Post by
Today, we want everything fast. We have so much technology at our fingertips, and these devices can do so many things for us just by picking up our face or fingerprint. On average, people will only wait two or three seconds for a website to load before they give up. If something is not readily available to us, we do not search for it. Instead, we find an alternative.
This is something that should always be in your mind in the business world, especially now as online shopping has significantly increased due to the temporary closure of many businesses. If you are not providing consumers with exactly what they want in a timely manner, they will take their business elsewhere. A modern principle for a winning brand that I believe is truly important is creating a frictionless experience. What does this mean?
Friction occurs whenever a customer experiences a roadblock on their way to a purchase. An example of this would be a website that is slow or not loading correctly. When consumers experience this friction, they become annoyed and are less likely to purchase from your company or return to your company in the future. Certainly, this is something you want to avoid.
To prevent this from occurring, there are some things you should be doing:
Keep Your Website Updated
There is nothing that annoys me more than when I fall in love with an item for sale on the website but then I see it is sold out. This frustrates me to no end. Be sure that you are keeping your website updated. When something becomes sold out or no longer available, remove it from the site to avoid irritating your customers.
Make Sure All Forms Work Correctly
Another thing that drives me crazy: when I fill out a form to get a discount but never actually receive the discount. Make sure that all forms on your website are working correctly and doing what they are designed to do. When you promise your customers something and then fail to deliver because of a faulty form, this could deter them from purchasing from your site. Be sure to check your forms often to make sure they are working properly. If you’re not actively checking, an issue could arise that you are unaware of and you could unknowingly lose customers because of it.
Make Links Readily Available
As mentioned, if we do not find what we’re looking for right away, we give up. If you advertise a certain product to your customers on social media but then they have to search for the item on your website, this could frustrate them and cause them to just give up. When posting different products, be sure to provide the direct link to the product in the post or in the bio of your Instagram account.
If you have been approved for Instagram shopping, your followers can purchase the items you post about directly from the posts. Just by tapping the item in the image, they can be redirected to the link on the website where they can make their purchase. If you have the ability to do this, you definitely should! This makes it as easy as possible for the user to make a purchase, thus facilitating sales and satisfying your customers!
Speed It Up by Saving Information
One of the greatest hassles to me is having to get up to get my credit card when I want to make an online purchase. There have even been times where I won’t go through with the purchase simply because I don’t feel like getting up. As lazy as that sounds, this is often the case for many people! You can help your customers out with this by allowing them to create an account on your website where their payment information can be saved. This way, the information is already there when a customer goes to checkout. It can’t get any easier than that!
It’s All About The Aesthetic
Part of creating a frictionless experience is to have a quality aesthetic on your page. One of my favorite accounts that does this is the Instagram page for Kylie Skin by Kylie Jenner (@kylieskin). Every image on this page makes use of a beautifully satisfying muted pink color that is both clean and girlish, with no friction of conflicting colors. Being a line of skincare products, this is the perfect vibe for the brand. This refreshing color easily convinces the consumer that the products will make them feel just as invigorated as the color does. It has been proven that color actually influences both a consumer’s purchase and brand recognition by 85% and 80% respectively. A social media page that is as aesthetically pleasing as this one can actually encourage sales, using satisfying colors to persuade customers to make a purchase and thus creating a customer experience that is seamless and frictionless.
During this time of the pandemic, people are shopping online more than ever. Turning customers away from your business is obviously never the goal, so it is important that everything is working properly and to your advantage. You can take these steps to avoid consumer frustration while making it easier than ever for them to make a purchase. Take a moment to ask yourself: is my company providing a frictionless experience? If the answer is no, don’t wait any longer! Start increasing your sales and brand loyalty today by eliminating all friction in the customer journey!
