Boxing clever: Global online retailer delivers the goods, with Google’s internationalisation team
Learn how LightInTheBox.com grew conversions, improved user experience, and supported customers through the pandemic
case study
Logistics
Approach
- Optimized the website for speed and smoothness
- Promoted the ease of returns policy
- Overhauled the customer self-service center
- Created a logistics plan to minimize business disruption
Goals
- Improve the user experience
- Increase conversions
- Reduce customer dropouts
- Support customers during the pandemic
Results
- 10% average rise in conversions
- Increase in both user satisfaction and overall experience
LightInTheBox is a Chinese e-commerce company that sells clothing, jewellery, electronic goods, furniture, and more, to customers in Southeast Asia, Europe, USA and beyond.
While the business was performing well, there was scope for improvement — and so they approached Google for support at the start of 2020. Together, Google and LightInTheBox conducted an in-depth review of core European users and explored ways to optimise the website’s user experience, logistics, payments, and after-sales service. When the coronavirus hit, the process took on a whole new sense of urgency — as consumer confidence declined, shopper behaviours changed, and worldwide logistics slowed to a near-halt.
How LightInTheBox worked with Google for success:
Created a more user-friendly website
LightIntheBox worked with Google to identify a range of issues, including slow load times and unclear promotional details on the homepage. A general lack of product information was also cause for concern, as in the UK and the Netherlands, more than 1 in 3 consumers say this alone would cause them to abandon their purchase journey altogether.
Based on the research, LightInTheBox optimized its web pages by including new inventory details, adding images, and creating a basic size guide for people buying clothes and other apparel.
Added extra peace of mind around returns
Over 80% of Norwegian and Swedish consumers expect to be able to return products for free — and 83% of Danish shoppers see it as essential. In Ireland too, around 1 in 5 shoppers say paying for returns would put them off buying. With that in mind, Google recommended LightInTheBox add a ‘return or exchange within 14 days for any reason’ banner to the website to address any potential customer concerns.
Made it easier for people to find answers
Websites are frustrating when they don’t make it easy for customers to find the right product, or just get an answer to a common question. Shoppers are understandably quick to go elsewhere — and that behavior became increasingly heightened as the pandemic sparked product shortages.
To help LightInTheBox address the problem, Google suggested making a number of improvements to its self-service center. For example, refining the search directory allowed customers to find the right product faster — and customer FAQs were also displayed on the product pages to preempt common queries or problems, and enhance the shopping experience.
Future-proofed the company’s logistics
Like many exporters during the pandemic, LightInTheBox faced significant logistical challenges. During this uncertainty, the priority was to find ways to reassure customers — and in response, Google developed a 5-step plan to help the business renew its logistical approach and optimize delivery. For example, Google helped establish a pandemic decision-making center, and formulated a clear list of senior decision makers and decision-making guidelines to solve problems in an orderly way. The business also reassessed its supply chain to determine the most critical components. This included exploring whether investing in certain suppliers or offering more favorable payment terms could potentially ensure a guaranteed supply of goods.
Overall, the in-depth review of LightInTheBox’s website performance, user experience, and wider logistics allowed the business to increase customer satisfaction and grow conversions. While a high degree of uncertainty still remains as a result of the pandemic, the business can also be reassured that they’re now well-placed to serve their customers’ needs — and emerge stronger than ever in the months and years ahead.
“Through close cooperation with Google, we analyzed our core users and made all-round optimizations to our user experience, logistics, payment, and after-sales service. We’re looking forward to deepening our connection with customers, and strengthening our brand further.” Shi Bin, Chief Marketing Officer, LightInTheBox
