Online shopping and marketing digitally are the trend these days. Though popular and in high demand, this does not make it easy for eCommerce companies to grow. This, in turn, makes eCommerce companies face big challenges, including collecting customer reviews.
Go through the eCommerce Challenges and solutions below to know more if you are from an existing eCommerce company or are thinking of being a part of one.
Customer Reviews
When it comes to eCommerce companies, collecting customer reviews is a significant eCommerce Challenge. This is because most of the customers do not wish to provide reviews for the products and services they take. Customers are more interested in receiving products and services and think providing reviews to be a time waste.
Solution Tip – As said above, collecting customer reviews is quite difficult. Therefore, eCommerce companies will have to really make efforts to lure customers into giving reviews. This can be in the form of awarding customers with reward points that they can use in their next purchase.
Free shipping and discounts are good examples of perks that online stores can offer to their customers to leave a review. If there is something extra for the shoppers, they will be more inclined to spend time writing a review.
Another idea is to import reviews from other platforms. Online shops can even implement tools like Opinew that show the best reviews automatically, which is valuable given how such an approach increases lead generation and trust.
Cyber Security & Data Security
A security breach is one of the biggest eCommerce Challenges faced by eCommerce companies. eCommerce enterprises involve a lot of data, including product details, retailer details, customer details, and other details such as credit card numbers and other personal details of customers.
A small technical issue in these data can cause a severe data breach. This, in turn, can cause severe damage to customers, retailers, daily operations of retailers and brand image of the eCommerce company, loss of all data, and so on.
Solution Tip – eCommerce businesses should install advanced security plugins onto their website to prevent hacking and data breaches. To avoid data loss, the company should keep a backup of their entire data.
Online Identity Verification
Verifying the online identity of customers is the next big eCommerce Challenges that eCommerce companies face. This is because when a prospective customer visits an eCommerce site, it is not always the case that they provide the correct information.
Also, it is not mandatory that the shopper is genuinely interested in making a purchase. If the information is not accurate, it becomes difficult for eCommerce enterprises to proceed.
Solution Tip – The solution would be to perform online identity verification of customers, and there are multiple ways to do so. Some of the methods to verify the online identity of customers are Biometrics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), single sign-on, two-factor authentication, and one-time password (OTP).
Right Customers Identification
The next challenge that eCommerce companies face today is persuading the right customers. Customers have a plethora of options to choose from if they wish to buy something. So, they do thorough research for the same and visit multiple eCommerce websites before purchasing.
In such a condition though you may have many and a variety of products, it is quite possible that customers may opt for another eCommerce store.
Solution Tip – As a solution, eCommerce companies would have to find out and target perfect customers who would purchase from their website or opt for certain services from their website. For this to happen, eCommerce enterprises should partner with companies that will help target the right kind of customers.
Then it would be easy to find that perfect customer who would want to buy your product or service at the rate you provide. Also, your products and services would be displayed to other potential customers on different social media platforms.
Good Customer Experience
Good customer experience or user experience is another challenge that eCommerce businesses face today. However, a good customer experience is a key to a successful eCommerce website. This is because customers want good service throughout their purchasing process, from ordering to delivery.
Solution Tip – eCommerce companies can provide a good customer experience in several ways. The first step in this solution is to make the website easy to use. Next, it should have a clear call to action so that the customer knows what to do.
Also, once the order is placed, it should be easy for customers to track shipping, and the delivery should be done properly, i.e., they should know when the product is being delivered. Any change should be communicated quickly and on time. Also, customers should have the option to choose the delivery time.
Reliable Suppliers
Finding a reliable supplier is not easy, particularly when you are relatively new to the industry. Brands that had the time to establish themselves are in a better position since they do not have to worry about the issue as much.
However, if you take an eCommerce newcomer, some suppliers might not be willing to collaborate with someone they do not know. And if the available supplier options are limited already, then the whole thing becomes an ordeal.
A supplier is one of the main cogs in the eCommerce mechanism. Poor product quality, delayed shipment, and other problems that arise from an unreliable supplier can snowball and jeopardize the entire operation.
Solution Tip – Do not jump at the first opportunity when researching potential suppliers. Take the time and determine which suppliers are risk-free so that potential problems are kept to the minimum. Get in touch with suppliers directly to discuss the details and get a better understanding about them.
Closing Thoughts
All in all, it is natural to expect obstacles in any work, and the eCommerce industry is no exception. If anything, the sheer magnitude of the industry leads to even more eCommerce Challenges than one might expect.
Knowing how to overcome these eCommerce Challenges is a must if an enterprise has aspirations to succeed. Hopefully, the information provided in this article will come in handy for that.
