Customer Satisfaction: How to Maximize It in E-Commerce

Customer satisfaction measures a consumer's satisfaction with a product, a service or, in a broader sense, a shopping experience. This metric is crucial for e-commerce. Find out why this is the case and how you can maximize it!

Why should you pay attention to customer satisfaction?

Customer satisfaction as a performance indicator

Customer satisfaction is a key performance indicator (KPI) in e-commerce. It directly reflects the quality of your products, but also of your entire interaction with customers (purchase path, customer service, etc.).

Measuring customer satisfaction allows you to understand your current performance or that of the near past, but also to anticipate it. This indicator can provide you with information about your customers' future actions: purchase intentions, word-of-mouth, etc

It is also an excellent way to differentiate yourself from the competition.

Maximize customer satisfaction to retain customers

If you also provide a satisfying user experience, you encourage your customers to buy from you again. A strategy that pays off for several reasons:

• The cost of retaining a customer to your business is estimated to be five times lower than the cost of acquiring the same customer.
• Your loyal customers are more likely to increase their average shopping cart. At Rakuten, our loyalty program members spend on average 40% more than non-members.
• A shopper who is already familiar with your products and shopping journey is more likely to complete their order, reducing cart abandonment.

Even if you sell products where the average purchase frequency is lower (e.g. large household appliances), you should maximize your customer satisfaction. If your customers are happy with their experience, they can spread positive word of mouth and attract new buyers.

 

How can you measure customer satisfaction in e-commerce?

Measure customer satisfaction with the CSAT

The CSAT, an acronym for Customer SATisfaction, is a score calculated from questionnaires sent to your customers. These are usually questionnaires with only one question and a limited range of answers. An example of a questionnaire could be:

"Are you satisfied with your purchase?" where the possible answers include the following:

• " Yes " or " No "
• A rating scale (e.g. from 1 to 5 or from 0 to 10)
• A satisfaction scale ("Very satisfied", "Satisfied", "Neutral", "Not satisfied", "Not at all satisfied").

To calculate the CSAT score, the number of positive responses is then compared with the total number of responses:

CSAT = (number of positive responses/number of total responses) x 100

The advantage of this indicator is its simplicity. With just one question, you increase the likelihood that your customers will answer your questionnaire. It is also easy to apply to different types of products.

On the other hand, the CSAT lacks detail : you know the percentage of dissatisfied customers, but you don't know why. Fortunately, there are other tools that can provide you with this information.

Measuring customer satisfaction with the Net Promotor Score

The Net Promotor Score measures the likelihood that a customer will recommend your products to others. It is based on a score from 0 (not at all likely) to 10 (very likely) that the customer gives in response to the question "Would you recommend our product to a relative?"

A distinction is then made between three categories:

• Critics (score between 0 and 6): dissatisfied customers who could damage your image
• Passives (score 7 or 8): satisfied but unenthusiastic customers
• Promoters (score 9 or 10): very satisfied and loyal customers who are involved in the development of your company

Calculation of the Net Promotor Score

The NPS score is then calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. Example:

Out of 18 customers surveyed, 3 gave a score between 0 and 6, 10 gave a score of 7 or 8 and 5 gave a score of 9 or 10, so there are :

• 3/18 = 17% Critics ;
• 10/18 = 55% passives ;
• 5/18 = 28% supporters.

Your NPS is then 28 - 17 = 11

Interpretation of the Net Promotor Score

An NPS of over 0 is considered a correct promoter score. The number of customers who are willing to recommend your products to others exceeds the number of customers who spread negative word of mouth. However, be sure to take these critics into account, as they can severely damage your reputation.

An NPS of over 50 is a very good score, indicating a strong bond with your brand and a high level of loyalty. You are on the right track!

To obtain a more representative result, you can add further data to your calculation of the Net Promotor Score. Do you count more critics among certain groups of buyers? Are there an unusually high number of promoters for certain products? The possibilities are endless.

Measure customer satisfaction based on user reviews

The reviews that your customers leave on your website are a valuable source of information. Take the time to analyze these opinions and understand possible points of friction that emerge from the comments. Pay particular attention to recurring comments, as they often indicate an underlying problem.

However, be careful not to rely on this indicator alone. The majority are often silent and will not leave a review even if their experience is negative. Conversely, some comments written in the heat of the moment may exaggerate the actual problems. So be sure to maintain a critical approach and always supplement your analysis with other indicators.

Also remember to respond to your customer reviews! They are important signals that are sent to your other customers. 58% of French people and 70% of 15-24 year olds say they consult a customer review before making a purchase (source: Fevad 2024). A negative comment that remains unanswered is a bad signal for your potential buyers.

 

How to maximize customer satisfaction in e-commerce?

To guarantee your customers the best experience, you should pay attention to a few key points:

High quality products at the right price

This is the first parameter you should consider. Make sure you offer quality products with a good value proposition. Your products must meet the needs of your customers. To do this, it is necessary to address the right target groups. Define your target customers and develop an effective pricing strategy that will help you stand out from the crowd.

Pay attention to all aspects of your products (ease of use, durability, packaging...), nothing should be left to chance.

An intuitive customer journey

Nothing is more frustrating for a shopper than having to go through many tedious steps before they can finalize their order. A smooth customer journey is a key element to your success in e-commerce.

Whether you're selling on e-commerce or through a marketplace, make sure to make the purchase path as clear as possible. Add visual cues, reduce the number of redundant steps.

The quality of your product sheets is particularly important for this. Is all product information accurate and up to date? Are the call-to-actions easily recognizable? Does your index card contain customer reviews?

Efficient deliveries

Once your buyers have ordered their product, they can hardly wait to receive it. Excessively long delivery times, incorrect deliveries or lost parcels have a major impact on your customers' experience. With a fast and efficient logistics service, you can keep this friction to a minimum.

Also pay attention to your shipping costs ! 62% of e-shoppers abandon their order if the shipping costs are too high (source: Sendcloud study, 2023). So make sure that you offer reasonable costs that still allow you a sufficient profit margin.

Good customer service

Even with the best store and the best delivery service, mistakes happen and your customers may encounter problems. 5 out of 10 French shoppers contact customer service if they have a question or an update on their order or delivery (source: Essendex, 2023). So you need to make sure you have effective customer service to stand out from the crowd.

Pay particular attention to the following points:

• Responsiveness: this is the priority for 39% of e-commerce shoppers (source: Qualimetrie, 2022). Your support must respond quickly and accurately to your customers' requests.
• Personalization: No one wants to be seen as a mere number. Your customers need to feel listened to, recognized and, above all, unique! Make sure you always mention their name and offer them personalized services in return. Retrieving accurate data about your customers (purchase history, preferences, etc.) allows you to respond precisely to their needs.
• Customer autonomy tools : Most of the time, your customers will want to find the answers to their problems themselves. Make sure you offer a comprehensive FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) listing recurring requests. Your customers will save time and your teams can focus on more complex problems. A win-win situation for everyone!

Apart from solving problems, your customer service is the direct link to your customers. It is therefore the reflection of your company to them. Returns management, collecting customer opinions, creating exclusive offers and promotions... each of these steps can help you stand out from the crowd and increase your customer satisfaction!

 

Rakuten France, a platform at the service of customer satisfaction

As you will have understood, customer satisfaction in e-commerce must be at the top of your list of priorities. At Rakuten, this is one of our core commitments and we strive every day to improve shoppers' experiences. Learn how Rakuten can help you maximize your customer satisfaction:

An intuitive and well-rehearsed shopping journey

Rakuten offers its buyers a seamless shopping journey. On our Marketplace, each product card contains all of our sellers' listings for a specific item. An efficient way for a buyer to compare prices without having to leave the product card. The customer can then add the items of their choice to their shopping cart and submit their order with just a few clicks.

Our platform benefits from the many years of expertise of our teams. What is our goal? To deliver an optimal user experience. And our 13 million loyal shoppers have understood that.

As a seller, you have the opportunity to create your own e-shop on our platform to keep control of your brand image and personalize your customer journey.

Support from your customer service

Rakuten offers its sellers comprehensive and dedicated customer service support. If you are a seller on our platform, we provide you with a range of dedicatedtools for your online store.

You also receive first-class support thanks to the internal messaging service, which helps you manage and optimize your customer service.

Rakuten Fulfillment Network, for efficient omnichannel logistics

Finally, our Rakuten Fulfillment Network service allows e-commerce merchants to outsource all their logistics tasks: packing orders, managing returns, monitoring stock levels... we take care of everything!

With this service, you benefit from :

• Lower logistics costs thanks to our fixed price. Our customers save an average of 25% on their logistics costs;
• A flexible service for customized logistics;
• A centralized area to manage all your logistics with just a few clicks;
• A high-quality service for your customers through fast deliveries and efficient returns management. 99.8% of orders received before 2pm are delivered within 24 hours.