How to increase online sales: The power of feedback collection for e-commerce store owners.

In the competitive world of e-commerce, the question of how to increase online sales is a top priority. To achieve sustainable growth, it is essential to understand and address customer needs effectively, while at the same time identifying the factors that drive growth. One proven strategy for boosting sales is through feedback collection via surveys. Understanding what matters most to customers can directly impact online sales for e-commerce store owners. Here’s how customer insights can be leveraged to increase online sales and maximize revenue.

Identify and meet customer demand:

To increase online sales, offering products that align with customer preferences is crucial. Feedback surveys serve as a direct line of communication with customers, allowing you to gather insights into their needs, preferences, and expectations. Analyzing this feedback lets you identify product or service demand and optimize your product catalog or experience accordingly. Understanding what resonates with your target audience enables you to offer the right products and drive sales. E.g., if your product is targeted at new parents, having an after-hours pickup option after office hours is a great-to-have feature. 

Enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty:

Satisfied customers are more likely to make repeat purchases and become brand advocates, directly impacting online sales. CSAT or Customer Satisfaction surveys provide a platform for customers to share their experiences, voice concerns, and provide suggestions. By actively listening to their feedback and taking prompt action, you can address pain points, improve customer satisfaction, and build loyalty. Satisfied customers are more inclined to make additional purchases, refer others to your store, and contribute to increased online sales.

A seamless user experience is key to driving online sales. CES or Customer Effort Score surveys help you gather insights into the usability of your website, checkout process, and navigation. With a CES survey, you’d reach out to a customer immediately after they perform an action, say, raising a return request, and check how easy it was to perform the task.

By analyzing feedback, you can identify friction points and optimize your website’s design to streamline the purchasing journey. For instance, in our pursuit to make support self-serve, speaking to a human is becoming increasingly difficult. 

An intuitive and user-friendly experience reduces friction, boosts loyalty, and increases conversion rates, leading to higher online sales.

Build trust and reputation:

Building trust and a positive reputation is crucial for retaining existing customers and attracting newer ones. An HBR article states, “Customers who give a brand high trust scores are three times more likely to stick with it through a mistake. Eighty-eight percent say they’re more likely to buy from that brand again, and 62% will buy almost exclusively from the brand.”

Feedback surveys provide an opportunity to collect testimonials and positive reviews from satisfied customers. These testimonials can be utilized to showcase your store’s credibility, trustworthiness, and commitment to customer satisfaction. Building trust and a positive reputation increases the likelihood of new customers making purchases and contributes to overall online sales growth.

The HBR article also adds that trust and loyalty go hand in hand, stating that “the more customers trust your brand, the more loyalty they’ll have. This means that organizations can measure and improve customer loyalty — and therefore business performance — through specific interventions that enhance trust.”

How to increase online sales through feedback collection:

Feedback is best collected from listening posts linked intrinsically to your customer’s journey. Some of the most effective listening posts where actionable feedback can be reliably collected include:

a) Post-purchase window: Send personalized emails to customers after their purchase, including a survey link enquiring about their experience. Incentivize participation by offering exclusive discounts or rewards and encouraging customers to provide feedback.

b) Abandoned cart surveys: If a customer has added products to their cart and has not made a purchase, reach out to understand why. Capture their feedback by asking about their experience, reasons for not purchasing, or suggestions for improvement. This helps you identify and address potential barriers to sales.

 c) Social media polls: Engage your audience and gather insights by creating polls or asking questions related to your products or shopping experience on social media platforms. This interactive approach helps you understand customer preferences and inform your sales strategies.

d) Live chat feedback: Incorporate feedback mechanisms within your live chat or customer support channels. Gather feedback on the support experience, product inquiries, or customer concerns. Real-time feedback allows you to identify opportunities to enhance the customer journey and drive sales.

Conclusion:

To increase online sales, e-commerce store owners must harness the power of feedback collection. You can drive targeted sales and maximize revenue by understanding customer demand, enhancing satisfaction, improving user experience, building trust, and personalizing offerings. Implementing effective feedback collection strategies empowers you to make data-driven decisions, optimize your online store, and create a customer-centric shopping experience that leads to increased online sales.