A contemporary approach to e-commerce CX

E-commerce has been growing exponentially in the past decade. As a result, the competition in the online retail industry has become fiercer than ever, especially when it comes to consumer rate optimization. Consumers now have access to numerous e-commerce platforms and can easily compare prices and switch to another platform if they don’t find the experience engaging or enjoyable. For businesses to stand out in this crowded market, they need to provide a superior user experience (UX) to their customers.

However, delivering an exceptional UX can be challenging, because customer journeys are hard to crack. Users’ buying habits are evolving, with their behavior being more complex to understand than it ever was. E-commerce businesses need to understand the pain points of their users and offer solutions to make their journey as seamless as possible. One of the primary pain points in e-commerce is a complex navigation process, where users find it difficult to find what they’re looking for. The onboarding process can also be a roadblock, requiring users to make extra efforts in creating an account and completing the checkout process. Additionally, when desired products are not showcased, users may get frustrated and leave the platform.To combat these challenges, businesses need to focus on improving their e-commerce conversions with mindful UI UX design. The key lies in understanding the emotions users go through while interacting with the platform. A successful e-commerce experience is one that makes users feel engaged, interested, and most importantly, makes them want to return.

Let’s explore some of the e-commerce design techniques that Onething has implemented for big players in the e-commerce segment. These techniques include setting the right service expectation, optimizing content discovery, gamification and much more. By exploring these techniques, businesses can gain insights into how to improve their e-commerce UX, retain customers, and host experiences that excite them.

Optimising The On-Boarding Flow

When customers know what to expect when buying something online, they are more likely to make the purchase. Setting the right level of service expectations communicates the kind of service a customer can expect from the website, including delivery times, customer service availability, and returns process. Having this information readily available helps to remove any uncertainty customers may have and provide them with an enjoyable shopping experience. The onboarding flow is a great opportunity to communicate the service differentiation and set the right expectation from the beginning. Onething leveraged this technique while working on Supr Daily, a subscription-based grocery delivery platform. The onboarding process was designed in a way that gives a holistic picture of what the platform is about. With the Coca Cola app, Onething did the same by leveraging the onboarding flow to communicate the service differentiation and set the right expectation from the beginning.

Content discoverability

Content discoverability refers to the ability of customers to easily access and discover the content they require. This includes product descriptions, customer reviews, and product images. Having content that is easily discoverable helps to encourage customers to explore products and make decisions quickly. A well-structured search and navigation feature is essential for customers to quickly find what they are looking for. Additionally, a customer’s experience can be further enhanced by providing them with relevant product recommendations based on their previous searches.

Content discovery for Supr Daily by prioritizing dairy products, the USP of the platform, and displaying them ahead of all others. A distinct product categorization was created for all other groceries in order to facilitate easy browsing.

Gamification

Gamification is the application of game-design elements and principles in non-gaming contexts.Through gamification, an e-commerce platform can create an atmosphere of play and reward, thus boosting user engagement. Gamification can be used to provide rewards for customers who complete certain tasks or purchase certain items, making them feel recognized and appreciated. Additionally, gamification can encourage competition among users, providing a sense of challenge and camaraderie. Onething used gamification for HealthKart, a leading retail giant in healthcare, to guide users to start their fitness journey. The gamification plan starts with a 24-hour challenge, which is a hassle-free and non-committing task that can provide the user with a plethora of actionable data. Having sections like “quick quizzes” and “24-hour challenge” assists the user in making their purchase, hence leading to reduced dropouts.

Hosting personalised feeds

Users are more likely to buy from your platform and become repeat customers if you offer them a personalised feed. Personalized feeds also allow businesses to understand customer preferences and tailor their marketing strategies accordingly. This, in turn, helps them to generate more leads and increase their customer base. In addition, personalized feeds help businesses create trust with customers by showing that they are paying attention to their individual needs. HealthKart is a brilliant example of how e-commerce brands can offer personalised feeds for every user. Personalisation reduced drop-offs from the homepage itself and increased engagement rate on HealthKart app.

Attractive product presentation

Just like traditional shopping, an aesthetically pleasing display can make all the difference in catching an online shopper’s eye and making them want to ‘add to cart’ products. Additionally, an eye-catching display can help to differentiate the product from its competitors, encouraging customers to make the purchase. Hence, a well-crafted product page is vital for e-commerce conversions as most of the decision-making happens here. It’s important to provide the right information to the user in the most appealing manner. In the redesign of Coca Cola app, bold colours were used to pull attention towards the individual products and draw focus away from the limited SKUs present in the app. Individual product pages were also designed in an interactive and fun way to keep the user engaged and interested, leading to higher conversion.

In the world of e-commerce, understanding things from a customer experience (CX) point of view is essential for businesses to grow and remain competitive. This involves understanding customer behaviour, implementing customer feedback, and tracking customer actions and preferences. This way, businesses can develop tailored experiences that meet the needs of their customers and better meet their expectations.

Are you too struggling to offer the best-in-class experience to your e-commerce users? Let’s help you!