Strengthening a brand is an idea that some businesses take on board more readily than others. For, does a strong brand really make a difference to a company’s bottom line? Does having easily relatable brand values improve a business’s chances of having consistently good sales numbers?

A recent survey by Feefo points to a resounding yes. Its study, seeking to get to the bottom of a customer’s behaviour throughout the entire online shopping journey, found that 55% of consumers are influenced by a business’s brand values. If they are influenced for the better, they are far more likely to make a final purchase.

Improving the success rate of consumers making a final purchase is critical to the overall success of a company, as the survey also uncovered the fact that almost 80% of all online consumers abandon their cart before buying. While this may sound like a rather depressing statistic to some, it does also provide online businesses with a big opportunity for conversion rate optimisation. Then, that improvement will ultimately be seen in a company’s bottom line and profit margins through increased sales.

The findings from Feefo’s survey also point to what some of those brand values should be – in particular, excellent customer service. The study shows that poor customer service is amongst consumers’ biggest annoyances with shopping online. And, with the survey finding that 30% of all customers will shop elsewhere after just one bad experience, businesses need to ensure that customer service is never an area that is overlooked when it comes to driving brand values.

Plus, as brand loyalty is such a critical part of retaining repeat business, strengthening the brand in every way possible is crucial. Feefo’s Head of Digital, Richard Tank says ‘Today’s digital landscape is ever-changing and businesses have to meet the needs of their customers across the whole purchase journey in order to maintain sales and brand loyalty. The findings of this survey emphasise that.’

Customer service and customer experience are integral to every part of that purchase journey so its importance cannot be overlooked. Tank continues ‘brands small and large must do everything they can to build relationships with their customers, to ensure they keep coming back for more. Listening, learning and developing more personalised customer experiences is key to long term success.’

Brand values are an effective means of setting a company apart from its competitors. The findings of this survey emphasise that making sure they come across in each customer experience is critical if a company wants to better its sales, – quarter after quarter, year after year.

See the infographic below for the full set of results: