[Pain point #3] Shopping journey pain points
The shopping journey itself comes with its own set of pain points. It would be negligent not to understand them. They begin at the time when your potential customer realizes they have a problem and end when they are satisfied with the product(s) they receive to solve the problem.
1. Online research pain points
Modern consumers expect to find answers to their questions on authority websites and blogs. From there, it needs to be easy to find the products they’re looking for from anywhere. Implement a search engine optimization strategy customized for your audience, keeping convenience and productivity pain points in mind.
Across all channels, your content should be branded. Someone could see your content 25 times before they ever click through a link, so make sure you’re visible. You can create a branding package for free, in just a few seconds with Hatchful.
Additionally, your products should be available on major marketplaces so they are easy to find. One common step that I see a lot of online stores skip is Google Shopping product submission — don’t make their mistake.
2. Website navigation pain points
Like all other crossroads on the online shopping journey, website navigation needs to be simple and straightforward. Make sure your site includes a search bar and that it’s easy to navigate to any of your products without thinking too much. A WordPress page builder can help you take control over your site design, no matter what theme you use. Learn the eCommerce site navigation basics to make sure your user experience is up to par.
3. Product cost and availability pain points
Shoppers need to know when product inventory is low so that they can avoid having to wait too long to receive their item. And, they need to see how much their order will cost (including shipping and handling) if you expect them to make a purchase. Multi-channel inventory management software will alleviate a lot of the hassle of trying to manage your inventory across multiple sales channels.
4. Checkout pain points
Your shopping cart and checkout process should be informative and simple. A complicated checkout process will deter leads away at the last second — when it’s most important. So, learn how to optimize your shopping cart flow for conversions to see more shoppers make their way through the transaction process.
5. Multi-channel shopping pain points
Most customers shop using more than one channel (online marketplaces, branded websites, in-store, etc.) and use more than one device to shop online. Make sure your sales channels are interconnected and use a point of sale card reader that connects to your online store when processing offline transactions.
6. Tracking and delivery pain points
Your customers want to be informed of the status of their orders as soon as they pay for them. They want to know when a product ships and when they can expect to receive it. Rather than simply send out a tracking number, use smart shipping software to make your job easy and keep your shoppers happy.