Ecommerce will grow up to 20 percent in 2016
It’s
2016. You can bet that hordes of new and existing online shoppers
received a computer or smartphone for Christmas. New studies show
that ecommerce will grow up to 20 percent this year.
While
big brick-and-mortar retailers are embracing shoppers that scan
in-store products by providing better pricing and more details,
smaller ecommerce businesses can help online shoppers in unique ways.
Here
are nine things ecommerce companies must implement this year to
harness the power of selling online.
1.
Better mobile optimization of the entire site.
This
includes the home page, category pages, product pages, supporting
pages (about us, contact us) and checkout. Mobile optimizations
serves two primary purposes: (a) an increased visibility across the
web, especially in search engines and shopping directories; and (b)
it provides an ideal user experience.
A
recent study published by Elastic Path, the ecommerce platform, shows
that people who shop in physical stores and on their smartphones –
versus those who only shop physical stores – spend 66 percent more
overall. The big chains have already put plans into action as a
result. Online shopping, especially via a smartphone, is more popular
than ever.
2.
More focus on millennials.
Within
ten years, millennials — roughly, those born in the 1980s and 1990s
— will make up about 75 percent of the global workforce. They grow
(or have grown) up to become tech savvy and helped shape social media
and mobile platforms as we know them today. That means site content
needs to be up-to-date, quick to access, and easy to use. Don’t
confuse “tech savvy” with the need to be overly flashy. While
adopting popular technology can be helpful, speed and ease of use
will close more sales across the widest demographic.
3.
A loyalty program.
You
don’t have to go for broke, but offering some kind of reward to
loyal customers pays off. While you may not be able to launch the
next Amazon Prime, rewards that can result in “earned” future
products prompt people to buy more.
4.
More personalization. Online
shoppers want to feel like people. If implementing high-end services
that rely on sophisticated data and detailed browsing histories isn’t
in your budget, some options are relatively simple and affordable.
Logical related products (displaying truly related items, especially
in the shopping cart) and smart search tools are key.
Relying
on geographic information - geo-targeting - can help push the right
products to the right people. After all, you don’t want to waste
precious real estate promoting snowsuits to Florida shoppers. A
similar tactic can be used for referring URLs.
Other
inexpensive ways to personalize include displaying the shopper’s
name when he’s logged in, and offering saved shopping carts. Use
customer accounts? Exclusive landing pages after login or special
coupons for returning customers (with their name on the page) can
help boost conversions and order totals.
5.
More engaging content.
Boredom
kills an online store. Shoppers need to stay engaged. From landing
pages to product details, both textual and media content needs to
compel shoppers to either buy or search the site for something they
want. Find a healthy balance between sprucing up the content you
already have and introducing new content, such as supporting videos
and how-tos.
Need
help? Writing compelling copy isn’t easy for everyone. If hiring an
experienced writer is possible, do it. Otherwise, you can utilize
online apps. Grammarly is
a free grammar and spell checker that can help identify embarrassing
errors. It includes tools to enhance clarity.
6.
More payment options.
It’s
all about speed, organization, and security. Many shoppers have a
payment method of choice, and if your store doesn’t accept it, you
may lose the sale. While it’s not feasible to accept every possible
method, go beyond just credit cards and PayPal. Loyal Amazon shoppers
often prefer to pay via Checkout by Amazon across all sites. Mobile
payments — methods exclusive to mobile use — are also growing in
popularity.
7.
Better choices in shipping methods.
This
past holiday season, USPS was heavily criticized on social media
because of delivery issues. Many online shoppers were irritated with
false claims that notices were left or addresses were undeliverable.
UPS and FedEx have also had issues. It makes sense that some people
have preferred carriers. If a customer wants delivery only to a P.O.
box, he should have that option.
8.
Multiple ways to communicate.
Show
that you’re approachable. You’ll not only build trust, but
visitors will be more apt to report website glitches. Shoppers will
be more forgiving if you make it easy for them to contact you and get
answers. Provide several methods of contact, including a phone
number, an email address (or easy-to-use contact form), and links to
social media profiles.
9.
Regular checkups.
Study
your site’s analytics every week. This is a key way to determine
what’s working and to predict trends within the demographics you
target. Ignore the data and you’ll have no way of knowing what to
do next.
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