Have you ever been browsing a website, seen a good deal on a product you wanted, and used the checkout? Most likely. Have you ever considered paying for that product, only to feel disappointment that you needed to enter your entire card number to pay, when functional utilities like Google Pay, Apple Pay or PayPal would have been so much easier (and safer) to use?

 

Well, you’re not alone. In fact, younger people such as Gen Z increasingly report that if these utilities are not available, they’ll rarely buy from a private website, outside of edge cases like Amazon. This presents a question – can infrastructure and functional utilities actually make your business more popular? If so, what integrations and connections might be worth investing in this year?

 

Let’s explore and answer those questions in detail:

 

Electric Charging Utilities

 

Adding electric car charging points could be a smart move for some businesses, especially in urban and city environments where more and more people are investing in the tech. If you have a car park to manage, putting in an EV charger with energy storage might bring in new customers. Such conscious consumers might choose your shop or restaurant over another if they can charge their car while they’re there. Moreover, there are sometimes grants available to help with the costs.

 

Accessibility Features

 

Making your business more accessible isn’t just good for people with disabilities – it can be good for everyone for various reasons, be that someone struggling with an injury, an elderly person, or someone who just wants more options. Options like ramps instead of steps can help people with pushchairs too. Clear signs and good lighting make life easier for everyone, and could even deter small crimes from near your premises like robbery or drug use. This might not secure you massive audiences alone, but it certainly inspires people to return, even if they’re not sure why.

 

Seamless Payment & Security Measures

 

Making it easy and safe to pay can really help your business, as we laid out in the intro. People like to have options – cash, cards, phone payments integration certainly provides that. The easier it is, the more likely people are to buy, and “frictionless” experiences are being spoken of more and more in the business world. Just make sure you don’t denigrate the experience – if you implement a QR code menu, still have physical options for those who prefer that.

 

24/7, Capable Support

 

Having good support available all the time can really set your business apart, and better yet it doesn’t have to mean having staff on call 24 hours a day. There are smart, capable chatbots now that can handle constant queries, refer to personalized areas of the support website or frequently asked questions page, or can process a request as an email for your team to pick up in the morning. If customers have to wait to discuss an issue with you without feeling immediately catered to, they’re more likely to head elsewhere to buy.

With this advice, we hope you can see how many little efforts, done well, can inspire repeat and continued business.