It’s an exciting time to be involved in e-commerce, as more and more shoppers across the world are heading online for their goods.
But Asendia recognises that, for online brands to succeed in today’s ultra-competitive retail environment, they need to be completely in tune with what consumers want and the latest developments in the industry. That’s why we stay on top of international e-commerce trends and help brands take part in global e-commerce growth.
To guide you to greater e-commerce success, we’re presenting the 12 most important trends for today’s cross-border retailers. In this second part of four, we explore personalisation, video content, and multichannel selling.
- Customers Expect Personalisation
The simple truth is, if you’re not using personalisation, you’re losing revenue. Today’s shoppers are demanding more personalisation and a recent study found that 78% are more likely to shop with brands that offer personalised experiences. They’re looking for your website, content, and communications to be personally tailored just for them. Personalisation is no longer just a neat feature – it’s a customer expectation you must meet.
Make the most of the customer data you have and endeavour to capture more. Online retailers who are actively tracking their customers, finding out how they’re interacting with their brand and what their on-site experiences look like, are enjoying higher conversion rates and increased profit. They are proactively trying to understand their visitors’ purchase patterns, demographics, and psychographics.
It's not just about making customers feel special – personalisation ensures your products are relevant and combats shopper indecision, making it more likely for your customers to find and buy suitable items. As a strategy, personalisation is effective because it works for customers on multiple levels.
Tips to stay ahead:
E-commerce personalisation is a very broad, technical subject – but don’t be intimidated. There are a variety of approaches that can be adopted. Commit to quality research – reach out to your customers and find out how they’d like your shopping experience to be personalised. Then, start looking into customer profiling and real-time data capture.
- The Power of Video
Are you using video content in your marketing campaigns? If not, you could be losing out on a huge 49% of potential revenue growth, according to research. Attractive videos are vital in today’s online sales environment – customers want to see a true representation of your products in their natural environment. The key benefit for e-tailers is that there’s a greater chance audiences might fall in love with their merchandise.
Nothing sells quite like video. Bringing a product to life surpasses slick webpage layouts, snappy descriptions, and even glowing reviews. But video is becoming ubiquitous, heightening the competition that already exists among online retailers. Around 86% of marketers are using video content to advertise, educate, and entertain. So how can you stand out and reach the audience you want?
Be smart and appeal to mobile users, since more than three-quarters of video viewing is on mobile devices. Invest in vertical video marketing, the 9:16 format driven by the popularity of apps such as Snapchat and Instagram; this allows engagement with your customers in a way that fits their viewing preferences. Enhance your brand’s online shopping experience with point-of-sale vertical videos within your product pages and enjoy higher conversion rates – but only if that video is well designed, attention-grabbing, and valuable.
Tips to stay ahead:
Try to create an emotional connection through your videos; create a story around your product and communicate your brand values. Make sure the picture and sound quality are as polished as they can be for your budget, and always keep your videos short – punchy advertisements are far more enjoyable than long, detailed pieces.
- Multichannel Strategy
We all know that online shopping is flourishing at an incredible rate, with no sign of slowing down. The question is, how should online retailers capitalise on this and make the most of their sales channel? One answer is to multiply them. Consider selling your products across numerous platforms, including your website, social media, and online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay.
So why does a multichannel strategy work? Because modern customers are multichannel shoppers. Research has shown that consumers are using up to 12 channels and devices when shopping for items; multichannel shoppers also spend three times more than single-channel shoppers. It makes clear business sense to open up your company’s potential by expanding your presence through online marketplace integration. People are loyal to certain marketplaces, so having a presence on multiple platforms increases the potential pool of buyers for your product.
With more and more online marketplaces popping up every year, e-tailers who realise that one channel isn’t enough have more options than ever in deciding which selling platforms are ideal for their brand.
Tips to stay ahead:
Connecting to multiple marketplaces can take your e-commerce business to a new level of success. But, if you don’t have the knowhow, the delivery strategy may seem impossible to manage – especially when you factor in the associated spike in returns and potential for cross-border sales. We recommend bringing a trusted partner on board who can handle all the complexities for you and provide you with the global delivery and returns solutions you need to gain multichannel success.
Asendia helps retailers across the world achieve their online ambitions through our ability to make international e-commerce as easy and stress-free as possible. Our global mail, parcel, and e-commerce solutions will enhance your operation and support your customers, wherever they are in the world, and enable you to grow across borders with confidence.
