Building a good relationship with your clients is not an easy thing. Without knowing, many of the terms and phrases we use on daily basis can get into the customer’s nerves, something that can make them terminate their relationship with you and run to a competitor.
There are numerous mistakes that can enrage and make him leave your store without even making any purchase:
1. Product descriptions that are not appealing
Even if your website is selling quality products, it is important to add product descriptions that are relevant to the customer.
Product descriptions are meant to inform the client about the product he is about to purchase. Therefore, the proper product description is vital because customers rely on them to decide whether to purchase a certain product or not.
2. Adding items that are out of stock
As a business owner, you should ensure that all the products that are listed on your e-commerce website are in stock. It is very annoying for a customer to visit your website and order something only to be informed that the product is out of stock.
This realization can make the customer leave the website irritated and not make any attempt of visiting it again in future.
3. Use of dull product photographs
Dull or unattractive photographs on your website will surely increase the website’s bounce rate. It is important to confirm that the product photographs on the website exactly matches the item that you have in store. Product size, color, and shape should be an exact match as those depicted on the website.
You should always ensure that you display correct and clear images on your online store. This makes it easier for the customer to trust the items that they are looking for. Special features like zoom in or zoom out should be incorporated on the images to give a client a clear idea of what they are purchasing.
4. Desktop-specific websites
Most of the online shoppers prefer shopping using their smartphones because it is not possible to carry desktop computers everywhere.
Therefore, it is important to make e-commerce websites responsive. You should make the shoppers enjoy their shopping experience by making your online store website mobile friendly.
5. Forcing your customers to register
It is a big mistake for an e-commerce website to force its users to register after visiting it for the first time. You should allow customers to visit as guests first, and you should not make it compulsory for the clients to register.
You should allow the customers to save their products on a wish list, something that will allow them to return and purchase later.
6. Pop-ups
Your e-commerce website should not be shooting pop-ups to clients unnecessarily. Pop-ups are now outdated, and in fact, most people abhor them. A lot of people also get annoyed when they are told to fill surveys or enable their subscriptions for email newsletters.
It is not recommended to greet your customers through pop-ups. All pop-ups should be removed to make your e-commerce website easy to use.
7. Check out process that is complicated
Even if your e-commerce website is huge, you should provide a checkout process that is simple and easy. Quite several entrepreneurs have lost many clients due to their complicated check out process.
You should make sure you request relevant information on a single page. When the process is complete, provide necessary details about the order such as delivery date and order number. you should allow customers to track their orders online.
8. No apology
Sometimes, a customer can get angry. What are you supposed to do when this happens? You can decide to give free products or give them a refund.
But, it is important not to forget the immense value of apologizing. Even if you have not done anything wrong, you can still apologize if the customer feels that he has not been treated in a proper manner. Therefore, whether it is your fault or not, you should not forget the value of apologizing.
9. Repetitive replies and phrases
Some people result to saving common replies on their desktop to save time typing. Replies to a customer should not sound as if they have been canned, they should sound original and personalized.
10. Long waiting times
When providing support services, speed is of the essence. According to a recent research, most customers do expect reply from support staff within six hours. Unfortunately, only a few businesses responded within that timeframe. Speed is equally necessary for social media where people expect a reply within an even shorter time.
11. Being passed around
Customers hate it when they are passed around. This includes being passed from one support staff to another.
12. Perceived rudeness
We do not like it when people treat us in a rude manner. When you are dealing with your customers, you should always use the right tone. Although it is acceptable to sometimes talk casually to a customer under certain circumstances, when denying a customer, a specific request in a casual manner means that you are not taking them seriously.
13. Bad upsells
Upselling is a sales technique where a customer is induced to buy more expensive products. When done in the right way, upsells can be remarkably amazing. This is because they can reinforce your relationship with your customers. In addition, upsells are known to boost the customer lifetime value thus helping grow the business. Upsells are particularly effective when they are executed well. They should be done in situations where the customer feels that he is getting value for money.
Care should be taken not to present an upsell to a customer who is not happy. Before doing an upsell, a customer should be made to feel that he is already the winner.
Although these are beneficial guidelines to keep in mind as you try to avoid annoying your customers, it is imperative that you rely on your instincts to better understand and track your conversion rates.
You should always be careful to recognize and set boundaries that will stop you from annoying your esteemed customers.
