Ecommerce has become awash with digital bells and whistles. Technology has no doubt enhanced the shopper experience but the rapid rate of digital innovation has had a profound effect on customer expectations. By 2020, customers expect brands to automatically personalize experiences to address (not just predict) their current – and future – needs.
But, although customers expect more in terms of tech, they still crave the person-to-person connection. In fact, 75% of consumers want to see more human interaction, not less.
At LoyaltyLion we know that bringing back this human-touch depends on providing a good customer experience. Clearly, a worthwhile cause, as studies show that 86% of shoppers who received great customer care are more likely to repeat purchase. By going the extra mile to treat your shoppers as people – rather than numbers – you can secure a faithful, constant customer base.
Here are three insights that will help you bring the human touch back to your online store.
Use Data To Personalize Communications
Each customer is unique. They interact with your brand in different ways, all while having their own personal needs and desires. When a customer feels that you have taken the time to understand their unique requirements, they will trust and value your brand more.
Data and personalization go hand in hand. By using member information to learn how customers engage with your loyalty program, you can understand their feelings towards your brand and react accordingly. Being data-driven is the key to true e-commerce success.
One golden opportunity to personalize your communications this is through targeted emails. Use your Gorgias dashboard to identify past interactions and purchases, as well as a customer’s loyalty points balance. You can then use that member data to create bespoke rewards that you can send right to your customer’s inbox.
Maybe you’ve noticed that they keep eyeing a specific product range? If so, give them discounts on new products in that collection to tempt them to back to buy again. Or perhaps you’re aware that they’re just a couple of points away from their next reward. Give them a little nudge to return and receive their reward sooner. For example, LoyaltyLion user Dr. Axe alerts customers when they have rewards waiting to be claimed, and suggests a particular product to redeem that reward on.
Find Ways To Delight Customers
Shoppers love to feel that they’re your only priority and that you care about them on a personal level. They want to feel valued as individuals, not just another number in an extensive database.
Loyalty strategies should incorporate ways to surprise and delight customers. For example, making it easy to offer customers points on their birthday or taking a moment to personally congratulate them when they’ve made a certain number of purchases with you. Beauty Bakerie, for example, offers their customers 500 points on their birthday.
With Connectors for Shopify Flow, it’s easy to use LoyaltyLion and Gorgias to set up triggers that automatically create tickets on a customer’s birthday, reminding a representative to get in touch. It’s the thought that counts and going the extra mile will ensure your customers trust and remember you. Plus, you’ll feel good about it too!
Convert Negative Experiences Into Positive Ones
Customers get frustrated when they feel their complaints aren’t taken seriously. Dissatisfied customers will tell between nine and 15 people if they have a bad brand experience. Using Gorgias’ helpdesk and macros, you can help resolve complaints whilst maintaining a personal touch. For example, ethical online yarn store, Darn Good Yarn uses the helpdesk to analyse and automate how they solve common customer issues, using a whole database of the shopper’s history to address specific queries in a more informed way.
If you are reacting to customers have had a negative experience, your loyalty program can help you demonstrate you care. You might consider offering bonus points or benefits such as free delivery, or moving them up a loyalty tier so that they can unlock more exclusive rewards in the future. These tokens of appreciation can turn a bitter experience into a sweet deal.
Research shows that 94% of customers who have their issues solved painlessly said they would purchase from that company again. This shows that helping customers to solve their problems is key to securing their long-term loyalty. Treat your most valuable customers well by making their shopping experiences as easy as possible. In return, they’ll give you their loyalty.
It’s all about people-to-people
In a world where technology and data can give ecommerce stores a competitive edge, there’s a risk that we could lose touch with the human side of retailing. Human exchanges are still, and always will be, the primary driver of loyalty. So, use digital personalization to your advantage and treat your customers as individuals.
