Shopping online is a rewarding way for consumers to find products with the best discounts. But with such extensive competition, and the ease of switching from one online retailer to another, how can website owners keep shoppers with notoriously short attention spans on their site?
Once a website has generated traffic, engaging and keeping the customer is the biggest challenge. Shoppers may get distracted by the temptation of discounts and rewards at other online stores. Alternatively, they may start to shop but then abandon their shopping cart before checking out.
To reap the rewards of online selling, retailers need to engage with these potential customers. This is more straight-forward in the physical world - a shopper enters a store and can be greeted directly by the shopkeeper. Having found out what the customer is interested in, the most appropriate discounts or rewards can then be offered. Most shoppers, having entered the store, will at least look around for things they may want to buy and give the shopkeeper the opportunity to make contact. Online it is all too simple for the shopper to navigate away from the site at the click of a button, tempted by the discounts available elsewhere.
To keep customers engaged and focussed on their products retailers need well constructed sites that are simple to get around. Sites should be quick to download; too many pictures or moving images that look good but take many minutes to appear will only frustrate the shopper. A frustrated online shopper will be very quick to leave if they do not find what they are looking for or are uninspired by the choice. Online shoppers are also very price sensitive so good discounts for shoppers are an ideal way to remain competitive.
Rewards are also important in keeping a shopper engaged. If a site offers a rewards programme it should feature prominently and be easy to access without the need for extensive logins.
Rewards build loyalty with shoppers, making a site ‘sticky’, encouraging the shopper to return and make repeat purchases. It also differentiates a site from others enabling it to stand out as offering that little bit extra for the shopper – particularly useful in competitive or saturated markets and also in recessionary times. If shoppers know they will get a discount or other benefit it’s more likely they’ll stay loyal to the retailer.
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