How ONDC Network Can Help D2C Brands Improve Their Customer Experience and Loyalty

Why do D2C Brands Need Optimal Customer Experience?

According to HBR reports, increasing your “customer retention rate” by just 5% may increase annual profitability by over 25%. Hence, India’s budding D2C brands keep “customer delight” at the forefront of their brand strategy. Some of the most renowned direct-to-consumer entities today (Mamaarth, boAt, etc.) have mastered the art of “profits through unmatched customer experience”.

“Customer Experience” is how any offline and online brand communicates with buyers throughout their shopping journey. As new D2C brands continue to enter the market space, existing players need innovative, smart ways to retain their customers or else lose them to the newcomers offering a unique shopping experience.

But how can a small-scale enterprise operating locally compete with industry leaders to build its own loyal customer base? That’s where ONDC network comes into play by helping businesses/merchants offer a successful omnichannel experience.

In this article, we will look at five ways in which Indian D2C brands can sell on ONDC network using the state-of-the-art Mystore seller app to maximize their customer experience.

ONDC Network For Market Newbies:

Launched by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPPIT), ONDC network paves the way for democratizing India’s digital commerce. The open network is not an application or a shopping marketplace but a digital network that enables broad-based innovation without any barriers or restrictive policies.

By 2027, an estimated 900 million registered buyers (with 200+ D2C brands) across 75% of Indian pin codes will be able to seamlessly exchange goods and services on the open network. The not-for-profit initiative will catalyze innovation-led change in India’s eCommerce ecosystem by helping millions of sellers, buyers, and logistics providers adopt digital commerce.

The plan is to enable the display of products and services from all participating retailers, regardless of size, to all connected networks and apps. Since all the players will be equally visible and have access to equal technological and logistics solutions, small players will be able to grow on the back of their excellent customer service.

How to boost Customer Loyalty With ONDC Network

Here’s how direct-to-consumer brands can take advantage of the open network to deliver unmatched customer experience:-

Advertise products based on customer data

Customer data helps D2C brands understand their customers' preferences better and draw actionable insights to provide a service tailored to their specific needs. Unlike monopolistic marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart, retailers have direct access to their customer analytics, pointing to their preferences, demographics, shopping history, etc.

Furthermore, the seller-friendly Mystore seller app helps consolidate the distinct customer data in one place for in-depth analysis. Using these metrics, Direct-to-Consumer companies can advertise their products to customers that they know are interested and likely to purchase them.

Leverage customer feedback to improve services

Customer feedback is more important than ever, especially to a direct-to-consumer business that depends enormously on building a strong bond with its audience. Having a proficient feedback system will help provide insight into what D2C brands are doing right and what they could be doing better to maximize their customer retention rate.

ONDC network promotes ’portability of reputation’, making it easy for merchants, SMBs, and direct-2-consumer companies to keep their valuable customer feedback in one place. Buyers can share their honest product reviews through a connected buyer app, which will be visible across multiple connected channels/platforms. Mystore seller app helps retailers receive valuable feedback via its dedicated buyer app and fine-tune their services based on them.

Simplifying the buying experience

51% of customers are likely to stick to a particular online store if it offers added value through personalized suggestions, seamless checkouts, multiple payment options, price comparisons, etc. Unfortunately, brands that are yet to sell on ONDC network have limited control over their buyers’ shopping experience. Merchants can register on ONDC network using the cutting-edge Mystore seller app in minutes!

Through Mystore, D2C brands can experiment with product mixes and use customer data to deliver a personalized, tailored experience. Not only that, Mystore brings its buyer apps for pan-India buyers to help them find their ideal seller on the network. Based on their search parameters (price comparison, location, reviews, etc.), buyers can choose the D2C brand they feel is most likely to deliver the best buying experience.

Offer low-shipping costs for customers

Over 28% of all cart abandonments directly stem from excessive shipping costs. Naturally, this counts as a missed revenue opportunity for small brands, where every sale counts. Lately, Amazon and Flipkart have shown a massive spike in shipping costs due to a rapidly growing, higher-margin subscription and advertising segment. Unfortunately, customers blame the seller and not the marketplace for these hefty shipping rates.

Don’t let your buyers ghost you with high shipping fees. Sell on ONDC network and save on fulfillment costs whilst connecting with your preferred on-demand logistics provider. The democratic network charges zero commission costs or onboarding fees. For a nominal referral fee, merchants can start fulfilling orders via Mystore. Naturally, this leaves more breathing space for brands to offer low-shipping costs and pass on the benefits to their customers.

Conclusion

“Customer experience” and “customer loyalty” go hand-in-hand, as ensuring the former automatically leads to the latter. With the launch of ONDC network, hyperlocal merchants, local retailers, brick-and-mortar shops, and D2C startups can finally form a unique brand personality on the back of unmatched customer service.

Mystore, the next-generation ONDC network-compatible eCommerce platform, offers a 360-degree solution for D2C brands to create a unique digital presence necessary in today’s cutthroat digital environment. Check out Mystore’s extensive range of features that make selling on ONDC network a piece of cake!