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How technology is changing our shopping experience

Tag: online shopping

How technology is changing our shopping experience
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

How technology is changing our shopping experience

With growing customer expectation, e-commerce retailers are being forced to constantly innovate and raise the bar. Further, with shopping enabled through the digital platform, without the boundaries of time and place, merchants need to ensure that the customer engagement channels are continuously open. We shall now study how technology is changing the rules of the game and redefining customer experience.

  1. Anytime shopping: Today’s online shopping is all about convenience. The customer can log on to an e-commerce portal, browse and compare product specifications and pricing, and even virtually try on clothes. They can add items to the cart, make the payment through the payment gateway and check out. All this is achieved within minutes, from the comfort of one’s home. The entire shopping process from start to end i.e. researching the product till the final purchase is possible digitally any time of the day or night and can be concluded swiftly.
  2. Smart devices for smart choices: The modern customer leverages upon cutting-edge technology to make sound purchase decisions. Often, e-commerce sites have subscription services whereby the items are delivered to the customer’s residence on a regular basis without any reminder by the customer.
  3. Real-time, uninterrupted support: The merchants need to constantly stay connected with the customers even post sale. This is vital in order to ensure returning customers. This can be achieved with chatbots that would readily answer customers’ queries and enhance their satisfaction.
  4. AI to derive insights: AI can be used to analyse customer spending patterns, study outliers and derive business intelligence. This can be applied to improve service levels and provide customized options, based on the unique needs of each customer. This would ensure lower chances of sales returns. A Gartner study estimates that by 2020, 85% of customer interactions would be handled by AI.
  5. Smooth payment process: Imagine you finished shopping at a huge mall and had to spend a lot of time searching for the payment counter! Frustrating isn’t it? The situation is similar to a customer entering the e-commerce portal. The customer should be able to easily navigate through the website to the payment gateway, complete the transaction and check out in minimum time. The payment gateway should be integrated with the website. Being directed to an external website for payment is a big put off for the customer and can cause cart abandonment. Further, there should be a choice of multiple payment options with personalised suggestions to opt for saved cards. In the e-commerce business, every click counts!
  6. Secure payment processor: This is not a feature anymore, rather an absolute necessity. The online payment platform must maintain confidentiality of customer information and card details. This is reconfirmed by adherence to global security standards like PCI DSS V3.2 Service Provider Certified.
  7. Customer reviews and loyalty programs: With fierce competition in the online shopping space, it is vital that merchants enhance customers’ shopping experience. For example, a product could have reviews of happy customers who have used it. This would help the hesitant customer make up his or her mind. One could also ensure that the product return process is simple and clearly mentioned. To win customer loyalty, merchants could include shopping points that could be redeemed as a discount on the price or a free product of the customer’s choice.
  8. Intuitive website: An interactive website with a seamless shopping experience can go a long way in higher sales conversions and customer retention. The webpage as a pop-up could guide the customer as to the further steps till the final checkout. This would facilitate the customer to stay within the website and not move to the website of a competitor. The chances of a sales conversion become higher, the longer an e-commerce portal is able to retain and keep the customer engaged within its webpages.
  9. Knowledge bytes: A customer who has complete know-how of the product would be in a better position to appreciate its value proposition and quality. Thus, the chances of achieving a sales transaction is better in case of an informed customer. Merchants can include a knowledge centre page within the website to enhance the shopping experience. All the information about a product and its utility should be available at a customer’s fingertips.

Technology is fast rewriting the shopping experience. Thus, merchants need to keep an ear to the ground and provide e-commerce solutions as per evolving customer requirements and technologies.

5 years ago
How Technology Has Made The Online Shopping Experience More Enjoyable?
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

How Technology Has Made The Online Shopping Experience More Enjoyable?

If shopping without walking a few miles has become possible, it is because of technology. Over the last few years, the e-commerce industry has reached a whole new level and it is growing consistently. Undoubtedly, if the technology had not advanced, the easy online shopping experience you see nowadays wouldn’t have been possible.

Thanks to a variety of avant-garde software and applications, online businesses are being able to reach customers globally and boost their sales. Similarly, shoppers are benefiting by saving their time and energy which they would have otherwise wasted on visiting physical stores. Plus, technology has made online payments smooth, simple and safe, thereby encouraging more businesses and customers to go online.

How is technology benefiting online shoppers?

  • Chatbots to guide you

Technology has made it possible for businesses to handle their online customers easily. This means, customers get proper assistance and guidance when they are browsing products or deciding to buy one.

For example, with the help of advanced technology, an e-commerce store can get customers’ queries resolved and can accept payments online, free. So, if you are an online shopper, chatbots can clear your doubts, provide information about the product you have in mind or help you navigate to the right website page etc.

Moving forward, let’s dive into the points which genuinely explain how technology has leveled up the game of online shopping experience.

  • Mobile-friendliness is a big plus

Do you find it annoying to get on the laptop for every single detail? Well, this is where the invention of mobile phones comes into the picture. Most online shoppers find it convenient to browse on their phones and actually spend their time to search for the products they are planning to buy. This has actually made the procedure of buying good products very easy. Also, with the help of secure online payment systems for mobile phones, the online shopping experience has become very convenient.

  • Hey Siri – What Is the Role of Technology?

With the help of technology, buying clothes, footwear, food and anything you want has become much easier. And now, if you don’t even feel like scrolling on your phone, just say “Hey, Siri!” or “Hey, Google!”, and your virtual assistant is going to solve all your queries.

It’s up to you whether you want to appreciate technology for making life much easier or blame it for making you lazier? You decide!

  • Secure payment is a reality

Online shoppers can now rest assured about the safety of their online transactions. Modern payment gateways adopted by trusted websites have many anti-fraud measures in place so that your sensitive information doesn’t get stolen or compromised. Moreover, with such gateways, you will be able to pay using various modes like card, net banking or mobile wallet. So, essentially, technology is making it possible for you to pay for your order in the most convenient way.

  • Express checkout

You might be aware of how frustrating it feels when it takes a lot of time to get your payment processed at the checkout. Good news is that improvement in online payment technology has made express checkout possible, where shoppers won’t be redirected to a different page when they are paying for an order. The payment gets processed very quickly, whether you are shopping from your laptop or mobile.

Conclusion:

No doubt, technology plays a very important role in easing the online shopping experience. Whether it’s about a mobile-friendly interface, secure online payment mechanism, or helpful chatbots, shoppers can now make the most of technological advancements to make their shopping experience enjoyable and smooth.

5 years ago
6 Tips to optimize your store for the holidays
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

6 Tips to optimize your store for the holidays

There’s no denying that the holiday season drives most sales for all types of businesses. In 2017, U.S holiday sales reached $106.1 billion a 12% increase from the same season in 2016. In 2018, projected sales are $123.4 billion, which is a 15% increase in growth from 2017.  If you haven’t started preparing your website for the 2018 holidays, you need to wake up and smell the coffee. According to the National Retail Foundation, 20-40% of yearly sales for SMEs take place during the last two months of the year. To make the most out of the holiday season, you have to optimize your online store to deliver what the consumers want, handle the increased traffic, provide a seamless user experience, and retain these customers.

This article explores some of the methods you can use to optimize your e-commerce store for the holiday season before it’s too late. Read on.

  1. Carry out an analysis and learn from it

If your store was still running last year, you need to have a look at the numbers before making any plans. It is important to use hard data for decision making in the online business environment as this gives you an edge over your competition.

Look at the successes and failures of your previous year’s holiday campaign, days when sales peaked, slow sales days, best traffic days, best conversion days, total revenues against projections, keyword optimization results, competitor analysis among other things. From this data, you can set out plans for the holiday season.

  1. Optimize your store hosting plan

Your online store is only as good as the hosting environment. Many online businesses fail because they use the wrong hosting plans. If you don’t choose a good and reliable host, you will experience downtime during the holiday season, which will lead to loss of business. Make sure you choose a hosting package that can handle increased traffic, offer 24/7 technical support, and flexibility to suit your store’s changing needs.

If need be, you can change your hosting provider to ensure you get dedicated hosting environment, CDN for faster loading, SSL, and increased bandwidth capacity.

  1. Speed up your online site

One thing that all shoppers hate is a delay when looking for products and during checkout. During the holiday season, you expect traffic to bombard your store and the only way to avoid high bounce rates is by delivering excellent load time.

Online shoppers want everything fast and research shows a 1-second delay in loading a page can lead to a 7% reduction in conversion. Evaluate your site speeds using online tools such as Google’s Page Speed Insights tool, compress, and optimize images and carry out other recommendations given by the speed check tools.

  1. Optimize the checkout process

It is one thing to take payments online and something totally different to do it right. You see, many shoppers will abandon their carts if they can’t find their preferred payment method. As such, provide alternative payment methods in addition to traditional ones and make sure the checkout process is smooth and convenient.

Look for the cheapest online payment gateway, which allows multiple secure payment methods as this will not only save you money but also help with customer acquisition and customer retention during the holiday season.

  1. Optimize your store’s database

Over the last one year, your website’s database has grown and you have a lot of unnecessary stuff, which could be affecting optimal performance. There are multiple tools you can choose for a quick database cleanup and before the holiday season, you should use them. Database cleanup speeds up your website and improves overall performance.

  1. Leverage user testing

If you want to understand how customers feel when visiting your store, it is time to dive into user testing. You need to get into the mindset of your target customer and explore your online store through the purchase funnel, check the ease of account creation, check the availability of coupons and discounts, page functionality, password recovery process, and everything else on your website. If you notice any problems, fix them instantly as you prepare for the holiday season.

Preparations for the holiday season must start early. Every year, shoppers start doing their shopping earlier and as an online store owner, you have to optimize your store. There is a lot of money to be made during this holiday season but this is only possible if your e-commerce store can handle the traffic and deliver an excellent user experience.

5 years ago
5 ways to optimize your m-commerce business
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

5 ways to optimize your m-commerce business

E-commerce is revolutionizing the shopping experience of the buyers. People are more comfortable shopping online rather than stepping out of their comfort zone. The widespread smartphone penetration has further propelled the growth of e-commerce, particularly mobile e-commerce. By 2021, mobile commerce sales will constitute 54% of the total e-commerce sales.

If you are planning to tap prospective customers who prefer mobile shopping, you must focus on delivering a seamless mobile retail experience. And if you are wondering how to optimize online retail business for mobile users, the following tips will be beneficial for you.

Get hold of a responsive design

A responsive e-commerce website is one that comfortably adapts according to the screen size of the device. When it comes to mobile shopping, the screen size matters a lot. The condensed layout of the website must accommodate all the information in a well-defined manner. For example, the payment gateway page should adjust accordingly, without ruining the user experience.

Focusing on visuals rather than text is a smart way to connect with the buyers. This will ensure a minimal layout, and at the same time, you do not have to compromise on the user experience. Developing a shopping app is also feasible, but it will cost a fortune. Moreover, according to BI Intelligence’s Mobile Checkout Report, mobile shopping websites are popular among shoppers. Therefore, optimizing e-commerce website for mobile users should be your priority.

Facilitate social media shopping

If you do not find, shoppers browsing your mobile shopping store, you will find them hanging out on social media. And since you can integrate your online store and social media accounts, you can enable social media shopping. For example, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest allow you to promote and sell your products and services on social media. The visitors click on the Shop or Buyable Pins icon, and they are redirected to the secure payment processor. This is an excellent way to drive more sales because social media shopping reduces the number of steps involved during shopping.

Provide an intuitive user interface

If you deliver a seamless user experience to mobile users, you will witness higher conversion rates. Optimizing user interface is the best way to ensure maximum engagement. As the screen size gets smaller, it is better to focus on visuals rather than text information. Opt for photos, 360-degree images, videos, and so on. To increase click-through-rate, add a hovering “Buy Now” button. Keep the checkout process simple enough to avoid any confusion. Develop urgency in buyers by displaying product count, placing a countdown for a limited-time sale, and highlighting slashed down product prices.

Develop a relationship with customers

Once you acquire customers, you have to double your efforts to retain them. Let them create a profile on your e-commerce site, invite friends, share their collection with other users, upload photographs, and so on. Since users spend most of their time on smartphones, consider optimizing profile section for mobile screens. Allow customers to log in with their social media accounts, eliminating the need to create a personalized account.

Ask customers to opt for mobile notifications so that you can send them instant notifications related to product deals. Communicating with your customers via an email outreach program ensures higher engagement and conversions.

Make the mobile checkout process smooth and attractive

The cart abandonment rate is approximately 85.65% for mobile shopping carts. This highlights the need for optimizing checkout procedure for m-commerce. Aim at reducing the checkout steps to increase the conversion rate. If the customer abandons cart at the last moment, send a personalized offer such as a discount or cashback. In addition to credit and debit card transactions, online payment platforms should provide options like net banking, wallet payments, UPI payments, gift vouchers, and so on.

The bottom line

M-commerce can drastically increase your customer base if you optimize your business for mobile users. As smartphone penetration and internet accessibility increase exponentially, people are opting for convenient shopping means. Adhere to the aforementioned tips to render a hassle-free mobile retail experience for the shoppers.

6 years ago
6 Things Shoppers Want in Online Stores
Mohab Growth Hacks 0

6 Things Shoppers Want in Online Stores

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:

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

6 years ago