What does the customer expect from a web store?There is hardly an e-commerce service provider or online retailer who is not currently thinking about how to improve the shopping experience in the online store so that customers return more often and, ideally, the shopping baskets are also higher. The aim is to turn satisfied customers into enthusiastic customers. The recipe for success: building an emotional bond between the user and the online store - or even better, the brand - with positive shopping experiences. The so-called "customer experience" is currently one of the trending topics in e-commerce, which offers a lot of potential for smaller online retailers in particular to stand out from the big players in the online business.
Customer analyses for the right approachBut which features do users associate with a positive experience when shopping in a web store? And how important are "hard skills", such as the loading speed of a website, and "soft skills", such as an emotional visual appeal, rated by consumers? Diana Versteege, management consultant with a focus on women as a target group, explains: "Customer experience is about building a relationship with the customer. Companies can only be successful if there is a perfect balance between hard and soft skills. After all, what good is a perfect loading speed or other technical refinements if the customer doesn't feel properly addressed?" The experts agree that only those who know their customers well can offer a special customer experience. Alexander Brand, Managing Director of the online store Windeln.de, therefore likes to compare customer-related shopping technology with a good salesperson: "Only those who know the customer's preferences can give them the best advice," explains Brand. "For example, our customers at Windeln.de have the option of specifying the age of their child. We then offer the customer the best offers and products that match the child's age. And even if a customer doesn't specify their age, we can determine the approximate age based on their order history and our experience and also select the best offers."
The main thing is quick and easyHowever, the Internet World trade fair also looked at the other side of the issue and surveyed German internet users in collaboration with the market research company Fittkau & Maass. The result: it is still more the standard factors such as being able to find products quickly, a good price-performance ratio, a good selection, a quick and uncomplicated ordering process and good shipping conditions that lead to customers becoming repeat buyers at an online retailer. According to the study, 86% of Internet users surveyed stated that it is particularly important to them that shopping in an online store is quick and easy. Nevertheless, 19.4 percent of the 2,896 German internet users aged 18 and over surveyed consider unique services that make shopping on the web a special experience to be "very important", while a further 21.8 percent voted for "important". In this context, it is also interesting to look at the profile of the users, as it is disproportionately female and young users under the age of 30 who like to shop online in an experience-oriented way.
Showcase store Amazon polarizesAround 40 percent of German online users have a webshop that they particularly like or often shop at - even if other online stores are cheaper. For most of them (57%), this is Amazon. This is followed at a considerable distance by eBay (6 percent) and Zalando (3 percent). What makes these online stores so popular with their customers? Amazon shoppers particularly often refer to the fast delivery. Other online stores are often preferred because they offer a wide, good range of products from the customer's point of view. Those who prefer Amazon when buying online attach particular importance to a simple ordering process. Amazon fans are disproportionately made up of men and high-income earners, and when asked whether there is an online store that they do not like to shop at but still do, Amazon is also by far the most popular choice at 58%. Middle-aged customers in particular buy from Amazon with a bad feeling. According to the customers surveyed, the negative image is mostly due to the issue of working conditions at Amazon.
What improves the customer experience?A closer look at features that could improve the customer experience shows in detail which horse store operators should bet on: For 56.6 percent of respondents, being addressed personally by name has no influence at all on whether they like or frequently store in an online store. Advice via live chat is not even important to 59.7 percent of respondents. Retailers have a more positive effect on customer loyalty if they manage to inspire customers in the store and give them the feeling that they can often discover something new there. Design and layout also have a positive influence on the willingness to buy. And the sympathy factor should not be neglected. 43 percent of users stated that an online store must be appealing to them in order to shop there repeatedly.
Program focus on customer experience at Internet WorldMarch 1, 2016, 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Internet World Congress2. March 2016: 14:00 - 16:00, Internet World KongressSpeakers include Jens Diekmann, Douglas AG; Moritz Keller, Keller Sports GmbH; Diana Versteege, SheCommerce; Julia Bösch, Outfittery; Michael Hubrich, hybris GmbH_______________________________________
Internet World 2016
Date: March 01/22, 2016Location: Messe München, Hall B5 + B6, New East EntranceCost Congress: Discounted tickets for m&k readers from 650,- EUR plus VAT with code IW16mukCost Trade Fair: Trade fair visit free of charge after advance registrationInformation /Registration: www.internetwold-messe.de_______________________________________About the authorDaniela Zimmer is one of Germany's top e-commerce experts and an absolute industry insider. She is responsible for the program planning of the Internet World Congress, the leading e-commerce event with associated trade fair in Europe. The 42-year-old literary scholar and journalist has an excellent network in the e-commerce industry and has also worked for the trade journal Internet World Business for over ten years as head of the e-commerce department. She is also responsible for the Internet World Business Shop Award, which is considered the most important award in the e-commerce industry.
