Over the years the customers need for convenience has grown, demand is higher and time is poor which explains why convenience is now king. If you look at millennials and Gen-Z they have grown up with the latest technology, push of a button, anytime and place, on demand culture. Convenience isn’t a concept for the future it’s happening now and if you are not providing convenience your customers will be going elsewhere.
If we look at the trends of how we have moved to this effortless economy we can see at the start customers put time and effort into their purchase, leaving their house to come to you to make the purchase. Over time we moved to high convenience where customer had the choice of either shopping online via websites or visiting the store in person.
The effort and time then decreased again by singular convenience where customers could shop for everything on one site. Think of your marketplaces and of course the best known, Amazon. We are now in an effortless convenience stage where customers are buying on the go. For this you could think of your social selling and media channels, does it actually feel like a purchase anymore?
There are many research studies out there now showing that convenience is more important than price. That’s not to say those in the highest price bracket will always win the conversion but if the sale and service provided is seamless this could be a winning factor.
Let’s delve into this and take a look at some of the ways you can create convenience for your customers.
Seamless experience
To create a seamless experience, you need to be reviewing the full user journey you expect your customer to take, right from the first interaction to conversion. Consider the following questions as you do this:
Is the message personalised to your customers needs? Does it solve a problem?
Is the landing page optimised?
What does your website look like on different devices and browsers?
Do you provide a cross device eCommerce experience?
Can you remove any unnecessary steps or friction?
Can the consumer check out as a guest? And is shipping information saved for future purchases?
Does the customer have all the information they need readily available to make a decision?
*Linnworks Whitepaper the effortless economy 2021
Optimise convenience via selling channels
As Amazon has now overtaken Google in product searches, we can’t ignore marketplaces. Marketplaces offer convenience for your customers with the ability to buy multiple items in one place. They are also an opportunity to expand your audience. A customer who previously didn’t know about your brand or product could now find you through a marketplace. You can also increase your market internationally in an easier format than having to setup this whole process yourself, channels such as amazon provide the platform and support to offer your products to other countries. This isn’t just working for the customer but your business as well.
Social commerce is also an aspect to consider. As social media is integrated into our everyday life now, the step to buying through social becomes another seamless experience. First consider where your audience is and the right channel to perform this action. This might be using influencers to promote your product on Instagram, Facebook shop integration or promoting your service and knowledge through LinkedIn. Keep in mind not every channel will fit.
*Linnworks Whitepaper the effortless economy 2021
Frictionless and flexible delivery and payment options
On a recent article I read on the Retail Gazette website they state 95% of consumers say that convenient delivery options are a major factor in their purchase online.
Take a look at the delivery options you provide – are you offering flexibility and multiple options for a customer to choose from? Some customers might be happy to wait a little bit longer if the delivery is free, some might add extra items to get free delivery and others might want the product right now and pay for this service!
Also take a look at how a customer can return items to you. Do you have a procedure setup and what are the different reasons a customer might return an item? The convenience needs to be there post purchase as well with things such as returns and tracking orders. Consider self-service returns instead of the consumer having to contact your customer support team.
The most important aspect for your delivery and returns is making sure the information is visible and clear before the customer purchases. If they can’t find this, they may just move to another platform where it is easily accessible.
Summary
So, lets sum up what your customer is looking for and the convenience required. The customer is looking for a seamless experience and you should review and analysis the full user journey to ensure this is available.
Consider marketplaces if you haven’t already. This creates convenience for your customer to buy multiple products in one place but can open your products up to a new audience.
Social commerce is big we spend so much time on social media so it cannot be ignored. Be transparent with your delivery and return information, if this is clear and concise it might be that last step to conversion.
Comments