These days, most brands’ ecommerce customer experiences are pretty good. Plenty of brands offer personalized product recommendations, create engaging product experiences on their websites, write fun blog posts talking about great customer experiences, and of course, deliver that boost of dopamine we all get from getting an online shopping purchase dropped at our doorstep.

But what if brands took their customer experience one step further? Turnin’ up the ecommerce crank a bit never hurt anybody—a better experience is better for your customers, better for your bottom line, and better for ecommerce as a whole. (Can we stop saying “better,” yet) 

Keep in mind, your ecommerce customer experience doesn’t begin and end on your website. You need to consider the entire customer journey, meaning everything before, during, and after your customers cruise through the checkout. Personalized emails, elaborative blog posts, enticing ads, inspirational product descriptions, and the deliveries customers anticipate are all cogs in the greater CX machine. 

And there’s never a better time to tune up the ol’ machine than right now.

Ignore that we said “better” again, and read on about why experience is so important and how to turn yours up from good to great.

The Value of Breathing New Life into Your Ecommerce Experience

If there was any lingering skepticism around the benefits of a thoughtful, memorable, and genuine customer experience, it’s time to stamp it out entirely. Customer behavior has shifted dramatically over the past year, and there’s no doubt about the value of customer experience any longer. After all, these numbers don’t lie: 

• 86% of customers are willing to pay more for your products if the experience is better.
• 44% of shoppers establish loyalty with a brand after they feel they’ve received a more personalized experience.
• 1 in 3 customers will dump a brand they love after just one negative experience.

So the question is no longer, “Should I invest in my store’s customer experience?” but is now “How can I make a great customer experience?” Funny enough, the answer has been in plain sight this whole, but has been sorely overlooked for years: the post-purchase experience.

The post-purchase experience isn’t referring to a blip in time after a customer checks out. The PPX is truly every moment between the time of conversion and the next purchase—which means there are hundreds of touchpoints to take advantage of. However, unlike an automated thank you email or a retargeting ad, this is the most critical time because it’s when brands simply have handed the reins to a third-party carrier.  

In the last mile of the consumer journey, plenty of things can happen—items get stolen, damaged, delayed, and lost, or there’s little to no communication, leaving customers thinking “Where is my order?!” Post-purchase anxiety is REAL, and the more your customers suffer from it while waiting for their stuff, the worse their experience will be. 

Settling for a “good” experience and overlooking the post-purchase journey could be costly in more ways than one, too. Brands could be wasting resources on answering repetitive and tedious ETA inquiries, or resolving issues that could be put to rest with a more transparent and supportive experience. When customers know where their products are, can see the status of issue resolutions, and have overall greater transparency into the post-purchase experience, brands can save on customer service costs by freeing up time for agents dealing with other pressing issues. 

A positive (better, great, GRAND!) final-touch engagement can also lead to better product reviews and raving word-of-mouth recommendations from fans. According to a study conducted by Northwestern University, purchase likelihood for a product with a four-star or higher rating increases upwards of 380%. If a customer’s last experience with your brand was a poor one, the likelihood of them leaving a positive review is pretty low. 

What’s more is that a better PPX can lead to the highly coveted repeat customer. Seamlessly roll the last great experience into the next by offering a fantastic final touch that will bring them back to your ecommerce shop again.

Revitalize Your Customer Experience with Post-Purchase Solutions

A good customer experience has at least one engaging tactic in every phase of the customer journey. A common experience could look like this:

✅ Acquisition: Shoppable ads on Instagram

✅ Consideration: Descriptive copy and flattering imagery on product pages

✅ Conversion: A Buy Now, Pay Later option at checkout

These are all tactics that indeed reduce friction during decision making and beyond, but with more stores adopting those same tactics, differentiation is only going to become more challenging. 

Given the endless options on ecommerce channels, brands are competing on experience. As a result of the rising popularity of ecommerce channels after pandemic-related shutdowns, 36% of U.S. consumers are trying new brands and 73% of them intend to continue. It’s way easier to shop on a new site rather than getting in your car and driving to a new store you’ve never experienced. 

Now, what about crafting a great experience?

✅ Engage between checkout and delivery.

✅ Communicate proactively to alleviate anxiety.

✅ Offer easy, fast solutions should issues arise.

Digital shopping experiences are the root of customer retention in the age of ecommerce. DOn’t let your brand’s reputation rest on strategies that are outdated or overused. While post-purchase tactics such as thank you emails, nurture sequences, and appreciation campaigns are the foundation of a good experience, they aren’t memorable, lack uniqueness, and continue to neglect the engagement and transparency that customers want after purchase.

Route is the post-purchase platform that provides solutions for brands searching for a way to evolve the customer experience for tighter alignment with modern consumer behaviors and expectations. Our technology creates a one-stop shop for all of a consumer’s recent online transactions. Shoppers can track all of their recent online orders, resolve issues with their purchase, and protect their orders for peace of mind from checkout to delivery.

Brands that have already tapped into the post-purchase opportunities to connect with customers using Route have seen a 126% increase in engagement and an 18% decrease in customer support costs. With added transparency and proactive communication, brands using Route post-purchase platform to stand out, scale big, and provide truly great experiences that drive loyalty and repeat purchases. 

So, are you ready to ratchet up your store’s customer experience?