All eyes on you – Social Media puts your Customer Experience under the Spotlight
Everybody’s a critic. And none more so than upon the digital plains of social media. So it pays, more than ever, to get the customer experience of your eCommerce website absolutely right.
Users are actively sharing their opinions online, and influencing the buying decisions of others.
A whopping 70% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, a fact regularly supported by comments from participants in usability testing, and with social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook now a part of everyday life, access to the experiences of others is universal.
So how does this affect you?
Scenario A
You operate an online store selling shoes and trainers. Jane is searching for a particular brand of trainer and finds it at your eCommerce site, slightly cheaper than elsewhere. She decides to make a purchase, and after going through the unnecessary rigmarole of registering an account (no guest checkout, see), arrives at checkout to find a previously unmentioned, and hefty delivery charge added on. Jane hastily abandons her basket, and eventually buys from one of your competitors. Then she takes to social media to let all her friends and acquaintances know about the bad customer experience she’s had. To make matters worse, she also makes her feelings known on your official Facebook page.
Scenario B
You operate an eCommerce site that sells DVDs and CDs. Peter has been searching for a particular CD, but doesn’t want to use Amazon due to their tax status. He finds the CD on your site, with clearly marked pricing and shipping costs. He uses the guest checkout so that he doesn’t have to waste time signing up for an account. The purchase is made, and the customer exits satisfied.
Does Peter go on to tell his social media friends about his customer experience? He may do. Then again, he may not. What he doesn’t do though, is take to the internet and wax lyrical about how your brand offers a rotten customer experience.
In this age of ubiquitous social media, it’s worth remembering that consumers are more likely to share a bad experience than a good one, and 86% of customers have made a buying decision based on a negative feedback.
Find out whether you could be offering a better customer experience. Contact UX24/7 today!
