The New Ecommerce UX
Changes in User's Expectations
Key Takeaways
Brands aren’t just competing with direct competitors for “share of wallet.” When it comes to CX, you’re competing with powerhouse platforms like Amazon, Alibaba, and Walmart as well.
In this article by the Nielson Norman Group, UX Specialists, Kim Salazar & Anna Kaley, stress the importance of User and Customer Experience to successfully building a Digital Commerce brand.
“Today’s online shoppers expect options for fast shipping and quick purchasing, seamless transitions between stores and the web, accurate and timely information, and rich experiences that continue in the physical world”
And it’s true… for years, consumer expectations have consistently risen. We expect every interaction (both digital and physical) to be quick, seamless, and immediately successful.
Much of this increased consumer expectation comes from the quality of service provided by powerhouse platforms like Amazon, Alibaba, and Walmart.
This puts pressure on all sites to deliver the same quality experience, and increasing your “share of wallet” comes down to delivering fast, simple, reliable, and convenient shopping experiences no matter your customer, no matter your industry.
It’s why we’re seeing a rise in Digital Commerce across B2B companies as well. (i.e. AmerisourceBergen digitizing front-of-store purchasing)
The study analyzes changes in consumer expectations across 5 major themes
Convenience
Convenience creates value for shoppers and at the heart of creating a convenient shopping experience is removing as much friction as possible.
There are numerous ways that eCommerce brands are increasing convenience. A few of these include:
better native mobile capabilities / more optimized mobile, web experiences
personalization and better recommendations based on purchasing behavior
subscription models for repeat purchases or recurring orders
Convenience is king in Digital Commerce.
Speed
As consumers, we’ve been conditioned to desire instant gratification & immediacy.
It’s meta … but true.
Quick and seamless experiences are valuable for shoppers who have busy lives and delivering that can build brand trust and loyalty.
The study cites a few examples from Barnes & Noble’s online shopping experience
Instant Purchase for logged-in users
BOPIS to pick up books at nearby stores
Expanded payment options (i.e. Paypal)
Speed kills and getting customers from A to B as quickly as possible means more conversions.
Precision & Accuracy
Customer Education is an important step in the buyer’s journey. By providing specificity and transparency related to product information, shipping costs, order stats, etc….
…brands can bypass user frustration & friction. Having all of the information required to make a purchase gives consumers more control and confidence in placing an order.
Options
Flexibility allows customers to interact on their terms and design a shopping experience that suits their needs
Payments have been a game changer when it comes to affording shoppers options. Whereas in the past, consumers were stuck with paying via credit card, there’s tremendous optionality in how we purchase products today: Paypal, Apple Pay, Klarna, and Bitcoin are a few prominent examples.
In addition to payments, Customer Service is another important area to consider. Shoppers have varying needs and levels of urgency when it comes to Customer Service.
While some prefer a number to call, many are opting for the convenience and immediacy of chat.
Another common theme across industries is streamlining service journeys to reduce call center volume, an area ripe for disruption via Conversational AI and Virtual Assistants.
Experience
The final component discussed by Kim & Anna in the study was experience. In this section, the key focus was on exploring digital technologies & features that augment physical shopping experiences.
There are some minute examples shared that no doubt create value for shoppers:
scannable IDs for earning rewards in-store at checkout
logging in-store purchases for faster repeat orders via digital channels
That being said, the real innovation here will come from Augmented Reality (AR), which is estimated to be worth $17.86B by 2028.
Augmented reality shopping is indeed a very cool space that we’ll dive into at some point, but for the time being, here’s an awesome TIME article discussing how brands are integrating it for shoppers today: Augmented Reality is the Future of Online Shopping.
References