Rachel Hobble
As Amazon continues its reign at the top, retailers can learn from its success to fuel their own growth. Here are 4 principles Amazon employs that can help drive conversions on your own site:
1. Customer-Centric Thinking
It's a well-known fact that Amazon puts the customer at the center of everything they do. In fact, CEO Jeff Bezos claims Amazon's secret sauce to success is obsessively focusing on the customer, rather than competitors. Developing a customer-centric strategy is a smart move for any online retailer—your customers are the lifeblood of your business. Incorporate more personalization into the eCommerce site experience with unique product recommendations. Give customers the freedom to shop how they want by implementing Shop by Store or Buy Online Pickup In Store and by making your site mobile-responsive. The majority of customer journeys contain multiple touchpoints, including mobile, desktop, and brick-and-mortar. The most successful online retailers create an omnichannel experience for their customers, delighting them at every touchpoint along theirjourney and providing a frictionless shopping experience.
2. Empowering Shoppers
Today's consumer is more independent than ever before. No one wants to be bothered by a salesperson in store, and the same is true online. Amazon has empowered customers to find answers to their questions and browse for products on their own. Retailers can do this by keeping an updated FAQ page on their site, as well as by implementing Q&A on their product detail pages to answer common customer questions. Additionally, a clear, easy-to-find return policy is crucial for your eCommerce site, as 67% of shoppers will read a brand's return policy before making a purchase online. And after a customer has made a purchase, be sure to schedule regular post-purchase emails to confirm purchases, provide updates on shipping times, and to request product reviews. Of course, it is likely that despite these efforts your customers may still need to talk to a customer service representative. Implement live chat on your site to make the process more convenient, and provide updated training for your support reps every several months to ensure the best experience for your customers.
3. Speed
A core tenet of Amazon's business is speed. A quick-loading site, same-day shipping, and speedy replies from customer service all provide customers a positive brand experience. Site speed is incredibly important to eCommerce customers. After a few seconds of enduring a buffering site, customers will usually click away and look elsewhere. Looking to optimize your site for speed? Contact Virid for a personalized site audit to help improve your site experience. Improve your shipping with a solid plan for fulfillment. Check out this guide from Practical Ecommerce to start fulfilling like Amazon.
4. Optimized for Discovery
Product discovery is one aspect of the brick-and-mortar experience that has been difficult for retailers to translate online. When customers shop in stores, items that they did not originally plan on purchasing may catch their eye and increase their order value. Online, this process is less organic. Amazon has been able to optimize their site for product discovery by recommending products to customers based on what's popular and which items are often purchased together. Do the same for your eCommerce site by incorporating product recommendations like "Frequently Bought Together" or other cross-sells and upsells. And, make sure your site is easy to navigate so customers can browse easily.
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