If you consider the progression of e-commerce sales figures, it would appear that business is very good. Nevertheless the climate for individual online retailers is becoming increasingly harsh. More and more businesses are betting on lucrative online business. Together with the increasing internationalization of e-commerce, this is leading to a real offerings inundation in the market. Today customers already suffer the agony of choice. Prior to any planned purchase they can compare vendors, offerings and products online within a short amount of time and then choose freely amongst them. The “net safety” online purchase inhibition has also diminished due to the number of merchants with official safety certificates. Customer loyalty is progressively declining because of the numerous purchase opportunities: people are buying where it’s cheapest or where the shopping experience is the best.
For the online retailer running this final stretch of the stated customer retention goals means the customer is the uncompromising focus of his actions. All activities to accomplish the following list of sub goals should therefore be based on sufficient information about the target audience. Only with the help of detailed customer information can these goals be individually addressed, and then indicate a tailored offering that puts you in the right place at the right time.
– The Order Process The customer must be happy with the entire order process. This starts as soon as the search for and choice of the desired products, and continues through placing the order, payment, delivery, return service, post-purchase activities and customer service. To achieve this goal the following areas should be appropriately streamlined:
– The Offerings The product range should be displayed to the customers in a target group specific manner. Nothing is more annoying to the customer and creates more disinterest than offerings that don’t meet their needs at all. Successful customer retention assumes that the requirements of the target group are analyzed, and that the appropriate product range is then assembled and made available. Online newsletters, post mailings, brochures included in parcels, and the website itself can be used as communication methods for target group specific offerings.
Looking at a range of online shops, including many larger shops, one realizes that nearly none of the shops are perfectly designed and capable of retaining customers on a long-term basis. There is therefore plenty of room for improvement – potential that small and medium-sized online shops can tap into. Increased focus on customer retention offers these businesses real opportunities to take hold and prosper on the market on a long-term basis despite the strong e-commerce competition they are up against.
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Dieser Artikel wurde am 04.May 2016 von Ines geschrieben.
Ines Maione is responsible for marketing and contact person for PR.