Are you keeping up with customer expectations?
In a world where you can have food delivered at the touch of a button, watch your favourite shows on demand, and shop on your phone from anywhere in the world, customer expectations are constantly changing.
We are more connected than ever before, and that makes managing customers and creating positive customer experiences a huge challenge for all business, including online retailers. The sale is no longer the end game in the customer relationship – now it’s all about going above and beyond to create memorable customer experiences and brand loyalty. If you’re not doing this, your customers will quickly look elsewhere.
Shaking things up
Uber and Netflix are two of the big names you might think of when looking for examples of how technology is changing things for the consumer, but there are major disruptors in all industries. Even the smallest businesses can disrupt the status quo with innovative approaches to customer service or extra touches that give customers just what they want.
The key here is that it’s not the product or service that has changed, but the way the customer experiences it. The customer wants convenience, they want to feel valued, and they want things done on their own terms. That means being able to buy from their mobile, choosing how things are delivered, and speaking with businesses in the way that suits them best (online, on the phone, or through via an app).
To stay ahead of the game, you’ll need to raise the bar on your customer experience.
Giving the customer what they want
Technology, innovations and disruptions mean that product price and quality are no longer the deciding factors when purchasing. With this in mind, brands need to shape their relationship with consumers right from the first interaction.
It’s all about being smarter, faster, more accessible, more connected, and offering a more personalised experience.
To personalise your customer’s shopping experience, you’ll need to really get to know your customer, where they are, how they order and what delivery options they want, then be there alongside them for the entire process with the support they need.
Most businesses are already aware of the importance of creating a good purchasing experience. But the Uber-fication of our world is having a greater impact on e-commerce, especially when it comes to delivery.
Delivering the goods
When it comes to e-commerce delivery, customer expectations just keep rising. Standard shipping is definitely no longer enough to entice someone to buy, with almost half of shoppers (46%) saying convenient and personalised delivery is a key factor in their buying decisions.
The bottom line is, if you’re not offering flexible fulfilment to meet the needs of customers, they’ll go elsewhere.
But offering a wider selection of delivery options isn’t necessarily enough to keep the customer happy. Your delivery service needs to be convenient, your tracking systems need to keep them in the loop, and your goods need to look next-level when they’re delivered.
In the face of changing customer demands, choice matters, and you don’t want to be burdened by complex shipping rules. Shippit helps you make better shipping decisions by recommending the best way to pack your order and finding the best carrier for the job.
It doesn’t seem like that long ago that partnering with a single carrier was the best option for business, allowing for negotiation of rates and a standardised shipping process. But things have changed, and now having one single option can pose a huge risk.
Shippit can take the place of that single point of contact, deliver the best options for you, and put your business ahead of the rest by providing more competitive rates and better customer experience.
If you’re ready to take the next step in customer experience and give your customers the shipping options they want, Shippit can help.
