2

Contents

1. INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………………….………….................................................................................. 3

1.1 Customers Have Many Options …………………..……………………………………………………………………………………………..…..…….. 3

1.2 The Value of Customer Experience ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..……. 4

1.3 Customer Touchpoints ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..……. 5

2. ONLINE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE… DEFINED ……..…………………….…………..……………………………….……………………………………….….….. 5

2.1 How Much Control Do You Have? …………………..……………………………………………………………………….………………..…..…….. 6

2.2 Customer Interactions ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..……. 6

3. WHY IS ONLINE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE SO IMPORTANT? ……………………………………………………………………….………………….….…… 7

2.1 Customer Retention and Acquisition …………………………………………..………………………………………….………………..…..…….. 8

2.2 The Need for Coordination and Cohesion ….………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..……. 8

4. THE SEVEN KEYS TO A GREAT ONLINE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE …………………………………………….……………………...………….………… 10

Key #1: Clean, Easy Navigation ………………………….……………………..……………………..………………………………………………..……… 10

Key #2: Search That REALLY Works ………………….........…………………………………………….…………………………………………….……. 11

Key #3: Awesome Content …………………….…………………………………………………..……..……………………………………………..…..….. 12

Key #4: Product Configuration ……………………….…………………………………………..………………………..…………………………………… 13

Key #5: Extension To Mobile Devices ………………............…………………………………..…….…………………………………………….……. 14

Key #6: Integration with Other Marketing Assets and Channels ……………………...……………………………………………..…..….. 15

Key #7: Customer Care and Technical Support ………………………………………………………………………..………………………………… 16

5. CONCLUSION …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...….. 17

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1.INTRODUCTION Think about the very best retail shopping experience you’ve ever had: the location, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the atmosphere, the fun, and, of course, the friendly and caring sales associates who helped you. All of these combined to make your shopping excursion the most memorable ever. Even better, stop and recall the most outstanding customer service you’ve ever received from a company, even if it was because of a complaint. What was it about that company, the representative who took care of you, and the resolution that made such a tremendous difference? Now, with those memories clear in your mind, please answer these important questions: If you could craft your own awesome shopping experience, either at the mall or online, and with no limitations whatsoever, what would that look like? Would it cater to your senses more? Would the service be faster, friendlier, and more efficient? Would the company’s values mirror your own? Would the store offer a virtually unlimited selection of products, all in different colors, sizes, and shapes, and with different options and accessories? Would the company’s customer service representatives bend over backwards to make sure you remain loyal and satisfied? Would you return to that store? And would you recommend that company to your friends, family, and colleagues because it’s so great and treats you so well? The answers to these questions, and others just like them, lie at the heart of creating a fantastic customer experience, a growing movement and an increasingly important marketing trend used by today’s brands, large and small, to attract and retain customers for life. In this white paper, Dynamicweb North America, a leading software company that helps companies engage their eCommerce customers and provide them with personalized, web-based interactions, explores the experiential by delving into the world of online customer experiences. In the following pages, we define the concept of online customer experience; review seven keys for creating fabulous online experiences for eCommerce customers of both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) companies; and outline what those customers can…and should…expect when reviewing products, making purchases, and receiving in-sale/after-sale technical support and customer service from an eBusiness. Written for marketers and developers, this useful guide underscores the increasing importance of superior online customer experiences in today’s ever-changing eCommerce realm, and explains several proven strategies which eBusinesses can immediately implement to improve their relationships with their customers….and their customers’ perceptions of them.

1.1 Customers Have Many Options

Today’s savvy, tech-focused consumers have an increasingly wide array of shopping options to purchase

what they want. From brick-and-mortar stores, pure e-tailers, and big brands that sell goods online,

offline, and via social and mobile platforms, to flea markets, online auction sites, and direct sales

companies such as Avon, consumers have access to as many ways to buy as there are sellers. And that’s

a great thing, as the heated competition for consumer dollars has forced brands to be more creative,

innovative, and responsive in meeting their demands.

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It’s creativity, innovation, and responsiveness that customers crave and routinely cite, often vocally and

virally, as the main reasons for their brand loyalty. Simply stated, today’s consumer wants and expects a

lot more from retailers, and they’ll remain loyal to companies that repeatedly exceed their expectations

and consistently deliver superior experiences. Conversely, shoppers will immediately switch from one

brand to another if it falls short in some regard.

1.2 The Value of Customer Experience

Here’s the obvious point: brand loyalty isn’t everything, and it’s even harder to hold onto it these days

once a company secures it. According to research conducted by the Corporate Executive Board and

detailed in a recent series of Harvard Business Review articles, most customers (23%) don’t want

relationships with brands, as they reserve those special interactions for friends, colleagues, and family

members, nor do they want to regularly engage with brands. Rather, brand loyalty is built on shared

values between the consumer and company.1

Increased interaction and information delivery to those shoppers isn’t the answer, either. As reported

earlier this year in the Wall Street Journal, in 2013, the nation’s top 100 retailers by eCommerce revenue

sent out an average of 177 emails per person, a whopping 87% increase from 2007 levels. Some

companies, such as prestigious department store chain Neiman Marcus, sent their customers more than

500 emails in 2011.

Based on this mind-boggling data, it’s readily apparent information overload, and even information

fatigue, are very, very real, and they negatively and adversely impact brand loyalty and consumer

engagement levels.2 Consumers want companies to communicate with them in different and more

authentic ways, as if they were conversing with a friend or neighbor.

Aside from the cost, quality and performance of a company’s products, and their true (and sometimes,

perceived) differences from those of competitors, what makes customers return to the same store or

website, over and over again? Recent consumer behavior research, including fresh studies from Temkin

Group3 and Nunwood Consulting4, show these important decisions are usually tied to positive and

memorable customer experiences — the entire collection of interactions a shopper has with a company

throughout the duration of his relationship with that brand.

These studies also suggest there’s a strong correlation between customer experience and brand loyalty

factors, such as the willingness of a customer to forgive a company’s mistakes, and or his enthusiasm for

trying a brand’s new product or service.

1.3 Customer Touchpoints

1 Shopify.com: Creative Ways To Improve Ecommerce Customer Experience (That Also Boost Loyalty And Sales)

http://www.shopify.com/blog/13251973-creative-ways-to-improve-ecommerce-customer-experience-that-also-boost-loyalty-and-sales 2 Ibid. 3 Customer Experience Matters: Report, ROI of Customer Experience, 2014; http://experiencematters.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/report-roi-

of-customer-experience-2014/. 4 Nunwood Consulting: Customer Experience Excellence Study; http://www.nunwood.com/economics-trust-essential-part-customer-

experience-strategy.

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So what are some of the basic interactions that make up a customer experience? Let’s start with these:

Whom and what does the consumer see when he first walks into the store? How does the

company handle product returns, consumer complaints, and technical support requests?

What sales approaches do associates use when interacting with customers on the floor?

Are sales associates genuinely personable, likeable, and helpful? What about the company’s

customer service representatives? How effective are they?

How easy is the website to use, navigate, and make purchases?

Is the company’s marketing warm, friendly, and informative? Or the opposite: annoying and

oft-putting?

Is it easy for shoppers to provide feedback to the company, both online and offline?

Is the company receptive to that feedback, and does it respond appropriately when it receives

good input from customers?

Do the company’s products or services perform as advertised? Are those products or services

perceived by consumers to be of significant value for the money?

These are just a few of the many, many questions which brands must ask themselves.

These consumer behavioral touchpoints – now a major focus of marketers – are very important because

they often represent the difference between success and failure. This is particularly so today in the

eCommerce world, which continues to expand exponentially as more individuals demand more

convenient at-home and on-the-go shopping; gravitate toward easy-to-use websites that cater to their

special hobbies and interests; and offer a great mix of products to meet those desires.

Just as customer experiences matter to real-world retailers, such as restaurants, hotels, and other brick-

and-mortar businesses that must provide unique, enticing atmospheres and ambiance to their patrons,

the same principles applies to e-businesses. Of course, with eCommerce, the primary difference is all

this now becomes an online customer experience, with its own special set of criteria, some related and

some not, to its offline counterpart.

This white paper more closely describes the components and benefits of a great online customer

experience; outlines the elements which comprise it; and offers suggestions on how brands can create

outstanding, long-lasting, and unique online customer experiences for their most important audiences.

2. ONLINE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE… DEFINED

Customer experiences are as different as there are companies – some good, some bad, and some just

plain awful –and many brands try to make them as positively unique as possible to separate themselves

from competitors. Most marketers define the term as the collection of interactions an individual has

with a specific brand throughout his relationship with the company.

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However, there are some alternative definitions. Harley Manning, vice president and research director

of the customer experience practice at global research and advisory firm Forrest Research, Inc., defines

it even more simply: “how customers perceive their interactions with your company5.”

Writing for the Harvard Business Review blog, Adam Richardson, creative director at global innovation

firm Frog Design, defined the term as the “sum-totality of how customers engage with your company

and brand, not just in a snapshot in time, but throughout the entire arc of being a customer.”6 And

Claudette Levine of eVŌC Insights, an online behavior and user experience consultancy, goes a little

further by describing it as “a customer journey which makes the customer feel happy, satisfied, justified,

with a sense of being respected, served and cared, according to his/her expectation or standard, starting

from first contact and through the whole relationship.”7

Regardless of how one defines it, every business delivers a specific customer experience, whether it

realizes it or not. According to Richardson, this experience “may be good, bad or indifferent, but the

very fact that you have customers, you interact with those customers in some manner, and provide

them products and services, means that they have an experience with you and your brand. It’s up to you

whether it’s superlative, awful or industry average.”8 Naturally, the key is to be aware of what that

experience is so it can improved over time.

“It is the customer…not the business…which determines what is remarkable and what is not.”

— Douglas G. Davidoff, Author, Creating A Remarkable Client Experience

2.1 How Much Control Do You Have?

Ironically, as essential as customer experiences are, and even when companies invest tremendous

resources into enhancing and maintaining them, they can’t be fully controlled. Chalk it up to the human

element, which injects perception, emotion, uncertainty, and unforeseen consumer behavior into the

mix. Obviously, shoppers don’t behave like robots, so their behaviors can’t be predicted with

guaranteed certainty, no matter how well-crafted the experience might be.

As a result, when dealing with such fickle shoppers, companies shouldn’t be discouraged. After all, it’s

impossible to please everyone. On the contrary, they must plan for the worst-case scenarios, and seek

out the ideal when creating a given experience.

2.2 Customer Interactions With Your Business

In the world of eCommerce, as one would expect and where most interactions are digital, the customer

experience becomes the online customer experience. In some circles, this is often called the user

experience (UX), since the focus is totally on what the user, or online shopper, sees and feels, and the

treatment he receives.

5 Forrester Blog. “Customer Experience Defined;” http://blogs.forrester.com/harley_manning/10-11-23-customer_experience_defined.

Manning, Harley. 6 Harvard Business Review. “Understanding Customer Experience;” http://blogs.hbr.org/2010/10/understanding-customer-experie/.

Richardson, Adam. October 28, 2010. 7 eVŌC Insights. “Online Customer Experience Definition. http://evocinsights.com/blog/online-customer-experience-definition-what-is-it/.

Levine, Claudette. June 14, 2011. 8 Richardson.

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Instead of being comprised of retail-based, in-store elements, the online customer experience is made

up of all the interactions an individual has with a company’s website, such as:

Is your site easy to navigate?

What about the general look and feel of your site? Is it clean, professional, and sophisticated?

Can shoppers quickly find the products they want, as well as their prices, product information,

user reviews, documentations/manuals, and other related material?

Can those products be customized in terms of colors, styles, sizes, and other variables?

Does the site have a powerful search engine to find those products and informational pieces?

Are ordering and payment transactions processed swiftly, securely, and painlessly?

Are there plenty of ways for the consumer to contact the company’s customer service and

technical support teams, such as live chatting via instant messaging, email, mobile, and a toll-

free number?

For those shoppers who do not want to contact customer care, are there numerous self-service

FAQs and knowledge bases they can access?

Is it simple for a consumer to return an item?

Is your return policy flexible and easy to understand? Does the company offer value-added

content that elevates online shopping to a whole different level?

These answers make up the online customer experience. It goes without saying, all of these responses

play very important roles in whether a shopper returns to your site…and more importantly…buys

products on your site again, soon or in the distant future.

These also affect their favorable (or unfavorable) recommendations to friends, family members, and

colleagues about doing business with your company, and whether to buy products on your site. In the

social media age, when a consumer complaints can easily go viral and generate unflattering media

coverage, these recommendations, whether good or bad, can have a deep, far-reaching impact on your

e-business.

As a result, it’s best to think of the online customer experience in strategic terms, and strongly consider

how to create and maintain a great experience over time for improved sales, profitability, brand loyalty,

and overall customer satisfaction.

3. WHY IS ONLINE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE SO IMPORTANT?

As we just mentioned, the online customer experience is very important to e-businesses of all sizes

because, more often than not, it’s the main reason why a consumer chooses to come back to a site to do

more shopping. In addition, it affects a consumer’s recommendations (or just the opposite: stay away)

to others, including friends, co-workers and family members in the B2C realm, and customers, partners,

and vendors in the B2B space.

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3.1 Customer Retention and Acquisition

Beyond the obvious, are there other reasons for developing and sustaining an awesome online customer

experience? Absolutely, and they all carry strong business and operational benefits. Let’s take a look at

some of these additional reasons:

When properly executed, a great online customer experience can lead to increased customer acquisition

and retention rates, higher sustained profit margins, and long-term competitive advantage.

According to Mitchell Osak, managing director of Quanta Consulting Inc., an organizational

transformation and educational solutions consulting firm to global Fortune 1,000 corporations, “creating

a ‘wow’ customer experience is one of the few tools left for companies to retain customers, sustain

margins and build a long-term competitive advantage.”9

However, the magic isn’t in the design of the ideal experience, which, Osak continues, is the easy part,

especially when that experience has a foundation of brand, product, and service excellence. Rather, the

greater difficulty is to sustain and improve the experience over time, which can be hard, in and of itself,

when dealing with executive and employee turnover, industry volatility, business fluctuations, changing

consumer preferences, and economic instability.10

When an excellent online customer experience is consistently sustained over a long time period, new

customers flock to the site in droves because they hear from their friends and family how great the

experience is (customer acquisition). This is precisely what Amazon, Zappos, Blue Nile, ASOS, and many

other leading eCommerce companies do so well.

Existing customers return in great numbers because they already know how they’ll be treated (customer

retention). This combined influx of new and return business results in increased sales, greater

profitability, and higher profit margins, and better brand loyalty. Collectively, this leads to a substantial

advantage over competitors, and one which can’t be easily imitated or copied.

3.2 A Cohesive Strategy

A great online customer experience can create cohesive, consistent interactions across multiple

customer touchpoints, such as customer service representatives, account managers, and technical

support specialists, and can result in more tightly integrated operations.

This outstanding online customer experience cannot be crafted nor, more importantly, delivered

without the complete dedication and cooperation of countless employees across multiple departments.

Everyone across the value chain has to buy in, and everyone has to execute for it to become a reality.

That requires deep commitments from both employees and supervisors to fulfill the organization’s

promise of that experience.

9 Osak, Mitchell. Financial Post. Mitchell Osak: Creating a ‘wow’ customer experience isn’t the hard part.

http://business.financialpost.com/2014/09/12/mitchell-osak-creating-a-wow-customer-experience-isnt-the-hard-part/?__lsa=3ac5-2214

September 12, 2014. 10 Ibid.

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Also, the company and its associates must deliver exceptional service at every point along the chain

where the organization touches the customer: the website, the payment process, the order fulfillment,

the customer service dialogue (either online or offline), the technical support request, and so forth.

For all of this to happen, those departments must be organized and tightly coordinated, and they must

always be communicating with one another. What issues or challenges are we currently experiencing?

How do we, as a team, come together to fix them? What are we hearing from our customers about what

we’re doing right? In what areas do we need to improve?

If we need to improve, how quickly can we take corrective action? Do we need additional resources,

either from our own departments, or other areas of the company, to fix those problems? What ideas do

we have for ways to enhance the online customer experience, in both the short and long terms?

This detailed level of communication and coordination leads to greater consistency in operations, and a

much-improved online customer experience. And greater consistency, as previously mentioned, leads to

more revenue and more profits.

Writing in Entrepreneur, Peter Karpas, North American CEO of accounting-software company Xero,

explains that one of the most effective ways to create those cohesive interactions across multiple

touchpoints is to “wear your customer’s hat.”11 It all starts with stepping into the customer’s shoes, and

asking, “What type of experience would I want?” When that question is answered completely, and

senior executives know which parts of the organization should be involved in creating the desired

experience, then they go about creating processes and controls that tie those departments together to

engineer the final outcome.12

A great customer experience can compel companies to keep creating and innovating based on

changing customer needs and preferences.

As customer needs and tastes change, so must e-businesses, especially to stay relevant to consumers.

Part of developing and sustaining a superior online customer experience is adapting with the times and

continuously monitoring behavioral, economic, and cultural trends; routinely taking the pulse of

customers about their preferences; and then modifying the company and its operations to

accommodate those variations. Over the years, many companies have gone out of business (or been

pushed to the brink of failure) because they failed to recognize trends, and modify their operations

accordingly to account for changes in consumer tastes and behavior. This can be especially true in

eCommerce, which moves at such an incredibly fast pace, that companies don’t adapt are left in the

dust.

And it’s more than just consumer tastes. New tools and technologies, such as 3D product views and

mobile payment transaction processing, crop up all the time that can make it easier for your customers

to buy from you. As a result, you should constantly be assessing these innovations, and seeing how they

can be integrated into your e-business to enhance your customers’ online experience.

11 Karpas, Peter. Entrepreneur. Create an Unforgettable Customer Experience With These 5 Tips:

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/236890. August 28, 2014. 12 Ibid.

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A great online experience keeps the focus on the customer…all the time.

This one’s pretty simple, but also the most important. No great online customer experience can be

created without an unwavering focus on the customer, all the time. The good news is that by simply

committing to create and deliver an awesome online customer experience, a company is already well on

its way to concentrating on its customers as part of its overall mission and business philosophy.

What do our customers truly want? What can we do right now to give them what they want? How can

our company better serve our customers, now and in the future? What do our customers like and dislike

about our business? With respect to the dislikes, how can we address those shortcomings quickly?

Getting answers to these and related questions keeps that customer focus intact, and compels

companies to continue creating and innovating to keep customers excited and delighted.

One way companies are heightening that focus, and the overall online customer experience as a result,

is through the “personalization of communications, offers, and experiences.”13 When a company focuses

on the customer, it is completely in tune with his needs, tastes, wants, and past purchase interests. A

smart eBusiness uses that information to craft and send personalized communications to that customer

(e.g., “Dear John: We know you’re a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan! Are you all set for official NFL-licensed

Cowboys gear for this season? If not, we’ve got some GREAT DEALS RIGHT NOW for you to check out.”

The customer may not always buy, but with this style of offer and communication, at least he knows

that offer is totally in line with his likes and tastes. While such communications are common today,

companies must be careful not inundate customers with emails and phone calls. By just asking the

customer how often we wants to receive information, and through what channel (e.g., postal mail,

email, text, etc.), and then modifying his profile accordingly, a company can avoid alienating that

shopper, and be in a good position to retain that customer for life.

4. THE SEVEN KEYS TO A GREAT ONLINE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Key #1: Clean, Easy Navigation

One of the most important elements of a fantastic online customer experience is easy navigation,

facilitated by a clean look and feel that makes it a snap for consumers to find the products they want to

buy.

Every great online customer experience must begin with what the shopper sees when he first hits your

home page: a professional, sophisticated, eye-catching, and easy-to-navigate website. The core layout

should be simple and well organized, with clearly-labeled section names, accessible drop-down menus,

and navigation options at both the top and bottom of each page. Regardless of which page a user is on,

it should be easy for him to go back, search for another item, or move to another area of the site – all in

a short series of clicks.

13 Roman, Ernan. DM News. “How Do Customers Define Customer Experience Marketing?” http://www.dmnews.com/how-do-customers-

define-customer-experience-marketing/article/284833/

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According to HubSpot, the developer of the world’s leading inbound marketing and sales platform,

modern web designs should also include these look-and-feel elements:

Unique typography, which is easy to read (and easy on the eyes), and consistently used

throughout.

Flat design, in which three-dimensional effects and other techniques are avoided in favor of flat,

two-dimensional designs with simple illustrations and bright colors. This allows the company to

focus on content so you find what you want instead of getting caught up in “fancy” features, or

unnecessary bells and whistles.

Hover effects, which help you identify where you are on the page. Most likely, you’ve seen this

before. When you place your cursor over a site section with a hover effect, that part changes

color or becomes highlighted. The result is easier navigation, and a simple, non-intrusive way to

remind you where you’re at on the page.

Scroll to page sections, where you click on a link, and it automatically takes you to a different

part of the page. This saves you a lot of time from having to go back and forth between loaded

pages, and makes it easier to find the information you need, especially if you’re a return visitor.

Larger product images, which help designers highlight different features in more effective ways,

and keep shoppers thinking about those products and their value and benefits.

In-depth product videos, which many companies are using nowadays to physically demonstrate

how products are used, and features which differentiate them from those of competitors.

According to Inc. Magazine, 92% of B2B customers watch online video and 43% of B2B

customers watch online video when researching products and services for their businesses.

Large responsive images that conform to any screen size whether they are being viewed on a

PC, smartphone, or tablet. This also means customers can view images clearly without scrolling

up and down and side to side.14

Still not sure that your site is clean and easy to navigate? Ask your customers what they think! They’ll

provide you with solid, honest feedback you can use to improve your site’s layout, look, feel, and other

design elements that will get your webshop into shape…and ready to generate tons of leads and sales.

Key #2: Search That REALLY Works

Another aspect of a great online customer experience is having powerful search capabilities which make

it super easy for your consumers to locate the products they’re looking for on your site, and other useful

online content, such as user reviews, instructional videos, and product manuals, your company offers.

After all, if your shoppers can’t find what they want, it’s quite likely they’ll find another company that

does have what they want. And you’re going to miss out on those valuable sales.

It all begins with the integration of a powerful search engine, and it should be one created by a leading

search technology provider, such as Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft (Bing), Ask, or Aol. Just by using the

14 Sprung, Rachel. HubSpot: The Seven Elements of Modern Web Design. http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/elements-of-modern-web-

design-list. January 6, 2014.

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technology of one of these companies, you’re already ahead of the game. However, after that, your

site’s search capabilities must be refined and customized to match the needs of your business and your

customers’ searching and purchasing patterns. More specifically, make sure your search engine allows

for:15

Product search by name and model number, especially if those same details appear on product

pages. This should also include variations of those names and model numbers, particularly if

they are inadvertently misspelled, or if certain characters are often transposed when typed.

Multiple relevant product and category searchable terms so all the bases are covered. For

example, if your company sells hair dryers, the shopper should be able to conduct a search for

“dryer,” “blow dryer,” or “blow/hair, dryer” that still returns all hair dryer results.

Searches with symbols and abbreviations. In a recent benchmark study of the search capabilities

of the top 50 e-commerce companies in the U.S., nearly 60% do not support such searches!

Robust autocomplete suggestions. While some implementations greatly enhance the search

experience, many do not because they are not sophisticated enough to deliver real, intuitive

value to the consumer.

Iterated queries that are prefilled in the search fields on results pages.

Faceted search capabilities, the foundation of contextual filters.

Multiple types of breadcrumbs to lead users to the right information.

By having a search engine that is user friendly, as technologically advanced as possible, and incorporates

the search features up above, you’ll enable your shoppers to find precisely what they’re looking for, and

hopefully, compel them to buy.

Key #3: Awesome Content

The sites with the best online customer experiences also offer their shoppers great content…and not

just basic descriptions of and specifications for the products you sell.

Outstanding content that informs your customers, while adding value, strengthens the relationship

between the shopper and your brand. How so? It gives your customers lots of freedom and flexibility to

access on-demand resources (i.e., the content is there, 24x7x365, for them to access at their

convenience) that make their interactions with your products richer and more rewarding, and without

having to send a request for such information every time to your customer service team. That creates

more efficiencies within your operation, and frees up your customer service and technical support

groups to focus on delivering fantastic service to every customer they touch.

The scope and volume of content you offer to shoppers will vary, depending on your industry and the

nature of your business. However, with eCommerce, shoppers expect a pretty wide variety of high-

quality content. That variety typically includes high-resolution product and demonstration photos,

15 Holst, Christian. Smashing Magazine: The Current State of Ecommerce Search. http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2014/08/18/the-

current-state-of-e-commerce-search/. August 18, 2014.

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customer reviews and testimonials, instructional videos, quick-start guides, product manuals and FAQs,

warranty and guarantee information, a blog with usage tips and techniques, and much, much more.

You don’t have to go overboard in the content area to make it useful and valuable. Again, if you’re

unsure about what content your customers really want, just ask them. What content do my customers

REALLY want? What do they want more of, or less of? Is the content I’m producing easily findable, either

through my navigation or search engine? And is my content compelling, entertaining, and useful? Then,

use their feedback to create and distribute content they need and want.

Once it’s created, then you must figure out an easy, logical way to archive and organize it all on your

site, and to make it searchable via the site’s engine. After all, what good is awesome content if your

customers can’t find it? Many eCommerce companies create an online customer resource area, with

sub-categories for manuals, FAQs, instructional videos, and the like, and proactively distribute different

assets from time to time via email newsletters and social media channels.

Part of building and maintaining a great online customer experience is the development of content that

your customers actually want, and then making it available to them in convenient ways that enhance,

rather than detract, from their interaction with your brand.

Key #4: Product Configuration

If your site is product-focused, then you definitely need a product configurator, a very useful tool which

enables shoppers to customize their desired product in any number of ways. Beyond colors, sizes, and

patterns, product configurators are an awesome way to give consumers even more of what they want,

and to keep them on your site longer.

A relatively easy way to unlock your inventory’s potential and improve that online customer experience

is through product configuration: offering shoppers a plethora of self-service options so they can easily

select and purchase customized products. From different cuts, colors, shapes, and sizes, to more

sophisticated options, such as embroidered names and initials, high-tech add-ons, and souped-up

accessories, all of this is made possible by an online configurator, specialized add-on software that

allows a customer to define the features he wants in the product he’s ordering.

This is usually done through the integration of a product configurator with your ERP system, such as

Microsoft Dynamics NAV, and your eCommerce solution. This integration unlocks a whole new world of

online shopping for your customers. No longer are your customers just limited to your standard

inventory on hand. Rather, you unleash the full potential of your inventory because now customers have

access to far more options than they did before. And who doesn’t like options? Your shoppers can now

get the product they want…precisely how they want it.

Furthermore, with product configuration, consumers are able to help themselves, so to speak, and use

self-service features that allow them to customize the product they want…whenever and however they

like. This approach results in a superior customer experience with higher satisfaction because it’s easier

and more convenient. Your shoppers don’t have to wait for email replies from your customer service

team, or remain on hold after calling into the company’s toll-free number. To get the products they

want, shoppers build them right there on your site, and then hit the order button!

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Depending on the product, configuration lends itself well to numerous different pricing options. One

way is to present the price of the product as the customer is configuring it! When the customer adds

Component A or B, your site automatically adjusts the product’s price, courtesy of that ERP integration.

This is convenient for both you and for him. More importantly, it occurs immediately…in real time…so

there’s no delay on the customer’s end. The other option is for your customer to submit a quote.

Sending in a quote is also convenient for the shopper because he’s able to take as much as he needs

modifying the product prior to submission. Then, after he knows what he wants, your sales team

contacts him via email or phone to discuss the final cost.

Either way, product configuration, if it’s appropriate your company and product mix, is a must-have to

create a stellar online customer experience.

Key #5: Extension To Mobile Devices

Is your website fully viewable and functional on smartphones and tablets using the three major

operating systems? To deliver a superior online customer experience, your eCommerce site needs to be

easy to use and operational wherever your customers are spending the most time: and that is usually

on their phones and tablets.

For companies that want to engage their customers, the numbers prove that it’s never been more

important to be mobile-ready. Imagine customers who squint in front of their computers in order to

read a website. Think about customers who pinch and flick and endlessly poke at their monitors. These

customers are engaging with technical difficulties, not with your brand. But this scenario is precisely

what happens when companies don’t have responsive designs for mobile websites.

Responsive design fits your content to the device your customer wants to use. Whatever screen size

your customer prefers, responsive design ensures the optimal web experience for their chosen device.

Without responsive design, content on websites has a very hard time engaging with mobile customers.

Text is displayed too big or too small. Images are cut off. And entire content is left off the page. In

addition, responsive design fixes these issues by offering fully-featured mobile websites. And best of all,

responsive design works with the website you already have in place. There’s no need to build an entirely

new website or app. Customers dislike when searching for content online, clicking an enticing link, and

then getting pestered with requests to download a separate mobile app.

While responsive design is crucial for a good mobile experience, many companies merely settle for

adapting their websites to fit a screen size. But companies gain a real competitive edge when offering

advanced features on mobile websites. Your customers aren’t psychic, either. They don’t always know

what they’re looking for. That’s why guided selling with product recommendations help the customer to

find what they’re looking for and then to buy that solution from your company. That’s a truism whether

the customer is using a desktop or a smartphone.

While the majority of time interacting with retail sites is done on mobile, the majority of shopping is not.

According to comScore, most customers use their time on mobile websites for research, which

emphasizes the importance of responsive content. Online shoppers mostly make their purchases on

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desktop, although mobile’s share of this is also increasing. Device hopping is another common behavior

for users on mobile websites. 67% of customers say they begin shopping on one device and complete

the purchase on another.

All of this shows the great opportunity for mobile websites that use analytics and other customer

information to tailor content. When targeting the buying phase for specific customers, a company raises

the chance of engagement by offering the content most relevant to those customers. To the customer,

it might even appear as if the brand is clairvoyant.

Logins, user profiles, online shopping carts that save products and preferences, easy bookmarking, and

instant emailing of products are all features that encourage impatient customers to engage on one

device and come back later on another. And of course, mobile shoppers with existing profiles or logins

love one-touch ordering. Companies have a real opportunity to get creative when figuring out how to

best engage a generation of mobile consumers. But it has to start with a website that actually works on

mobile, and that takes responsive design.

To have a great online customer experience, you need to make sure your eCommerce site is fully

optimized for use and viewing on all smartphones and tablets. This will make sure your customers can

view all of your site’s information on their devices, and have the power to buy on the go.

Key #6: Integration with Other Marketing Assets and Channels

Even if the online customer experience is awesome, brands also have to be concerned that it matches

the experiences they’re delivering in the store, on mobile, and at special events. As a result, the

customer experience needs to be seamless and integrated across all channels and platforms, and it must

be consistent from one to the other. If there is a disconnect at any point along the way, that can spoil

the experience for the customer, and you run the risk of losing sales…or worse…having those sales go to

a rival.

This makes complete sense, although the actual execution is easier said than done. As previously

mentioned, this consistency must involve the cooperation of all staff members and multiple

departments, and regular communication between all parties to ensure those experiences are in

alignment from one to the other. That requires a lot of time, energy, resources, and oversight. However,

with careful planning, it can be done.

More importantly, these experiences must be closely monitored in real time across all channels, and

then improvements made on the fly so there is no disconnect between any of the platforms. For

example, let’s say a customer has a wonderful experience with your eCommerce website and finds the

product she wants, at the prices she likes. Then, she goes into the retail environment to look at those

products more closely, or to pick them up if she configured her online purchase that way. Unfortunately,

however, she interfaces with a sales associate who’s having a bad day, and then all of that positive

customer experience equity generated by the online channel goes right out the door because of one

simple negative interaction in the retail store. That is a shame, but the truth is, it happens all the time,

every day, to tons of retailers with eCommerce operations.

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The reality is that this uniformity in execution is a massive undertaking which requires tremendous

resources, outstanding leadership, and widespread cooperation to pull off. When it works, it’s pure

magic. When it doesn’t work as planned, it’s disappointing, but it’s actually not the end of the world.

Why? Because then the company’s customer service and technical support teams can hopefully get

involved, address the customer’s concerns in a constructive way, and take appropriate action to retain

that customer. Every one of them is important. The online customer experience does not need to be

ruined by one incident, but it certainly can be if the customer service is not incredible. And that leads us

to our last key…

Key #7: Customer Care and Technical Support

Last, but certainly not least, one of the major complaints from online shoppers is many companies don’t

make it easy for them to locate information about, or to contact them regarding, product returns,

customer service questions, billing issues, and technical support issues. A critically-important element of

a stellar online customer experience is making it easy as possible for the consumer to contact the

company, get an immediate response, and have their problems resolved quickly and efficiently.

In the eCommerce arena, retailers must have a broad range of options for consumers to contact the

company, and to receive customer care and technical support services through each of those channels.

With many consumers on the go, and browsing e-tailers’ websites, using those companies’ mobile apps,

and making purchases from their smartphones and tablets, shoppers want easy, accessible avenues for

contacting customer care and technical support, often with one click or the touch of a button. Here are

some suggested options:

Physical Mailing Address: Many older consumers, such as senior citizens, still write and send

praise (but usually complaint) letters to corporations at their world and regional headquarters.

Each of these still requires a an acknowledgement of receipt and a response.

Toll-Free Number: This is one of the most obvious mechanisms, and it should be automatic.

However, you’d be surprised how many eCommerce companies do not provide a phone

number…of any kind…to consumers. Also, your call center needs to be manned by well-trained,

caring associates who can repeatedly deliver quality assistance time and time again.

Email: If possible, set up several customer care and technical support email addresses so

customers’ messages can be routed more quickly and efficiently for responses. For example,

there can be a general feedback address, such as feedback@xyzcompany.com; a technical

support address, such as techsupport@xyzcompany.com; and then a customer care address,

such as customerccare@xyzcompany.com. Make it easy as possible for your consumers to know

where to send their emails, and when they can expect a response. You should also create an

automated email response that tells the consumer his email has been received, it’s being

processed by the customer service or technical support group, and a link to determine the

request’s status.

Text: With mobile users increasing in number every day, it makes sense to have a text message-

based customer service mechanism where consumers can receive help via SMS. Although this is

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not a widely-popular technique, more brands are offering it is options to their customers who

rely heavily on their smartphones to manage their lives.

Social Media: Because of the widespread popularity of today’s major social media services,

including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Yelp, many consumers are using these channels to

voice their praise…and complaints…about their experiences with brands. To deal with the

increasing volume of social chatter from shoppers, dozens of high-profile brands have

reconfigured their customer service and technical support operations to handle (i.e., receive and

respond to) consumer feedback and complaints via social media channels, including the set-up

and real-time monitoring of specific handles on Twitter for customer comments, job listings,

idea submissions, and its loyalty program. For example, the company lists all of its jobs on

@StarbucksJobs, and consumers can tweet ideas they have to @MyStarbucksIdea.

Live Chat/IM: For those customers who don’t want to use any of the aforementioned options,

many brands now are offering live chat sessions with customer service and tech support reps to

resolve customers’ issues right there, on the spot. In some cases, the rep can use technology to

temporarily take over control of the customer’s PC to directly fix some technical issue. This

alternative works very well, and allows the user to copy and past error messages, or other

content, to give the rep better direction about the problem.

Outstanding customer care and technical support have long been at the heart of a brand’s reputation.

Now, with eCommerce sales continuing to rise, it is an unbelievably important component to the sales

process, and ultimately, to the entire online customer experience.

5. CONCLUSION

For a brand engaged in online sales, its online customer experience can be designed from the ground up

by focusing on these seven keys. The more important consideration is maintaining that online customer

experience over time so the brand becomes well known for it, and then turns into a competitive

advantage that results in higher sales, brand loyalty, and customer acquisitions. In the Internet

economy, online customer experience is paramount, and battles are won and lost by brands every day

that cannot maintain outstanding experiences as their rivals do. In the end, brands must continue

refining the online customer experience for their most valued audiences, and be proactive in making

improvements that better serve those customers.