Ecommerce solutions for business growth

Let’s take a commercial look

Ecommerce is the term attributed to buying and selling online, which naturally draws on technologies for developing online shopping websites, inventory management systems, and enabling payment transactions.

Typically, organisations will require a bespoke set of ecommerce tools to start selling to prospective customers online, and with it being big business you’ll want to get it right.

With a clear understanding of your objectives, Serenity Digital can develop the right ecommerce solution for your business.

Create a better experience

One of the biggest challenges facing businesses is creating better user experiences, incorporating both ease of use and something that is attractive. Online shoppers don’t engage with a product the way they used to. Today, it’s all about searching for products, reading reviews, asking for recommendations and they easily also get distracted by adverts, other posts and how other consumers are interacting with products.

Online retailers must be highly competitive or have such a unique product that their place in the market is unquestionable.

What we’re seeing

Ecommerce is huge thanks to its immediate availability.

81% of shoppers research their product online before purchasing (Chainstorage)

However, so often we see prospects who are falling foul of one (or many) of the following pitfalls and challenges:

Lack of detail on products

Product pages are the basis of any online store but not thoroughly describing what you are selling must be one of the easiest ways of turning off potential customers.

Not being clear or compliant

78% of internet users are concerned about sites they sign up with selling their data (Altimeter Group – online trust report)

As we can see, as Ecommerce has grown, consumers are more vigilant when it comes to passing over their personal data, and this is a very real challenge for online businesses.

Lack of visitors to the site

43% of e-commerce traffic comes from Google search (organic) and 26% comes from Google Adwords. Wolfgang Digital

SEO and Google Shopping are the main investment areas, and as we can see account for driving visitors to any ecommerce site. For those digital businesses who are not investing, your audience will be significantly reduced.

Mobile incompatibility

We see it time and time again, where online businesses are not adapting their website for mobile users. As the smartphone is where most shopping experiences start, those who are not providing your audience with a mobile optimised shopping experience, you will be missing out on revenue.

A weak or non-existent product return or refund system

You don’t build trust and credibility with your audience by constantly trying to sell to them. Many marketers see “valuable” writing content as way to promote products and services, however consumers are now savvy enough to see through this, and will dis-engage.

The purpose of content strategy is to supply information where there is an interest and natural demand.

No email marketing

Not following up with new customers or those who have abandoned their shopping carts is nothing less than a lost opportunity to hold engagement and increase revenue.

Your audience at purchase stage are the most engaged they have ever been, and have often opted in to receiving incentives to purchase more, and earn their loyalty.

As long as it’s not abused, and you’re not bombarding your customers every day, email marketing in this guise is one of the most powerful ecommerce tactics you can use.

Clumsy check out process

Whilst every online business experiences abandoned carts and bounces from their website, if the check out process is confusing or clunky this will have a damaging effect. Consumers know exactly what to expect now from a good looking and well-functioning check out process, so they hold no prisoners!

Build an incredible shopping experience

When used in combination with a well-developed website, robust integration, and water tight guidelines and policies, content management will deliver a successful return on investment.

Our 7 tips below will get any ecommerce project well on its way to success:

Define the journey you want your customers to have

Before starting to map out any application development, make sure you have a clear understanding of the customers you want to attract to your website, and what you want them to do when they are there.

Simply saying “I want them to make a purchase” is not enough. There must be a clear journey which makes it an easy process for your customers to navigate through the website and purchase without issue.

Create a beautiful interface

We know buy with their eyes, and creating a visually stimulating shopping experience is key.

Where people don’t have the instant gratification of a physical purchase in store, this is even more important, as well of course as helping you stand out from the competition.

Images are also shareable and can also boost your SEO value.

Make sure it’s mobile friendly

Invest in responsive design so that those who are visiting your website using a mobile site has the same experience as if they were using a desktop computer. Focus on conversions, so you’re not losing track of the end goal

This is essential, so consumers are not leaving the website prematurely, because the chances are they will never return.

Invest in Google Shopping

Google Shopping is a sure way of driving ready buyers to your website when otherwise it may lack traffic. If people are not aware you exist, you won’t sell anything. When approached properly with the right amount of research, it can be an extremely effective revenue generating tool.

Make it secure and clear

One of the biggest consumer fears when buying online is that their security and data may be compromised. This extends to their personal data such as name, address, etc, but also payment details.

Tell your audience how you will use and store their data, and ensure secure payment gateways are in place to build trust from the get go. This also extends to investing in secure hosting for your website and other ecommerce applications, so you as a business are well protected.

Track behaviour

By setting up tracking on individual website pages, you can see how your visitors are interacting with your content, products and call to actions in order to make further refinements.

Send welcome campaigns as a starter for 10

When a new customer purchases something online, this is your first opportunity to interact with them via email on a personal level and walk them through what to do next.

This could be activating something from their end relating to the product they have purchased or suggesting additional related products. It is an imperative stage in the lifecycle of email marketing and ensuring ongoing engagement.

Advanced Ecommerce for growing brands

Ecommerce sales account for 14% of total retail sales in the UK so it’s no wonder a need for intuitive Ecommerce solutions have grown. However, businesses can miss prime opportunities and are often not investing enough in the user experience for maximum results.

To discuss your latest project, and how we can help develop an ecommerce solution to grow your business, please get in touch.

 

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