In the spring of 2025, Crasman's strategist Ida Makkonen conducted a study on the role of communication in shaping the online shopping customer experience. Although the research focused on Nordic pet supply e-commerce stores, the findings can be applied to numerous other B2C trading environments. To gather customer data, a survey was conducted with 368 consumers participating. The research not only resulted in a master's thesis but also yielded three insights, which have been summarised in this blog post. 

1. When choosing a channel, "keep it simple"

Nearly half of the study participants indicated a preference for email as the channel for e-commerce customer communication. Social media posts came as a close second, favoured by 40.8% of respondents. Therefore, when choosing a communication channel, there's no need to reinvent the wheel!

Why did these particular channels outpace the others? Two factors emerged from the respondents' justifications: ease and speed. The study results highlighted that communication should not disrupt other daily tasks but should be available when it suits the customer. 

It's important for e-commerce stores to find a balance between sharing relevant content and its potential intrusiveness. Of course, it's fine to promote a current campaign, but even then, timing should be considered. When are emails most likely to be opened? And when is your target group active on social media? 

2. Content is key 

What about the content of the messages? Educational and captivating, please! 

When respondents were asked to compare the impact of different content types on improving their customer experience, informative and educational content stood out above the rest. This doesn't just refer to e-commerce product texts, but also includes blogs, articles, quick summaries in social media posts – you name it! 

So, while it wasn't advisable to be creative in choosing the communication channel, here you have the permission to do so. People want to learn, and you are an expert in your field: use it to your advantage. By building credibility and authority through genuinely interesting and value-generating content, customers are unlikely to stray to a competitor's store. 

3. Personalisation: hit or miss?

When discussing personalisation, the research findings were no longer so straightforward. This question also stirred the most emotions among respondents. Some felt that personalised communication was considerate, others found it to be terrible harassment. 

One thing, however, is certain: if you personalise, do it carefully and gather enough information to build comfortably accurate segments. Simply putting the recipient's first name at the start of an email does not build a customer relationship, and poorly executed personalisation is merely irritating. 

In conclusion

If you take away just one thing from this summary, let it be this: communication matters. To succeed in the fierce competition of the digital world, e-commerce stores require increasingly skilful abilities to stand out – not only with products but by providing real added value to the busy daily lives of customers in a way that understands their needs. 

The digital environment allows for rapid changes, which can be both a threat and an opportunity. By understanding their customers, e-commerce stores can react to their evolving desires faster than in a physical environment. On the other hand, falling behind in fast-paced competition can happen just as swiftly.  

You can access the entire study here:  https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2025041628498  

Let's ensure together that your online store keeps up with the pace!