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to start or advance your career
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(bright upbeat music)
- Imagine you've built an e-commerce store
and attracted customers to it.
Now, how do you build a relationship
with those customers online
and provide an experience
that makes them want to come back?
That's what we'll be talking about next.
So far, you've learned a lot about e-commerce stores
and how they work.
You've also learned about e-commerce platforms.
Through the work you've done in this course,
you should be starting to understand
some of the day to day tasks
you might be responsible for in an e-commerce role.
Next up, you'll learn how to engage customers
that visit your e-commerce store.
You'll learn how to create a personalized experience
that meets the needs of each customer.
You'll also learn how to increase customer engagement
by enabling product reviews
and allowing customers to ask questions
and submit feedback about their shopping experience.
After that, you'll learn how to optimize
the checkout process
to make it easy for customers
to complete their purchase.
Finally, you'll learn about the process
of getting products to customers,
which is the shipping and fulfillment process.
Ready to keep learning more about e-commerce?
Let's get started!
(bright upbeat music)
So far, you've learned about defining your target audience
and building a strong brand.
You've also learned why it's important
to understand who your customers are and what they want.
Now we're gonna talk about customer engagement
which describes the interactions
and emotional connection
between a customer and a brand.
Customer engagement happens in multiple ways
on multiple channels, throughout the customer journey.
In this video, you'll learn
about why customer engagement is important.
You'll also learn about a few of the ways
an e-commerce store can engage its customers online.
According to HubSpot, 93% of consumers
are more likely to become repeat customers at companies
that provide an excellent customer service experience.
On top of that, 77% of consumers
share their positive experiences
with friends, on social media, or on review sites.
Happy customers are a company's best friend.
Satisfied customers have a strong
emotional connection to a brand,
and they spread the word about the brand to other people.
They're called brand evangelists
or customers who are so passionate
about a product or service
that they enthusiastically promote it to others.
For example, they might brag about their experience
to friends and family, or post it on social media.
How do you engage customers
and strengthen their connection to a brand?
One of the most important ways
is to personalize the customer experience.
In eCommerce, personalization is a practice
of delivering a customized experience for each customer.
You can think of it as delivering
the same type of personal attention
that a customer might receive in a store,
but the interactions happen online instead.
For example, if a customer visits
a local store that sells custom suits,
they might expect a staff member
to help them choose the best suit for their needs
and take their measurements.
In an e-commerce store,
this experience could be replicated
by guiding the customer to a questionnaire
that helps them find a suit that fits their needs.
Then, the store could provide a video
that guides the customer through the process
of accurately taking their own measurements.
E-commerce stores can also provide
personalized recommendations to customers using data.
For example, when a new customer
visits the homepage of an e-commerce store
they might receive general recommendations
based on best selling or highest rated products.
A return customer who signs into their account, however,
might receive personalized recommendations
based on their browsing history or recent purchases.
Both new and returning customers
might then receive personalized recommendations
that are related to products
they browse or add to their cart.
These could include similar products to consider,
products bought by other customers,
or accessories related to a product.
These recommendations should be displayed
in relevant locations on the site
including product pages and the shopping cart.
Customers may be able to find these products on their own
but offering personalized suggestions
makes it easier for them to find what they want.
It also provides an experience
that feels tailored to their needs.
Besides personalized recommendations,
another way to engage customers
is by creating a rewards program
which is a marketing strategy
designed to build customer loyalty
by providing incentives for customers
to continue shopping with the brand.
A rewards program offers opportunities for personalization
such as a discount code for signing up,
a free birthday gift,
or allowing the customer to choose their reward
from a list of options.
A rewards program can also help a business
attract more customers
by offering a reward for referrals.
As you've learned,
increasing customer engagement
helps the company build
lasting relationships with customers.
Personalization is one of the ways
that companies can increase engagement
which ultimately leads
to a more successful e-commerce business.
Great work, you're well on your way
to understanding how to reach customers
and keep them engaged.
Meet you in the next video.
(bright upbeat music)
Did you know that around 70% of customers
abandon their online shopping carts
without completing their purchase?
That's a lot of lost sales.
If customers experience issues
during the checkout process
or don't trust that their personal information
will be secure,
they're more likely to abandon their shopping cart
and leave the site.
They may even choose to shop with a competitor instead.
That's why it's important to optimize the checkout process.
A smooth and secure checkout process
improves the customer experience
and helps increase the number of conversions.
You've already learned
about the path a customer takes
as they navigate through an e-commerce store
and make their purchase.
In this video, you're going to learn
more about the final step in this path,
which is the checkout process.
It's an important part of the customer shopping journey
because it's the point where the customer
either completes their purchase or leaves the site.
The checkout process needs to be fast,
easy to understand, and secure.
It also needs to be mobile friendly
for customers shopping on their smartphone or mobile device.
The checkout process includes multiple steps
that a customer must follow
in order to make their purchase.
How checkout works is different
from one e-commerce store to another
but they all contain some of the same basic steps.
Let's go through those now.
The first step is to enter the checkout process.
The customer can enter the checkout process
at any point, after they add an item to their shopping cart.
Within the shopping cart,
they can click the call to action button
to enter the checkout process.
If the customer has already created a store account
they can sign in
and move through the checkout process faster,
since it automatically fills in their name, address, email
and other information saved in their account.
Another option may be to sign in using a social account
such as Google, Apple, or Facebook.
If the customer doesn't have an account
they can either check out as a guest
or create an account.
After the customer signs in
or chooses to check out as a guest,
the next step is to enter the contact information
for shipping and billing.
This includes the customer's name, address,
phone number, and email.
If the shipping address is different
from the billing address,
the customer will also need to enter the address
where they want their order to ship.
The customer will then need to choose
the option they want for shipping and delivery,
if there are multiple options available.
Store pickup may also be an option.
Next, they'll need to choose a payment method
and complete their payment information.
E-commerce stores use a point-of-sale or POS system
to capture digital payment information.
An eCommerce POS system
is software that allows a business
to process payment transactions from customers online.
It's typically built into the eCommerce platform,
such as the POS system available with Shopify.
Some POS systems can process both digital
and in-person transactions,
which allows click and mortar stores
to use the same POS system
for all of their sales.
There may also be a field for promotional codes,
an option to sign up for email updates,
or other available options.
Once the customer has entered
all the information required
they'll be able to review their order
to make sure everything is correct.
They should be able to review the total cost
and a breakdown of the cost,
including the subtotal, taxes,
shipping and handling,
and any additional fees.
The final step is when the customer clicks
the call to action button that confirms their order.
The page should then display an order confirmation message.
Now the checkout process is complete.
As you've just learned,
the checkout process includes multiple steps along the way.
The customer can abandon the checkout process at any point.
That's why it's important to make the checkout process
as smooth, easy, and secure as possible.
Coming up, you'll learn more
about how to keep customers
moving through the checkout process
and what might stop them from completing their purchase.
Meet you then.
(bright upbeat music)
Now that you've learned how the checkout process works,
let's discuss some of the reasons
why such a high percentage of customers
abandon their online shopping carts.
What keeps these customers from completing their purchase?
There are a variety of reasons
why customers abandon their cart
during the checkout process.
Often it's because customers are just browsing
or not ready to buy.
When you exclude these customers, however,
the biggest reason for cart abandonment
is when the extra cost for shipping, taxes,
and fees are too high.
Around half of customers
abandon their carts for this reason.
Customers are more likely to buy
if there's free shipping
and no unexpected fees.
Customers may also abandon their carts
because they aren't provided with the total order cost
before the checkout process begins.
Once they know the total cost
they may not feel it's a good deal
and change their minds about making the purchase.
The next biggest reason is when the store requires customers
to create an account.
It's an extra step that customers might not wanna take.
They may be wary of receiving marketing emails
or they may not want their personal information
saved on the site.
Signing up for an account takes extra time and effort
that some customers would rather avoid.
Another major reason for cart abandonment
is when the checkout process
is too complicated or too long.
Once a customer makes their decision to purchase,
the buying process should be quick and easy.
The checkout process also needs to be easy to navigate
on a mobile device,
since more customers are shopping on their phones,
a trend that continues to grow.
If customers don't trust the store
with their credit card information
they may not feel comfortable making a purchase.
Besides security concerns,
customers may also leave
because the payment method
they want to use isn't available.
Slow delivery times is another reason
that causes customers to leave the checkout process,
even if the shipping is free.
They may need or want the product sooner
than it's scheduled to arrive.
Customers may also experience issues
during the checkout process,
such as a promotional code not working,
an error message popping up,
or the website crashing.
Website errors cause doubt and a lack of trust
in the customer's mind.
Finally, customers may choose not to complete their purchase
because they're not satisfied with the return policy.
During the checkout process
customers are making the final decision
whether or not to purchase.
If the brand doesn't instill a sense of confidence
in their products, by adopting a generous return policy,
customers may decide it's better to not buy
or that it's better to buy somewhere else.
All of the reasons we've covered for cart abandonment
make it clear that optimizing the checkout process
is an important part of creating
a better customer experience,
and increasing the success of an e-commerce store.
So, what are some of the ways
you can optimize the checkout process?
You'll learn that coming up.
That's all for now.
Keep up the great work.
(bright upbeat music)
Now that you're familiar
with how the checkout process works,
let's discuss what happens
after the customer completes their purchase.
After an e-commerce store
receives an order on their website
they need to get the product to the customer.
In other words, the e-commerce store
needs to fulfill the order.
Order fulfillment describes all the steps that take place
between receiving an order
and delivering the order to the customer.
It includes processing the order,
picking the products from the warehouse or store shelves,
packing it all up,
and shipping the package to the customer.
Companies have three different options
for handling the order fulfillment process.
The first option is to handle everything themselves.
This requires the company
to store their own inventory,
package and label orders,
and ship them to the customer.
The company also needs to take care
of any returns or exchanges.
Handling fulfillment in-house gives a company
the most control over the quality of the work.
They can also use custom packaging
that fits their brand.
However, it requires a significant
amount of time and effort.
It also requires enough space to store products
and enough staff to fulfill the orders.
The second option is to use drop shipping
which you learned about in the lesson on product sourcing.
Drop shipping is when products are shipped
from the supplier directly to the customer.
The drop shipper owns, manages and stores all inventory.
They also handle the entire fulfillment process
from picking and packing orders
to shipping them out.
They may also be able to process returns.
Drop shipping is an easy and convenient way
for companies to outsource a significant amount of work.
Plus, it allows companies
to launch an e-commerce store faster
and avoid the risk that comes with purchasing
and story inventory that may not sell.
The third option is to use a fulfillment service
which is a third party company
that prepares and ships orders
from their fulfillment centers.
This is similar to drop shipping,
in that the fulfillment center
handles the entire fulfillment process.
Unlike drop shipping, however,
the e-commerce store is the one that owns the inventory.
They need to have all their inventory delivered
to the fulfillment center
where it will be stored
and shipped out to customers.
One of the advantages of using a fulfillment service
is that it frees up the e-commerce business
to spend more time selling products
and engaging customers,
instead of packaging and shipping products.
Fulfillment centers are usually able to handle returns
for the company as well.
Another advantage is that a fulfillment service
often has multiple locations.
When an order ships from the fulfillment center
closest to where the customer lives,
the customer gets their order faster.
That's a big win for the customer experience.
No matter which option a company chooses
for their fulfillment process,
it's important to keep in mind
that the rapid growth of e-commerce
is changing how products get to customers.
E-commerce companies must be flexible enough
to react quickly to changes in the supply chain.
The supply chain is the flow of goods
from the beginning stage of sourcing raw materials,
all the way to the finished product
that is delivered to the customer.
If there's a disruption to any part of the supply chain
such as a computer chip shortage
that impacts the production of new laptops,
an e-commerce company needs to be able
to find ways to adapt and meet their customer's needs
in the best way possible.
To recap, you've learned three different ways
an e-commerce store can get products to customers.
In-house fulfillment, drop shipping,
or using a fulfillment service.
It's helpful to understand the shipping
and fulfillment process
in order to get a better overall picture
of how an e-commerce store works.
Coming up, you'll learn more
about how to engage customers.
Meet you again soon.
- Congratulations on finishing this video
from the Google Digital Marketing
and E-commerce Certificate.
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