Very simply customers want be communicated with and to know the truth at all times. This is no different than what we expect from others in other areas of our lives. E-commerce companies must ensure they are communicating appropriately and providing transparency across the entire customer journey—from the ads that drive prospects to the site—to the package being delivered to the customer's front door. This has become even more important now as a result of the pandemic because it has changed the way companies sell, market, and deliver their e-commerce experiences. In short, your brand experience is enhanced by great customer communications and transparency.

Inside companies, the term “Brand” is often used as a sword and a shield. All departments will use phrases like “that will hurt the brand” to defend their position and their departments. Making sure you communicate across the buying process and across the customer journey should be an easy choice. It solidifies your brand and ensures your customers feel you are living up to your brand promise, whether it is stated in your positioning or simply expected by the customer. A customer should be able to see things like price, offers, complimentary items, inventory and the package delivery process easily.

On the delivery side, it is not often seamlessly integrated into the customer journey. E-commerce companies often do not provide the communication customers want. Think of the excitement a customer has in waiting for that new phone, jeans, sneakers and etc. Their anticipation is high in many cases as they wait to receive that item. It is also the last chance to ace that transparency and communication with the customer. Regardless of size, all e-commerce companies need to be able to communicate accurately where a customer's package is according to the given milestones—from printing the label to, the first-mile, air transportation, and finally to the last-mile and delivery at destination. Customers hate surprises and even if there is an issue, people are willing to accept some level of issues.

Making sure that transparency is effortlessly part of your brand is not easy. Organizations need to apply the principles of transparency across all components of the customer journey. Efficient communication and collaboration with internal stakeholders and external partners is essential. Having the technology to enable constant, accurate and transparency that is accessible via mobile or desktop devices is a must to ensure an excellent customer experience, that ensures repeat business. If you build transparency into your brand, you will have more repeat customers, more word-of-mouth recommendations and will build great customer loyalty along the way.