An e-commerce business operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. That means your site needs to constantly run at peak performance. If your website goes down for any reason, you lose money. Here are some tips on how to keep your site running smoothly so as to take advantage of the greatest tried-and-true methods of success.
Listen to Customer Feedback
Your customers are your best resource. They can tell you what they like and what they don’t like. The best way to get customer feedback is to provide surveys through your website. A survey provides feedback straight from the source. Be sure to tailor your survey questions to the informational needs of your business. Don’t forget to also ask your customers within your surveys why they feel the way they do.
The best time to send your customer a survey is right after they make a purchase and the moment they receive their product. You can ask them about their experience on your site and what they liked and didn’t like. Find out if they will buy from you again or not, and why or why not. Be sure to ask them what you can do to improve their experience (here are some examples of questions you can ask). After the survey is completed, invite your customers to talk to you on the phone to provide you with more information, if they would like.
Regularly Maintain and Update Servers
To keep your business running smoothly, you need to regularly maintain and update your servers.
Here are various aspects of your server that you should check regularly:
- Verify your backups are working: Make sure your backups are working before you make any changes to your active server.
- Check disk usage: Delete old logs and software versions you no longer need to save space.
- Update your operating system: This usually fixes many important security issues.
- Clean your server: Remove dust and debris from inside the server about four times a year.
It’s important to schedule server maintenance during slow times or after hours to ensure your equipment is working properly and not to disturb prime hours.
Deliver Quickly
The most important thing you can do to run smoothly is to deliver your products as quickly as possible. Your customers want things immediately and, the longer it takes for their order to process, the less trustworthy your services will seem. Furthermore, the quicker you ship your products, the better your customer feedback will be. This will also convince your clients to shop with you again.
To survive in today’s competitive marketplace, your small e-commerce site has to run effectively for your business to thrive. These tips will not only help your business run more effectively, but it will also help you stay competitive with larger companies.
Your customers are essential players in the success of your small business. Click here for tips and tricks on how to better connect with your clientele.
