Article

Geoff Galat
Geoff Galat 9 August 2018

Why reducing stress is key to retaining customers

A customer has visited your website and made a purchase. They’ve placed an order and it’s been delivered. All expectations have been met, right? Maybe, but also… maybe not. What has actually happened is that, as a business, you’ve met the minimum requirements. Nothing more.

In the big data age, you’ve got to do a lot more than that. So, while brands and customers have never been more connected, there has been a seismic shift in the power dynamic. Today, customers are spoilt for choice. They have the luxury of options. They are better informed, wield more influence than ever before and can choose which brands they engage with and how. And the last thing that any brand wants is for a customer to make a one-off purchase and then switch to a competitor.

Simply put, a successful purchase does not always result in a repeat purchase. It isn’t evidence of loyalty earned. The truth is that if you’re failing to match a completed online transaction with an exceptional digital experience, then the one-off purchase is everything you’re ever going to extract from that particular customer. If any part of the customer experience was stressful, difficult or painful — at any point in the journey, whether at the start or at the checkout — then your brand has failed to clear the first (and most important) hurdle to retention.

Clicktale’s latest study found that stress is rising amongst consumers that shop online. We found that 12% of respondents consider online and mobile shopping to be a stressful process, with 15% having lost their temper with an app or site. But, unsurprisingly, the most significant stressors for customers come at the checkout stage, with failing voucher codes (83%), apps freezing prior to purchase (77%) and slow loading pages (81%) being among the biggest issues.

A stressful customer journey is the quickest route to losing business. And when it comes to identifying and removing potential stressors within a digital experience, the use of psychological analytics is now fundamental.

Enhancing the customer experience

To improve the customer experience — so that we can build better relationships and reach audiences in a more authentic way — brands need to consider not only the typical digital interactions (clicks, drop-offs) but the smallest behavioral signals (yes, even those that are barely registered in a traditional analytics platform).

These interactions come in the form of micro-signals, such as extended hovering, mouse-movements, taps, app scrolls and ‘rage clicks’. By analyzing these signals, brands have the opportunity to uncover their customers’ intent — and whether there’s any confusion, frustration or stress occurring during the customer journey. It also better helps them understand the digital experience they’re providing.

By implementing this additional layer of experience analytics, it is possible for brands to develop more meaningful insights into their customers, such as their behavior, mindset, shopping moods and emotions. Taking these into account, as well as removing sources of stress and frustration from the digital experience, will put a brand in a much stronger position to earn customer loyalty and improve retention rates.

Please login or register to add a comment.

Contribute Now!

Loving our articles? Do you have an insightful post that you want to shout about? Well, you've come to the right place! We are always looking for fresh Doughnuts to be a part of our community.

Popular Articles

See all
How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

A company website is crucial for any business's digital marketing strategy. To keep up with the changing trends and customer buying behaviors, it's important to review and make necessary changes regularly...

Digital Doughnut Contributor
Digital Doughnut Contributor 25 March 2024
Read more
The Impact of New Technology on Marketing

The Impact of New Technology on Marketing

Technology has impacted every part of our lives. From household chores to business disciplines and etiquette, there's a gadget or app for it. Marketing has changed dramatically over the years, but what is the...

Alex Lysak
Alex Lysak 3 April 2024
Read more
The IoT-Connected Car of Today—Case Studies

The IoT-Connected Car of Today—Case Studies

Imagine a world where your car not only drives itself, but also says intelligent things. This would look like an impossibility about five years ago, but today the IoT is already breaking fresh ground for tech...

Ronald van Loon
Ronald van Loon 10 March 2017
Read more
10 Factors that Influence Customer Buying Behaviour Online

10 Factors that Influence Customer Buying Behaviour Online

Now is an era where customers take the center stags influencing business strategies across industries. No business can afford to overlook factors that could either break the customer experience or even pose a risk of...

Edward Roesch
Edward Roesch 4 June 2018
Read more
AI-driven Personalisation Dominates the Future of Travel and Hospitality Marketing

AI-driven Personalisation Dominates the Future of Travel and Hospitality Marketing

Travel and hospitality marketing is on the verge of dramatic transformation. Personalisation of marketing communications is moving from dream to necessity, and the change is putting marketers in the driving seat.

Michael Nutley
Michael Nutley 3 December 2024
Read more