How to Up Your Customer Engagement

Now more than ever, the importance of delivering a pleasurable experience and high quality products to customers cannot be understated. Some companies seem to have it all figured out, and consistently have positive feedback being posted on every corner of the internet.

You're not Birchbox, Forever21 or Bevel… Yet. The most challenging thing in your ecommerce business right now is keeping up with your customers' demands that are becoming increasingly difficult to satisfy, thanks to big players like the aforementioned companies. They make things look so easy. How on earth can you achieve a level of customer satisfaction on par with the big dogs?

Relax. You won't become Amazon overnight, but if you go step-by-step you can do the same thing they do: produce a pleasurable experience for the customer through multiple channels. Let's have a look at some practical ways for you to achieve a new level of customer happiness:

In Birchbox's case, right before the customer completes their checkout they are offered an "upgrade" (read: upsell) to add 2 full size products to the subscription of samples they are already purchasing. Because the cost is minimal (in this case, $20 per month), it's an add-on that many customers don't think twice about tacking on. This not only increases sales for Birchbox, but also increases their value proposition to their customers.

If you're not ready to add an upsell at the checkout, be sure you're making the process as painless as possible. Your UX should be pleasurable throughout all operating channels, so don't require an account to make a purchase, make customers re-enter information, etc.

Do you only include necessary order information? If so, you're missing out! By optimizing your receipts, you can upsell already-qualified users with personal recommendations, shipping discounts, or general discount codes.

The logic behind optimizing your digital receipts is simple: the user has already purchased from you, so they are much easier to convert to an additional sale than a user that has not purchased from you. If the customer doesn't make another purchase, you haven't lost anything. But if they do, give yourself a pat on the back! You just created additional revenue from a channel that was previously purely informational.

The argument made on why ecommerce will never, fully replace malls lies in the human desire to touch. In fact, most online stores neglect the first (and usually only) physical interaction they have with the customer – their shipping and unboxing experience.

If you really want to up your customer engagement, you cannot neglect this piece of the puzzle. How you package your product and the unboxing experience is one of the best ways to meet and surpass your customer's expectations. From real wood shavings cradling an axe from Best Made Co. to the Apple-esque packaging of Bevel, customers really go for that wow factor.

Is it entirely necessary? Not at all. But, 4 out of 10 customers would share an image of a product they ordered if it had unique packaging. If you can't afford to revamp your whole packaging design in the near future, get creative. A handwritten note can add a personal touch, and still make that connection the customer is looking for.

Now that you've seen some examples, it's time to brainstorm and think how you can practically fit some of these tactics into your business strategy. Not creative? You know someone who is. Call them. Talk to them. Bounce ideas and get feedback from your peers. Once you get this ball rolling, a solution will appear.

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Original source: How to Up Your Customer Engagement.
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