|
|
 |
The Utmost In Online Customer Experience Vol I, Issue VIII By Andrea Learned |
|
As more people get comfortable with the concept
and technology of online shopping, the number of registered
complaints is bound to rise. Women,
in particular, will be wary of lazy service from online merchants.
Not only are female Internet “newbies” coming online in
droves, but also the numbers of ultra-savvy experienced women users
is increasing exponentially. In
this issue, I’ll go over why you should care, and what you can do
to improve your company’s entire online customer experience to
better reach women (of course). Some
Interesting Stats Datamonitor recently published a study (as
reported by InternetRetailer.com on 11/20/01) showing that online
retailers will lose out on $13.5 million in 2001 due to poor online
customer service. According
to Brian Huff, technology managing analyst for the research firm,
online retailers have been putting more focus on the logistics or
channel itself rather than the customer.
The Datamonitor report further noted that 8.1% of online
retail transactions were lost this year because retailers failed to
offer a method where consumers could have their queries answered
while shopping Another recently published report, from Retail Forward, found that nearly two-thirds of online shoppers are satisfied with their shopping experiences, but more than half cited areas of frustration. Top Five Online Shopping Frustrations
Source: Internet Users Consumer Panel, September 2001, Retail Forward,
Inc. Customer Experience and Gender “Customer service,” formerly considered a single
department within a company, is now called “customer experience” and includes all channels and nearly every
department of a company. This
more comprehensive “experience” includes every touch point
throughout the buying process – product development to marketing
to sales and into any further/repeat interactions (online and off). For women, who more likely notice the
subtleties throughout a purchasing process, customer service has
always been about the entire experience.
But, the ways in which women and men respond to dysfunction during the process
is particularly noteworthy. In general, men seem to go further beyond
obstacles on their own than women do.
(This makes me think of the whole “I don’t need to ask
for directions” male stereotype.).
When they fail, men attribute it to external forces.
However, when women fail, they attribute it to internal
sources and almost take it personally.
Yikes Such instincts translate onto the web, as you might imagine. Typically, if a woman can't find something quickly, she'll give up. Whereas men will remain determined to master a non-intuitive site, no matter the agony. Exceeding Women’s Expectations While gathering information for a book
proposal, my colleague, Lisa Johnson, and I found that customer
loyalty hinges on both the product and
the shopping experience. True
success depends on meeting and exceeding customer expectations, and
improving the customer relationship Providing exceptional service/experience for your consumers will increase buyer satisfaction, and encourage repeat visits and word-of-mouth recommendations. Women, the gender of greatest interest to you who read this newsletter, initiate the most word-of-mouth referrals. Do whatever you can to deserve their loyalty Tips for the Online "Experience" Poor service, poor navigation and inattention
to customer preferences used to be pretty common in the “old
days” of the Internet. Now
it is simply unacceptable business practice to disrespect customers,
and women will be the most vocal about demanding excellent service
along the way. A few
key aspects of a
satisfactory online experience for women:
Women as the Standard As more women flock online, companies should be prepared to learn from, and serve, their higher standards. Let them be your first warning if you’ve neglected to perfect a customer touch point along the way. Women will help you catch customer experience problems sooner, so you can deliver the finest service to all your online customers long before your competitors figure it out.
I hope the Thanksgiving holiday was relaxing for you all, and that you've got lots of time with friends and family scheduled for the next month as well. I'd love to hear which industries are of special interest to you,
and add them to my list of things to explore in future
newsletters. You know where to find me. |
| Yes, please do! Forward this newsletter, in its entirety, to a friend or colleague. |
| "A woman is always buying
something." - Ovid, as observed during ancient Roman times |
|
Internet
shopping complaints: A study
just released by the National Association of Consumer Agency
Administration and the Consumer Federation of America reports
that complaints about Internet shopping are, in fact, on the rise,
and have broken into the top 10 list for all reported consumer
complaints. InnerView Radio - A Direct Line to Women Consumers: Homefront Productions recently launched InnerView, a nationally syndicated weekday morning talk show with the tag line: "real talk for real women." This ground floor opportunity to connect with women consumers may be worth checking out. If your company/brand is looking for a targeted sponsorship, contact Carrie Pollard in Homefront's marketing department - and tell her Andrea sent you. |
| info@reachwomen.com Oregon office: 541.685.9400 Washington office: 360.715.0681 |