An article in a UK website showed the results of a study by an insurance group (Direct Line).  The study examined trust by consumers (only 1000 were polled) based on whether a company online-only brands less than those companies that also offer offline shopping opportunities.

How do e-commerce companies survive in the battle for consumer trust?  Here are some key factors in how you can gain not only trust, but loyalty, when interacting with your customers:

Offer a real person as an alternative to online ordering.  The study also showed that 83% of the people researched preferred access to an expert.  Offering a toll free number to a dedicated product expert could be the difference.

Clearly communicate your policies.  Be up front about any return policies you may have, along with a detailed list of what to do if they are not satisfied with their order.  Make sure you explain any 'small print' legalese before the sale to ensure the customer is an informed consumer.

Communicate with your customers after the sale.  One of the most important keys to customer loyalty is post-sale communication, yet this is where most companies fail.  Email or send every customer a thank you.  If your order flow is heavy, automate this task by email. 

Ask the questions that matter.  After any sale, ask the customer to take a quick survey to gather how they felt about each stage of the process.  Keep it quick by asking them to rank the process on a scale of one to 5.  Areas to highlight are website ease of use, checkout process, quality of product received, quality of packaging in shipping, and shipping speed.  Use an online survey service to automate this process.  Many e-commerce companies may already offer a service like this.

Evolve yourself based on the feedback you receive.  Whether it is through your customer service communications or results from your post-sale survey, use the feedback you get to evolve yourself into a better brand.

It is not a coincidence that all the areas above revolve around customer service.  If a customer feels like they have been treated as royalty throughout the sales process, they are more likely to return and purchase again - and be willing to give raving testimonials to their friends, family and associates. 

About The Author:

Dominic Willett is a partner in the e-commerce service company Professional Internet Management.  PIM offers e-commerce, customer email and ROI solutions for small-mid sized businesses and has feature programs for manufacturers of consumer products.