Do you have a thriving business that is looking for ways to expand sales? Adding an Ecommerce or shopping platform could provide an increasingly lucrative option for your business. Ecommerce is not a new trend, but with the trends in more online shopping, it may be your time to capture some of those online sales.
You think because your company does business to business (B2B) versus business to consumer (B2C) that ecommerce isn’t for you, you would be wrong! We see companies now purchasing things such as software and services for their employees online. It’s now more important than ever to ensure your business is in place and fully functional on all devices buyers use when they are shopping online.
Bob Dylan sand “The Times They Are A-Changin”, well so too is the future of ecommerce. In years past, stores developed the ecommerce business to be desktop first and mobile second. Today, we are seeing the opposite happen. The focus has shifted to mobile being the primary focus with desktop following behind. In 2020, consumers are expected to make 45% of all commerce decisions on mobile devices, which is on the rise. Still not seeing the importance of mobile shopping. That will come out to about @284.
This is a number that is expected to continue to grow, and probably not for reasons you would expect. Recent research shows that almost 60% of buyers have done research on their mobile devices…from their home! We are no longer able to make assumptions about what a mobile or desktop user looks like or what they are doing. You now need to make sure you are providing a great experience for your customers regardless of your desktop or mobile sites.
So now that you know there is tremendous value in having a strong online shopping experience, whats next?
While many businesses assume consumers only price shop online, studies show that consumer behavior is changing as fast as the usage trends. So what are consumers looking for then? Content! They want great product descriptions and lots of good high quality images of the product. Product reviews and accurate sizing information are also important, so they end up with a purchase they are happy with. You know what grabs a consumer more than a good product description? A good product video description. Consumers would rather watch a breakdown of the features of your products and how to use them than read paragraphs of text. Consumers want to be engaged!
Speaking of consumers being engaged, you know where a great place to engage them with your video content is? If you guessed social media you are correct! Social media apps are leading the charge into the importance of video content. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat all are becoming video centric with recent updates and joining YouTube that is already stuffed full of consumers offering video reviews of products. Are you thinking videos would be great, but a lot of work and you don’t know if it will increase sales? Research shows us that over 60% of shoppers who watched a branded video on a social network made a purchase after viewing the video.
That's A Lot To Think About, Isn't It?
You have a fair amount of competition to your brick and mortar store and there’s even more online competitors. Being available to consumers and just having good products is not enough. Content marketing will be a critical part of your marketing strategy going forward to have success. As consumers seek out personalized shopping experiences, providing great content can help relay what your business stands for.
But what about those people who only use your store for research, what are they doing? A recent study shows that over 80% of shoppers who are performing research before making a purchase have moved to the online platform where there is far more information and options available to them, even if they do come back to your store to purchase. So how are you going to convince these people that your products are the best and they should buy from you? Making sure you are easily found in important places like Google Search, Social Media or anywhere else your customers would be is vital. If you are able to answer the right questions at the right time and provide a good experience you are likely to complete the purchase, even if you aren’t the cheapest.
Dot Marketing’s digital marketing team is experienced in Google Search and Social Media if you need help in getting to that next level with your ecommerce sales. Contact us today!
