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The quality of your Shopify customer support can make or break the success of your online business. In fact, recent data released by Shopify showed that 58% of consumers said excellent past customer service influenced their purchase decisions.

But, how exactly do you provide amazing customer service on this platform? Sure, there are a few good approaches that are considered common knowledge—like being friendly and going the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction. But, what Shopify-specific best practices should you follow?

This is where we come in. Here at eDesk, we process more than 50 million eCommerce messages every month. In doing so, we’ve gained some valuable insights and data on how to delight shoppers across every marketplace and eCommerce platform—including Shopify. Keep reading to discover our top 10 ways to provide exceptional Shopify customer support.

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How to provide exceptional Shopify Customer Support

Shopify defines itself as a “complete commerce platform that lets you start, grow, and manage a business.”

This platform gives sellers (also called “merchants” on Shopify) the ability to build and customize an online store and sell in multiple places—such as web, mobile, in person, across social media and online marketplaces, etc. Put simply, your Shopify site is your online storefront.

Shopify’s core product includes everything you need to get your store up and running. You can choose from a vast array of templates to find the exact right look and feel for your store. Plus, you get tools to help you sell in multiple places, integrated payment processing, a seamless checkout setup, SEO and marketing tools to promote your store, plus Shopify APIs and development tools if you want to further tweak your store’s capabilities.

Wondering if you should sell on Shopify? Let’s look at just a few of the advantages this platform offers to online sellers.

According to Fundera, Shopify is the third-largest eCommerce platform in the United States. It has processed over one billion orders, accounts for over $319 billion in global economic activity, and has more than 2.1 million active daily users. Moreover, Shopify offers sellers more than 25.8 million third-party apps.

This all means that Shopify presents a tremendous opportunity to grow your brand and sell to millions of customers—all while utilizing any tools you need to run your business seamlessly.

Note: Speaking of Shopify customer support AND tools that help your business run seamlessly, have you tried eDesk? The eDesk Shopify integration enables sellers to consolidate all of their customer messaging into one smart inbox. Plus, AI-powered features such as message classification, sentiment analysis, templates, and auto-responders help you knock customer service out of the park, all while saving loads of time and effort.

Curious about whether Shopify customer support is really all that important? Again, let’s look at some real-world statistics to answer that question.

Recent studies show that a whopping 90% of customers report using customer service as a deciding factor when determining whether to do business with a brand. An even more substantial number of consumers, 93%, say they’re likely to shop again with a brand following a positive customer support experience. Data even shows that businesses can grow their revenue by 4–8% above their market by prioritizing better customer service.

And the numbers don’t just show that good customer service can help your brand. They also reflect the cost of poor customer support. For instance, 64% of shoppers say they’ll switch brands over a single negative customer service interaction. And New Voice Media estimates that poor customer support costs businesses a massive $75 billion annually.

10 Ways to Deliver Great Shopify Customer Support

Once you realize the value of providing excellent customer service, it’s time to figure out how to do it. Read on to explore our top 10 ways to deliver the best Shopify customer support.

Make it easy for customers to reach you

Providing exceptional Shopify customer support requires clear communication channels. If you want to improve the customer experience and keep shoppers happy, make it as easy as possible for customers to reach you.

Have an FAQ page

xAn effective Shopify customer support strategy should include having an FAQ page. By publishing a well-written FAQ page on your Shopify store, you can improve customer satisfaction, answer customer questions before they even ask them, and cut down on the number of inquiries your team receives.

Create effective product listings for your Shopify store

While we’re on the topic of answering customers’ questions before they ask them, it’s also important to create effective product listings for your Shopify store. Your product listings need to include clear images(and maybe even videos) of your items. You should also write product copy that explains the features and benefits of your offerings, as well as any of your brand’s terms and conditions.

Establish Shopify customer support service-level agreements (SLAs) and respond quickly

If you have a Shopify store, it is crucial to establish and adhere to service-level agreements (SLAs). A service-level agreement (SLA) is an established set of guidelines that outlines the expectations of both the customer and the company when it comes to customer service.

Use AI and automation

Automation can help streamline the process of providing Shopify customer support. Automated solutions such as chatbots and automated emails can help ensure that customers can always get answers quickly without having to wait for a response from a support representative. Additionally, automation can be used to capture customer feedback and even provide personalized responses.

Train and develop your Shopify customer support team

Having a well-trained and knowledgeable team of support representatives is essential for providing exceptional Shopify customer service. Your team should be trained on the basics of customer service, such as how to handle difficult customers and how to address customer issues properly. Additionally, regular professional development sessions should be held so that your team can stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies in customer service.

Measure and analyze customer feedback

When you’re providing great Shopify customer support, you should also be measuring and analyzing customer feedback. This starts with setting up your Shopify store to. You also need to pay attention to those reviews. Are lots of customer complaints about the same thing? Then you know what you need to improve. Are tons of customers leaving glowing reviews about your customer service? Great! Look into what you’re doing right and keep doing it.

Reward customer loyalty

If you want your brand to be known for offering positive customer experiences, then you need to reward loyal customers. After all, loyal customers are willing to spend 67% more than new customers on your products and services. Furthermore, data shows that improving customer retention rates by a mere 5% can increase profits by 25–95%.

Keep up with Shopify rules, terms, conditions, and offerings

If you’re trying to offer the best possible Shopify customer support, then you need to keep up to date on the platform’s rules, terms, and conditions for merchants. For example, we’ve already mentioned that Shopify makes it clear that sellers are responsible for their own customer service. Knowing things like this helps you to understand your responsibilities as a seller, as well as what support services are available to you.

Utilize apps and integrations

On that same note, again, you need to utilize any apps, integrations, or tools that can help you run your business more smoothly. From development tools to site optimization, there are a countless array of third-party integrations that enable sellers to get the most out of their Shopify setup.

More Ways eDesk Makes Shopify Customer Support Easier

We’ve already mentioned a centralized smart inbox and a host of AI-powered features, but here are a few more details on the ways eDesk makes Shopify customer support easier…

Shopify merchants who use eDesk can process Shopify returns and cancellations from directly within the eDesk ticket. No more having to switch screens or sign into multiple accounts. This info is also passed through to Shopify automatically. You can even select to restock items, so they can be added back to your webstore available stock automatically.

Many sellers operate on more than one marketplace and/or website. With eDesk’s 250+ integrations with various marketplaces, platforms, and tools (including Mirakl, and more), you can connect the customer messaging from all your marketplaces, platforms, and communication channels into one smart inbox. Plus, each channel can be clearly marked with customizable labels.

Thanks to eDesk AI, you can see an at-a-glance summary of a customer’s query before even reading the whole message. This lets you know what the customer needs more quickly and easily.

eDesk AI also analyzes messages and provides a sentiment analysis. This means you’ll know what kind of mood a customer is in before you even read the message or respond.

Upon researching well over 60 million eCommerce messages, we have discovered that up to 46% of customer queries can be handled adequately by our AI-driven Hands-free auto-responders. Use eDesk AI to dramatically reduce the time and effort your team spends on customer support, all while improving response rates by 4X!

International sellers can take care of customers around the globe with ease thanks to eDesk’s AI-powered two-way message translations. These translations are even smart and nuanced enough to glean the context of messages, rather than just translating word for word.

All incoming and outgoing messages show on both eDesk and in Shopify automatically, so you never have to worry about missing a thing.

Tracking numbers are surfaced directly on eDesk tickets, so you don’t have to search for them. You can also automatically insert them into message templates to personalize your Shopify customer service.

How to Provide Exceptional Shopify Customer Support: Final Thoughts

Building a Shopify store gives you an incredible opportunity to expand your customer base, develop your branding image, and increase sales. However, to truly stand out from the crowd, you need to provide exceptional customer service.

Follow our tips and best practices above to give yourself a massive advantage over your competition. And if you really want to take your eCommerce business to the next level without breaking a sweat or the bank, use eDesk to level up every aspect of your Shopify customer support.