4 common challenges faced by businesses using commerce (and how to overcome them)

The modern-day customer often turns to the internet when they want something. The internet makes purchasing anything (whether it’s tangible like an item of clothing or intangible like a service) faster, easier and more convenient. For businesses, embracing eCommerce has the potential to increase sales.

However, some challenges stand in the way of sales - for businesses of all sizes and sectors. Let’s discuss the most common ones…

1. Delivering an omnichannel experience

Customers want to be able to contact businesses in a way that suits them. Some people want to drop you an email with a query while others prefer to share their troubles on social media. There are even some people who still opt to pick up the phone. Live chat and chatbots are also very popular.

Not only is it vital for you to provide multiple contact touchpoints for your customers, but you also need to ensure these experiences are consistent.

For example, if a customer asks you a query via live chat but you need to escalate the issue via a phone call, it needs to be a smooth transition. The customer shouldn’t have to repeat their issue multiple times; your customer service representatives should know the issue before they engage with the customer so they can respond contextually.

2. Reducing shopping cart abandonment

Even the eCommerce giants aren’t immune to this. Shopping cart abandonment can happen for a variety of reasons, with the most common being a tedious checkout process, prices being more competitive elsewhere and customers changing their minds.

While the price aspect can be more difficult to rectify, it’s fairly simple to optimise your eCommerce web design. For example, look at your shopping cart. Then consider these questions:

• Are there too many, long/complex forms to fill out?
• Will the customer have to take many steps before they finally hit ‘place order’?
• Is there anything on your checkout page that might distract your customer and lead them to exit the page?
• Are there any bugs/glitches?

You should also look at your overall website and consider the following:

• Is your website difficult to navigate?
• Is the whole process from browsing your product/service pages to going to checkout unnecessarily complex?

It’s also possible to reduce the likelihood of customers changing their minds. For instance, you could introduce live chat or chatbots so customers can ask any questions they may have during their buying journey. You can also improve your product information so it’s clearer for customers to understand what they’re purchasing.

3. Building and maintaining customer loyalty

Attracting new customers costs five times more than nurturing your existing ones. And, increasing customer retention by just 5% can increase your profits by 25%. This is exactly why it’s important to focus on building and maintaining customer loyalty - probably more so than attracting new customers.

After all, a happy customer is more likely to leave a glowing review and recommend you to others, which then takes care of the ‘attracting new customers’ aspect. That’s why it’s vital to ensure your customers are satisfied across the whole experience they have with you.

For example, from the moment they land on your website to when they receive the item/service they purchased and the aftercare, your customers need an exceptional experience.

It even includes the customers who don’t end up purchasing from you too. You could nurture them into paying customers via marketing emails with personalised recommendations and content.

4. Keeping up with customer demands and behaviours

This links into the whole customer satisfaction challenge. Customers are fickle - their preferences are always changing based on market trends and events. If you’re to keep satisfying them, you need to know exactly what your customers want and how they behave.

Visitor segmentation can help. Technology, like a CRM and CMS, can allow you to better store and analyse your customer data. You can then use that knowledge to engage with customers, whether new or returning, and anticipate their needs.

Ultimately, this can help you boost sales, satisfaction and encourage loyalty.

Overcoming these challenges is one step towards increasing your average basket size…

Your basket size can provide some very valuable insights. For example, it can indicate what sort of products and services your customers prefer (from what’s popular among a particular demographic to what’s popular overall) and whether you’re providing them with what they’re after.

And, of course, it indicates how well your business is doing. Want to read more on how you can increase your average basket size? Our comprehensive guide covers more common challenges faced by businesses using commerce and simple ways to combat them and ultimately boost basket value.

Download it below.