Here are the final seven challenges that need to be addressed by e-commerce solutions. This is in continuation to some of the primary challenges that e-commerce businesses face and their solutions.
1. Choosing the Best Technology for Your Requirements
It might be confusing for entrepreneurs while selecting a technological platform for an online store. Scalability, developer accessibility and reliability are a few aspects that may appear to be huge problems. However, having the appropriate technology stack might eventually provide you the advantage you need in the market.
Solution
There are several frameworks like Bootstrap, Bulma, Ulkit and Susy to name a few that can help in developing dynamic and responsive websites. A serverless computing service provides developers the ability to write and deploy code, as well as create and execute apps and services without having to consider servers.
2. Abandonment of a Shopping Cart
Users sometimes abandon the cart as they are unwilling to share extra details about themselves with the website, fearing that it could compromise their privacy. At times they simply do not have the time to go through multiple pages and clicks to place their order. People want to make sure everything will be simple and secure since they are protective of their money.
Solution
You can ask your e-commerce solutions provider to redesign your shopping cart by removing bugs and unnecessary long forms. You can also add a live chat feature on your website as this can boost conversion rate and increase sales. Live chats can help customers with immediate solutions. As mobile users are more likely to return to mobile-friendly sites, shopping cart optimization for checkout pages is a must to improve sales and conversion rates.
Keeping your questions relevant, minimizing the steps needed to complete the checkout process, keeping the content of the checkout page clear and simple, using a readable layout for your customers to see and creating an user-friendly payment process with many payment options makes the entire checkout process for the cart quick and easy.
3. An Increased Need for Data Security
E-commerce security refers to a set of internationally recognized standards that guarantee secure online shopping. They often face the below challenges:
- Ensuring the data or information is not altered or tampered by any unauthorized individual and refraining from using them without the users’ consent.
- Ensuring that no sale or purchase is refused.
- Ensuring that only authorized users are permitted to connect to the system.
- Making sure that sensitive information is encrypted and difficult to decipher.
- Having the capability to determine the parameters of collection and use of personal data.
- Ensuring the software system is always available and functioning, the hardware components are in good working condition
- Ensuring secure transactions between the buyer and the seller
- Maintaining the integrity of the internal systems and corporate network
Solution
Here are some suggestions to ensure your e-commerce website is secure:
- Control your servers.
- Do not send files using standard FTP or file transfer protocol (a communication protocol used to transfer files from a server to a client on a computer network).
- Hire engineers or cybersecurity services.
- Use efficient verification procedures.
- Taking regular backups of the database.
A solid infrastructure and foundation are necessary to support a safe and prosperous e-commerce firm.
4. Sustaining Client Loyalty
Your firm is bound to struggle without the trust and loyalty of your customers. Here are some common challenges in sustaining customer loyalty.
- Poor customer service.
- Not connecting with your client timely or not anticipating customer needs.
- Unable to handle common issues as relevant information is not readily available.
- Not offering exclusive discounts and promotions to existing clients.
- Missing out on conveying the importance of getting the most from your product or service.
Solution
When a business continuously meets and exceeds a customer’s experience it gains their loyalty and this gradually promotes trust. By making customers feel valued and appreciated you make them develop an emotional connection with your company. The customer journey map provides crucial customer data that explains where and how you can make improvements. This understanding along with embracing the omnichannel approach can help customers interact with you as they want.
5. Requirement of Online Identity Verification
Companies are more vulnerable to fraud as data breaches and fraud strategies have increased. You must determine whether a visitor who signs up on an e-commerce website is a real person with genuine purchasing intentions. By doing this, you can prevent fake accounts or automated programs from stealing your money (particularly when making cash-on-delivery transactions).
Solution
You need to take the right steps to verify the shopper’s information. Every time a user signs up, a verification link needs to be sent. An automated call may even be placed to the consumer with COD transactions to confirm the delivery address. Use automation to detect the fake phone and email addresses as well as to verify that zip codes correspond to the state or city.
6. Offering an Omnichannel Experience
Providing an omnichannel experience is turning into a must for any modern company. Customers anticipate being able to contact your brand via a variety of touchpoints including your website, phone, email, social media, physical location and more. Customers can start their interaction with your business in one channel and carry it out in another channel smoothly when you take an omnichannel approach.
Despite understanding the importance of omnichannel experience, there are many challenges that businesses face. Some of them are:
- Merchants struggle to incorporate data from many channels to build a smooth client journey.
- E-commerce firms struggle to keep users on their websites, especially when their competitors sell the same goods for less money.
- Using different information systems and outdated data can lead to improper usage of customer data.
- Store performance is measured using standalone and traditional metrics which may look like it is being non-profitable.
- Marketing campaigns can be ineffective if firms do not use the existing data to create a better customer experience.
- Many e-commerce stores fail to ensure a satisfying and consistent journey for the customer.
Solution
By identifying the touchpoints that your customer uses while interacting with your brand, you can understand your customer’s profile. You can then personalize your content to each buyer and distribution channel. A customer leaves behind a trail of information when they interact with a brand. This includes phone numbers, email addresses and addresses. Fixing outdated, repetitive and incomplete data can help your marketing activities be successful.
7. Problems With Product Returns and Refunds
Returning things is one of the issues people have while shopping online. A majority of online customers check the return policy before making a purchase and like retailers who offer hassle-free returns.
Solution
Good return and refund procedures are a need. However, you can carefully craft your policies and convey them to the public. Think about the following advice:
- Be transparent and never hide your policies.
- Policies should be simple to understand.
- Give customers a variety of shipping and payment alternatives.
- The staff must be aware of the return policies to properly assist customers.
