The famous poet Maya Angelou once said...
"People will forget what you said, they will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel."
I know, she was not thinking about customers when she said this. But the sentiment the quote expresses is still highly relevant.
Taking care of another person's needs means treating them with respect. And your customers are no different.
Understanding their wants and needs and being with them all throughout their buying journey... are all vital in showing your love for them.
That will make your customers feel special. That's why you need to be attuned to every phase of the customer's journey.
And this Valentine's Day is a great time... since there will be an avalanche of visitors coming to your eCommerce site.
And that will be the focus of this blog today...
Creating the Best Customer Journey for Your Customers This Valentine's Day
But before we jump in, I'd like to refresh you a bit...
What is a Customer Journey?
A customer journey map describes how a person becomes aware of your eCommerce store, their interactions with it... and beyond.
These are all the experiences your customers have when they interact with you. This is when visitors go to your ecommerce store, they see a product, and they buy it.
Next, they receive the product and then there's a post-sales transaction. The unboxing and continuous communication with the customer through all channels.
These are all part of the customer journey. And you have to be on that journey with them.
Rather than focusing on one aspect of a transaction or experience, a customer journey encapsulates the complete customer experience. This is from browsing to sales and after-sales.
Today's consumers don't just buy products...
They purchase the whole buying experience. Many shoppers spend money not just to buy gifts for their friends, special someone, and family.
But they also buy your product quality, your mission, and your values.
What matters to them isn't just the affordable price point of your product... but everything that surrounds it.
It includes how they access your eCommerce with ease and... the different ways you communicate with them all throughout their buying journey.
Simply put, it involves building a journey that meets all your customers' needs.
Why is this important?
Knowing and being involved with your customer's journey means nurturing the customer experience.
And a great Customer Journey offers a host of benefits:
- Good Testimonials
- Positive Reviews
- Referrals
- Advocacy
Who wouldn't want all these? As a retailer, you aim to turn your visitors into customers. And eventually, turn them into brand advocates.
This Valentine's day is an excellent time... for turning those visitors and new customers into lifelong customers.
So, you must go with them at every stage of their journey.
Stages of the eCommerce Customer Journey
Awareness Stage
Every customer journey begins with awareness. Here, a website visitor learns about your products/services and brand.
It is also the stage where you learn how they found you. Was it in a social media ad or a traditional ad? Was your SEO strategy successful in attracting them to your site via a search engine?
Besides seeing where they came from, you can also see what behaviors they're showing once they arrive at your site.
You may be able to tell what products they are interested in based on the landing pages and all the data they provide.
You could also see this stage as the first stage of learning. A prospect learns about you, and you learn about their preferences and needs as well.
The second stage is...
Consideration Stage
In this stage, a prospect begins to show genuine interest in your product or service. And then they move beyond general browsing.
As an example, a website visitor might look for a perfect Valentine's gift on a fragrance website. And they search for a particular perfume variant.
This lets you know their preferences and areas of interest.
From your business's standpoint, this stage of behavior allows you to identify what works and what doesn't. And encourage new customers to explore further.
Let's go to the next stage...
Conversion Stage
Conversion is a big word in eCommerce. In most cases, we consider this to be the moment when a prospect becomes a real customer.
This is when they checkout and confirm their order. And at this stage, you must start delivering on the promises you have made.
So, all your processes, like marketing, sales, and customer service must be considered. They need to be aligned and deliver the same message and quality.
Moving on...
Retention Stage
Retention is another BIG word in eCommerce.
In this stage, you see that a single purchase is satisfying. But, having the same shopper return over and over again is heavenly.
Essentially, this means that they have been very happy with their journey and experience. At this point, they tend to become brand loyalists. And they will frequently visit your site.
But you must understand... the challenge lies not in providing an excellent experience once. But, in providing the same experience time and time again.
So impress them and have them for life!
The next stage is...
Advocacy Stage
This stage is the Holy Grail of the customer journey. However, you can't expect to reach it with every shopper.
Some retailers fail at this stage. But those who succeed, are hoping to get their prospects to become brand advocates with high customer lifetime value (CLV).
At this point, your best shoppers are not just purchasing once. But they keep coming back for more! They interact on a high level.
They are likely to interact with you across most of your touchpoints, such as your homepage, blogs, social media, etc.
They will share information that you post on their own social media platforms. And they will actively promote and talk about your products.
They will be happy to recommend you to their friends. And they might write testimonials and reviews for you.
So, take note of these stages. It is important to be with your customers throughout their journey.
Now that you know what the customer journey is, the stages, and why is it important... let's move on to the main point...
Creating A Customer Journey for Valentine's Day
Make Them Feel Loved
This love season provides a great opportunity for you to tell your shoppers just how much they mean. This is a great time to tell them how much you appreciate their business. No need to spend and give expensive gifts.
Why not send a thoughtful Valentine's Day message and a reminder like: "We Love You! It's great to do business with you."
It will surely make them delighted.
Next...
Bridge The Empathy Gap
You can never underestimate the power of empathy.
A Capgemini study shows that 75% of companies believe in their customer-centricity. But you know what? Only 30% of customers agree with that.
This is known as the empathy gap. This gap makes for an unwinnable situation.
Not only does it decrease satisfaction and loyalty. But it can also cause a larger gap between businesses and consumers in the long run.
An empathy gap can impact you if you don't have a pulse on where you stand.
What you can do is solicit feedback. Ask your team leaders and managers about your business' customer-centricity.
And then gather shopper perspectives on the same topic to identify what gaps exist. The process will also enable you to uncover critical insights that can then be used to narrow the gap.
This will work to your advantage.
Next point...
Connect With Your Customers
With eCommerce, people are interacting less. So try to reach out and be visible. Connect with consumers. This is a good strategy so you can build your online presence.
Start interacting with them and engage in meaningful exchanges. Perhaps, you can send them product updates. And inform them of your trending Valentine's products.
This strategy is beneficial not only to get new prospects coming in but to keep them.
The next point is golden...
Go the Extra Mile
This is a good customer experience strategy. For example, you might think that dating and deliveries don't relate.
But here's a tip... a change in how you package your deliveries is like dressing up to impress your Valentine's date.
Oh yes!
So try putting some extra thought into your Valentine's Day deliveries. And be creative. This way, you can leave a wonderful feeling to the recipient.
And this could result in you finding a customer for life!
You may also wish to help your shoppers with problems and issues. So, if a negative product review is left, you can suggest other products that might suit your customer's needs more.
You can also offer freebies. And have the product delivered right away.
You can also allow them to get an immediate refund even if they haven't asked for one. This way, a dissatisfied shopper feels pacified and satisfied.
It's always a nice feeling to know that you have solutions to unexpected issues. And you will be appreciated for going the extra mile.
Next up...
Manage Expectations
Valentine's Day is a day when consumers expect a lot from retailers. Consumer expectations are sky-high on this occasion. So be ready.
You need to integrate real-time sales and marketing systems... this is vital to meeting their expectations.
One example is that you can make your website user-friendly so that it's easier to navigate.
You should entice them with an experience that leaves them feeling loved... not only this Valentine's Day but the whole year through.
Perhaps, you can update them with Valentine Trends.
If you are a cosmetics retailer, you can tell a prospect about your new line of make-up. Or advise on how to put on make-up.
The next point is super important...
Express Your Gratitude
It is important to show an attitude of gratitude.
Here are simple ways:
Personalized Thank You Note
Call me sentimental but personalized notes make a lasting impression. More than giving a gift, a handwritten thank-you note can be meaningful...
Send them one on Hearts' Day. It doesn't have to be too long. Just keep it short and sweet.
Appreciation Video
This is more personal than a traditional thank-you card, gift, phone call, or email. So create that heartfelt video message... to appreciate your ecommerce site's loyalists.
This can make a really amazing customer experience.
Hold a Customer Appreciation Event
Take your appreciation to the next level through Facebook Live. Invite customers to watch your live events. They can even watch the video at their convenience. And of course... you get to show the world how much you appreciate them.
This will be a great appreciation gift for their unending support.
Remember, your business thrives because of good relationships. And gratitude is at the heart of any solid relationship.
So go ahead! Show your gratitude by appreciating your avid supporters.
We're almost done so keep reading...
Leverage Customer Experience Strategy
Using customer experience (CX) is key to any successful holiday campaign. You have to create a strategy to make a seamless experience.
Utilize data and analytics to better understand your customers. And chart customer journeys from beginning to end.
To ensure you can compete with your competitors... you need to implement a customer experience (CX) strategy in place a few weeks before Valentine's Day.
Lastly...
Listen
Map out the customer journey so you know what kind of feedback you need at every stage. One way of giving value to your customers is to listen to their feedback.
Conduct short surveys about your products, your service, referral programs, etc. Make it personal and follow up to ensure you are doing something about it.
Asking the right questions, at the right time can yield a lot of valuable information. Take their feedback to heart. And you'll be surprised at how happy and loyal they can become.
Use this day to show your enduring appreciation for your customers...
As long as the customer journey is enhanced, online shoppers will keep coming back... even long after this love holiday is over.
So that's it!
That's How You Create a Loving Customer Journey this Valentine's Day!
An excellent customer journey helps nurture new and existing customers... so they will keep coming back long after Valentine's Day is over.
And don't forget... optimizing their online shopping experience also maximizes your revenue and conversion rates.
And this is where Debutify comes in...
With Debutify, your ecommerce site will perform at its peak. It's highly customizable, has 50+ Add-Ons, and goes beyond your website's aesthetics.
And the best part? Debutify can boost your average order value and increase your profit.
So now is the time to get started with Debutify!
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Trisha Ballesteros
Ricky Hayes
