May 03, 2021 / By / in Ecommerce
E-commerce platforms have attained greater prominence and exponential growth in recent times. It has become a proven marketing strategy to not just earn and retain customers but to influence the consumer decision-making process as well.
Customers, in general, have some basic expectations when they shop. They may look for not just top quality products but attractive rates and discount offers as well and also e-commerce platforms will let the customers compare the offers of various stores and choose the best.
Today, consumers have access to information, the convenience to shop on different devices, and the luxury to share their experiences with others on online platforms. It will be interesting to dig deeper to see how e-commerce platforms can Influence buyers. Here are a few ways
Consumer research and compare products for analyzing brand reputation while choosing a product are easier. Reports show that over 90% of people read online reviews before buying a product as it makes a reliable way to measure the quality of the product. Positive reviews of happy customers will indeed bring back referral clients for businesses. So, if your e-commerce platform has many positive reviews it will indeed be an influencing factor.
Online reviews and detailed product and company information make customers well informed. While in traditional shopping, customers rely on what the salespeople have to say, in e-commerce they can go by the information they have in front of them on their screens. It has enabled the prospects to set their expectations higher. As more companies are coming up with products and services to meet these expectations, online shoppers have a greater choice than ever!
Swift and hassle-free navigation will incredibly enhance the online shopping experience of the customers. Your website should have a clean layout and a simple design that will help your prospects to get where they want to. Make sure to include well-listed categories and site maps, which will make it easy for your clients to see your product showcase in a glance!
A staggering 49% of consumers are influenced by free shipping offers. It is especially popular among regular customers who purchase very often from online stores and websites. Free shipping will bring back the customers for more, quite often. Free and reliable product delivery will encourage better new online sales and meet the needs and expectations of the consumers. The shoppers have a lot of choices on their platter as they can navigate easily from one website to another if they are dissatisfied with deliveries. Free shipping will indeed keep you ahead in the race by leaving a positive impact on customer satisfaction.
Secure shopping sites influence consumers in the wake of serious concerns of data security during electronic transactions. Make sure to adopt safe payment gateways and encrypted transaction options to create trust among your audience. Consumers will buy a product from a vendor whom they trust when they are shopping online. Reports show that 70% of online buyers in the US are seriously concerned regarding the misuse of their personal data during online shopping. So, ensuring a secure e-commerce platform will have a lot of influence on your consumers.
One of the factors that influence the consumer’s behavior is product quality. Superior quality products are the winning cards for e-commerce companies. Maximizing the product quality will significantly influence the consumer's decision to shop from your online shop.
Shoppers expect e-commerce sites to provide all relevant and accurate information about the product. Since online shoppers don’t have an opportunity to touch and feel the products as in retail shopping, they have to rely solely on the product information while deciding what to buy. By providing appropriate information, e-commerce platforms can help the consumers make a well-informed decision about a product and to shop with ease and confidence.
You can make it easy for your consumers to find the product that they are looking for with comprehensive product descriptions, product videos, etc. It is indeed an influencing factor in the consumer’s decision-making process.
An easy return policy will be something that will not just influence the purchase decisions of the customers but will also help businesses to earn their trust and loyalty. Make sure that the buyers can shop with confidence at your e-commerce stores with easy return policies.
An easy and simple check-out process is something that will make the shopping spell quick and interesting for your consumers. Keep the checkout process simple and versatile to help the customers complete their shopping with ease. Make sure that they can apply different coupon codes or send gifts to different states etc.
Adding new products to the catalog will attract more traffic and encourage your prospective buyers to come back to find what is new. So, make sure that your e-commerce site is well stocked with the trending products to its brim to be a crowd magnet!
These are some of the popular ways e-commerce platforms can Influence buyers. Customer shopping habits will continue to evolve with technology and to stay ahead in the race and be relevant, companies too will have to continue to adapt. For this, Merchants should periodically analyze their business models to take necessary actions to positively influence their customer’s purchase decisions and shopping experiences.
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