Trust is what holds personal relationships and business transactions together, especially in eCommerce where face-to-face isn’t available. Simplicity and assurance at a single glance are what most of us look for in online stores and buyers want all doubts to be eliminated before exploring a brand online.
Gordon Lee, a Synagie Chief Business Officer shared that 90% of shoppers review an online store’s performance before even scrolling further. How do you then gain the trust of online consumers? Here are 7 hacks to build customer trust in eCommerce:
The panel of distinguished industry experts clockwise: Excel Hardware Marketing Director Kaden Choa, Synagie CES Vice President Jaydee Donesa, and Synagie Electronics, GM, SME Chief Business Officer Gordon Lee.
Jo Malone London’s official Lazada store with an elegant page decor, clear product categories, authenticity guarantee, followers, ratings, and returns policy.
1. Look Attractive and Reliable
One look is all it takes to make or break the decision to explore online store products. You want to captivate the attention of your page visitors with aesthetics and numbers. Feature high-quality pictures that enhance the charm of your offerings. A short video below one minute that tells your brand story or highlights your top product makes a lasting impression too.
In terms of numbers, reflect on the habits that social media has developed in us. We tend to judge the worth of a celebrity or brand based on their verified blue tick, followers, likes, and public comments. Apply this exact logic to your eCommerce page:
- An authenticity guarantee in writing if you have a website.
- Positive reviews score
- Chat responsiveness
- On-time delivery or a returns policy
- A clear overview of product categories
Pro Tip: For eCommerce platforms such as Lazada, verified sellers selling 100% original items can get an authenticity badge and a LazMall Flagship Store badge complete with a verified tick. As Kaden Choa emphasized, flagship stores represent legitimacy and a premium feeling of dealing directly with a brand owner.
2. Offer First Class Customer Service
Kaden illustrates that trust is like a pendulum – low risk will cause consumer trust to be high. Making the customer feel in control is a foolproof strategy to prevent people from feeling like they are risking their hard-earned money.
How can we immerse our customers in a simulation of control? Two keys: Be reachable and helpful. The latest technology of chatbots makes it easy to be reachable 24/7. Jaydee Donesa, Synagie’s CES Vice President, shared that this assures customers that they are being cared for, especially with simple questions or FAQs.
Buyers want helpful answers when enquiring about a product online, even at odd hours. Time is saved, frustration is minimized and trust is fostered.
Being helpful, however, does not stop at a chatbot. Jaydee recommends offering the best customer experience by assisting buyers in getting the best deals. Educate your customers on product features, how to use them, and update them on the latest promotions.
3. Feature Happy Reviews and Testimonials
Positive reviews, testimonials, and pictures taken by customers – these are cream of the crop eCommerce marketing strategies.
A community that loves your brand will naturally draw in more buyers. In gratitude, these repeat buyers are happy to not only write reviews but also take videos to show off their unique ways of using your products. This creates curiosity and a desire to learn more amongst new target buyers.
Pro Tip: Go one step further to earn trust by showing that you truly care. Be sincere in responding to reviews and address any doubts. Additionally, be detailed when answering questions in your online store’s FAQ section. This is a fantastic opportunity to throw in tips and tricks. Imagine promoting more skincare products via clever answers to questions on sensitive skin.
4. KOLs – Harness the Power of Influencers
Influencers are the best spokespeople for your brand in this day and age. Asia leads the world in social media usage with 2022 statistics showing over 1.1 billion social media users in Eastern Asia and 847 million users in South Asia.
One way of harnessing the power held by influencers is by finding one who already loves your brand. Look for down-to-earth influencers or even better, key opinion leaders (KOLs) who are well-loved, accepted, and admired within your local community. Take for example Netflix actress, barrister-at-law, and TEDx speaker Koe Yeet with 232K followers who markets for Sony Malaysia, which is famous for its headphones.
5. Handle Unfavorable Feedback Diplomatically
Your online store can get launched to infinity and beyond only if you handle it with tact.
While it is great to feature positive reviews, refrain from deleting the negative ones. Instead, make it a point to respond diplomatically and take quick action on a complaint.
Jaydee affirms the human desire for transparency: 86% of consumers expect brands to act beyond their product or business. While good deals are crucial, eCommerce buyers also expect sellers to be truthful and act in the best interests of consumers. Gordon Lee, Synagie Electronics, GM and SME Chief Business Officer shared that to appease unhappy customers, businesses must:
(i) Practise three steps when typing a response to negative reviews. First, “I understand”. Second, “I care”. Third, “trust me to fix the issue.” This makes the customer feel heard and understood. Frustration is eased with the promise of a solution.
(ii) Fix an issue by offering a sincere apology with an appropriate solution. Sometimes, refunding is not the correct answer. You may want to ship an item in perfect condition along with a free gift to compensate the customer for his or her time to unbox, use, and grapple with issues. Returns? Just pick up the defective item upon delivering the new and intact one.
6. Be Open to Innovate
Part of building and strengthening the bridge of trust with your consumers is by believing in two-way communication. Gone are the days when we get bombarded with meaningless advertisements. Today, online customers expect both advertisements and products to be personalized.
Learning is critical in personalizing products. Gordon imparts that eCommerce is about learning, unlearning, and relearning. You must adjust and fine-tune what you think has been the ideal product aesthetics, usages, and preferences. A case in point is Popflex Active, a fitness line by Chinese-Vietnamese American Cassey Ho targeting young women. Cassey impressively customizes hoodie designs, athleisure size inclusivity, and even cutting based on comments on their Instagram page.
7. Be Consistent in Quality and Delivery
Gordon reports that it takes 10-12 positive reviews to neutralize the effect of one negative review. So, do keep your foundation strong! Always execute stringent practices when it comes to quality control. Your products should be free of defects and of acceptable quality – definitely not shirts that fray within weeks or cause a skin reaction for most.
Check for a long expiry date if you are selling solutions, skincare, or dry food. This is crucial as it concerns the health and safety of a human or pet. People appreciate a longer time frame of usage. A simple scroll of online stores selling chocolates will show you plenty of positive and negative feedback on expiry dates.
Delivery that is on time is not something to rest on your laurels once achieved. Maintenance is key. It can be difficult to monitor delivery turnaround time with staff being prone to falling sick and the risk of missing out on notifying customers about a public holiday delay.
Thankfully, eCommerce delivery partners such as Fulfilled by Lazada stores, packs, and ships your items directly from a Lazada warehouse to ensure convenient deliveries in the twinkling of an eye.
Check out howwesell.asia’s Lazada Insider page for more brilliant ways to win and keep customers. Fully utilize what eCommerce has to offer today.