Creating a iterative culture of usability research can be a challenge, it fundamentally involves the transition from a product led mindset to a customer-first mindset.
Too often, the day-to-day gets in the way and listening to what your online customers want falls behind. You have successfully launched a solid eCommerce site that is on trend and aligned with your competitors, well thought out features and upgrades have since been added to improve your product engagement and purchase journey. Then you notice that your conversion rate and revenue is in free fall and you can’t understand why?
HERE IS OUR ADVICE
1. Start Building a ‘Customer-First’ Culture
Your product is important, but it is your customers who buy the products. You can only build loyalty by guiding them to make the right decisions. Begin by inviting your team to think empathetically and put themselves in the context of the user.
2. You Have Your Own Unique Customers
Think of your online store as a physical store, every physical store has a unique experience to suit their service and customers. A busy bicycle shop would not suit the customer requirements for a sports wear shop, but their customers are similar.
3. Follow Customer Insight Not Industry Trends
Mainstream eCommerce trends and software updates are everywhere. But this alone is not the right reason to change your site, aim to innovate according to customers wants and needs to solve these educated problems.
4. Document Your Customer Groups
Understanding your users, their motivations and their requirements are the foundations of user-centric eCommerce. That’s where personas help. They help to keep in check the concerns of your customer groups at the forefront of every decision.
5. Gather Powerful User Testing Insight
For any eCommerce business to become ‘Customer-First’, they have to invest in usability testing. A professional usability expert will provide invaluable insight for experimentation and is influential in delivering a seamless online experience.
A customer led focus will give you the edge over your competitors who are following industry trends. Once this culture is in place, results follow. You’ll have the insight to add much better features and make powerful improvements to your eCommerce experience.
Written by Ben Brand
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