How focusing on customer experience can help your business outpace your competition.

In many ways, the internet has allowed even tiny businesses to burst out of their small local boxes and share their brand and products with the entire country. However, it has also given consumers a vast array of choices as well as the ability to bargain-hunt in just a few clicks. Given this indisputable fact, today’s sellers need to go beyond simply providing merchandise if they are to have long-term success.

The importance of the shopping experience.

The concept of shopping has expanded far beyond the exchange of money for products. In fact, it now encompasses all of the ways in which your customers encounter and interact with your store, your brand, and your products. The most effective and successful businesses adopt multi-channel strategies that curate unique shopping journeys for each buyer based on their interests, expressed opinions, and past buying histories. In the end, a happy customer is likely to share their positive views of your brand with their contacts and will probably make future purchases from you as well.

Creating a stellar shopping experience is crucial for today’s online and in-person businesses. This is not only because it leads to increased customer retention and referrals. The other compelling reason is that doing so will also give you an advantage over your many competitors. But just what can you do to elevate your customer experience?

Make every touchpoint count.

Whether a new customer is walking into your physical store or has just clicked on your home page, you now have a pressing opportunity to make every element count. To that end, pay careful attention to your signage, the layout of your store, and the greeting they are given. For your ecommerce site, focus on pages that download quickly, are clear and easy to navigate, and feature simple ways to get in touch with you. If you have both online and in-person shops, make sure that your on- and off-line channels intersect seamlessly with each other so that the buying experience is enhanced.

Obtain social proof.

Seeking and prominently posting customer feedback is one of the most effective things you can do to attract new buyers. After all, people are more likely to trust the testimony of individuals like themselves as opposed to believing what a financially motivated business owner might say about a piece of merchandise. Therefore, incentivize customers to review their purchases and experience with your store, and post their words on your website and social media pages.

Unfortunately, not all reviews will be positive. When negative feedback comes along, make sure your response is prompt, polite, and public. If possible, take demonstrable action to resolve the issue. This may not only please the aggrieved buyer but will also show the world that you care about your customers and are willing to go the extra mile to make things right.

Make checkout as smooth as possible.

No one likes to be parted from their money even if they are buying something they want. Your job is to make cashing out as friction-free and secure as possible. For your physical store, upgrade your POS equipment to allow for contactless transactions and self-checkout. On your website, configure your gateway to accept multiple types of payments, and be sure your shopping cart software is PCI DSS compliant.

Check in after they check out.

Shopping does not end with the purchase of a product. Actually, this is just the beginning of what should be a positive, long-term relationship between you and your buyer.

To that end, find a way to contact the shopper a few days or weeks after they have bought one of your products. Give them a chance to provide feedback, and take this time to encourage them to post a review. Your goal is to create a warm give-and-take between your brand and your patrons. Not only will customers feel appreciated and recognized, but also your brand will remain top of mind for them.

Create a community for your brand.

Shopping does not need to be a solitary experience. As social media proves day after day, people love to find others with common interests in order to share and learn.

If you have a physical storefront, harness your space to hold classes, product demonstrations, and preferred customer events. On your website, link people together via forums, blog posts, loyalty programs or links to social media.

Don’t forget your employees.

The people who work for you are the face of your business. Treat them well and train them right, and they will pass on their positive attitudes and product knowledge to your customers. As a manager, concentrate on keeping the lines of communication open, and take time to recognize improvement as well as success. If someone is struggling, find a way to take them aside, and focus on furnishing feedback or changing job responsibilities to maximize the chance that they will continue to grow.

The bottom line is that your physical store and website are much more than devices that dispense merchandise. With just a little research and by following the suggestions above, you can transform your business into a brand that delights, challenges, and listens to the customers who are one of its most valuable assets.