There are a few key things that all customers crave when they interact with a company, regardless of the industry: feeling valued, appreciated, and heard. When these needs are met, customers are more likely to stay loyal to a company and keep coming back for more.
In the context of eCommerce, customer engagement is how you foster those key customer emotions through your website and online presence. By investing in ways to better engage with your customers, you’ll not only create a better online experience for them but also encourage loyalty and return business.
You will learn how to enhance consumer engagement in eCommerce in this post along with 13 simple but powerful strategies that you can use to draw in both current and new clients and set your company apart from the competition.
13 Powerful Strategies to Improve Customer Engagement
- Segment Your Customers
- Personalize Your Customer Experience
- Provide Omnichannel Customer Service
- Introduce Live Chat
- Use AR in Your Customer Experience
- Include Livestream Commerce
- Start Using AI in Your Customer Experience
- Use Gamification
- Send Cart Abandonment Emails
- Use a Mix of Digital & Physical Strategies
- Be Visible on Social Media
- Endless Aisles Solution
- Use Smooth Return Policies
1- Segment Your Customers
Customer segmentation is the process of dividing your customer base into groups based on shared characteristics. This can be anything from location and age to purchase history and interests.
Once you've segmented your customers, you can then create targeted content and campaigns that are specifically designed for each group. This is an effective way to boost engagement because it allows you to personalize the customer experience and make them feel valued.
For example, let's say you have a segment of customers who live in a certain area and who have shown an interest in your outdoor products. You could then create targeted content about upcoming outdoor events in their area, as well as special discounts and offers on outdoor products.
This would show those customers that you're listening to their needs and providing them with relevant information – all of which can help boost engagement.
2- Personalize Your Customer Experience
Personalization is crucial, both retailers and customers agree strongly. Personalization increases client satisfaction and boosts revenue when done correctly. Delivering a boring client experience is no longer an option because the risks are too high.
66% of customers, according to Twilio research, will switch brands if they have a bad experience. Long-term consumer satisfaction can also be achieved through real-time customization. According to a study by Twilio, 86 percent of consumers agree that personalized experiences make them more loyal to particular brands, increasing customer lifetime value.
3- Provide Omnichannel Customer Service
Consumers prefer to shop at their own pace. They also want to get support through the methods of their choice, whether through live chat, social media, the phone, email, stopping by a physical location, or texting. By tracking customer behavior across all of your sales channels, you can adjust your omnichannel retail strategy to serve them better.
70% of consumers feel that a flawless experience will encourage them to spend more money with a brand, according to the most recent CX Trends Report.
4- Introduce Live Chat
Did you know that live chat has the highest satisfaction levels among all customer service channels, with 73% of customers saying they’re satisfied with the experience? That's in contrast with 61% for email and 44% for phone.
If you're wondering why it's because live chat provides an instant way for customers to get answers to their questions without having to pick up the phone or wait for an email response. This is especially useful for eCommerce businesses because customers often have questions about products, shipping, returns, and more – all of which can be easily answered through live chat.
Not to mention, the personalization that comes with live chat can make customers feel more valued. Taking the time to engage in a one-on-one conversation shows that you care about their specific needs and concerns. So, if you're not already using live chat on your eCommerce website, now's the time to start!
5- Use AR in Your Customer Experience
Image source: cafe24.com
Using augmented reality (AR), provide your customers with a distinctive experience. Shoppers can utilize a smart dressing room to virtually find garment sizes with only a few clicks in an app. People can use AR to view how a sofa would look in their living space and how a particular lipstick color would look on them.
It can be difficult to get this experience perfect, but the potential rewards are enormous. More sales, fewer abandoned shopping carts, and greater customer loyalty can result from increased shopper involvement.
6- Include Livestream Commerce
Image source: smartosc.com
One of the hottest trends in retail is gradually becoming livestream commerce or Live shopping. The concept, which blends a live stream with e-commerce, was first made popular in China. The ability for viewers to watch and shop simultaneously promotes real-time interaction and fosters a stronger bond with the brand.
However, the advantages of livestream commerce go beyond the recognition of a brand. The conversion rates reported by retailers are close to 30, which is up to ten times greater than in traditional e-commerce.
With the help of this developing purchasing platform, you can do things that were unthinkable just a few years ago, including evoking a sense of intimacy and urgency. You can reach new audiences, for instance, by partnering with influencers and offering special deals that are only available through live streaming.
7- Start Using AI in Your Customer Experience
AI is pervasive in the retail industry, and with good reason. Customers are growing more at ease with the concept as the entire process becomes more smooth. Customers, who make up 73% of respondents, anticipate having more daily encounters with AI.
AI-powered bots can raise the standard of consumer service & engagement in retail by:
- Identifying trends in customer data and sentiment to provide your agents with current, useful insights.
- Providing clients with more thorough product information and lowering shopping cart abandonment rates
- Relieving pressure on your personnel and hastening the resolution process, prioritizing client concerns, and responding to straightforward requests like "where is my order?".
8- Use Gamification
Gamification is the process of using game mechanics to engage and motivate customers. This can be anything from offering rewards points for certain actions to holding contests and giveaways.
The goal of gamification is to make the customer experience more fun and engaging, which can lead to more sales and repeat customers. And it's a strategy that can be used in a number of different ways, so you can get creative and tailor it to your specific needs.
For example, you could offer rewards points for every purchase made or for specific actions like referring a friend or writing a product review. You could also hold contests and giveaways, which are always popular on social media.
And of course, you could always introduce a loyalty program, which is a great way to reward your best customers and keep them coming back for more.
All in all, gamification is an effective way to engage customers and boost sales, so it's definitely worth considering for your eCommerce business.
9- Send Cart Abandonment Emails
It's estimated that 88% of carts are abandoned, which means there's a lot of potential revenue being left on the table. The good news is that there are a number of strategies you can use to recover some of those lost sales, and one of the most effective is cart abandonment emails.
Cart abandonment emails are automated emails sent to customers after they've added items to their cart but haven't completed the purchase. These emails typically include a reminder of what's in the customer's cart, as well as a special offer or discount to incentivize them to complete the purchase.
Not only can cart abandonment emails help you boost sales, but they also create an opportunity to engage with your customers. By sending a personalized email, you can show your customers that you care about their purchase and want to help them complete it. And sometimes they need that – because life happens, and things come up!
Discover The Best 5 eCommerce Email Marketing Examples to Inspire You
10- Use a Mix of Digital & Physical Strategies
Image source: dessartverbustel.com
The development of "phygital" retail is drawing attention as consumers look for novel experiences. The best aspects of both in-person and online buying are combined in Phygital, a quick, interactive, and immersive shopping experience. Giving customers a choice in how they engage with your brand is key to generating deeper interactions.
Customers can, for instance, shop online, add products to their virtual shopping carts, and then go into a real-world store to add even more items to their carts. This improves the buying experience across all platforms and frequently boosts sales.
11- Be Visible on Social Media
Social media is a great way to connect with your customers and create a more engaging online experience. By being active on social media, you can build relationships with your customers, answer their questions, and provide them with valuable content.
Plus, social media is a two-way street – it allows customers to give you feedback about your products, which can be extremely valuable. Not to mention, customers are more likely to purchase from a brand they feel connected to.
You never know; a simple social media post could be just what it takes to turn a one-time customer into a lifelong fan.
12- Did You Know About Endless Aisles?
Image source: Shopify.com
Endless Aisles, an inventive solution that muddles the distinction between in-person and online buying. By referring shoppers to the retailer's website via an in-store kiosk, QR code, or tablet when a product is out of stock on the shelf, an endless aisle captures the desire to buy at the moment.
Once online, customers get a rich customer experience that includes more product information and real-time inventory status. Additionally, it provides consumers with numerous fulfillment alternatives so they can easily purchase the goods they want. By allowing customers to order things that are out of stock and have them delivered to the store or their homes a few days later, you can improve the customer experience.
With those simple yet powerful customer engagement strategies, you can definitely create a thrilling customer experience that will directly increase and improve your eCommerce sales!
13- Use Smooth Return Policies
Making it simple for customers to swap or return their products represents a significant potential that many shops miss. Simple, hassle-free returns are frequently a driving force behind initial purchase decisions. Additionally, it demonstrates that you are there for your clients at every stage of their journey.
Beyond that, returns present a fantastic chance to enhance the consumer experience. Retailers can examine data to determine whether there are problems that can be quickly fixed. For instance, is the product's color on your online store inaccurate? Is the description clear enough? Are refunds more common because shipping takes too long? Retailers who are savvy view returns as an opportunity to make things right.
The Bottom Line
These are just a few ideas to get you started – but there are endless possibilities when it comes to boosting customer engagement. While these are tried-and-true methods that work for most businesses, it's important to experiment and find what works best for you. After all, engagement is all about creating a personal connection with your customers – so get creative and have fun with it!
And if you need help with automating your customer engagement, ConvertedIn is here to help. We offer a suite of powerful AI-based features that can help you boost sales, increase customer loyalty, and more. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your business succeed.
