Why Retailers Should add a Human Touch to their Website – and Bring the Offline Experience Online

People’s shopping behavior is changing, and traditional online shopping no longer meets the new demands. Adding personalization online is a new way for businesses to upscale the customer experience, and create an in-store experience online.

“What typically happens when you enter a store? You are greeted with a ‘Hello!’, right? But not online, where most companies don’t offer any engagement. That’s not ideal if you want to keep the visitor, is it?”. Giosg’s Country Director Finland, Kalle Mäkelä, describes one of the most common problems within modern e-commerce.

The e-commerce industry continues to increase in competition. Businesses must develop new strategies to attract new customers. Yet, many retailers face challenges with converting visitors and building meaningful interactions.

Personalization provides opportunities for growing with your target audience, increasing loyalty, and reducing returns. So how can businesses add it to their websites? – “First, let them know that you offer service, start with a ‘hello’. Secondly, make sure to have dedicated, trained resources to start a conversation in the same way that you would do in-store. Lastly, execute and track the results. Meaning the actual numbers, but don’t forget about the customer experience and satisfaction too.”

For businesses to get started with a better online experience, Kalle highlights the importance of knowing your goals and KPIs. – “Think about what you want to achieve. Is it to get more customers? Then why not put more effort into your online store?”

Another rising trend online is video and Live Shopping. Adding a Shoppable Video on your website with suitable product images that people actually can click on and get to the right product pages, is a great way of guidance and increasing conversions. You can also invest in live shopping and one-to-one video calls. The former is a streaming event with your target audience, and the latter is a video call between two people – for a more personal shopping experience.

Giosg’s platform maximizes online sales by improving the online experience. We help retailers worldwide provide proactive engagement and personalized interactions that customers love.