Let’s face it: Amazon has completely transformed the way we shop for products, and our expectations from a customer service standpoint. The brand has become somewhat of the golden standard for customer loyalty. Amazon has built such a faithful following that 71% of shoppers purchase at least one product per month on the site. (PowerReviews)
In order to remain competitive in today’s market, you cannot rely on the traditional way of doing things. It is not enough to plop your inventory up on a website and just ship products out to customers whenever they decide to order. Your brand must exhibit personalization, relevancy, transparency and timeliness. That’s how to keep customers coming back.
The next few pages of this guide will highlight strategies that you can implement today to create a loyal band of customers.
While Amazon has a unique advantage as a “one-stop shop,” that’s not the only reason why consumers keep going back. These four aspects also play a role:
FOUR REASONS WHY CONSUMERS KEEP COMING BACK TO AMAZON:
Personalization. The products featured in the “Recommended for you” and “Frequently bought together” sections of the site are curated extremely well. In fact, Amazon makes a whopping 35% of its revenue off personalized recommendations.
Relevancy. Whether we’re in the dog days of summer or getting ready for Thanksgiving, the content the brand serves to us is highly relevant. We never have to search too hard for products we need at a specific moment in time.
Transparency. Product reviews have become an essential part of the online shopping process. Amazon understands that, and publishes every review – the good, the bad and everything in between. Nothing builds trust like putting it all out there.
Timeliness. Amazon has completely transformed how consumers think about shipping. These days, online shoppers expect fast and low-cost shipping. Imagine landing at a checkout page only to discover you have to pay $12 for standard shipping and that your items will take five to 10 business days to arrive. People want to support small businesses, but in many cases, these shipping woes will turn customers away and drive them back to Amazon.
