E-commerce is a reality of the modern shopping experience. In today’s world, e-commerce is no longer a luxury for retailers, but a necessity. Not a “nice to have” but a “must have”. Well, for most, this is obvious, and for the rest, they are still in the 20th century.
Customer expectations when shopping online are higher than ever. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for savvy retailers to gain a competitive advantage. To be a market leader, companies must adapt to emerging trends in e-commerce to ensure a superior online customer experience.
So what are the important steps for retailers to provide a great shopping experience for today’s consumers who use multiple devices and visit numerous online sites when they shop?
1. sailing is fun
Navigation should be compelling and functional across all browsers and devices. Your consumers no longer use a device or browser to shop. The potential growth of mobile/iPad devices in e-retail is enormous. With current projections, mobile/iPad will surpass desktop numbers in the next two years. Consumers expect the site to work seamlessly whether they are browsing via desktop, iPad or mobile device. Things to consider: Are there features that won’t work in an older browser or the newer iPad? Does the shopping interface work on smartphone screens? Responsive websites are the key.
Test the online customer experience using insiders and mystery shoppers. These test shoppers should be able to intuitively navigate products through your website, transact, checkout, and process payments without any help. For some of the newer platforms, like iOS 6 and Android 4.2 Jellybean, advanced features like using the camera to scan barcodes and doing a virtual makeover for customers in the store can be enabled.
2. Optimized omnichannel shopping experience
Online shoppers have little patience for inconsistencies across multiple channels. Not only browsers need to be integrated, but multiple purchasing channels as well. An item added to a basket at home is expected to be in the basket when you go to the store or call the call center. Similarly, shoppers should be able to return products purchased online to a physical store. It’s vital that businesses understand the importance of delivering a superior omnichannel experience.
3. GoSocial
Your customers are everywhere on social websites: Facebook has a user base of 1.15 billion and a staggering 699 million daily active users. This is a great opportunity for retailers to take advantage of. With Facebook Connect, various sets of data about users’ daily activity can be collected and used to get closer to target customers, for example, offering promotions on the most liked or most commented products, or recommending the same products when these consumers visit your store. Other social networks like Twitter, Pinterest, Groupon, etc. they are catching up fast and offer great prospects for savvy retailers.
4. Compelling marketing campaign
To reach consumers effectively, retailers must develop compelling marketing messages that resonate in physical and digital forms. “Pull navigation,” where customers request information, is rapidly changing to “push navigation,” where customers are shown information relevant to them based on their browsing or purchase history. For example, a consumer interested in toys is shown ads from various toy retailers every time they browse the Internet. Marketing emails, an effective tool, will soon become relevant SMS notifications when a customer is away from the physical store.
5. content is king
Keep your website relevant and up to date. Frequent users account for a significant portion of your sales, and customers will return if they know you’re not looking for outdated information. Including blogs and social networks and keeping all communication channels active is the key. This will improve customer engagement and people will be able to identify with you and your products. Building your brand this way will eventually have a positive impact on converting shoppers (who are just browsing/comparing) to shoppers (who actually buy from your store).
6. Personalization
The combination of online and offline data from various channels, whether structured or unstructured, provides those hidden consumption patterns that were never thought of. These patterns can be used to present personalized recommendations and content to online customers. Most online shoppers warmly welcome product suggestions based on their personal preferences, purchases, or browsing history. However, some prefer to remain anonymous and do not want their information stored. In any case, consumer information must be handled with discretion and be sufficiently protected.
Conclusion
There is a definite shift in consumer attitude and satisfaction when it comes to the internet – online shopping has become part of mainstream shopping and it is here to stay. The challenge for businesses now centers on delivering the best customer experience and ensuring that the user experience is seamlessly integrated across all channels the consumer is exposed to. Consumers want to easily research and compare products, engage in discussion when necessary, and have complete clarity regarding the total cost of purchase, as well as flexible delivery and return policies. The challenge is not only to ensure that shopping apps work on each device, but also that they take full advantage of the features of each platform.
In the end, you win if the consumer wins.
Is your company prepared for these eCommerce trends that define the present and future of eCommerce?