Dave Sutton — May 12, 2020 Did you know that loyal customers are 25% more profitable for brands than new converts? It actually costs five times more to attract a new customer to an unfamiliar brand than to get a loyal consumer to make a purchase. The lesson here? It’s absolutely vital to optimize customer satisfaction when it comes to eCommerce delivery.
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What your customers want from delivery
The study provides unique insight into customer expectations around the e-commerce delivery experience and what drives online purchases. It confirms the long-held belief that customers want communication about the process, but control over their deliveries. That means being able to choose the time and day of delivery and staying informed, by text message or email, about its route and arrival time.
But do customers expect free delivery? Not always. If a user has just one choice of delivery speed at checkout, then 45% of customers are likely to click away and not complete the purchase. Consumers want to be able to choose the delivery speed themselves. Interestingly, 50% of consumers will often choose to spend more to upgrade to a faster delivery speed. Surprising as it may see, free delivery was actually seen as less attractive by those in the study.
Overall, 60% percent of consumers are more likely to remain loyal and buy again from brands that offer them a positive experience in general, from ordering to delivery to post-service customer care. As it turns out, when consumers need to return an item, 70% of them would use that same retailer again when their return process is simple and clear. If returns are tough, they don’t ever go back. So make it easy on them—and yourself. As we’ve written about before, neglecting customers after a purchase is a huge profit loser for brands. So, you know, just don’t do it.
What about convenience? Turns out that it’s a critical success factor. Ordering something at 10 pm at home and receiving it the next day is what more than 89% of people want. Click and collect is diminishing in its attractiveness and being replaced by convenient home delivery, with lots of consumers wanting a parcel delivered to their own or a neighbor’s house. Shoppers are also concerned about the environment and what impact online purchases have. Using co-friendly packaging and being transparent about your brand’s carbon footprint, and steps taken to reduce it, is a winner.
So remember the 4 Cs when it comes to e-commerce delivery experience:
- CHOICE
Offer a broad selection of delivery options and give the consumer the power to choose the method, date, and time of delivery.
- CONVENIENCE
Let purchasers feel that their online transaction was obstacle-free, making the buying, delivery, return, account set-up, and any other process as helpful, simple, and clear as possible.
- COMMUNICATION
Keep consumers updated and informed on their buys and returns, and keep in mind that this goes a long way, also, toward managing their expectations and therefore keeping them happy.
- CONSCIENCE
Study your production and delivery process, and really think this one through. Do everything you can to reduce packaging and consolidate shipping carriers in order to lower your carbon footprint. Consumers old and new will appreciate it.
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