6 Things Shoppers Want in Online Stores
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The internet seems to be taking over the world, one day at a time. In a scenario where nearly, anything can be found online, it feels as if internet has simplified all aspects of human life. However, the true convenience is displayed in online shopping. People want to save their valuable time and purchase everything online. This means it is amazing if you have an online store. But, it is not enough. With so much competition coming up, it is vital that you know what your customers are expecting from you and deliver that to stay ahead of your game.
So, besides a wide range of products, here are 6 things that shoppers want from online stores:
- A website that is easy to navigate
As an online shopping website owner, it is essential that you operate a website that is easy to navigate. Seamless shopping experience is the key to online shopping, and that is the first thing they want when they log in to your website. It should be easy to know where to browse, what you offer and the website should load quickly. Besides an easy navigation, your website should also be mobile friendly, which means it should have a mobile version too as most people browse from smartphones.
- A fast checkout option
One of the very important considerations in an online shopping website is the actual checkout process. In an offline store, people need to wait in line at the cash counter and the queue is unusually longer in peak hours. You see, this is the prime reason people resort to online shopping. So, offer an option where people can opt not to fill a huge registration form needing irrelevant details. Your e-commerce payment portal should be efficient and fast. Along with that, there should be adequate and secure payment options. It is important that you get your e-commerce payment gateway integration from a reputed source in order to provide secure payment at the time of checkout.
- Customer reviews
Customer reviews of products on your website are trusted as much as a personal recommendation. They also give more credibility to your store along with a trust factor for your customers. But, do not resort to getting fake reviews written. Let your work speak! You can send an email to your customers few days after their purchase to write a review. Do not forget to mention a direct link to the review page.
- Free shipping
Who does not love free stuff? At least, all your customers do. Free shipping or competitive shipping policies greatly influence customer behavior. It has been seen that shoppers do not mind spending a bit more if the shipping is free. It makes more sense to them to buy an additional product rather than spend money on shipping.
- A blog
Numerous online stores now have their own blogs. These blogs are mostly about their customers. A blog basically helps as an opportunity to position yourself as an expert and hence leads to customers trusting you more. Many shoppers turn to blogs for help, advice and a variety of information. The topics can range from how to posts to latest fashion trends – basically anything that goes with your store. A good blog can act as a voice of your brand, but you need to be careful that you do not use your blog entirely for sales purposes.
- Good customer service
This needs no mention. A good customer service both before and after sales is one of the highest and very rational expectations of an online shopper. If you are dealing with unhappy customers at your hand who need quick answers, it is vital that you have a solid customer support network. You may think of including a chat box on your website or a social media team to handle your queries.
As an owner of an online store, you need to understand what motivates a person to shop online in the first place and then give those reasons why they should shop with you. Adding the above mentioned things to your store will surely lead to a successful e-commerce platform.
