Having an online retail site can be critical for companies in this day and age. As technology progresses, more consumers are not only purchasing items online, but on their mobile devices and cell phones, as well. This drastically increases the importance of not only having a high-quality website, but also providing excellent customer service.
According to Inc. Magazine, quick and easy is the name of the game for increasing online sales. While most of this comes down to efficient website design that allows for seamless browsing and clear product pages, much of it also takes place after the customer has selected an item.
By storing necessary customer information with custom database software, companies can use this to automatically refill billing and shipping information, which is often seen as a nuisance by repeat customers.
Also, maintaining account information in custom database software can not only be useful for allowing forgetful customers to access their login or password information, but also prove an effective for marketing tool. By tracking customer behavior data, companies can increase the effectiveness of targeted internet marketing initiatives.
In addition, after a customer has purchased something, it can be helpful to send them to a "thank you" page, as this is where visitors are most responsive, says Entrepreneur Magazine. By putting a call to action on this page, businesses can increase the effectiveness of that call to action, and introduce an excellent opportunity for customer satisfaction surveys.
These surveys can help companies gain valuable insight into what's working with the site and what may need work. By tracking this data, companies will have a comprehensive picture of what they need to do to create the best online shopping experience for their customers.