E-commerce Marketing

In the Cart: The New World of E-Commerce Marketing

By Indrani Pati
February 5, 2021

The Covid-19 pandemic has introduced some defining changes in the world of E-commerce marketing, the implications of which are expected to have a ripple effect that will last years. Retail businesses are having to quickly adapt to changing consumer behaviour and the associated demand and supply rates. The pandemic significantly paced up the consumer mindset to browse, choose and purchase from the convenience of their homes, which consequently affected the fundamental functionings of the E-commerce industry. In evolving times like these, here are five avenues that your businesses can use in their E-commerce marketing strategies to enhance sales and increase customer delight.

AR will drive check-out rates

Research data tells us that around 76% of the consumers will make higher purchases provided they have the option of Augmented Reality, and about 42% believe that AR will help them in making better buys. The ‘try before you buy’ trend will become all-consuming as businesses will now use a higher number of brand-specific AR filters in their social media for faster check-out rates. Smart and interactive user manuals will be readily available, and brands will incorporate them into their websites. This will give the much-needed autonomy to the consumers and also improve automated customer services. IKEA is an excellent example to draw inspiration from. Its own AR home decor app called IKEA Place enables customers to preview products in their own environment prior to making a purchase.

AI will improve B2C conversions

It is being predicted that in the upcoming years, over 85% of consumer interactions will be managed via Artificial Intelligence than humans. Businesses will analyse consumer data from several touch-points such as mobile apps, websites, email campaigns, etc., to provide a more hyper-personalised experience to the end-users. They will use ‘the assortment intelligence tool’ that will help in monitoring and analysing the competitor’s product and pricing strategy which will help them in gaining a competitive advantage. This way, businesses will be able to make the requisite changes for higher accuracy while targeting their audiences. They will use AI for inventory management for time-scale demand prediction of their products and reinforce learning systems to be better prepared for the future. Sales of wearable technology will be encouraged as some of these gadgets collect a large amount of data that will help in giving personalised recommendations to the user. Furthermore, Chatbots will refine the shopping experience by looking into pre and post-sales customer service.

Voice-search will boost SERPs

Voice-based searches will become heavily conversational and will play a key role in driving organic traffic to business websites which will ultimately culminate in good sales numbers. It will become more consolidated and better integrated with the customer experience, customer journey, secure payment gateways, store navigation, as well as personalised recommendations. As per research data, about 75% of consumers will own smart speakers by 2025, which will serve more relatable and less intrusive ads. Basically, voice- search will become the preferred mode of communication as it takes up less time and requires no exertion. It will be a crucial differentiator, enhance the consumer experience, and help in building in customer loyalty. Related article : How Voice Search Will Change The Future Of SEO

Personalisation to reorient PPC rates

In today’s digital world, businesses have to come up with ways to stand out by creating highly personalised experiences for their consumers. On-site marketing experiences will become more popular to have an in-depth engagement with the audiences. Businesses will try new algorithms for psychographic personalisation, based on the individual’s personality rather than just basic demographics and big data. Surveys show that there is a 25% spike in revenue and a 45% downfall in bounce rates with hyper-personalisation - a fact that solidifies its importance even more. Further, tailor-made suggestions will play a key role in online search behaviour, and recommendations will pop up in real-time as and when the user moves on from one page to another online.

Omnichannel Shopping will increase gateways

Businesses will focus on providing omnichannel shopping opportunities to their consumers that will look into providing a cohesive user experience at every touch-point across different channels and devices. Websites, payment channels, and apps will be well-optimised so that they are accessible across different devices and provide an end-to-end in-depth experience to their consumers. Businesses will also increase purchase options like - pick up from store, buy online and pick up from store, buy in-store and get home delivery, etc., to give autonomy to the customers where they have ample options to choose from. They will try to improve their sales by selling on multiple platforms, collating data from these purchases and transactions, engaging via one on one analysis, and being present exactly where the customer is. With changing times, everyone is trying to adapt and have a strong foothold in the market for better results. While you try to look after the needs of your consumers, it is hoped that the above-mentioned points will enable you to run your businesses in the best way possible. Related Article : Digital Transformation Through E-Commerce