Creating a seamless shopping experience for customers
A seamless shopping experience is the journey that takes customers from an attractive and relevant advertisement to a fast-loading, reliable app or website with convenient payment options. This not only provides users with a comfortable shopping experience but also directly influences their purchasing decisions, thereby significantly impacting business profitability.
According to a global report by Salesforce, over 75% of customers today consider the shopping experience a business provides just as important as the product or service offered, and 71% of them admit they have made purchasing decisions based on this experience. So how can you create such an engaging shopping journey? In this article, we will provide you with the prerequisites for creating a unique customer experience.
1. Start with a transparent and reputable business profile.
In the context of major sales seasons, creating a smooth shopping journey at every touchpoint will help brands attract and win over customers more effectively. A crucial first step is ensuring your business has a public, clear, and trustworthy online profile. Google Search has become an indispensable part of online shopping behavior, with 94% of users stating that having sufficient information before making a decision is key. Brands that appear with transparent and accurate information in search results will help consumers quickly find what they need, and create a positive experience from the outset.
In the Asia-Pacific region, the reliability and authenticity of products and sellers are particularly emphasized. Statistics show that during the 2021 peak shopping season, compared to 2020, searches containing keywords related to "official" increased by over 125% in Vietnam, 70% in Thailand, and 15% in Singapore, while the demand for "authentic" products in the Philippines also increased by 20%. This demonstrates that consumers are increasingly concerned about the transparency and credibility of brands.
One simple yet effective solution to build trust and establish credibility online is to create a business profile. Verifying your profile not only makes your products and brand easier to find but also gives customers peace of mind, as they know that information such as operating hours, images, promotions, and sales figures are authentic and reliable.
Another way to reach users searching on Google and make it easier for them to find your products is to have your product listings (for free) appear on Google Search, Google Shopping, and Google Images. Adding visually appealing and creative images will make your products stand out and be more easily discovered in the search results.
Businesses can also directly integrate information about their return and refund policies into the product listings. This not only demonstrates confidence in product quality but also gives customers peace of mind, because even if they need to exchange or return an item, their online shopping experience will not be negatively affected.
In addition, businesses can optimize their advertising effectiveness by using Google's Performance Max. This is an automated, goal-based campaign that allows products to be displayed consistently across Google's entire advertising ecosystem, thereby expanding reach to new customers and increasing sales both online and in-store.
If you need a reliable partner to implement effective advertising, S1N's team of experts is ready to advise and support you in building smart, optimized, and most suitable Google Ads campaigns for your business.
2. Smooth navigation and fast payment processing.
To deliver a truly impressive online shopping experience, a business's website or app needs to operate smoothly, load quickly, and display product information clearly, along with high-quality images to help customers easily find what they need. These seemingly simple improvements can have a powerful impact on profitability. For example, when Lazada optimized its landing page, loading speed improved threefold, leading to a 16.9% increase in mobile conversion rates.
This is especially important in the Asia-Pacific region, where a large proportion of consumers access shopping via mobile devices. Statistics show that over 60% of shoppers in Singapore and India research products using their phones, and on Singles' Day, nearly 90% of sales come from mobile device users.
To evaluate and enhance the customer experience on a retail website, businesses can leverage the Grow My Store tool, which provides detailed suggestions for website improvement and business performance enhancement. Furthermore, a seamless e-commerce experience requires a smooth transition from web to app. Thanks to App Deep Linking, customers can go directly from an advertisement to the relevant app page and complete their purchase within the app without any obstacles. Shopee's case is a clear example: after implementing deep linking, the platform recorded a 126% increase in mobile user payments.
3. Develop a customer data system.
For brands, providing a positive shopping experience means showing customers information they are truly interested in, rather than overwhelming them with irrelevant product ads. Personalizing content has proven highly effective, with online conversion rates increasing by 91% on Singles' Day thanks to this approach.
To create a relevant experience, brands need to understand consumer behavior at every touchpoint – from websites and apps to physical stores. Tools like global site tags help businesses more accurately capture the customer journey, for example, when a customer visits a site from a Google ad but doesn't complete a transaction. This allows businesses to continue displaying ads related to the products the customer was interested in, along with special offers during promotional seasons, and improve the accuracy of conversion measurement with enhanced features.
On the app, integrating software development tools allows for deeper tracking of user behavior, from the duration of feature use and language to geographic location. This data helps brands adjust and deploy localized advertising campaigns, reaching target markets more effectively. In stores, businesses can leverage customer relationship management (CRM) systems to extract data from points of sale, then integrate it into campaign management tools like Campaign Manager 360 to optimize advertising effectiveness.
Leveraging first-party data helps brands build more personalized and meaningful experiences, delivering content that aligns with the interests, needs, and behaviors of each customer group. Google Ads provides the ability to segment audiences into various segments – from new customers and loyal customers to promotion-sensitive groups – ensuring each segment receives the right message. Thanks to this solution, Universal Robina Corporation (Philippines) successfully reconnected with existing customers and increased sales.
In addition, many businesses have adopted Customer Match to build custom segments, while integrating location extensions and in-store sales conversions into YouTube ads. The results have been truly impressive: return on ad spend increased fivefold and click-through rates doubled.
A positive shopping experience not only satisfies customers but also directly impacts their purchasing decisions and the long-term growth of your business. To be ready to excel during major sales seasons, ensure your brand consistently provides reliable, relevant, and up-to-date information across all platforms.
Contributed by: Rehaan Kazmi – APAC GTM Lead (Retail Ads), Eileen Ang – APAC Marketing (Retail Ads).
4. Conclusion
This article focuses on three methods to help businesses deliver a seamless online shopping experience to customers, thereby increasing their appeal and competitive advantage in the market. S1N Group believes you will find valuable information to support your business in enhancing brand recognition and boosting sales during the year-end shopping season.
If you want to save time, optimize costs, and quickly achieve outstanding results in your Google Marketing campaigns, contact S1N Group's team of experts immediately via Hotline 0985 345 394 for free consultation and the most suitable solution for your business.