From the moment a customer becomes aware of your brand to the final step of receiving their purchase, there are several stops, or touch points, where a shopper interacts with your store. Each step is important in propelling the customer towards purchasing. This should be a natural, intuitive journey that educates them about your brand, impresses them with your products and gives them some post-purchase love to show them you care. So let’s journey along a few customer touch points.
1. Awareness
This is when a shopper first becomes aware of your brand. Whether through social media, by clicking on an ad and navigating to your website or even through word-of-mouth, he or she somehow becomes familiar with your products or services. Consider it the first impression of eCommerce.
To optimize this touch point, share original content and appeal to the emotions of shoppers. Tell your brand story and try to stand out from the competition through your products’ unique selling points and how they can make customers’ lives better. To encourage word of mouth sharing, consider ‘refer a friend’ promos.
2. Evaluation
The shopper has navigated to your store website and is learning more about your product or brand. Browsing your website, reading your brand story and exploring your social media channels are all ways shoppers can evaluate you. Perhaps they’re also looking at online reviews and user-generated content that features your products. Emotional appeal is still important here!
Optimize this touch point by having a fast-loading website, easy-to-navigate product pages and powerful images and copy. Keep your content fresh and engaging. Make sure to keep track of your online reviews and answer any questions and remain engaged with customers, whether they have good or bad feedback.
3. Post-purchase
Once a customer has purchased your product or service, getting it to them in a timely and safe manner is your first priority. But once they receive it, the journey isn’t necessarily over. Post-purchase care and contact such as newsletters, discounts towards future purchases and loyalty points are all ways to maintain contact and encourage shoppers to keep engaging with your brand. This is an excellent opportunity to turn one-time shoppers into loyal customers.
Optimization here can be as simple as a beautifully designed box insert that thanks the customer. Since you have the customer’s email, it’s a great way to keep them up to date on sales and promos.
Final Word
Remember, there is not a single linear journey that every customer will take. But each point can be made as smooth as possible, always keeping the customer in mind. How many of us abandoned a checkout process because it was too complicated? Or left a website because the product information was lackluster?
The experience of buying a product is about the journey AND the destination. If you’re not sure where your store may be failing, get in touch! We can do a full analysis from loading times to your checkout process to fully understand where your store can improve the customer journey.
How is your customers' journey?
Meet the needs of your customers
and unlock the full potential of your business!
