Boosting E-Commerce by Optimising Online Customer Experience

E-commerce activity has jumped in Hong Kong, with 52% of all purchases done online since the start of the pandemic, compared to 40% prior, Visa reported in a study.

But as more new online platforms emerge, people are increasingly favouring small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that are part of their community, according to KPMG. SMBs are in a good position to ride this trend by establishing an easily navigable, well-designed website that differentiates them from competitors.

Well designed web sites have shown to reduce cart abandonment and keep customers focused on their purchase. It could even help achieve higher margins. A report by Yottaa revealed that 66% of customers are willing to pay more for products on the back of smooth, easy online interactions. In contrast, 90 per cent of consumers have abandoned a site because it took too long to load, the same report revealed.

Optimising user experience

The key to a strong website is to offer a good user experience (UX). This means making things as easy as possible for customers throughout the shopping process.

PayPal has identified some key areas to eliminate buyers’ pain points. This includes minimising the number of clicks needed to make a purchase, not collecting unnecessary information from customers, and increasing the speed of a website.

A research paper published on Statista showed that an optimised mobile page can drive 30% more sales. Content and payment solutions should automatically adapt to mobile, tablet or desktop formats.

Strong customer support could help increase customer loyalty, drive sales and help a business to stand out. Letting customers know someone is at hand to answer questions or resolve problems will shape the customer experience and prevent lost sales. Live chats, SMS or social media channels are simple ways to resolve problems.