In the last decade, customer purchasing behavior has changed dramatically. Our economy has shifted from one of distribution centers that feed into brick-and-mortar retailers to a host of internet-only, e-commerce-based retailers. And you don’t need me to remind you how important online shopping became in 2020. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, ordering goods online shifted from a luxury to a necessity, with online retail giants like Amazon posting their most profitable year ever. Simply put, online shopping is what today’s customers have come to expect from everyone.
Energy and water conservation products empower homeowners to actively and efficiently manage their usage of resources. Enabled by smart metering, other innovative technologies and utility-based demand-side management (DSM) programs, homeowners today have unparalleled access to conservation knowledge and solutions. However, a gap still remains in getting the right products into the hands of homeowners, to match those innovative programs they may be participating in. That’s where a utility’s online store comes in.
That type of e-commerce experience delivers a high level of customer satisfaction and savings, and it doesn’t require customers to drive to a big box store and debate for an hour over the best thermostat to purchase. Online stores take the guesswork and complication out of buying efficiency products.
How can you take advantage of society’s shift to online shopping? By integrating an online store into your utility’s portfolio of programs and making it intuitive, seamless and comparable to their favorite online shopping platforms. The biggest mistakes to avoid are making prospective customers mess around with too many forms, wait for pages to load, or entertain last-minute hesitation about unexpected shipping costs. You don’t want your customer to get all the way to check-out only to be surprised by $12 shipping charges and decide to go purchase that smart thermostat at the store down the street.
When selling products online, it’s important to provide lots of images customers can zoom in on and plenty of product reviews. According to Big Commerce, “The top three factors that are extremely influential in determining where Americans shop are price (87%), shipping cost and speed (80%) and discount offers (71%).”
The gold standard for your online store is a site that’s free from friction and anything that will lead to distraction, confusion or hesitation. You don’t want to make customers think too much or they will mutiny, abandoning ship and shopping cart. Users don’t want to over-analyze once they have decided to make a purchase. The more they must think about it, the less they tend to buy it, which explains the popularity of features like Amazon’s one-click purchase button.
Bottom line: you want to provide an online store that presents information clearly, instills confidence in your customers, and guides them smoothly from purchase to checkout.
E-commerce in the Amazon age requires an in-depth understanding of the online marketplace, logistics, procurement, and fulfillment. It’s a process with a lot of steps that can quickly become overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. AM Conservation Group is your trusted partner in online store development and fulfillment. We have a proven track record of designing and managing online stores that help our clients easily sell products and kits to their customers or trade allies, and our logistics network has been leading the industry for decades. Want to see what an online store could do for you? Schedule a demo today for a step-by-step walk-through of our marketplace services and capabilities.