Understanding (and meeting) new customer expectations
Did you know that 91% of customers say they’re more likely to make a repeat purchase after a positive experience? Managing and meeting customer expectations is key to any successful business.
Customers have always expected good service and fair prices, but modern customers have far higher expectations — such as a connected experience across platforms, easier and safe ways to buy online, as well as professional and proactive customer service. For this, being able to access your products and services in their own language is crucial. To better understand customer expectations in the post-pandemic age, Salesforce Research surveyed 15,600 consumers and business buyers worldwide.
They discovered that as more and more companies leverage new technology — cloud-based services, eCommerce, user experience — the expectations of customers have risen accordingly.
Localisation and customisation
- 52% of customers expect offers to always be personalised.
- 66% of customers expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations, yet 66% say they’re generally treated like numbers.
Communicating with customers in their own language is crucial. Around 20% of the world population speak English’s and yet more than half of the websites online are in English. Multiple studies including that of CSA Research (detailed in their 29-nation survey, “Can’t Read, Won’t Buy – B2C”) have found that the majority of online customers (76%) prefer to shop in their own language and, if there’s a problem, they especially appreciate customer service in their own language. In fact, 40% say they will never buy from websites in other languages.
“Our findings show that if a company chooses to not localize the buying experience they risk losing 40% or more of the total addressable market—the consumers that prefer selecting and buying products at local-language sites. While they may want the products or experiences on the English-language site, most would rather think, act, and buy in their own language.”
Dr. Donald A. DePalma, CSA Research’s Chief Research Officer
The research also shows that different nationalities have different habits when buying online. For example, 57% of German-speaking customers will only buy in their own language. Furthermore, in six of the nations sampled, over half preferred to shop on a local-language site.
Key Data
66% of customers expect companies to understand their needs and expectations.
76% of customers expect consistent interactions across departments, yet 54% say it generally feels like sales, service, and marketing teams don’t share information.
68% of customers expect brands to demonstrate empathy.
88% of customers expect companies to accelerate digital initiatives due to COVID-19.
Only 48% of customers say they generally trust companies.
91% of customers say they’re more likely to make a repeat purchase after a positive experience.
71% of customers say they’ve made a purchase decision based on experience quality.
Source: “State of the Connected Customer,” October 2020.
Local language support
Being able to access customer care in their preferred language is also seen as being highly beneficial. 75% of CSA respondents say that they’re more likely to purchase the same brand again if customer care is in their language. In addition, customers want product information and customers reviews in their own language.
- 65% prefer content in their language, even if it’s poor quality
- 67% tolerate mixed languages on a website
- 73% want product reviews in their language, if nothing else
- 76% prefer products with information in their own language
- 40% will not buy from websites in other languages
Data protection
Other issues highlighted by CSA Research were privacy, payment methods, and delivery. Many customers are concerned about the safety of their data online — and their concerns are assuaged by local-language customer care.
Go multilingual!
There is no doubt that effective localisation boosts business and improves brand credibility. It is an essential component of any market expansion strategy.
- It makes entering a new market easier. Language and cultural barriers are some of the hardest to overcome when entering a new market. Proper localisation of your website, advertising campaign, and other content will do most of the job of removing them.
- It increases customer satisfaction. Localisation helps avoid any confusion that can be caused by unfamiliar references or foreign units of measure. It also shows your commitment to your new customers. Localising all parts of the consumer journey, including payment methods and customer support, makes it easier for customers to make a decision. And, it makes them more likely to choose your business over others.
- It reduces risk. Culture is a tricky aspect, and certain things acceptable in one culture can be unacceptable or even insulting in another. Not knowing the local culture doesn’t excuse you when you make such a mistake and can cost you your reputation. Proper localisation helps avoid that.
- It increases revenue. By making your product or service more accessible to local consumers, you make them more likely to buy it. This will, of course, result in sales growth. Good localisation is a worthwhile investment that will pay for itself in the long run.
At QuickSilver Translate we offer a variety of localisation services: from a bespoke, integrated API which will seamlessly connect your Webmaster with our translation resources; Proxy web translation — a fully hosted, cloud‑based platform requiring minimal IT support, to WPML an easy to use plug-in which works in conjunction with any WordPress website. Contact us for a detailed consultation to ascertain what works best for you.
When you are taking your business to a new market, especially a new country, there will be challenges. This may involve some investment, but don’t make it an area where you cut costs! Adapting your product, service, or content to a particular market, will make entering the new market easier. This, in turn, results in greater customer satisfaction, and higher revenues.
