eCommerce: yesterday, today and tomorrow

The consequences of Covid

Without the possibility of leaving the walls of one's home, the Web and Apps have allowed citizens and companies to stay in touch, thus not only limiting the loss of turnover but in some cases increasing it.

Due to the health crisis, in fact, online trade has leapt forward by years: we are talking about a growth rate of 68% in the last quarter of 2020 compared to the previous year.

While it is true that in some sectors we have seen a growth in turnover, it is interesting to note that some trends have been maintained even after the lockdown, such as online spending, which has now grown by 45% year-on-year. 

Some data

79.7% of internet users between the ages of 16 and 64 made at least one online purchase in January 2021, with female audiences usually shopping more often than male audiences.

Currently, eCommerce is experiencing an increase of 14 billion in sales across Europe and 2 billion in Italy.

The customer at the centre of everything

Consumer habits change, competition increases and consequently so do consumer expectations. For this reason, taking care of UX and customer service becomes a priority for the company that decides to invest in the creation or growth of an eCommerce.

Aligning trends and acquisition channels are an integral part of the shopping experience

Organic search, advertising and social media are essential tools of the trade, but content curation and platform-specific choice are crucial to reach your target audience at the right time and in the right place.

A post on Pinterest might bring more results than a post on Facebook or Instagram, it all depends on the trends and habits of the consumer we have defined as our target.

The classic that does not fade away

The newsletter still remains one of the main tools for increasing the purchase value of an individual user over time.

A user who has already purchased once from a specific online shop will be much more likely to convert than a user who has not yet done so, and it is through this channel that up-selling and cross-selling often takes place.

As obvious as this may seem, the care of the newsletter is often neglected, believing it to be an antiquated tool not worth investing in. 

Not only that, loyalty, lead nurturing and Brand Awareness are other aspects that can be taken care of with Email Marketing. 

The advice is therefore not to forget such a strong and versatile tool in our digital arsenal.

Yes, but don't forget to get serious!

Taking care of all these aspects plays a key role, but it is even more important to structure a strategy that brings everything together and steers the shop towards medium and long-term goals.

A project that intends to compete in the online market, whatever it may be, must take into consideration the timeframe and budget necessary to acquire the trust of consumers; care must not only be given to the product, the image that the brand will communicate over time will play a fundamental role in achieving the goal of a stable turnover with the possibility of growth. 

The data that can be consulted today on the growth of digital commerce and the forecasts for the years to come suggest the ever-increasing importance of positioning oneself online with one's own E-commerce, even in cases where one has a profitable retail business.

However, it is important to remember that the user experience and the added value of your brand will be the perfect combination to hold your own against ever increasing marketplaces and competitors.

Sources

Bitmat: https://bit.ly/3nASuMr

Analysis by Youthquake: https://bit.ly/3vo69co

Quaplà: https://bit.ly/2QwUdGG

We Are Social: https://bit.ly/2PBc7aM