What’s a business without its customers? If we learned something in 2018, it’s that the buying process should not be viewed as a linear chain of events. It is actually an omnichannel experience where customers can make a decision due to different factors.
The customers’ buying experience is the thing that can make or break a business. The part where a lot of businesses go wrong is assuming that once the purchase is completed, they don’t have to worry about things anymore. However, a bad after-sale customer experience can result in you throwing the opportunity to retain customers out of the window.
We are approaching 2025 and it is time to reflect on everything you have done so far and how to make it better in 2025. If making your business more successful in the New Year is one of your resolutions, we give you the best 5 ways to improve your customers’ buying experience in 2025!
- Establish the Buyer Persona
The buyer persona is a concept you hear in the world of business very often. Every business needs to have an ideal buyer persona, even though this is a vast and fictional term. Still, the ideal buyer will not be enough to cover all of the different customers you have.
Aside from the ideal buyer persona, you also need to establish secondary buyer personas. By doing so, your customers’ service can figure out which category does every customer fall into and how to assist them in the best way possible.
2. Emotional Responses Are Your Friends
Think of one situation when you had a problem with a product or service and you contacted the customer service. You might have been fuming with rage, but the advisor was patient, empathic, and compassionate and was genuinely trying to help you as much as they can. At the end of the conversation, you might not even have your problem solved but you still felt happy.
According to a study, businesses that establish an emotional connection with their customers reported an increase in sales by even 85%.
The secret here is making your customer feel good. If they associate your brand with positive feelings and experiences, they are more likely to become your loyal customers. If they feel that you care for them, they will care for you as well by coming back for more and putting a good word for your business out there.
3. Value Customers’ Feedback
If you work in customer service, you know that the notion “the customer is always right” is not always true, but you have to stick to it. Understanding your customers is important, regardless if they are right or wrong.
In order to find a middle ground in such situations, you need to learn from previous experiences and make predictions that will be useful for future interactions. As for real-time feedback from customers. Even if the feedback is bad, that still gives you valuable information that you can learn from and improve accordingly.
4. Keep an Eye on the Stock
There is nothing more frustrating for a customer than not being able to get something when they want it. Since there is so much competition nowadays, if you are not able to deliver, someone else will. Your customers, especially new ones, will not be willing to wait for something they can get from your competitors. Having an e-Procurement system at your disposal will help you minimize the wait time and maximize customer satisfaction.
Being in a position where you can quickly order something from your suppliers if you don’t have it is stock is a life-saver for businesses. Don’t keep your customers waiting for too long. If there are any delays, make sure you inform them.
5. Monitor ROI
Excellent customer experience should translate to an increased ROI. A study found that even 55% of customers are willing to spend more money and buy from companies that offer a good customer experience. So the equation here is simple: if you invest in a good experience, customers will reward you for that.
On top of that, ROI is a strong indicator of the overall business-customers relations. If you merge the numbers with feedback from your customers, you will exactly know what is the thing you need to improve.
Remember, your customers are the driving force behind your business. In order to do the best for them but also for your business, you need to invest in a good customer experience for every step of the line. A good website and trendy products are definitely a yes, but all of that falls into the shadow of how your customers feel about your business. If they feel good and valued, you can give yourself a pat on the shoulder and continue to deliver a great customer experience in the new 2025!
About Melissa
Melissa Stanley is a veteran tech writer and editor who has worked in several eCommerce companies so far. She has been covering technology online for over five years. She is Client Service Manager of PCGT – PunchOut Catalogs.