Lily Of The Valley Designs

I have implemented a quick questionnaire on the checkout page that asks how we could improve our services (optional of course).

Questionnaire on Checkout page

We got great responses: from great service, to it was hard to find an accessory for a product. We also got some real funny responses like;

“Send me a check for $40,00 and we can get started right away”

“A little salt pepper and a dash of oregano”

But overall we got a chance to give the customer a voice and they frequently used this tool to speak their mind. And it helped us to improve our e-commerce website.

Other ways to listen to your customer:

1. Read emails from customers see what they are frequently complaining about.

2. Create a text box on checkout page like mentioned above.

3. Enable product reviews. Customers love to see what other customers have said.

4. Ask customer representatives what customers are frequently saying on the phone when they call in.

5. Send out a survey via email. Give customers a good reason to fill out survey. If not you may get any responce.

6. Get potential customer to review your site.

7. Implement what you learn from your customers and measure results. Then do it again.

How many dropped carts did you receive today? What is chasing customers away once they add an item to cart? Here are a couple of reasons why.

1. Shipping Prices are Too High - Is your shipping prices padded? Is the shipping cost more than the product itself. Take a look at your shipping costs and compare with other sites. Look into other shipping options such as USPS this could be much cheaper for the customer.

2. You are forced to register with company just to purchase - Please don’t make me register just to do business with you. I may just want to try your services out before I become a raging fan. You can try to convince the customer to register with your company by showing the benefits of doing so.

3. Not sure if page is secured - The page looks secure I see the lock symbol but how do I trust you. Are you using a third party to verify checkout is secure. You should if you want to convince me it is ok to give you my valuable information and I just met you.

4. No sign of a 800# - If I get too nervous can I call you? Give your customers a phone order option. Some customers feel more comfortable placing there order with a real live human.

5. Not enough payment methods - Are you still only using PayPal as your payment method? Not everyone feels the same way about Paypal as you do. Give customers more ways to pay. There are many options to choose from: Credit Cards, E-Check, PayPal, Bill Me Later, Googlecheckout….

6. Checkout page too complicated or tedious - How many pages do I have to sit here and fill out before I am done placing this order for a $5.00 book? Is it worth the time and energy.

7. Want to much information- Why do you want my birthday and my Cat’s name? Just take my payment information and shipping info and lets get it over with.

Can You think of any more reasons?

What makes some businesses fail and other’s successful?

I have thought long and hard about this question. After analyzing some businesses that failed and others that grew I saw one characteristic in common with businesses that succeeded. This was that the business created “an experience”. From the website to the packaging of the product was an experience.

I went to timberland.com the other day and practically got lost in the shopping experience. Every page is so dramatic it just brings the user in to a new world. The colors and background texture all have a consistent feel. Customize a boot was fun I tried it and I wasn’t even in the market for boots. See I even put my initials on the boots of my dreams in pink!

Or shopping at Toys R Us to buy a hula hoop which I couldn’t find anywhere surprisingly even at the Toys R Us near me. I had never purchased there before but I though what the heck. What I remember is the after purchase experience. I got the following emails after purchasing the hula hoop: thank you for your order, your order has shipped, your order is scheduled to arrive today, and WELCOME TO THE TOYS R US FAMILY. I really liked the whole after purchase experience but that last email really takes the cake. I feel apart of a new family now and I feel like shopping there again; after all they are my new family.

Have you ever gotten a package from Carols Daughter? What an experience! The box has a great natural feel and design. Once you open the package the journey begins. Instead of old packaging material they use natural papers and aromas. They have created an experience around there brand.

How can you create “an experience” you ask

1. Analyze your brand and what you represent.

2. Start from the very start of the shopping experience to finding your site on Google to receiving a package and analyze each step of the shopping experience to see how you can create “an experience”.

3. Look at other successful e-commerce sites. See how they have created a shopping experience.

4. Finally usability testing to see how customers respond.

If you can think of any other sites that create “an experience” drop me a line.