How To Meet Customer Expectations With Your Online Business

Starting a business online is easier than ever these days, and this is thanks to the wealth of platforms and business ideas that are open to you.

With the right website builder, many of which are free, you can have something up and running online in no time. Although if you are in the business of e-commerce, you can also use Amazon, eBay, and something tailor-made on Shopify to give you a selling platform. 

You aren’t restricted to e-commerce, of course, as there are a range of other online business ideas available to you, from running online tuition courses to starting your own web design business.

Still, whether you’re selling a product or using your website for other means, you do need to consider the needs and desires of your customers. If you don’t give them what they expect, then you might lose their custom forever, as there will be other businesses similar to yours that they can turn to.

So, what do they expect from your online business? Well, we probably don’t need to tell you. As an internet user yourself, you will have your own expectations when using businesses online. You can probably write a book on the subject, with whole chapters devoted to occasions when your expectations haven’t been met. 

We list a number of ways in which you can meet expectations below, some of which we are sure you will relate to. Have a look and consider what they mean for your business. 

1: Deliver excellent customer service

As we have said before on our website, you must never neglect the customer service experience. If you delay communication with them, speak to them rudely, or fail to respond to complaints and other feedback, then you might lose them as customers. 

So, thinking about your business, put into place strategies to deliver excellent customer service. 

If you don’t have webchat enabled on your site yet, then do so. This will give your customers the opportunity to get through to you quickly, and it will reduce the need to ring your business and face the prospect of being put on hold. 

For your webchat and your phone services, ensure your customer service team has sufficient training behind them to manage the needs of your customers. And consider chatbots for your site, as this is a useful way to manage customer queries when you or your ream are busy elsewhere. Check out this useful guide for creating chatbots.

With friendly and timely responses and positive communication with your customers, you will do much to keep them on your side. We haven’t touched upon every aspect of customer service here, but the article we linked you to earlier and these customer support tips go into further detail.

2: Offer fast and free delivery

Amazon knocks it out of the park here as they offer their Prime customers 1-day delivery on many of their items. Walmart has also followed suit and many other businesses are trying to do the same. Of course, some costumers are prepared to wait longer than a day, but statistics suggest many people now expect next day delivery, so you should certainly consider your delivery times. You will differentiate yourself from slower businesses if you do, and you might gain more customers this way.

Next day delivery won’t be possible if you are shipping overseas of course, but for your country of origin, there will be courier companies that can help you deliver on your promises. Commit to research to find the best in your area. If you are delivering to nearby communities, you should also consider hiring your own delivery drivers, as this will do much to speed up the delivery process. 

Still, if you can’t arrange fast delivery, for whatever reason, you should consider free delivery. According to the survey quoted at Digital Commerce 360, 90% of those surveyed said they would be willing to forego fast delivery for free shipping. Of course, if you could blend both, you would do much to satisfy the expectations of your customers.

3: Provide a return policy

Customers buying from an online store are sometimes at an inconvenience. Because they can’t get hands-on with the product, they can’t always get the assurance they need that the item in question is right for them. As a consequence, they might receive the product and find out that it wasn’t what they expected, or that it’s unsuitable. It might be an item of clothing that doesn’t fit, for example, or a piece of tech that isn’t compatible with the setup they already have at home. For these reasons, a return policy is essential.

Faulty and damaged goods are another issue. This might be down to the courier service you have relied upon, bad conditions in the warehouse you use for your products, or the packing materials you have used (or failed to use) when preparing for the delivery. Again, you need a return policy, because you will face the wrath of your customers if you don’t, a dent to your reputation, and perhaps even legal claims against your business.

Of course, you can reduce the need for returns. If you provide the relevant product information on your website, your customers will be able to make an informed choice before buying. And the risk of faults and damage can be reduced if you check your products before selling, or if you use FBA Inspection Services when selling through Amazon. Packing them correctly is a must too!

Still, you must adhere to the refund and return laws in your country, so be sure to have a policy in place, as even if the product is perfectly fine upon arrival, you will do much to give your customers peace of mind when they are considering whether or not to buy from your business.

4: Secure your website

This is a biggie because there have been many instances of data breaches from companies both big and small. According to research, this has knocked consumer confidence. In the study we have linked you to, only 13% of those customers surveyed trusted businesses with their data, and 84% avoided businessees with a history of data breaches.

Expectations are high, so you must do all in your power to protect your customers’ data, as you might face backlash and a lack of consumer trust if you don’t take the necessary cybersecurity measures. It’s a good idea to let your site visitors know what you have done to protect their data too, as this will give them added confidence to buy from you. 

5: Offer a wide variety of options

When it comes to the online experience, the more choices your customers have the better. This will give them greater flexibility when using your business, and you will be able to meet their specific needs.

So, when taking payments on your website, you should offer as many payment options as possible. These should include PayPal, Visa Checkout, Apple Pay, and standard credit card payments. Be sure to check the payment types that other countries use too, as if you’re shipping abroad, you do need to accommodate the necessary global payment methods. 

And as we suggested earlier, ensure you have a variety of communication options for your customer service, as the more ways they have to get in touch with you, the higher the chances that they won’t leave your website in frustration. So, use webchat and chatbots, alongside online contact forms, email and social media details, your phone number, and perhaps even a remote helpdesk for the periods when you aren’t available to respond. 

6: Give your customers a decent website

Last but not least, this is a must if you want customers to return to your business. If your website is flawed or frustrating to use in any way, then your business will suffer. 

So, take a look at other websites online and compare your site with theirs. If your website appears outdated or ugly in comparison, you should make the necessary changes yourself or enlist the aid of a web designer to put something together for you.

Your website needs to be functional too. This means no broken links, no missing webpages, and no confusing elements that could put off your site visitor. Pages need to be clearly labeled, the text needs to be clear, navigation should be easy, and because 55% of online customers use their smartphones to shop, everything should be optimized for mobile use too. 

Make sure your website looks good and functions well then, and seek web design support if you need to. After all, first impressions are everything, and this is especially true when you want people to use your online business. 

Finally

Customers are the lifeblood of your online business, so don’t neglect their needs or desires. Follow the suggestions we have given you, feedback your own customers so you can get a better idea of their specific expectations, and use your best judgements based on your own online experiences. When you put the needs of your customers first, they will put your business first when choosing who to buy from online!

This is a contributed post.