There are plenty of us who have surfed online, found something interesting and contemplated buying it. But something holds us back. Is the product not convincing enough? Do you not trust the retailers enough to give them your personal details? Are you not comfortable shopping online? Or is it as simple as you not really being interested in the product? You decision could be based on any or a mix of the factors stated above.
The fact that the last step has not been taken says a lot. Does this visit mean anything from the retailer’s point of view? It is perhaps as half-baked as window-shopping. Of course, retailers are glad to have customers look around; after all, it’s all about choice. But, at the end of the day, if the customer has not actually bought anything then the retailer’s needs have not really been fulfilled.
There might be those who think that converting a shopper to a buyer is not something that is in the retailer’s hands. But think again. Are you giving your customers right messages? Are you enticing them enough?
Yes, enticing would be the keyword. Retailers have long given up on the idea that customers only buy what they need. We have progressed so much along the “shopping-chain” that we have long stopped limiting ourselves to spending money on only those things that we require. It is this emotion that retailers have to tap into.
Of course, a large part of the final decision lies with the consumer. But retailers have to drive that decision by offering something that is irresistible. The first step in doing so is for the retailer to understand their typical customer. What is this customer looking for and what kinds of things would a customer like this generally spend money on? And more importantly, are you targeting the right kinds of customers? If your message does not speak to your customers then something is definitely off – you have, either, got the wrong message or the wrong customer.
There are plenty of ways to monitor your customers’ behaviors on your website. Web analytics is becoming increasingly popular these days with retailers who are trying to understand how a typical customer acts on the retailer’s site. What is attracting customers? What do customers ignore? And, of course, are customers completing transactions online or are they abandoning the shopping cart half way through the process?
Coming back to the idea of choices, it is always good to give your customers a lot of choices since no two customers are exactly the same. Give customers the choice of skipping ahead with information that might not be essential. Retailers have found that giving shoppers a choice in payment helps them in completing the transaction process. “Bill Me Later” options are becoming increasingly popular, as it adds an extra level of comfort for the shopper. This option also helps in increasing the trust level of the customers towards the retailers because it makes them feel like the retailers are working with them to give them as many options as possible.
A good retailer would not only look at buyers’ behavior but also look more deeply into the behaviors of non-buyers. Non-buyer’s behaviors can give you a good insight into what is missing on your site. As a retailer, you would want to solve this problem as soon as possible because a non-buy permanently abandoning your site would burn a big hole in your pocket in the long run.
It would be a good idea to look at your website as a brick and mortar store for a change. If you were a new visitor on your site, would you find the things you are looking for? This is a good way of finding out if your site is actually user-friendly or not. You cannot expect shoppers to buy things on your site that they cannot find. Make sure your site gives them the easiest and the most comfortable shopping experience that is possible.
Keep in mind that online shopping is still a fairly new phenomenon. That is to say that there are a number of shoppers who are not entirely comfortable with online shopping. This does not change the fact, however, that many customers go online to find information about the products they want to buy offline. This means that customers are coming online with the intention to buy, as a retailer what you have to do is to keep them there and tell them why buying the product online is going to benefit them.
The bottom line is that you have to look at it as a big picture. It is not only about the product, the site or the retailer’s reputation. All these things are part of the bigger picture called the shopping experience. Decisions can be made and changed within seconds if the shopper does not get what he or she is looking for. Make sure that buying something from you is not discomforting your customer. A smart retailer would give the customer a smooth and comfortable shopping experience.
