Is ecommerce dehumanising the buying experience?

In fact, according to research by Oberlo, over 2 billion people shop online. That's a lot of clicks.  Think about it.  If you have an ecommerce website, that's almost your entire customer base if everyone is already your customer! 

It's no wonder though. Shopping online is convenient. It saves time and does away with the travelling and waiting in queues, especially when it's the holiday season and Sale time. 

But it's not all rosy in the world of ecommerce. You're always going to have disgruntled customers that aren't happy with the delivery time or that the product or service doesn't meet expectations.  That means returns and/or refunds, and a bad reputation if you don't resolve issues. 

The ‘dehumanisation’ of the online buying experience is important. You must maintain a connection with your audience. This leads to conversions, retention, loyalty and advocacy.   

In fact, millennials are more likely to want to identify with your brand before they commit to a purchase. But how can you add that ‘human touch’ to the online customer experience?

In essence, it's about creating an engaging experience that exceeds customer expectations.  So how can you do this?  

Embrace technology 

A tech-enabled business makes life so much easier in the long run. It not only helps build your offerings and communication to your audience, it’s also measurable, sustainable and scalable. 

Being tech-enabled means investing in the right technology that's right for your business. This is key to healthy sales.   

 Do you have a powerful experience platform, like for instance Sitecore, that can deliver email, marketing automation and personalised content to your audience? 

What about a Customer Data Platform that can collect data, segment and build customer profiles and deliver engaging experiences?  

What's your ecommerce set-up like?  Is it bespoke or off the shelf?  Does it manage your inventory to the standard you expect?   

 It's all well and good having all these technologies, but they need to be connected with one another so that the customer journey and the communication that comes from your business isn't disjointed.  

Take composable commerce for instance. The ability to build an agile ecommerce store that seamlessly connects with your systems is a huge step in the right direction. 

Value every interaction 

"You're only as good as your last interaction."  

Your ecommerce website will have exponential interactions over its lifecycle. From site search and browsing for products or services, to purchasing and reviewing, every interaction counts - good or bad.   

Staying connected to your customers throughout their journeys is so important. This connection can only be achieved with the right communication at the right time, including timely responses to negative and positive comments, whether from online reviews or social media. 

Responding to interactions demonstrates empathy and acknowledgement. It also shows there's a human in the chain and that you actually care about your customers and what they want.

Don't be shy to communicate 

Communication is key in your quest to enhance your ecommerce operations.  Making sure you keep your audience in the loop on relevant changes to your operations shows you're making an effort to connect. 

Some go as far as providing the name of the person dealing with or packing an order.  "Your order is being packed by Peter,'' adds that human touch.   

This ties in with letting your audience know who works in your company.  Putting faces to names goes a long way to improving connections.   

Some businesses have a web page showing key employees. Granted, if you have hundreds this would be a big ask. But showcasing those that are key to the customer journey, like customer support and fulfilment operatives is a positive step. It shows your human side in a world dominated by convenient yet faceless online shopping experiences. 

Working with Codehouse 

Our award winning expertise has helped our customers get the very best from their technologies. If you have an ecommerce project you want to talk to us about, get in touch.