The dynamically developing German market is ideal for developing an online store. The excellent offer that your online store has is not everything!
For Germans, trust is also important – they want to be sure that their data will be safe and their expectations will be met. So how do you build credibility for an online store?
Online shop in Germany – what influences purchasing decisions?
At the very beginning, it is worth considering what motivates customers to buy concluding our article on “website redesign: the key signs you need one immediately” what may influence the final decision to “buy or not buy”. The following will be important:
- attractive price – a German customer, looking for products or services that interest him, will search the web for the best possible prices;
- good quality assortment – our western neighbors want to buy bargains, but not at the expense of quality!
- low cost kits and best of all free shipping;
- payment methods – Germans want to have a choice, so it is worth ensuring that the payment system includes various forms of payment. Sometimes, a customer who cannot pay in their preferred way abandons the basket, resigning from the purchase;
- short waiting time for delivery – the sooner the better. Even if the delivery time is longer, it is worth posting this information in a clearly visible place, or with each product. Germans like to have everything planned and want to know when they can expect the delivery;
- transparent conditions for returns and complaints – well, German customers are famous for their returns and it is worth taking this into account in the e-shop’s pricing policy. An aspect encouraging to buy may be the possibility of free returns;
- products and services should be described in detail – Germans want to have access to all necessary information
- clear, user-friendly website;
- opinions on ranking sites, social media, etc.;
- ecology – when running an e-commerce business in Germany, it is worth considering environmental issues. Compensating for the carbon footprint, shipping ecologically, relying on or offering recycled products – these are the things that sellers can gain a lot in the eyes of buyers.
As you can see above, price is not everything. In order to develop on the German market, it is worth taking care of all the factors mentioned.
The image of an expert is worth its weight in gold
Running a company blog or user experience and interaction design a YouTube channel can also be helpful.
In such pages, sellers can describe their products in more detail, make comparisons, post instructions and present themselves as true experts in their industry – and Germans value professionalism.
Regularly posting unique, substantive articles will also make your positioning in Germany better – the site will be more visible in Google’s organic search results, which gives you more opportunities to reach consumers.
Online shops in DE and their credibility – practical advice
The following aspects influence customer trust:
- store reviews – collect them, encourage satisfied customers to rate your store. Be sure that it will be checked by future, potential customers;
- quality marks and trust certificates – including Trusted Shops;
- large selection of payment methods;
- shop on a German domain – German customers are increasingly willing to shop in foreign online shops, but the ending -.de in the website address is still something that inspires more trust;
- clear information about the possibility of returns and complaints;
- warranty information;
- the ability to track the order – a German wants to be able to check at what stage of preparation or shipping his shipment is;
- social media activity — if a given e-commerce is active on social media, it is a sign for consumers that it is doing well
Site security and legal content are essential
A website or online store should be cameroon business directory to German legal requirements: these include Impressum, AGB and Datenschutzerklärung. Poles may rarely look at legal content, but Germans do it often.