Essential Messaging for E-Commerce Success

7 Most Important Pieces of Information Every Online Store Should Share

Millions of e-commerce websites — many of which are small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) — are competing against each other. While maintaining a hold in this market seems impossible, the secret to success is straightforward. Decision-makers should simply tell their customers what they want to know.

Capitalizing on the Success of the E-Commerce Market

The global e-commerce market is booming. Analysts expect it will achieve an estimated 9.49% compound annual growth rate from 2024 to 2029, generating trillions of dollars annually. SMBs may not get the largest slice of the cake, but there is still reason to celebrate. If they appeal to consumers, they may significantly increase their revenue.

Even small enterprises can take advantage of this growth with the right strategy. The key is their messaging. What they share with customers affects their bottom line.

Since analysts expect the e-commerce market to experience immense growth, the number of online stores will soon balloon. Transparency will be key for firms trying to maintain their hold within their niche. The more information they share on their pricing techniques and policies, the more browsers will trust them, granting them a competitive edge.

Key Pieces of Information You Should Share at Checkout

Sharing these four key pieces of information during checkout can help you convert, increasing your revenue.

Checkout Security 

How do you secure the checkout process? Many consumers will only trust your website if they know what security technique or tool you use, so make it clear on the page where they enter their card details. The payment card industry data security standard has been the global standard for securing cardholder data since its release in 2004, so it is ideal.

Shipping and Delivery

Besides price, the delivery estimate is one of the most important considerations for online shoppers. They want to know precisely when their order will arrive. Real-time updates and global positioning system tracking are great features to have.

A delivery estimate guarantee can inspire confidence. It is not even a risky business move if you have reliable carriers. A minimum 95% on-time performance is already required by many big-box retailers, and this expectation will likely become the standard within five years.

Stock and Backorders

Imagine getting to the final confirmation page during checkout just to realize the item you are trying to purchase is out of stock. Not only would that frustrate you, but it would discourage you from buying from that brand again. 

A stock counter provides key information. It may even cause a fear of missing out, driving sales. 

Display the backorder date for out-of-stock items. At the very least, share that you are working on getting that product listing back on hand. If people know you will replenish your stock soon, they will likely return and convert.

Other Pieces of Information to Share With Your Customers

While building trust through transparency during checkout can drive conversions, several other opportunities exist to display essential messaging throughout your online store.

Customer Reviews

Shoppers value existing customers ‘ opinions since there is no way to try on, feel or even see an e-commerce product in person before buying it. Ninety-seven percent read online reviews before doing business with a new company, so do not give them a reason to leave before converting. Display reviews, case studies and testimonials on your site.

The Return Policy 

Returns are common in the e-commerce sector. Sometimes, items appear different online than they do in person. Other times, the individual does not need the item anymore thanks to late delivery. Whatever the reason, they are almost inevitable.

Outline your return policy. How long is the return window? Are there any exceptions? Be transparent. In addition to building trust in your brand, you save yourself trouble later on by pointing to your clearly outlined policy when angry customers demand special treatment.

Pricing and Promotions

While sharing pricing history seems counterproductive, it promotes customer retention by building trust. While it may delay conversions — people may want to wait for a better deal — a price drop can encourage a surge in conversions. It may also inspire a fear of missing out. 

Another way to share essential pricing information is to display shipping and payment processing fees. Fifty-five percent of online shoppers abandon their carts at checkout due to unexpected costs, so be honest about them upfront to avoid losing sales.

Contact Information

How do people get ahold of you if they have a question, concern or complaint? Clearly display your contact information throughout your website. Ideally, you should offer multiple channels of communication. Website visitors shouldn’t have to hunt through your site to find your customer service department’s email address.

Achieving E-Commerce Success With Key Messages

The e-commerce market is growing daily, and SMBs do not have to settle for the smallest slice of the cake. They build trust by appealing to individuals’ wants through messaging transparency. Once they increase their customer retention, they may even be able to compete with successful big-box retailers.

How to Utilize Customer Reviews to Improve Your Site Design

You have just a few short seconds to capture the interest of site visitors. Every element on your page must work together to engage and entice them to hang around. The look of your design as well as the content on your page has a significant impact.

Internet Live Stats estimates there are 1.85 billion websites. The number changes constantly and not all are active at the same time, but no matter how you look at the numbers, you have a lot of things competing for consumer attention.

One thing that is customized to your business is reviews from happy customers. You can implement feedback into your site design to grab attention and drive users to the next step in the buyer’s journey. Let’s look at some of the ways to best utilize reviews and a couple of examples of brands doing it right.

1. Add Testimonials

When you receive a really great review, you may want to get in touch with your customer and ask to add it to your website under testimonials. People who land on your page have no reason to trust you. They are much more likely to listen to what their peers think.

You could also contact those leaving great reviews and ask if they’ll write a testimonial for you. You could use a video testimonial or a written one.

Stio utilizes people who already love their products as brand ambassadors. They’ll share quotes from each person about why they love the products, images of them using various equipment and the ambassadors tell others about the company.

2. Answer Questions

You can also use reviews to answer common questions customers have. Analyze calls and live chat topics. What are the top questions your audience has before making a purchase? Can you answer any of those questions by highlighting certain reviews.

One example might be a clothing site where people often ask if things run true to size. You can answer this question through reviews where the customer states how the item fits.

3. Share Your Rating

If you have a number of reviews under your belt, you can show a pattern of great customer service and consistency with your overall rating. If you have 4.5 out of 5 stars, share that information with people who land on your page.

Use visuals, such as colored-in stars to highlight your achievement. You could also add a link so people can read some of the reviews.

Dataforma shares that they have an average 4.5 out of 5 stars via more than 100 reviews on two different websites. This shows a clear pattern of excellence. New leads can see they deliver on what they promise and have many happy clients. Just under the average rating, they share some awards they’ve won.

4. Engage with Customers

Feedback is your opportunity to engage with customers. If someone leaves you a great review on Facebook, thank them and let them know you appreciate their patronage. When you get a negative review, take the time to reach out and try to fix the problem. This also shows others that you take the customer experience seriously and want to make things right.

Think of reviews as a chance to have a conversation with your customer base. Some interactions might start negative, but the goal is to create a positive outcome.

5. Ask for Reviews

Don’t be afraid to ask your customers for reviews. Email them after a purchase and ask if they’ll leave an honest review. You can even offer a discount on their next order when they leave one.

Add a button on your site making it easy for clients to add their thoughts. Don’t create too many steps. Let them share their rating, a few words and their name. You do want to make sure they are actually customers as some unscrupulous competitors may leave negative reviews just to make you look bad.

If you want to learn how to seek reviews, take a course on Udemy and you’ll learn a lot. Throughout the course, the instructor asks for reviews. When you log into the platform, you’ll see an invitation to leave a rating on each course. Many instructors also send out a message halfway through and at the end of a class asking if you’ll review them.

6. Highlight in the Header

Use a hero shot of a product and then highlight a review in the header. You can swap out the feedback to match items you’d like to promote. If you get a new item in, wait for a few of the first reviews or ask your ambassadors to rate ahead of time.

7. Place on Product Pages

Another way to use reviews is by placing them directly on product pages. This gives potential customers an idea of what others think of the item. If they need more details, they can click to expand the ratings and read the actual reviews.

The Horse places a star rating on each product page along with the number of reviews. Click on the stars or scroll to the bottom of the page to expand the selection and read what others think of the item.

Use as a Trust Factor

The best reviews help build name recognition and trust in your brand. Take the time to read through feedback from your customers. Highlight the words that make you want to buy the item. Think through the questions users likely have and answer them by sharing detailed reviews. You can encourage buyers to take the next step by providing as much information as possible.

Eleanor Hecks is editor-in-chief at Designerly Magazine. Eleanor was the creative director and occasional blog writer at a prominent digital marketing agency before becoming her own boss in 2018. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and dog, Bear.