Standing out in an ever-growing, ever-crowded marketplace is a consistent challenge for businesses. How do you operate competitively, deliver outstanding customer experiences, and inspire customer loyalty and repeat purchases? Leading customer reviews and insights platform Feefo have released the results of a new survey asking 2,000 UK consumers these very questions. The outcome? It’s clear that businesses must focus on the whole customer journey – from the initial pre-purchase stage through to post-purchase and brand loyalty – making it as delightful, memorable and personal as possible.
Two key findings from the survey are that 30% of online shoppers expect a lightning-fast response in 10 minutes or less – no matter the channel they use to get in touch – and 30% of customers would switch to a competitor after just one bad experience with a brand. These statistics show just how fragile brand loyalty can be, but businesses shouldn’t feel fear. Instead, they should take the insights from Feefo’s survey as opportunities to up their game and stand out from their competitors.
The research showed that 43% of consumers like to communicate directly with the businesses they buy from via email and the most common frustration for online shoppers is not being able to find answers to their questions. The online shoppers’ survey suggested that 48% of customers would answer one or two questions that popped up on a website, if it improved their buying experience and that 80% of customers use Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Businesses can use these insights to improve their email marketing and operational communications whilst revamping their FAQ section, filling any content gaps on their product pages, reaching out for feedback with on-page surveys or introducing live chat to the website. FAQs mean that customers can find the information they need at any time of day, so this function shouldn’t be overlooked.
Feefo Head of Digital, Richard Tank says ‘Consumer confidence and trust is essential to developing an online business that grows, and lasts… Listening, learning and developing more personalized customer experiences is key to long term success. Technology as an enabler, must be fully utilized in order for online businesses to achieve this’.
Consumers don’t just buy a product without any thought – there are a number of steps that lead them to making a buying decision. Feefo’s survey highlights the importance of businesses thoroughly understanding their customers’ needs throughout the purchase journey and striving for continuous improvement across key customer touchpoints to ensure purchases, customer satisfaction and loyalty.
For those businesses that are unsure of what the consumer journey consists of, or are wanting to improve their website ranking and visibility, the hiring of a eCommerce marketing agency is recommended. By using an experienced and trusted agency, they can recommend improvements and areas that require attention, while also conducting much needed analysis of your site, ensuring that your site is user friendly, easy to navigate, while targeting the relevant keywords to ensure that the business is discovered in the initial stages.
