7 novelties in e-commerce. Trends for buyers and sellersóin and for CMOs
The fact that lockdowns haven’t brought life and the economy to a complete halt is thanks to Internet sales. For many industries it has been a lifeline, in others it has accelerated digital transformation. For the e-commerce sector itself, the pandemic is an injection of new solutions.
It is unlikely that we will still be wearing masks and disinfecting our hands after the pandemic officially ends. However, we can already see that many osób will continue to work remotely. It is the same with online sales. Some restaurants thatóThe difference between acting on the part of the UX agency, where the concept is crucial, and acting on the part of the contractor, where the idea is to be realized. However, many businessów, whichóre investing in their own e-commerce channels, see how these past few months have changed the dynamics of their development. Here are 7 phenomena from the world of e-commerce thatóAfter the pandemic, they are no longer niche:
I. Trends for buyers and sellersów
1. Straightforward shopping paths
DopóThe main group of shoppers who shopped onlineópeople who have spent years familiarizing themselves with store interfacesónline and determined to make a purchase, the problem of improving conversions has not been so pressing. Naturally, there have been analyses that due to a sub-optimally designed UX at each stage of the purchase path, some customers are lostóThe number of online shoppers who have not been familiar with the web has increased, but only the influx of a new group of shoppers has shown that the scale of the losses can be really large.
E-commerce managers set about improving serviceóThe online shop is also a place where it is more difficult to find a menu that is not intuitive, a search engine that does not find anything or a shopper who is stuck in a rutóIt is therefore more difficult to find an unintuitive menu, a search engine that does not find anything or to get stuckóor to get stuck with an order at a point where you do not know what to do next. Increasing competitiveness will in time force similar changes in those who are still delaying with them.
2. More personalization and programóLoyalty programs
Before the pandemic, retailers actively encouraged the collection of pointsóin and couponóin the discounts, but more importantlyóNot during purchaseóin stationary stores. In recent months, it has become clear that customers expect a familiar shopping experience also online. What’s more, they also appreciate it when, just like in the salon, a salesperson recommends an item that suits them, and not the one they are looking forót is just a promotion. Although marketing communication on the Internet is mass, it can be much more effective if it is tailored to the audienceóThe first step is to find out which target groups you are interested in – by gender, age, interests or previous choicesóin shopping. In post-pandemic e-commerce, it is becoming the norm not only to collect customer data, but also to use it to build a spónternal communication.
Since we ask the customer when they make a purchaseóIn younger age groups, but also for the product name, it would already be póThen address them by name. Even when they realise that this is happening in a wayób automated, they will appreciate the attention to this small detail. It is worth remembering that personalization in marketing activities, whichóAlthough it has already become a standard, it is still only the first step. In time, the content of a store or a mobile application should be personalized, so that when a customer launches it, he/she will first see offers related to his/her recent purchases.
3. New approach to marketplace’ów
Huge popularity of the serviceóThe marketplace has convinced the producerów that not all customersóThe marketplace will be able to attract shoppers to its own store, because for some of them online shopping will always begin and end on Allegro or Amazon. That’s why brands strive to reach with their offer the places where internet shoppers spend most of their time.
The last few months, however, have seen a strong expansion of marketplaces’óin zaróThe number of such applications is growing (they are developed by retail chains and supermarkets, there are services focused on a particular industry or applications with one group of productsóMore and more companies are taking a more thoughtful approach to both their offerings. For brands with their own store, this is not always good news – the same product in the marketplace offer’It may be better positioned in the search engine, and even available at the same price may be cheaper for the useróin a premium service, whichóThose who receive e.g. In recent months, it has become apparent that customers expect well-known products and services.
That’s why experts suggest manufacturers to analyze their strategy towards marketplace’ów and did not try to sell everything everywhere they could. More and more companies are taking a more thoughtful approachób approach the wspóWorking with the marketplace’The first step is the development of the mobile channel. Deciding on one key commóThey are also trying to attract shoppers to the places where they spend most of their time, while at the same time withdrawing from other activities.
4. Shopping in mobile applications
In recent years, most visits to online stores have already taken place via mobile devices and nearly half of purchasesóThe mobile shopping experience is finalized via smartphones and tablets. In younger age groups, but also for the productóin such as clothing, the mobile channel is definitely dominant.
What has clearly strengthened this mobile trend in recent months are shopping apps. For many retail chains, launching their own app during the pandemic was a clear sign that they are not waiting out the hard times, but are relying on the Internet. But applications have not only an image aspect. Applications thatóThis experience was new for the company, as it allows stores to send discount notifications and give coupons to their customersóIn the past, the loyalty model has become a way to build a fully omnichannel ecosystem.
II. Trends for CMOs in the retail industry
1. Delivery in the form of curbside pickup
During the lockdownóin the idea of receiving online purchasesów onsite at the store had something of a pandemic feel to it (especially since sometimes, true to its name, it actually took place from the curb outside the market). However, it quickly became clear that this model is also very efficient without the social distance. According to Digital Commerce research, in the U.S., nearly half of the sales networks already allow you to bounceór purchaseóThe first disadvantage is neutralized by the curbside pickup system. This means that there is a large consumer group for which thisóThis means that there is a large group of consumers for whom such a solution is preferable and for whom having it in the store can be decisive when choosing where to shop.
2. To ensure a positive experience “new on the internet”
The already mentioned consumer groupów, któhe discovery of online shopping during the pandemic had its reasons for going unnoticed for many years. Online shopping has been perceived as difficult, risky and too time-consuming. The first disadvantage is neutralized by improving the UX of storesóThe remedy for the other two is to have as many payment and delivery options as possible so that users end up with solutions that they canóThey already know and trust them from somewhere.
To new customersów it is also worth extending a helping hand by setting up a hotline or chat room, and placing a prominent incentive in the store to use these services when in doubt. Such an investment can quickly pay offóThe report by Sygnifyd shows that online shopping has become a difficult and time-consuming processóin lieu of the hunteróIn addition to bargain hunting, new shoppers simply want to shop as normal and spend an average of 163 per cent of their income on bargains. more than a standard customer before the pandemic.
3. Reaching out directly to the end customerów
SupportóWe have also started to work with wholesalers andóNational sales networks can be convenient, especially for thoseóNot only for the produceróin those specializing in a narrow assortment and operating in a niche industry. Until recently, many of them have treated the online store more like a visitóthan an actual sales channel. Pandemic shows that with stationary retail fully shut down, e-commerce remains an effective way for manufacturing companies to sell.
In this model, however, sales are no longer usually made to wholesalers or intermediariesóin, and straight to the customerów. This requires a shift in thinking from B2B to B2C and targeting the message not to sales reps, but to waspsób, whichóre I will actually use the product being sold.
Even before the pandemic, for one of our clients, directóAs a manufacturer of chimneysóWe have prepared a functional B2B platform which makes placing orders with him much easieróThis was new for BoxOfAdsów. PóThen we went a step further and also launched a regular store, where we orderóThe mobile adverts can be submitted by anyone, which was a novelty for this company. It quickly became apparent that direct sales has enormous potential, and, what’s more, it gives company managers a much richer picture of the market than they had when they were contactingóIn this model, however, you usually sell to wholesalers and. A similar experience has been shared by many retailersóWe can expect to see more and more manufacturersów will want to go on their own.