It’s possible to offer the same level of service online as big high street brands – if not better. The phrase “Customer is king” has never rung truer than it does today, especially in the retail environment.
There is more choice than ever before thanks to the rapid expansion of online retail. A business that fails to provide what its customers want, when they want it – in short, risks failing.
Through communication and engagement with the business, customers feel valued. They buy products that are tailored to their needs. The customer is at the center of everything we do.
Making the customer feel like the world revolves around them is the key to success for any business.
Those who are contemplating making changes to their strategies will find this guide useful.
Selling online with a personal touch
Possibilities for customization
The key to a successful personalization strategy is giving the customer options. Companies like HP allow you to tailor your laptop or PC to your needs by selecting the processor, RAM, and storage capacity.
For ecommerce sites, this might mean offering different size or colour options. The use of tiers of service is a sensible way to cater to different needs in B2B companies.
‘Any business can succeed if it makes the customer feel like the world revolves around them.’
Customer satisfaction
A superior product is no longer enough – you need to make the customer feel special. You need to provide excellent customer service throughout the customer experience journey, enabling them to engage with your brand’s values and facilitating communication between the two.
Lush, a cosmetics retailer, has perfected this feeling of care. In all of its marketing, its brand values are at the forefront, and each product is labelled with the name and face of the person who prepared it. Adding a personal touch to a process that can be somewhat faceless is a nice touch.
Providing convenience
Customer convenience is crucial in an online world. Today’s shopper doesn’t need to visit a store to order because they can do so on their phone at any time of the day. You should also recommend products based on your customers’ shopping habits, so they don’t have to browse.
Since technology has become democratized, small businesses are now able to offer many services that were previously only available to large retailers.
Almost all website building platforms allow users to log in, view past purchases, and see products recommended to them based on their buying habits.
How to personalise the customer experience in 4 steps
1- Develop a mobile platform
This seems obvious, but it’s more relevant now than ever. Convenience means allowing people to order from their mobile devices.
Making your website responsive isn’t enough. Customers should be able to buy items, track their order (and shipment), leave feedback, and contact customer service via mobile for a true mobile-first and customer-centric experience.
2 – Make your website work for you
Many businesses fail to take full advantage of the capabilities of online selling when their websites are not used correctly.
Data can be collected from your website to provide tailored recommendations and highlight popular products based on demographics and purchasing habits.
The customer should feel that your business reflects their values and can help them achieve their ideal selves. Customers should feel supported, understood, and valued by reviews, testimonials, and helpful information on your site.
3 – Be consistent
Your website is usually your business’s online hub, but it isn’t everything. In modern commerce, social media plays an increasingly significant role – and there’s no better way to interact directly with customers.
When you treat social media as a junior discipline, it can be difficult to establish an authentic, value-based connection with your audience. Regular social media posts should be eye-catching and consistent with other marketing channels’ tone of voice.
You should use social media messaging that reflects your target demographic, their values, and what motivates them to buy.
Responding to comments and questions on social media also allows you to communicate with your customers. Treat it as your direct line to customers and as a chance to impress them.
4 – Automate as much as you can
Marketing automation is a complex discipline, but these are two basic systems pretty much anyone can set up quite easily:
Product recommendations
Using past data to predict what customers might need means you can offer up-sells, cross-sells and more – and plugins make it easy to set up.
Some retailers may need to reevaluate their inventory if they offer customisation. The popularity of tailor-made clothes, personalised engravings, and custom-built PCs has led many businesses to carry less inventory and instead manufacture items on demand.
Automated emails / SMS
Send your customers birthday deals. This is a simple idea, but it makes them feel loved. Other automated emails include: order updates (confirmations, dispatch notifications, tracking information, feedback requests); reminders (“You might be running low – is it time to reorder?”) and more suggestions (since you bought x, we think you’ll like y).
It is crucial to harness the power of the internet. By providing accurate data and open communication to their customers, companies can create responsive, engaging websites and embrace social media. Those businesses whose strategies put consumers first will be more successful.
