize their online business. However, customer service – every email, every phone call – is very expensive because it requires significant staffing to retain customers and build loyalty. Strategically deploy your available resources and avoid inefficiencies by applying semi- and fully automated solution.
With our solutions specially developed for Customer Experience Management, we support you in always keeping an eye on important developments in your customers’ satisfaction and taking quality-enhancing measures at the right time. Benefit from communication across many channels, transparency, long-term improvements and high efficiency. Click the button to learn more about our customer satisfaction solutions. For specific support, feel free to contact us at info@spectos.com.
