Reducing friction throughout the customer journey.

With the many digital tools available at their fingertips, customers’ expectations for speed, reliability and service in their shopping experiences has reached new heights. Increasingly, shopping doesn’t just take place in store or online — customers are combining both channels to create an ideal hybrid shopping experience. In the US, omnichannel shopping — where customers discover and purchase products across multiple channels and platforms, often both online and offline — has grown by 50% since the start of the pandemic.¹

Mobile and social media platforms are key drivers of this trend. Two-thirds (66%) of global shoppers say that their mobile device has become their most important shopping tool.²  Across the globe, 63% of shoppers say that they discover new apparel brands or items on social media.³

In order to meet customers’ expectations at every step along their journey, removing friction from discovery to consideration to purchase (and beyond) is essential, no matter what device they’re using or in what environment they’re shopping. Below are some tips to creating a seamless shopping experience from first tap to unboxing:

1. Reach high-value audiences with personalized ads. Every person’s Feed is unique on Facebook and Instagram, including many of the ads they see. Such personalized discovery is the engine that small and medium businesses use to reach customers who may never have known they existed but who are likely to love what they offer. Personalized ads find people interested in your business, making them a potentially affordable and effective channel. And since these Facebook and Instagram ads are more relevant for the people who see them, they create more meaningful experiences, which can lead to better results for your business. 
   
   
2. Design ads for mobile. It’s likely that your customers may encounter your brand for the first time on a mobile device. Keeping in mind some key best practices such as crafting a focused message, shooting video in a vertical orientation and capturing attention in the first 3 seconds can help you create thumb-stopping ads that stand out. 
   
   
3. Make your customer’s journey easy, from discovery to purchase. From the moment customers discover your business to when they make a purchase with you, you can use Facebook tools to ensure a seamless experience. Consider using Dynamic Ads, which automatically show the products that are most relevant to people who have expressed interest in your business. You can also tag your products when you mention them in posts on your Page to help people easily make a purchase in the moment of discovery. You can also set up a Shop, a free virtual storefront that enables your customers to explore and purchase your products on Facebook and Instagram, all in one place.

1. Optimize your landing page for product exploration. Once a customer is interested enough in your products to click on your ad or post and navigate to your website, make sure their experience is consistent. The information they see on the landing page should be a natural next step from the messaging and visuals they saw in the ad they clicked on. They shouldn’t have to guess about how to find what they need and check out. Site loading speeds can also make or break your conversion rates and are worth checking. 
   
   
2. Use messaging to address customers’ questions. If customers have questions about the product they’re considering, make it easy for their queries to be addressed promptly through platforms like Messenger or WhatsApp. Allow people to contact your business directly by showing the Message button on your Facebook Page and Instagram account. You can also share products and recommendations through messaging. A little extra guidance and communication can go a long way.

1. Sweat the details at checkout. Sometimes small details like integrating payment methods to reduce the steps required to make a purchase can make a big difference. Customers expect a product to be on the way to their homes after just a handful of taps on their phones. You can easily create a frictionless experience by setting up Checkout through Facebook Shops.
   
   
2. Keep the experience seamless at pick-up or delivery. Make all your hard work count at the end of your customer’s journey. Ensure that your customer’s Buy-Online-Pick-Up-In-Store (BOPIS) process goes smoothly by verifying that your inventory is up-to-date and that they won’t have to wait long in your store or at curbside. If a customer is having a package delivered, make sure that it gets there on time and communicate with them about delivery status. Their last impression of you matters and will influence whether they want to engage with you again and tell their friends and family about you.
   
   

Each interaction with your customer helps to build what will hopefully be a long-lasting relationship. By fine-tuning each touchpoint and removing friction wherever possible, you can make every moment a defining one for your brand.