5 important tips to help ecommerce businesses survive the global crisis

For better or worse, the current global crisis has changed the way people shop. People who may have never shopped online before now have no choice but to start doing so. And with major ecommerce retailers facing shortages and delays, shoppers are searching for alternative options.

This upsurge in traffic presents an opportunity that could make a huge difference in the success of your ecommerce business. Successfully capture and convert this new traffic and your business can make it through this crisis stronger than ever.

However, if you don’t take steps to ensure new visitors have a seamless experience on your site, you jeopardize this opportunity to convert them into customers.

To help your ecommerce business get through this challenging time, here are a few simple tips.

Tip 1: Equip your support and sales teams

The coronavirus pandemic has undoubtedly had some effect on your business, potentially changing your day-to-day operations and policies. Are you experiencing shipping delays? Have you changed your return policy? Have you taken extra safety precautions? Are you offering rainchecks? Make sure your team members with customer-facing roles are properly equipped to handle an influx of new questions. Communicate any policy changes with your entire team, so that everyone is on the same page.

Tip 2: Communicate transparently with customers

Be straightforward with customers, especially with things like shipping delays. Let them know upfront if your business is facing uncertainties so that they can set realistic expectations. Review all your communications from the checkout page to confirmation emails and make sure you’re communicating the most updated, transparent information.

Tip 3: Update your FAQs

Some customers prefer to be self-sufficient and find answers to their questions on their own rather than contacting your support staff. Make sure any updates to your policies or operations are clearly communicated in written form on your site for these visitors, namely in the FAQs section and the terms and conditions.

Tip 4: Build trust with your visitors

Shoppers are often hesitant to make a purchase on a site that they aren’t familiar with. They don’t know whether they will actually get the item they ordered or if their personal information will be stolen.

A great way to address these visitor concerns is to incorporate trustmarks throughout your site. TrustedSite certification includes a number of trustmarks that are designed to be used at specific locations throughout ecommerce sites where visitors have concerns.

For example, the Secure Checkout trustmark can be placed directly next to a credit card form field so that visitors will know their data is protected. Lensabl added this trustmark to their checkout along with other TrustedSite trustmarks and saw a 2.46 % lift in their conversion rate.

Another way to build trust with your visitors is to show empathy during these challenging times. Let visitors know your team is here to support them in a collapsible banner at the top of your site or in a pop-up window.

Tip 5: Listen to customer feedback

Meet regularly with your customer-facing team members to check in on the comments they’re hearing from customers and discuss ways to provide accommodations in these special circumstances.

Another way to track customer feedback is with Issue-Free Orders, a feature included with TrustedSite Pro. From your account dashboard, you can easily see all the feedback you collect from customers after they’ve made a purchase, and respond to those who have reported issues. You can also showcase positive words from customers on your site with a trustmark that displays these testimonials.

Though your business may be facing many uncertainties right now, focus on things you do have control over, like your customer experience. Providing the best service and shopping experience possible will greatly increase your chance of success during this challenging time.

Want to support other ecommerce businesses during this hard time? Check out 13 TrustedSite certified sites we love.