Online shopping is a unique experience.  There are no sales reps, there are no lines, and you don’t have to take off clothes, put on clothes, take off clothes, put on clothes, etc!  That might all sound great, but there’s also a down side.

Last month, our Senior Content Writer, Jes, took a chance on such a shopping experience, but maybe a bit too quickly.  You can find that full story here> http://bit.ly/1yYmPnc Luckily, our nerves were all for nothing!  The two hoodies that Jes had ordered (and didn’t expect to arrive until 2015) actually showed up at her doorstep the day after Thanksgiving!  Even though the quality of each hoody is less than perfect, considering she paid cheap, we’re not even mad.

Jes, doing what she does best: fashion selfies!

We learned a lot from the experience on both a customer’s end and the business end.  While online shopping may seem easier than going to a store in person, it can get a bad wrap.  For that reason, online stores have to try harder than walk-in stores.  When a customer walks into your store, there’s that opportunity to make a connection face-to-face.  When it’s strictly online, it’s a bit harder, but not impossible!

The key to climbing over the competition is real-time customer service!  This includes online chatting with shoppers who may be new to the page or returning guests who are looking at new products.  By answering any questions and offering reassurance BEFORE a purchase, this cuts down the opportunity of returns!  Encourage shoppers to review their experience, too!  By receiving that unique feedback, positive reviews can encourage more views and more action on your site!  The less-than-positive reviews will help your business improve!  Getting the reviews to your business are more productive than searching for them on public pages like Yelp or Site Jabber, or never seeing them at all! Last, but not least, get your business on social media! Do we really have to explain this one?

Is your business strictly online? When you’re ready to climb to the top, we’ll get you there!