|
|
Expert Advice
|
|
For Success in e-Commerce
|
|
|
Our team of e-Commerce experts outline an effective strategy for increasing and optimising your sales!
|
|
|
There were many innovations in the world of e-Commerce throughout 2014 and with these came innumerable opportunities for e-traders.
In September 2014 e-Commerce received a boost from social media with the introduction of the “Buy button” on Twitter. This should be a trend that grows further in 2015.
User Experience is also coming up time and time again as something to focus on in the coming year.
To start the year as we mean to go on and ensure that you e-traders have enough to keep you going, our Expert Advice kicks off 2015 with 7 trends that will help you improve your site efficiency in the coming year.
|
|
|
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:
|
1. Mobile and tablets account for almost 4 in 10 visits to e-retail websites.
2. E-merchants now have the opportunity to collect more accurate and pertinent data regarding their clients.
3. Shopping through social media has become unavoidable with the addition of the Twitter “Buy button”
4. Retargeting technology offers new insights into buying traffic.
5. By 2017 50% of investment on product innovations will focus on user experience.
6. Consumers are becoming more demanding in regards to delivery.
7. SEO and social media strategies are increasingly dependent on good content marketing.
|
|
|
7 major e-Commerce trends for 2015 under the microscope!
|
|
|
01
|
The incontestable rise of mobile
| |
35% of online purchases, for Christmas 2014 made on a mobile, an increase of more than 20% compared to 2012. This means that mobile will be the major concern for e-traders throughout 2015. On Christmas day 57% of online sales were made via a smartphone or tablet; an increase of 19% compares to last year. Although these figures relate to the States, it’s a trend that’s fast growing in the UK.
This trend is in line with the increase of mobile devices being used: 44% of the country have a tablet and 71% have a smartphone (Kantar ComTech). However, we still face some challenges in 2015 with consumers still tending to spend more on a computer than a smartphone. The utmost will have to be done to ensure an excellent user experience, putting site visitors at ease and encouraging them to buy more. Don’t hesitate to reread our Experts Advice on Mobile Commerce to remind yourself of the best practices. Don’t forget that with Oxatis you can activate your mobile site with just one click, instantly creating an ergonomic site, optimized for any screen size or device.
|  |
|
|
02
|
Data, Data, Data
| |
Data has an increasingly important role for online retailers. Merchants who collect and analyse behavioral data about their visitors and buyers will undoubtedly have an edge over their competitors.
“Big data” offers many advantages: increased conversion rates, more effective promotional campaigns, better customer loyalty... Using data to build clearer consumer insights can help you create personalised offers that increase your chance of success; reaching the right person, with the right offer, at the right time is priceless!
Helpful hints: to take your first steps towards using big data, the best starting point is the RFM model, ‘Recency, Frequency and Monetary Value.’ Segmenting your customer base in this way, which is easily done using the Oxatis solution, complements the filters and criteria already available; order history, favourite products or categories, country, language...
| |
|
|
03
|
The rise of social shopping
| |
Social shopping is a shopping community created by social networks. For a long time these social platforms have been seen as an Eldorado for potential e-tailers. Each user can recommend articles to friends, a virtual word of mouth but much faster than actual word of mouth! Remember that 74% of buyers use social networks to get an opinion on products they’re thinking of buying on e-Commerce sites. What’s more, 90% of internet put their trust in buyer reviews.
By all accounts social shopping is set to grow considerably during 2015. Last September, Twitter launched its “Buy button” that allows you to purchase products direct from its network. Facebook, which has over 31 million users in the UK (Source: statista.com), already includes features to make your life as an e-tailer easier. Oxatis My Social Store will also help you optimize your activities on the network.
Besides Facebook and Twitter, three other social networks stand out: Pinterest and Instagram for all products benefitting from added visual value - notably fashion and food – with LinkedIn being the forerunner for B2B marketing.
Finally, don’t forget that 50% of Internet users subscribe to a brand on social networks to receive offers. So now you know what you have to do to keep your online community hooked!
|  |
|
|
04
|
The diversification of traffic buying
| |
To increase sales, it’s no secret that sometimes you have to get your wallet out to boost your site traffic! We already know about Google AdWords (we consecrated an edition of Expert Advice to AdWords not long ago so don’t hesitate to revisit that edition) but it’s no longer the only option; in 2015 buying traffic will continue to diversify, gradually reducing dependence on the Google behemoth. Here are some tools that can really support you; retargeting, real-time bidding, social media advertising, emailing, mobile advertising, videos... The opportunities are endless for those who can find the appropriate marketing format for their product, its target and the best moment to reach them. Don’t forget that Google Display is three times as efficient during sales periods than the rest of the year. Good to know if you want to hit the ground running in 2015!
The continued growth of retargeting technologies in 2015 will make them a strong player this year. This straetgy consists of identifying your site visitors and then submitting your ads to other sites they visit which also have display advertising. This form of marketing is highly targeted and provides unprecedented opportunities for online retailers. Especially since the technology associated with retargeting is constantly improving.
|  |
|
Important Notice – our e-Commerce experts will help you develop both your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) Strategy and your first AdWords Campaign. Fill out the form and one of our experts will call you back to discuss a customised quote for your e-Commerce needs.
|
| |
|
|
05
|
User Experience is the key to loyalty
| |
In a world where e-Commerce is becoming the norm for a growing number of internet users; in 2013 72% of all adults bought goods or services online, you need to stand out from the crowd to gain customer loyalty. This is why the user experience is becoming increasingly vital and you shold be a step ahead of user expectations. This isn’t just going to be a 2015 trend but a permanent endeavor. According to Gartner Consulting by 2017, 50% of investment on product innovations will focus on user experience.
User experience is interesting for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s a great way to make premium offers and get out of the battle for the lowest price. You can cater for customers who are looking for excellent service whilst increasing your margins. Secondly, quality of user experience is a crucial criteria for insuring your e-Commerce site’s success and essential in maximizing long-term conversion rates.
In short, it’s user experience that will guarantee long-term customer loyalty.
|  |
|
|
06
|
Logistics and delivery: customer expectations on the increase
| |
In recent years, logistics and delivery have been at the heart of e-Commerce innovation. E-tailers have always offered a variety of specific delivery options. Ready to do almost anything to accommodate the needs of their clients and stand out from the competition. Amongst the many delivery options that have proved successful recently, notably same-day shipping, in-store pick-up and an increasing number of pick-up points. The stats confirm the importance of these options; 55% of customers who had a bad delivery experience won’t order from that site again. So you should be making every effort to meet the requirements of your site visitors.
Fortunately, Oxatis has all the necessary weapons to help you win this battle. Guarantee your customers a wide range of delivery options: with Oxatis you have complete flexibility and can integrate any additional options you desire – the choice is literally yours. No excuses not to satisfy every delivery whim your client may have!
| |
|
|
07
|
A new deal for SEO
| |
As you know SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) has always been one of the principal pillars of an effective e-Commerce strategy. This is not to say that good practices can’t evolve, on the contrary! It is becoming increasingly difficult to improve SEO by focusing solely on traditional techniques such as the introduction of keywords and inbound URLs. In order to succeed you need more strings to your bow! In 2015 the best results will be more and more reliant on content marketing.
Content marketing’s aim is to distribute relevant and interesting content, regarding your e-Commerce site, to your target audience via your site. For example, articles that explain how to use the products you sell. Why does this impact SEO? The Google algorithm (which is used for 89% of searches in the UK) is increasingly favouring content that has been shared on social media, considering this as a guarantee of quality. The more your content is shared, the higher your ranking goes. Today SEO strategies and social media go hand in hand, but they have one common denominator: quality of content.
And now over to you!!
Want to learn more about using an e-Commerce SaaS platform advantages?
|  |
|
|
