Unlocking Customer Experience Excellence in E-commerce: Key QA Practices

In the Entrepreneur article, John Solomon rightly pointed out that,

“E-commerce is a growing force in the modern economy.”

Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a significant change in the way people shop, with a notable surge in the e-commerce market. Billions of individuals worldwide began relying on online shopping as their primary mode of purchasing goods, resulting in a rapid acceleration of the e-commerce industry. However, the current economic instability accompanied by a recession, stock price drops, and recent layoffs in the IT field raises questions about the future of the fast-growing e-commerce industry.??

With recent events, the reasonably asked question appeared in 摩根士丹利 research: “Was the Covid-bump a one-and-done deal, or could e-commerce growth continue?” Luckily, in the same article, Brian Nowak , an equity analyst covering the U.S. internet industry, responded to this ongoing discussion and mentioned: “We believe that the Covid-driven bump will not flatten future e-commerce growth.” He sees e-commerce reaching 27% of retail sales by 2026: “Across the world, we have yet to see a ceiling for e-commerce penetration.”

?? Here’s Why E-Commerce Growth Can Stay Stronger For Longer

Pretty similar in its essence and inspired by this highly debatable topic was the question asked by Thomas M Fanelli in the eponymous Forbes article: “Is the future of e-commerce still bright?”. The author pointed out that “now that we’re past the pandemic, it’s fair to wonder if e-commerce will continue its recent boom. I think there’s a solid case for being optimistic.” Listing the six biggest trends in e-commerce, Fanelli paid special attention to the international and continued growth of mobile devices, meaning that these 2 factors, along with others, are becoming a booster for the industry. The developing world still has significant potential for growth in online retail due to a large portion of the population lacking reliable internet access. Mobile devices continue to be the primary means of internet access for many consumers, leading to a shift towards mobile commerce globally.

?? Is The Future Of E-Commerce Still Bright?

Despite the current economic conditions, evolving consumer behavior leads to increasing demands for brands. Shopify ’s annual report, describing the latest trends shaping the commerce industry, emphasizes that “consumers want their shopping to be personal, instant, and responsive—and they want that high-value experience anywhere.” In this regard, the thesis about the power of positive customer experience remains the top priority for e-commerce businesses, defining directions for further development.?

Let’s take a look at some fascinating statistics:

• 84% of individuals state that the experience provided by a company is just as critical to them as the product they've purchased from that company. (LXA Hub research)
• 73% of consumers say that customer experience has a major impact on their purchasing decisions. (PwC study)
• 54% of U.S. consumers say customer experience at most companies needs improvement. (PwC study)
• Over 86% of e-commerce or online customers will leave a brand or company after two bad experiences. (Emplifi)

And, finally:

“77% of brands believe CX is a key competitive differentiator”? - 国际数据公司

The question here is how to attain a smooth customer experience that unleashes the full potential of an e-commerce platform. To do this, companies use customer experience metrics to track performance levels. In many cases, high CX scores directly depend on timely quality checks.

Since the competitive world of software can be somewhat unforgiving, it makes sense to prioritize quality as a preventive. And, in the end, there is a simple equation – the addition of quality assurance leads to better CX, which tends to drive greater profit.

Many companies come up with great projects. But the emphasis is on ‘many,’ as there are dozens of alternatives for any business venture. Thus, in reality, it all comes down to standing out. And the best mode of achieving it is ensuring that software is brimming with quality, creating a halo of recognition. As software testing impacts quality, it also affects CX metrics.

The intricate connection between QA and CX logically concludes that one affects the other. To better understand how software testing influences customer experience, let’s focus on the top five customer experience measurement metrics.

1. Customer Effort Score (CES)

• For CES, the importance of Graphic User Interface testing cannot be overstated. It is the users’ primary mode of interaction with a program. Verifying a software’s user-friendliness and full functionality ensures favorable communication with the app. And in regard to CES, GUI testing guarantees that a client can find needed data or reach out for help.?
• Smoke and End-to-End testing determine whether the most critical functionality is working, securing the core features of the software.?
• Operational Acceptance testing prevents users from encountering problems from ‘the other side,’ guaranteeing smooth communication and data transfer.?

2. Issue resolution

GUI, Smoke, End-to-End, and Operational Acceptance testing confirm there is a reliable structure where consumers are sure their concerns will be addressed swiftly.?

3. Churn rate

• After each new feature or enhancement, Sanity testing should be performed to confirm their functionality and immutable quality.?
• Unlike Sanity Testing, Regression Testing focuses on unaltered functions. Reviewing older features to make sure they are still up and running allows for upholding an established quality standard.
• Exploratory testing allows QA specialists to explore software freely and see if there are any bugs. A spotless program is likely to keep users engaged for lengthier periods.?

4. Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

• There is no denying that an app must be of supreme quality to reach the ultimate CSAT. Since customer satisfaction can relate to any touchpoint, from GUI usability to customer service grade, covering all fronts would be the best decision.?

5. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

It is the holy grail of CX metrics. NPS is based on a single question, identifying the likeliness of a client to recommend a product. With this, there is one testing type that will be most helpful.?

• Compatibility testing examines whether the software is capable of functioning on various devices, OSs, network environments, applications, etc. Hence, carrying out Compatibility Testing ensures that in case of recommendation, new consumers, no matter their mode of interaction, will be able to access the app and use it with just as much enjoyment.

?? CX Metrics and QA – An Underrated Bond

It is highly important to note that certain areas require increased attention during e-commerce testing. Here is the list of the top 15 points we suggest to focus on at the beginning:

• Problems with registration & signing in?
• Broken layout
• Problems with editing account data
• Search algorithms (slightly) off
• Problems with filters & sorting
• Glitchy cart, basket, bag
• Problems with checkout
• Problems with payment gateway
• Poor integrations between functionalities?
• Security concerns
• Out-of-place pop-up elements
• Lack of cross-platform support
• Problems with navigation
• UX & content issues
• Slow performance

Wondering how proper comprehensive testing can cope with these issues?? Check this article for clarification:

?? 15 Mistakes in E-Commerce Platforms You Can Prevent with Software Testing

In the recent webinar, we explored ways to boost B2B e-commerce projects by implementing precise QA techniques and practices. And furthermore, there are many aspects to consider, from client needs to industry-specific risks.?

But firstly, we suggest this video, where our CTO Nataliia Vedmid explained in detail how a clear understanding of the complex structure of these projects might be extremely helpful in recognizing the risk areas.

And now, let’s move on to the main risk areas you should consider when forming your QA strategy for B2B e-commerce projects:

#1 Complex platform structure

#2 Tailor-made approach

#3 Dependencies between the parts of the project

#4 Integration with third-party platforms

#5 Mobile version of the platform

#6 Sustainability?

We shared techniques on how to counter these risk areas with QA in this article:

??6 Ways to Reinforce Your B2B E-Commerce Project with QA

Uncertain times require certain business decisions. In the e-commerce industry, where customers expect remarkable service standards, the continuous implementation of flawless and cutting-edge features is a necessity. And this is the perfect case of how efficient QA practices can make your e-commerce project stand out from competitors and achieve the level of quality your customers anticipate and deserve.

What are the proven ways for e-commerce businesses to stay competitive nowadays?

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