How to Create eCommerce Experiences That Stand Out in a Crowded Environment

What is eCommerce Customer Experience?

The customer digital commerce experience covers customer impressions and interactions with a brand gained through marketing, sales, and customer support touchpoints. This includes everything from discovering your brand to receiving the product, and support and interactions after the sale.

Ensuring a seamless and satisfying purchasing experience is not easy. Customers have high expectations and are increasingly selective in their purchasing decisions. Despite advancements in technology, many companies still struggle to provide a satisfactory eCommerce experience for their customers. 

A recent study by Propel Software revealed that 54% of all consumers would stop using a brand after just one bad experience. Millennials – who make up a growing majority of B2C and B2B buyers – are even more likely to do it at 57%.

To stay ahead, brands must constantly stay ahead of customer needs and preferences and take action to enhance the eCommerce experience. Improving the customer experience is an ongoing, company-wide effort that may even require transformative changes for businesses that have neglected the customer experience in the past.

The Difference Between eCommerce Customer Experience and User Experience

When someone talks about eCommerce customer experience, what do they have in mind? First, there’s user experience (UX). This refers to how users interact with a product or service. UX focuses on making a product easy to use and effectively helping users achieve their goals. Even with automated products, the user experience is focused on human interactions with the product.

This is completely different from the eCommerce user experience (ECX). The eCommerce experience is the portion of the customer experience that occurs when the purchase was made online. Essentially, ECX is focused on the entire journey of purchasing a product or service, while UX is more concerned with the usability of the product and the support and service offered after the product is delivered.

Facets of UX include:

• Usability. This means that the product should be easy to use, so customers can accomplish what they’ve set out to do. It should be intuitive and avoid cognitive overload.
• Design. This refers to product design. Are parts easily accessible, and are components labeled legibly? Can the user comprehend the function of the product? With good design, usability, and functionality meld together to become one. 
• Performance and Affordance. When designing products, it’s important to keep an eye on components. The cost of components is a driving force in a product’s price, and you must keep your target market in mind. It should also meet user expectations for durability and performance.

When a product offers an exceptional user experience, it is well-designed, easy to use, ergonomic, pleasing to the eye, and fills a customer need. It is easy to service and reliable.

On the other hand, ECX focuses on the digital buying experience. This includes:

• Navigation and search. Menus and search should make it easy for customers to find what they’re looking for. 
• Product information. Customers want to feel confident about their purchases, so detailed attributes, descriptions, specifications, and reviews better inform purchasing decisions.
• Recommendations. Everyone loves a good deal, so offering loyalty programs, rewards, discounts, and promotions encourages repeat purchases and builds customer loyalty.
• Fulfillment and shipping. After ordering, it should be easy for customers to track their shipments. Many customers expect self-service order tracking to monitor their orders every step of the way.

Both UX and ECX are critical for a successful online business. If the former will prevent customers from making a purchase, the latter will cast doubts about completing the purchase. Successful companies prioritize and optimize both.

Creating effective eCommerce customer experiences should be an ongoing process that involves the entire company and can even be transformative for those that have neglected the customer experience in the past.

Components of the eCommerce Customer Experience

No matter the industry, customers typically go through a similar online experience. As an eCommerce seller, it’s important to understand the different components that make up the overall eCommerce customer experience.

Discovering your brand or product

The digital commerce customer experience begins when someone discovers your brand – which usually happens on digital channels.

According to research conducted by GWI, digital channels account for seven out of ten ways that customers discover new products. Afterwards, customers overwhelmingly head to digital channels for further research.

Here are some ways customers find you online:

• Search engine. Most buyers start their research with a Google search. If you want to reach them, your brand must appear in search results. Investing in search engine optimization (SEO) is critical in accomplishing this goal.
• Pay-per-click (PPC): In addition to organic search, PPC ads can also be an effective way to reach potential customers who are actively performing research. 
• Social Media: Since social media is primarily how Gen Zs and millennials research brands, a social media presence is critical for brand awareness and customer engagement.
• Video: Video is an increasingly popular way to deliver content and can be used for marketing, education, and even troubleshooting support issues.
• Blog: A regularly updated company blog should demonstrate your industry expertise and build trust with potential customers.
• Whitepapers: Whitepapers and long-form gated content focused on a specific topic will engage readers while collecting emails for further marketing efforts.
• Email: Although it’s one of the oldest online marketing channels, email is still one of the most effective for reaching buyers. Personalization and automation tools make it easy to send customized offers and messages to your customer base.
• Webinars and events: Webinars are a great way to showcase your expertise and attract a targeted audience. It’s also a powerful way to partner with other brands.

By clearly communicating your brand’s value, even to those who may only have a passing interest, you improve the likelihood of further engaging them.

Search and navigation experience

Over 4.5 billion people worldwide head to the internet to get their questions answered – and a whopping 87% percent of shoppers begin their product searches online. 

Once again, tech giants Google and Amazon have set a high standard for what users expect from a search bar. If your website doesn’t deliver a great search experience and relevant results, potential customers will head elsewhere.

A fully-functional search feature is essential. Visitors must easily find the products, content, or information they need. And with AI-powered eCommerce integrations, you can even provide real-time search suggestions to supercharge their search efforts.

Another way customers search is by navigating through categories and subcategories. By grouping related products together and making it easy to view and compare them, you make it easier for buyers to find exactly what they need.

And as technology continues to advance, customers expect even more personalization in their online shopping experience. That’s why it’s crucial to have the right website architecture and structure that supports large search loads and enables users to easily navigate your site. 

With the right search, navigation, and categorization tools, you can make every part of your site accessible and easy to use.

Finding complete product information

As an online seller, customers can’t feel or smell your products, but the customer experience should appeal to every other sense. Their digital experience must include all the product information they need, no matter where they are or what device they’re using.

Here are some ways to ensure a great product information experience:

• Product data and specifications. It’s critical to organize product information in one place, so you offer customers the most accurate and up-to-date information while eliminating conflicting product data.
• Taxonomy and relationships. Structure product categories and labels so that it’s easy to make changes when needed, and organize products in a way that makes sense to customers.
• Digital assets management. Provide customers with multimedia, video, manuals, and anything else that helps them make informed decisions.
• Channel-specific data. Today’s customers purchase on multiple channels, from Amazon stores to other marketplaces and websites. Data must be structured according to the channel.
• Third-party data. Incorporate data from manufacturers, partners, or other sources and aggregate reviews to improve the customer experience.
• Pricing data. Like attributes and dependencies, pricing data for B2B products can be complex. With personalized product management, customers get proper product pricing.

By providing comprehensive and accurate product information, like descriptions, specifications, images, and reviews, you’ll empower your customers to make informed purchasing decisions. 

And with growing product catalogs and increasing business complexity, product information management will only become more important in delivering an exceptional eCommerce experience.

Paying for purchases

Imagine this scenario: you’re about to buy something online, but then you realize that your credit card is in another room. Alternatively, you are in the process of checking out and must enter your information multiple times during checkout. These situations are deal-breakers for some customers.

That’s where why new digital payment methods and digital wallets are so popular with frequent online buyers. They allow customers to pay without re-entering their information, thereby eliminating purchase friction.

Popular options like Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and buy now pay later (BNPL) services such as PayPal, Affirm, and Klarna are becoming more popular. When Apple announced in 2022 its entry into the lending market with a pay-later service, it simultaneously disrupted the BNPL and the banking industry.

Mobile wallets are also gaining traction because they’re more secure than physical credit or debit cards. And by supporting mobile wallets, eCommerce sellers further reduce friction during the checkout process.

It’s important to remember that customers expect to pay using their preferred method, whatever that may be. If you don’t offer the leading payment options, you risk losing potential sales from cart abandonment.

Order fulfillment and delivery

Today’s customers expect quick deliveries. According to a survey from Voxware, 48% of consumers expect orders to arrive within two days, while others are willing to wait a little longer. Only a small fraction are eager to wait a week for their products to arrive.

To meet expectations, eCommerce sellers must constantly optimize the fulfillment process –  improving the customer experience while at the same time preserving valuable resources.

One solution is to consider outsourcing fulfillment to third-party logistics providers (3PL). This can help businesses to streamline their process while focusing on growth and reducing costs. Leveraging multiple providers is also gaining in popularity. Technology enables brands to take advantage of automation and monitoring, which offers considerable control over outsourcing.

Being prepared for regional or international disruptions can go a long way in improving the customer experience as well. How well you fulfill orders impacts your ability to retain customers and garner repeat business. It doesn’t matter how smooth the purchasing experience may be, if you can’t deliver the product timely, customers will not order again.

Product packaging and returns

Ensuring customers are satisfied after the purchase is just as important as keeping them happy during the buying process.

Packaging is a crucial element of the post-purchase experience. With growing concerns over sustainability, customers are becoming more discerning about excess packaging. And even if the customer is happy with their purchase, there’s still a chance they may want to return it. In fact, 31% of customers consider the returns policy to be the third-most important factor when purchasing online.

Brands must cultivate customer loyalty by improving the returns and exchange experience and framing it as something positive. That’s where proper marketing communication makes a real difference. 

With the right messaging, customers can be incentivized to share their return experience or drop off items without the hassle of packing and shipping their returns themselves. 

Improving the return experience offers many opportunities to create a positive customer experience and build loyalty for the future.

How To Create a Great eCommerce Customer Experience

Now that you have an idea of what goes into a winning eCommerce experience, here are some ways to put your ideas into action. 

1. Select an eCommerce platform that supports your customer experience.

At the heart of your eCommerce customer experience is the functionality of your eCommerce platform. This software enables businesses to create a webstore and craft a customer experience. Whether you’re a manufacturer, distributor, marketplace operator, or franchise business, it’s important to look for the capabilities that allow you to deliver the customer experience you desire.

• Complex businesses require an eCommerce platform that supports complex selling models, such as business-to-business (B2B), business-to-many (B2B2C, B2M), and multi-vendor selling. This empowers your brand to tailor selling strategies to meet the needs of each customer segment.
• Multi-organization, multi-role, and customer hierarchy support are also key to managing complexity while delivering great customer experiences. This functionality makes it easier for businesses to manage multiple organizations, roles, and customer groups within the platform.
• Robust search, catalog management, and product customization features get your products in front of customers. Make products discoverable and provide the full information buyers need to make a purchase decision.
• A workflow automation engine helps you streamline operations and improve efficiency. By automating routine tasks and workflows, you can channel resources toward building stronger customer relationships.
• Look for flexible deployment options that support your hosting and security requirements while still meeting your customer experience objectives.
• Don’t forget about scalability and performance. Customers expect seamless performance even during times of increased traffic and unexpected disruptions.
• Easy customization, integration, and add-ons are essential. As time goes on, you’ll want to add new functionality, integrate with other systems and applications, and customize the eCommerce platform to suit your unique requirements.

2. Look for capabilities that meet current customer expectations.

Today’s competitive digital environment demands that businesses meet and exceed customer expectations. Here are the capabilities to consider when laying out your eCommerce strategy:

• Great usability. Customers will come back to a website that is easy to use. Think about your website navigation, search, messaging, and checkout flows early on. In addition to making the site intuitive, improve the eCommerce user experience by minimizing load times, optimizing site search, and simplifying the checkout process.
• Personalization. Explore ways to leverage browsing data and purchase history to tailor content and promotions to individual customers. This could involve recommending products based on previous purchases, sending personalized emails, and offering targeted promotions.
• Transparency. Honesty is the best policy, particularly when it comes to inventory, pricing, and fulfillment. After all, customers want to know if a product is in stock, what the total cost will be (including shipping and taxes), and when they can expect to receive it.
• Self-service. Many customers want to manage their orders themselves, without having to speak to a sales rep. Brands can facilitate this by providing self-service options such as order tracking and easy reordering. Changes to orders should be logged instantly to avoid confusion and delays.
• Content. eCommerce brands can differentiate themselves by providing high-quality content such as guides, comparisons, and data sheets. Better content helps customers make informed purchasing decisions, improves SEO, and can also drive traffic to the site.
• Multi-channel support. Finally, it’s important for eCommerce brands to be available on multiple channels, including social media, marketplaces, and mobile apps. This makes it easier for customers to find and purchase products, and can also improve brand awareness and loyalty.

3. Include flexibility to meet future customer expectations.

The future is unknown, and customer expectations change. By being seeking flexibility, you’ll retain the ability to pivot, adapt, and adjust to changing environments and expectations. The more flexibility you have, the better positioned you are for long-term success. 

• Flexibility to expand. Being able to grow your product base and customer base isn’t enough. You should be able to pivot to new channels and experiment with new business models to meet your customer’s needs.
• Agile technology stack. To support this level of flexibility, you need a technology stack architecture that is agile and scalable. Using modular, cloud-based systems that integrate with other systems, you can quickly adapt to market changes and experiment with new features and functionality.
  
• Proactive customer engagement. As customer expectations rise, they will have little patience for irrelevant marketing materials, offers, and chatbots. Be able to experiment and improve at every touchpoint to bring customers maximum value.
  
• Customizable customer notifications. Abandoned cart emails and exit intent pop-ups can help prevent customers from leaving your site without making a purchase. This can be particularly effective when combined with personalized offers or incentives.
  
• Next-generation self-service. New self-service capabilities will allow customers to address any issue they’re facing, no matter how complex. Detailed product information, order management, real-time updates, and approvals – all enable customers to answer their own questions and reduce the workload for your team members.

Measuring the Success of eCommerce Customer Experience Initiatives

Unless you measure your efforts, how will you know if customer experience initiatives are successful? Thankfully, there are several ways to measure whether your efforts bear fruit. These include the Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT), and Customer Effort Score (CES).

1. NPS

This metric identifies customers that are either advocates or detractors. It’s a simple and effective indicator of whether existing customers will either positively or negatively impact your future business.

The NPS is calculated by asking customers to rate, on a scale of 0-10, how likely they are to recommend your business to a friend. When conducted over time, it allows businesses to measure customer sentiment over time, which can be a great indicator of their overall customer experience.

2. CSAT

If you’d like to identify whether customers are satisfied with your business at a specific point in time or over a specific journey, launch a CSAT survey.

Using multiple questions or only one question, you can target specific elements of the customer experience, such as the ordering experience, shipping experience, or the quality of the product. 

Customers are asked to rate their experience based on 1 and 10, with 1 being the least satisfied and 10 being the most satisfied. 

3. CES

This metric determines how easy or hard it is to do business with your company. It identifies friction points in the customer experience that make purchasing difficult.

Responses are recorded on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 represents little effort, and 5 signifies great effort. So the lower the score, the less friction encountered. 

Example of a Great eCommerce Customer Experience

TruPar is a leading distributor of materials handling parts, with a catalog of 7.5 million parts from over 600 top brands. Their parts are used in factories, warehouses, and industrial sites across North America, making them a crucial partner for businesses in these sectors.

To stay true to their customer-centric philosophy, TruPar’s CEO Sean McDonnell recognized the importance of having the right eCommerce technology in place. That’s why he chose OroCommerce’s B2B-focused platform, which provided the perfect foundation for expanding their real-time eCommerce capabilities as customer demand grew.

Ultimately, TruPar was able to offer real-time lead times, pricing, and product availability, giving customers the transparency, visibility, and flexibility they needed to conduct their business with ease. And customers have responded with greater engagement and repeat purchases.

Visitors to the site don’t need to log in to see product availability and shipping times. And customers that log into their accounts have even more options for placing an order. With a laser focus on removing barriers to placing an order, guests and credentialed customers are more likely to purchase.

Making eCommerce Customer Experience a Priority Is Key to Success

In today’s rapidly evolving market, it’s crucial to remain adaptable and flexible to meet changing customer needs and preferences. And the right digital commerce platform arms you with both.

However, not all eCommerce solutions are created equal. Your platform needs to be tailored to your specific business needs and environment, and it must possess both flexibility and robustness to help you achieve your goals. And that’s where OroCommerce comes in.

OroCommerce is the ultimate eCommerce platform built to bring even the most complex customer experiences to life. Oro products handle the unique challenges of any industry because they’re purpose-built for B2B businesses from the ground up. Additionally, Oro draws on the collective experience of its developers, expert teams, and an ecosystem of industry-leading technology partners to help you achieve your goals.