Leads are what builds your business. These can quickly become customers if treated well, but if you neglect them or avoid giving them what they need to hold their interest: you lose them. Building a relationship between a lead and your eCommerce business is as complicated and work-intensive as creating any other kind of relationship.
If you want to ensure you can root this lead and turn them into a complete customer: these are five tips you have to follow.
1. Make Your Website User Friendly
One of the most significant flaws eCommerce sites can make is to gear their sites to be cutting edge instead of making them clear and legible to the consumers. If a lead visits your site but can’t work out how to use it: who is it helping?
Your industry changes how much you need to simplify your website, which means considering what demographic you’re aiming at. For example, if your customers are between the ages of forty and sixty, your website must clearly be different from sites aimed at teenagers.
Keeping crisp and clean lines and reducing clutter is a great way to start. Clear user menus, help buttons, and links all help leads find their way around. Of course, you shouldn’t have to hold their hands through this; ensure it’s a site that people will want to use.
2. Customer Service At All Hours
If a lead is messaging your company and seeking answers: you could lose them if they have to wait. But, on the other hand, in the hours it takes between the message and when you’re able to answer, they could find another company who has the answer and wins their business.
Consider setting up a customer service bot that can quickly answer any questions that customers have. This bot has to know the answer to most questions, from where your products are made, to what material delivery service you use, and then have a clever way to defer to you or your customer service representatives when necessary.
This bot can also be used to gather information, which we’ll discuss next.
3. Gather Any Information Possible
The more information you can gather about a lead, the better. The basics you need to know are how they found your site, what way you can contact them, and where they are shopping around. With this information, you can figure out what they’re interested in, how likely they are to buy from you, and how much time you have to close the deal.
Having their contact information is vital since you can’t always guarantee that your ads will appear in front of them from just one visit.
The top forms of contact to try and glean are their phone number and email. With their email, you can add them to a mailing list that notifies them of deals and sales they may be interested in. With their phone number, you have the chance to telemarket them and hopefully close the deal.
4. Delivering in a Timely Manner
With some sites offering same-day delivery, there’s a push to get products to the consumers as quickly as possible. However, having a longer delivery time could be the nail in the coffin that stops the customer from considering your business. Consider a last-mile delivery service to ensure that this final leg of the product’s journey is quick and well-done.
Customers don’t want to have to wait several days, and they don’t want to imagine having to spend more on shipping than necessary. Attention to details like this will ensure that the customer thinks of your company the next time they have to buy.
5. Contact Back Within 24 Hours
If a lead seems viable: don’t let it sit. Consumers who shop around often make their purchases within 48 hours. If you stop and let them think about their options, they may end up buying from a competitor instead. To avoid this, contact the customer back within 24 hours to ensure that your company is on their mind, and they’ll be more likely to purchase from you. Send out an advertisement via email, or give them a quick call, and let them know about what deals you have to go on.
There’s No Business Without Good Leads
Good leads are what ensures a company survives. If you neglect your leads or focus on your current customers instead, you’ll lose out on a lot of business. Instead, show an eye for detail, let them know they’re valuable to you and keep in contact with them so that your brand doesn’t leave their mind. Although your products in your eCommerce shop should be fantastic, many reasons people buy in modern times are because of their opinion of a company.
If you can show them that your company is worthy of their time and money, the leads will turn into customers that keep coming back for more.