Part of shopability is intuitive web design from the client’s point of view. Intuitive web design means providing consistent buttons for the same actions, the ability to navigate a web site without unwanted stops along the way, and uncluttered and clear paths for purchasing that require the fewest clicks. To please today’s online shopper, “e-tailers” must provide comprehensive information about a consumer’s transaction, including a tracking number, verification that the order has been logged in the database, and continuing info about the status until the order is delivered.

Amazon.com’s Online Business Model

The most common question from customers of ecommerce web sites is, “Where’s my stuff?” The Amazon.com site has a box labeled “Where’s my stuff?” on every page, starting with the welcome page, because that was the most common question Amazon would get from customers during their first 5 years in online selling.

Amazon.com believes that customer comments are not to be considered complaints, quality control, or customer service. From the beginning of their pioneering online project, they considered customer comments and complaints as “research and development data.” This does two positive things.

One: the customer/user/shopper is treated as an asset to the company by providing critical data regarding customer experience and order processing. Therefore, even an angry customer is an asset, and customers are never viewed as a nuisance. This means the customer has a better experience in the end, and they’re never treated with contempt. (well…that’s the optimist goal to be sure)

Two: Amazon gains trust with their shoppers and users due to the approach outlined above, and their careful data collection allows them to improve their service on a continuous basis.

Customer service is Amazon’s core business and what it promotes as it’s corporate differentiator. Consequently, every encounter with a customer, by way of phone, email, or web site interaction, is a source of important information that the company will analyze and use to chart it’s course.

The New Shopper

The new consumers want consistent and timely fulfillment across multiple distribution channels (land, air, sea, download) and support across multiple sales channels (telephone, physical stores, the Internet). After the early online fulfillment nightmares of the late 1990s, shoppers lost their tolerance for delivery problems. But finding the most efficient and rapid delivery method is not enough to satisfy the new client. Suppliers found that they could save time and money by slapping a shipping label on the product in their warehouse without wrapping them. It worked for a while, until after Christmas, when there was a flood of customer complaints and returns from people who had ordered gifts for their loved ones and were horrified when the item(s) were delivered in the original packaging, allowing Suzie or Bobby to see what Santa was going to bring them.

Shopability Conclusion

Online companies should be monitoring key indicators of how well they are serving their customers to ensure that a customer-centric focus permeates every level of the organization. Metrics that successful companies monitor include the average time customers wait to get through to the call center, the percentage of customers who are repeat shoppers, the exact number of shoppers who use the online chat service functions, and MOST importantly, how many customers get their package/product online.

Source: From The New Client – Author Paul Hoffert

Consumers who are getting lots of emotionally charged responses make an economy tick. When they stop getting emotionally charged responses, they stop investing, stop buying homes, stop by cars, and, in the end, stop the economy. The new global information economy art is being driven by companies that provide lots of emotionally charged responses along with their more tangible products and services.

The Dot.com bubble was a result of early online ventures providing consumers will lots of emotionally charged responses, particularly being in control with lots of choice. The Dot.com bust was the consequence of any glut of startups that were unable to deliver value to the new clients.

The Internet is becoming ubiquitous, its user base is predominantly non-technical and uninterested in the latest bells whistles. Users are no longer early adopters are less concerned with whether they have the latest version of Java or Flash than they are with getting a good price and after-market service. In other words, the Web has gone mainstream.

Consumers around the world use the Web to shop, learn about products and providers, search for jobs, manage their finances, obtain health information, and scan their hometown newspapers. Most of these activities are not yet captured by official output and productivity measures, but they have a positive impact by allowing consumers to become more informed with a minimum of stress and effort.

The new consumers are not loyal to brands, products, or supply chains. Like customers in pre-industrial times, they are loyal to those whom they have established a relationship. Nowadays, that relationship will be mediated by telephone, e-mail, a web site, or chat group, but consumers still need to feel they are dealing with real people who care and to have the authority to provide customized and extra effort servers. Customers are loyal to other customers and to employees with whom they’ve established relationships.

In the end, the companies that gain the trust (and keep the trust) of online shoppers will win the ecommerce battle.