Is your website driving away customers?

James Thornton, chief editor at technology reviews site GetApp, says research shows how easy it is to lose customers. For example, more than 85% of US consumers admit to having abandoned a purchase online.

While that’s a sure sign that you’ve not put customer experience front and centre, it also points to a break in your sales strategy – do you know exactly what factor of your site is driving customers away? It’s not necessarily the cost alone. It could be as simple as the colour used for call-to-action buy buttons or one too many fields to fill out in the checkout process.

© Stanisic Vladimir – 123RF.com

There’s a ream of research into how such aspects of neuromarketing play a role in building brand loyalty, but I digress. Thornton says if you’re an African business selling internationally online, it’s crucial that you anticipate buyers’ drop-off points.

He clarifies the top reasons for abandoning purchases online as follows:

• Poor or no reviews
• Price of the product and shipping costs, and
• The fact that they’re unable to physically see or examine the product.

As a result, Thornton recommends that your business turns this situation on its head in a number of ways. Firstly, by looking to recruit reviews from customers. Ask them for comments on social media or send out an email asking for a rating after they buy your product. Next, by ensuring prices are optimised for the market. Lastly, ensure you demo your product in a highly visual manner – a short video embedded on your website is a good way to do so.

Every business knows your name…

The research also shows that only 10% of salespeople think customers want personalised service, when it’s actually something we all aspire to. I can’t think of a single instance where being dealt with by name and in your specific context doesn’t automatically improve your overall customer experience.

Luckily, the rise of marketing automation means it’s easy to send customers a personalised message – but take note of the potential impact of South Africa’s information regulators and the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI) by making sure you only contact them with marketing communication they’ve agreed to receive, such as in response to their email queries or once they’ve completed your website contact form.

In our increasingly globally-connected world, trends are moving across borders more quickly than ever, so findings that are relevant in the US and Europe will likely be relevant to African companies soon, if not already.

Best we take note and keep innovating…