Optimize the Purchase Journey Across Every Touchpoint

You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. A third of Americans say they would immediately switch companies following a single negative shopping experience, so helping them make the purchase that’s right for them is the first step on the path to retaining a customer.

Incomplete product descriptions, badly designed pages, and poor customer service are all reasons a shopper might feel unhappy with their purchase. Instead, empower them with the informative content they need — like reviews, ratings, and photos from other happy shoppers — to shop with confidence and make the right purchasing decision. Satisfied customers are repeat-purchase customers.

Checkout should be frictionless, so put your customers in full control of how they pay. Flexible payment options such as Klarna and Afterpay not only give shoppers the option to pay later or spread out the cost of a larger purchase, but they reduce the time spent entering personal information at checkout.

Faster and easier payment is especially important on mobile, where customers are less patient about tapping out credit card details. Flexible payment also gives first-time shoppers, who may be unfamiliar with your brand, the added confidence they need to make the right purchase.

Your customer’s first physical interaction with your brand begins the moment they pick up the box it was shipped in, so make this touchpoint an emotional one by investing in packaging that feels personal and valuable.

A smartly designed box not only helps to build customer loyalty, but will encourage shoppers to document and share their unboxing experience. Unboxing has even become a genre on YouTube, with millions of videos racking up billions of views. If you pair a good unboxing experience with well-timed review requests, you can turn that experience into an opportunity for high-quality videos and photos on your site that influence future sales.

Customer service is the backbone of the purchase journey. No matter how good your product is, your brand needs to be supported with next-level customer service that exceeds expectations — like going above and beyond to offer a refund, personally replying to every communication you receive, responding to messages within 24 hours, or implementing tech that automates responses for the most commonly asked questions.

Good customer service can leave a lasting impression, transforming what might have been a bad buying experience into a positive one. Be there with friendly and informative communication when they need it most and you can turn a lost customer into a loyal one.