Category: Ecommerce Consultant

eCommerce and the Firearms Industry

Posted on by Honey Olesen

Online firearm sales are a contentious issue because of concerns about the ease with which dangerous weapons can slip into the hands of the wrong individuals. Despite the controversy, many fans of firearms and dealers still conduct transactions online. The online firearms industry is thriving, with a $2.3 billion market in 2022, it is no exception to the ongoing transition from in-store to online purchasing.

While online sales can provide convenience and accessibility, they also present several challenges that sellers must navigate. To be successful in this field, you must not only follow state and federal laws, but also effectively promote your items.

firearms-sold-in-the-us-over-time chart

Compliance for Online Sales of Firearms

Compliance with state and federal rules is one of the most difficult aspects of selling firearms online. There are strict regulations in place to keep firearms out of the hands of those who are not legally permitted to possess them. Noncompliance with these requirements can result in large penalties, legal ramifications, and potentially the revocation of a seller’s federal guns license. These rules differ every state and include background checks, waiting periods, and age limitations.
Shipping firearms can be difficult for online vendors. Firearms businesses must accept that your business will not be allowed to ship a gun, ammo, or specific types of magazines to every state. Businesses will need a way to explore Federal Firearm Dealer Databases. FFLAPI.com is an online service that assists online gun dealer websites in making the checkout and delivery process easier and lawful. One important feature of the service is a Web widget solution that lists and displays all vendors on the selected map.


Firearm dealers sometimes deter from selling online due to the federal, state, and local rules that make it difficult for firearm dealers to conduct business online. Any firearm shop that sells online must abide by the laws specific to the state their product is being purchased from, and those who sell actual firearms are responsible for ensuring that the firearm is only shipped to authorized FFLs. 

eCommerce Platforms

The merchandise should be dispatched straight to the FFL of your customer’s choice using a shopping cart configuration. Once the local FFLs address is entered, the platform will be set up to notify them that your firearm is being shipped to them, and the FFL will handle all the paperwork. All of this occurs after the purchase. Only a handful of eCommerce platforms still allow the sale of firearms, even though there are hundreds of shopping cart software options available. Companies that sell firearms are prohibited from using platforms provided by eCommerce platform providers like Shopify and Salesforce.


Products that are sold using open-source platforms like Adobe Magento or WooCommerce are not subject to many restrictions. BigCommerce is an option if you need a SaaS platform. BigCommerce allows you to sell products if they are legal. So, unlike other platforms, your store won’t be shut down if the platform determines at any time that the goods you’re selling don’t comply with its terms and conditions. If a seller needs a more niche eCommerce platform, there are platforms such as SGO, Ammoready, and Gearfire

eCommerce platforms for firearms sellers

You must decide on backend solutions for your eCommerce store as it expands. Some online firearms dealers may find that they need to integrate their CRM, ERP, WMS, and eCommerce systems. Larger businesses with extensive global inventories and intricate supply chains are catered to by companies like NetSuite, Sage, SAP, and other software providers. You can more precisely and effectively manage your inventories thanks to these software programs. If you run a large factory, taking the time to investigate these options can be more beneficial than using a straightforward shopping cart. The price of implementing SAP or NetSuite might reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The problem of marketing their goods and services is one that many internet firearms retailers face. Legitimate companies are no longer allowed to advertise firearms, associated goods, and ammunition on Google, YouTube, Facebook, and the majority of other well-known PPC advertising channels. So that means firearms dealers cannot do any paid search advertising, including Google Ads, no sponsored advertisements on Facebook, Instagram, or other social media platforms, and no posts featuring a weapon with a cost. No adverts should be shown on websites on firearms. What does that mean for these companies then?

Facebook can be used for marketing efforts with a few exceptions and workarounds. Facebook’s ad policy still permits blogs and Facebook groups. This may be a useful strategy for getting your intended audience to see your material. Advertisements for safety training, mounted flashlights, scopes, and protective clothing are all permitted. There are methods to use these channels to publicize your web business even when you cannot make paid adverts.

Facebook

eCommerce firearms businesses can use social media to engage with their audience and create relationships with potential customers. By regularly releasing updates, distributing instructional content, and responding to queries and comments, businesses can establish themselves as experts in the field and win the audience’s trust. Although social media behemoths like Facebook might not permit the sale or advertisement of weapons, vendors are still allowed to post instructional materials promoting weapon safety, training, and licensing.

An additional strategy for eCommerce firearms dealers is influencer marketing. Working with influential people in the marketplace to promote your brand is known as influencer marketing. For example, a knife-selling internet shop might collaborate with a cook or a hunter to promote their items. Influencer marketing allows eCommerce businesses to reach their target demographic without the restrictions placed by traditional advertising.

Marketing Techniques

Online gun dealers will want to consider implementing additional marketing techniques including content marketing, SEO, and email marketing. One of the best eCommerce suggestions is to invest in a blog and provide useful material to boost organic SEO and gain subscriber’s trust. Whether you must hire someone or write everything yourself, start publishing content frequently. SEO calls for updating your website to improve its ranking in search engine results and email marketing calls for sending marketing communication to your subscriber list. Making educational content, such blog articles, films, or infographics, can assist you in capturing and maintaining the interest of your target audience. These alternative advertising channels can nevertheless assist eCommerce businesses in reaching their target market, even when they have constraints such as marketing knives and other weapons on engines like Google.

User-Generated Content

Including user-generated content is one way to get around PPC constraints. Up to 80% of consumers claim that user-generated material influences their choice to make a purchase. User-generated content can be as easy as posting a reviewer’s image of a product in use on your website. When customers witness other individuals using your items, they are more likely to trust you. Here are some additional approaches to using user-generated content:

  • Include product pages with reviews.
  • Create a custom hashtag and invite users to share their top picks.
  • Include user-submitted product images at the bottom of your website.

Referral Programs

Utilize a referral program to expand your customer base. Referral leads convert at a 30% greater rate than leads obtained through other marketing sources. (Source: Financesonline) It’s never too late to create a new referral program for your online store if you don’t already have one. Remember, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Give existing clients something worthwhile in exchange for each new client they send your way!

Conclusion

The sale of firearms online has difficulties for sellers to overcome, but at the same time it can be convenient and accessible for both consumers and sellers. When selling firearms online, several things must be considered, including adherence to local, state, and federal laws, shipping rules, selecting the best eCommerce platform, backend integrations, and marketing. To conduct secure and legal transactions and carry on selling, it is critical for sellers to comprehend these difficulties and take action to alleviate them.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and eCommerce in 2023

Posted on by Honey Olesen

Artificial intelligence (AI) has already become increasingly important in the world of eCommerce during the past few years. AI’s impact on eCommerce is greater than ever in 2023, and it is fundamentally changing the industry. AI is transforming eCommerce in a multitude of ways, from personalizing the customer experience to improving the efficiency of supply chain management. In this blog, we’ll look at how AI is and will influence eCommerce in 2023.

According to a study by DataProt: 

  • The global AI market value is expected to reach $267 billion by 2027. (Fortune Business Insights)
  • AI is expected to contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. (PwC Global)
  • 37% of businesses and organizations employ AI. (Gartner)
  • Nine out of ten leading businesses have investments in AI technologies, but less than 15% deploy AI capabilities in their work. (NewVantage Partners)

Customer Experience That Is Unique

Personalization ranks among the most significant ways AI is influencing eCommerce. Ecommerce retailers can use AI-powered algorithms to analyze consumer data and personalize the user experience. This entails tracking the customer’s browsing and purchasing history in addition to analyzing their behavior in order to forecast their preferences. Retailers can then personalize their product recommendations and marketing campaigns based on their customers’ interests, needs, and preferences.

Chatbots

Chatbots are also a way AI is affecting eCommerce. Chatbots are artificial intelligence-powered programs that can interact with consumers via messaging platforms. These chatbots assist customers in a variety of ways, such as answering product questions, processing orders, and dealing with customer complaints. Chatbots allow eCommerce retailers to provide customers with 24/7 customer service, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

chatbot graphic

Fraud Detection

Another way AI is impacting eCommerce in 2023 is through AI-powered fraud detection. AI algorithms can detect fraudulent practices such as credit card fraud in real time. These algorithms are accessible to retailers to monitor customer behavior and transactions and flag any suspicious activity. This assists in the prevention of fraud, the protection of customer data, and the integrity of the ecommerce platform.

Inventory Control

AI is influencing eCommerce in 2023 using AI-powered inventory management. Retailers use AI algorithms to track inventory levels, understand and analyze demand, and optimize supply chain management. This helps businesses to ensure that they have sufficient stock to satisfy consumer demand and decrease the likelihood of stockouts and lost sales. AI-powered inventory management also assists retailers in improving inventory levels, lowering inventory holding costs, and increasing profits.

Increasingly supply chain stakeholders are embracing digitization and utilizing technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) to assist in the management of a variety of supply concerns. According to Deloitte’s annual MHI Industry Report, just 15% of organizations are adopting AI in their supply chains as of 2022.

Voice Commerce

Voice shopping is a rapidly developing trend in eCommerce, and AI is driving its expansion. Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant (AI-powered voice assistants) are making it easier for people to shop online using their voice. Consumers can talk to these AI-powered voice assistants to place purchases, search for products, and obtain product recommendations, improving the shopping experience by making it more convenient and efficient.

search on cell phone

Visual Search

Another developing trend in ecommerce is visual search, which is being powered by AI. Customers can use visual search to look at images to find products rather than keywords. Images are analyzed by AI-powered algorithms and matched to products in the retailer’s inventory, allowing customers to find products quickly and effortlessly.

Conclusion

To summarize, AI technology is changing eCommerce in 2023 and beyond. AI is making eCommerce more efficient, customer-focused, and profitable, from tailored recommendations to improved fraud detection and pricing optimization. Ecommerce businesses must embrace AI technology as it evolves and becomes more sophisticated in order to stay ahead of the competition and provide the greatest possible shopping experience for their customers.

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Navigating The Generational Shift in Online Shopping

Posted on by Honey Olesen

Technology, social media, and shifting cultural standards have influenced the purchasing patterns of millennials and members of Generation Z. Their purchasing habits differ significantly from those of preceding generations. The buying habits of Millennials and Gen Z, as well as the variables affecting their purchasing choices, will be discussed in this blog.

Buying Power

We are about to reach a time when Generation Z will significantly outspend millennials in terms of purchasing power. Generation Z spending is approximately $100 billion, compared to little over $65 billion for millennials. Although it is well known that Millennials are a mobile-centric generation, Gen Z lives entirely online. Venmo, PayPal, and Apple Pay are just a few examples of the widely used online banking and payment platforms that Gen Z users have access to. Digital Gen Z buyers were most likely to use Buy Now Pay Later, according to Investopedia (BNPL). About 60% are believed to have chosen this method of payment over credit cards.

Online Shopping

It’s not surprising that Millennials and Gen Z prefer online shopping to traditional brick-and-mortar stores because they have both grown up with the internet. Internet shopping offers convenience, easy price comparison, and access to a larger selection of goods. 67% of Millennials and 68% of Gen Z prefer online purchasing to in-store buying, according to a BigCommerce study.

girl shopping online 600px

Social Media Influence

The purchase habits of Millennials and Generation Z are significantly influenced by social media. Social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok are more likely to be utilized by these generations to look for products and get more information. Influencers and celebrities routinely promote things, and their followers are more likely to purchase the items they promote.

Brand Loyalty

Compared to earlier generations, millennials and Gen Z are less brand loyal. They are more open to experiment with new brands and are more inclined to change brands based on their demands and tastes. According to a study by Accenture, 72% of Gen Zers are willing to trying different brands, while 62% of Millennials are more likely than their parents to switch brands. This is probably because they were offered an array of options as children and have grown to be more discerning shoppers, claims a study published in the Journal of Consumer Research. Also, it is harder for them to trust any one source due to the deluge of information and opinions online.

Ethical and Sustainable Products

Generation Z and Millennials are more aware of how their purchasing choices affect society and the environment. They are more likely to purchase ethical and environmentally friendly goods, and they are prepared to pay extra for goods that share their beliefs. According to a Nielsen poll, 81% of Gen Z and 73% of Millennials, respectively, agree that businesses should work to improve the environment. These generations care more about concerns like animal welfare, worker rights, and product safety as well as being more environmentally sensitive. And they’re not afraid to speak up about it; they’ll march for causes or promote ethical items in their social media feeds.

Personalization

Millennials and Generation Z like personalized purchasing experiences. Using cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, data analytics, and machine learning, personalization entails gathering and analyzing information on consumer behavior, preferences, and purchase history. The individualized shopping experiences that Gen Z enjoys allow them to exhibit their personality and self-expression through the things they choose to buy. They can find fresh and distinctive goods that fit their own style by receiving customized recommendations and offers. Companies that offer tailored experiences through personalization and recommendation algorithms are more likely to succeed with these generations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Millennials and Gen Z have different buying styles than previous generations. They prefer online shopping, are influenced by social media, are less brand loyal, prefer ethical and sustainable products, and seek personalized experiences. Companies that understand these preferences and adapt to them are more likely to succeed in attracting and retaining these generations as customers.

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Avoid These Pitfalls When Building Your eCommerce Website

Posted on by Honey Olesen

If you are looking to start an online business or just optimize your current one, we hope this blog helps you. Keep your customer coming back by creating an eCommerce website that’s user-friendly and provides customers with a great shopping experience. Read on for tips on what to do and not to do for your eCommerce website.

What is an eCommerce website and why is it important?

A good ecommerce website can help your company’s bottom line in many ways. Firstly, it is an effective way to showcase your products and services to a much wider audience. This means that more customers have access to your shop online, which helps increase sales and profits.

In addition, an ecommerce website also creates a convenient shopping experience for customers. They don’t have to leave their homes or offices to shop online, meaning they are more likely to purchase from you again in the future. Moreover, customers may also build loyalty with you through online shopping as it provides them with more convenience and options compared to traditional shopping methods.

To successfully run an eCommerce business, it’s important to conduct thorough market research, determine the best eCommerce platform for your business, develop a concise marketing plan, and ensure you have the necessary funds and resources to support your business. eCommerce websites make it easy for customers and businesses to connect online and transact business in a secure, seamless manner. However, they require a lot of planning and effort to build and run effectively.

Can I build an eCommerce website on my own?

eCommerce website development requires planning and expertise in web design, web development, marketing, analytics, eCommerce experience, etc. You must choose a suitable platform for your business based on your technical and budget needs. Before starting the building process, review any third-party services you plan to use and make sure you have clear goals in mind. It is important to avoid pitfalls when building an eCommerce website, such as choosing the wrong technology or not having a clear business plan.

Challenges of Building an eCommerce Website

Building a website for an online store is no doubt a tedious and time-consuming process. However, it is vital to ensure that the website is built on a solid platform that ensures its longevity. There are several aspects to consider including the eCommerce website design and functionality, payment gateway integration, and eCommerce website hosting. As with any other business endeavor, there are key pitfalls that must be avoided to ensure an optimal eCommerce experience. Not having a clearly defined budget and timeline is one of the biggest mistakes made by eCommerce entrepreneurs. Without a clear plan, it becomes difficult to focus on what matters most – building a great product and offering great service. Besides, not having a clear plan prevents you from identifying any shortcomings in the build process or evaluating what went well.

Not Understanding Your Product Data

Product data management is an essential component of any eCommerce website. It includes product descriptions, pricing, images, and other information. If you want to create accurate product descriptions on your website and ensure that customers can make informed buying decisions, it’s important to ensure that the data for each product is consistent and relevant. Failing to adequately manage product data can lead to inaccurate product descriptions, inconsistent pricing, and incorrect images being displayed online. It’s a good idea to use unique product data for each product and ensure that all product information is up-to-date and accurate.

Confusing or Cumbersome Navigation

Website navigation is one of the most important aspects of an ecommerce website, as it allows customers to easily browse and buy products. In order to ensure your site has a clear hierarchy and easily identifiable categories that make it easy for visitors to browse and buy products, it is essential to include relevant categories in your navigation bar. Too many main links in your navigation can lead to usability issues. Instead, use sub-navigation or sidebars to better organize your online store. If you do not have complex categories, simple navigation is all you need.

Hastily Built Product Page

When building an eCommerce website for your business, it is essential to create a product page that is visually appealing and informative. It’s important not to prioritize aesthetics over functionality. Product descriptions should provide detailed information about the product, including size, color, materials, and any other relevant information the customer needs to make an informed decision. For complicated products, it’s best to break up the description into smaller sections so it is easier for customers to read and understand what they are purchasing.

Copy-pasting manufacturer descriptions can result in duplicate copy, which will harm your SEO ranking and can make it hard for customers to understand the product and choose the best option. It’s also important to mix media such as images, videos, and reviews on your product page. For best results, make sure to use high-quality images and videos.

Not Understanding Integrations with Important Systems

Integrating an eCommerce website with existing systems can be challenging. For eCommerce businesses, there are multiple systems involved in running the business, including payment processors, shipping carriers, and inventory management software. These systems often operate on different platforms, making it difficult to integrate them. This can lead to problems with product cataloging, accounting, and other business functions that require data from different sources.

To address this challenge, eCommerce businesses typically use multiple ERP or systems that store and manage all of the data from these different systems. It is important to understand all of the systems you use for your business and ensure there is proper integration availability with the platform you choose for your eCommerce website. Failure to do so will result in a delayed launch and an increase in cost.

Too Many Extensions

It is true that having too many extensions on your ecommerce website can slow it down and increase the risk of security vulnerabilities. That is why it is important to choose the right extensions for your needs and avoid using ones that are unnecessary. Concentrate on finding extensions that provide the functionality you need without compromising performance or security.

No Focus on End-to-End Fulfillment

End-to-end fulfillment is a key part of running an ecommerce website. It ensures that the products you sell are delivered to customers in the correct quantities and at the right time.

Too little focus is often put on order fulfillment, which can lead to delays in shipping or customers receiving damaged or incomplete products. In addition, an ecommerce website needs to integrate seamlessly with its suppliers through an order management system (OMS) to ensure smooth order fulfillment.

As such, it is vital for ecommerce website owners to have an end-to-end fulfillment strategy in place. By addressing all aspects of shipping and delivery, online store owners can ensure that their customers receive high-quality products in a timely manner and with minimal hassle.

Inconsistent Online Business Branding

Creating an online business requires consistent online branding to help customers easily identify your business and distinguish it from other online businesses. It’s essential to use the same logo, colors, and fonts on your website as you do in advertising and marketing materials. This helps customers recognize your company instantly, making it easier for them to make a purchase or take other actions.

Do not copy other businesses by using their logos, visual elements, and written content. It is also important to avoid trends outside your area of expertise or industry.

Poor Content

Content on your eCommerce website must be engaging and relevant. It needs to tell a story about your product or service and why customers should buy it. But creating content for its own sake is not beneficial. Instead, you want to write compelling stories that inspire shoppers to take action.

Additionally, it’s vital to avoid automating your SEO efforts and optimizing for user reading intent. This will ensure that you’re writing content that is true to your business and speaks directly to your target audience. Overall, the key to success for eCommerce websites is clear and engaging content that provides shoppers with insightful information about the products they are looking to buy.

Resources to help you succeed

Building an eCommerce website is a challenging task. You must have the right eCommerce website design, store layout, and content strategy to ensure that you are able to reach your customers and convert them into customers. However, it is important for you to stay engaged with online resources like blogs, tutorials, and forums to learn about eCommerce website design and to stay updated on the latest trends in the industry. This way, you can reach your goal of creating a successful online business venture with ease.

Work with a specialist

To ensure success with your eCommerce website, one choice is to work with a specialist. They will be able to help you select the best platform and tools for your business, as well as ensure your online store meets online shopping standards. Using a specialist can save you time and money, by preventing common online store design pitfalls such as poor user experience or lack of scalability. By working with a specialist, you can ensure that your eCommerce website meets all requirements and delivers a superior online shopping experience for your customers.

Seek first-hand customer data and feedback.

It’s vital to gather as much first-hand customer data and feedback as possible to ensure your eCommerce website meets their needs and expectations. This can be done through surveys, interviews, and focus groups. By gathering this information, you can understand the behavior of your customers and design a website that meets their needs. Understanding customer behavior will help you make educated decisions when designing and developing your website.

It’s also essential to stay up to date with the latest trends in eCommerce technology to ensure your website is optimized for the best user experience. By staying current with ecommerce technology, you can make your website more efficient and effective at helping customers accomplish their goals. This will save you time and money while consistently delivering a great experience for your customers.

Research general eCommerce statistics

By understanding ecommerce statistics, you can avoid common pitfalls when building your online store. For example, ecommerce statistics can reveal the average online shopper and their behavior. By understanding the average online shopper and their shopping trends, you can create a website tailored to your audience. You can also use ecommerce statistics to analyze competitor analysis and customer buying habits to create a website that stands out from the competition.

By researching ecommerce statistics, you can gain insight into the average online shopper, their behavior, and what motivates them to purchase online. This can help you design a website that is both user-friendly and appealing to your target audience.

Conclusion

eCommerce is a huge industry, and there are plenty of online retailers that are doing well. However, there are also many ecommerce businesses that are struggling to find their place in the market. Common mistakes can quickly lead to lost revenue and frustrated customers. By avoiding these errors, you’ll be on your way to building a successful business!

How to Choose the Right Platform for Your eCommerce Business

Posted on by Honey Olesen

Choosing the right eCommerce platform for your business can be a daunting task. There are so many options out there right now, and every platform has its pros and cons. We’ve got you covered if you’re wondering how to choose the ideal platform for your business. In this blog, we’ll cover the major factors you should consider before making your decision.

What is an eCommerce Platform?

An eCommerce platform is a software solution that helps small and medium-sized businesses build, manage, and optimize their online shopping business. It consists of an online shopping cart, payment gateway, email marketing, analytics tools, search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing (SMM), website hosting, customer support tools and more. Several different types of platforms are available, including Shopify, BigCommerce and Adobe Commerce.

Each has specific benefits and drawbacks that should be considered when making the decision which platform to use. Depending on the needs of your business and the budget, one of these platforms may be the best choice for your online shopping cart business.

Things to Consider When Choosing Your eCommerce Platform

When choosing an eCommerce platform for your business, it’s crucial to understand your business needs and requirements before making a decision. Start by analyzing the products/services you plan to sell and how you want to deliver them. This will help you identify the features of the platform that are vital for your business success.

Consider factors such as operating budget, payment gateway support, inventory management tools, and marketing tools required for your business to thrive online. Once you’ve identified the essential features of a platform, compare the various platforms based on pricing, features, and customer support. This will help you arrive at a conclusion that is beneficial for your business.

Pricing

Pricing is one of the most important factors to consider when selecting an eCommerce platform. The cost of using the platform will depend on your business’s needs and budget. It’s important to compare the features and pricing of different platforms before making a decision. It can be challenging to determine the right pricing for an eCommerce platform, so it’s important to consider both the cost of use and the pricing of optional services such as customization, hosting, and maintenance.

Additionally, it’s worthwhile to review other business reviews online and talk to other business owners who have used the eCommerce platform. The cost of using an eCommerce platform should include all required service fees as well as any optional customization, extension fees, integration and/or hosting fees. When comparing pricing options, you must consider all of the above factors; otherwise, you may end up with a costly business decision.

Scalability

It’s crucial to choose the right eCommerce platform for your business. When choosing an eCommerce platform, you must consider several factors, including scalability and ease of use. You must ensure that the platform can handle your current needs and accommodate future growth.

Additionally, look for a platform that is flexible enough to allow you to add new features, products, and services as needed. Research the platform’s ability to perform reliably during high peak volumes, perform load balancing, contains native lazy loading features, and what is the historical uptime for the hosting.

Security

When choosing the right eCommerce platform, look for one that offers secure payment processing, data encryption, and other security measures. It is vital to ensure customer data is kept safe. Some platforms provide fraud protection services and make use of two-factor authentication, which allows customers to verify their identity using something they have (such as a smartphone or email account) in addition to their password.

Other verification methods can include requiring customer input when making online payments or asking for additional proof of identity (such as copies of passports or driver’s licenses). In addition to these steps, it is important for e-commerce platforms to meet all applicable industry standards for security, such as those set by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards and the National Retail Federation’s Code of Safety.

Product Catalog

When choosing an eCommerce platform, consider the size and complexity of your product catalog. If you have a large number of products or plan to add more in the future, look for platforms that offer robust product management capabilities.

This will allow you to manage your inventory and keep your online store consistent and up-to-date. If you have a complex product catalog, it is important to ensure that the product catalog interface of your eCommerce platform can handle a large inventory and feature multiple images, sizes, attributes, colors, and prices. This will help shoppers quickly find what they are looking for without scrolling through endless pages of options.

OMS/IMS Capability

An order management system enables customer order entry and processing. An inventory management system tracks and manages product inventory, sales, and other production processes. Basic IMS should record and manage information about the physical goods in your business.

The ability to interface with customer orders, inventory levels, and fulfillment status can give business management real-time visibility into their business’s health. Researching the native services provided by the platform for OMS/IMS is important to understand if an integration will be needed for your business.

Customization Ease

When choosing the right eCommerce platform, customization is key. While choosing a platform that suits your business requirements is important, it’s also vital to search for one that offers customization options.

It’s important to look for platforms that offer easy-to-use customization tools so you can further tailor your store’s look and feel to match your brand. Some other customization options you should consider include different pricing models, payment processing support, shipping support, and inventory management tools.

Integrations

When choosing a platform to use for your online store, you want to make sure that it has the tools and features necessary to support your business operations. One of the most important features of an ecommerce platform is integration with third-party services such as payment processors, inventory management systems, and marketing platforms. By integrating with these services, it will be easier for you to manage business operations and maximize the potential of your online store.

Additionally, an integrated platform allows eCommerce business owners to connect easily with third-party services that can help improve customer conversion rates and increase business profits over time. This saves time and money in the long run.

SEO & Social Integration

One of the most important things to consider when choosing an eCommerce platform is its SEO-friendly features. For eCommerce SEO, these features can include optimized page URLs, meta descriptions, and image tags that help search engines better understand and display your online store. Additionally, search engine optimization (SEO) tools such as keyword research and website analytics are essential tools to use while building your online store. Look for platforms that offer analytics so you can track customer behavior and make informed decisions about how to optimize your store.

Another important factor to consider is ease of integration with social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook. This will allow you to easily share customer photos and reviews with social media audiences, promoting your business and engaging with your customers in a personal way.

3 eCommerce Platforms Compared

There are many different eCommerce platforms to choose from, but it can be overwhelming when deciding which is right for your business. Each platform offers unique features and functionalities that can help businesses reach audiences online and grow their business online.

It’s important to evaluate each platform’s features and functionalities before making a decision and consider factors such as pricing, customization tools, user interface, payment processing, inventory management, marketing tools, website hosting, support, and analytics. By carefully assessing each of these factors, businesses can find the best eCommerce platform for their business needs.

Shopify

Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms, offering a range of features and tools to help you get up and running quickly. It provides a variety of payment options, allowing you to accept various forms of payment, such as credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, and more. There is a fee if you do not use Shopify Payments.

It also offers a wide range of themes to customize the look and feel of your store. These themes include business-focused themes such as eCommerce store templates or fashion-focused themes such as a store for women or men. Shopify integrates with many third-party services, allowing you to use it to manage shipping, marketing, and accounting tasks. The lack of built-in features may require the addition of many apps.

Additionally, Shopify offers 24/7 customer support, making it easy for you to get support when needed.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is an eCommerce platform that is suitable for medium-sized and fast-growing businesses. It offers a wide range of features, including SEO tools and marketing support, payment processing, and integration with major shopping cart plugins.

Additionally, the platform includes various pricing plans to suit different business budgets. The revenue-led billing may be a concern for stores with tight margins. With BigCommerce, business owners can easily run their online store without having to worry about technicalities or customization.

Some users may find the set-up of the store confusing at times and will need time and patience. BigCommerce includes all the tools needed to run a successful online store without requiring any additional setup or management.

Magento (Now Adobe Commerce)

Adobe Commerce is an open-source eCommerce platform that offers powerful features for online business. It supports multiple languages, payment methods, and currencies, and enables merchants to create a unique shopping experience tailored to their business needs.

Adobe Commerce is highly customizable and allows merchants to create a website that is tailored to their business needs and preferences. The cost to start and run a store on this platform varies depending upon self-hosted Open Source to Adobe Commerce Cloud.

This open-source eCommerce platform has been widely acknowledged for integration capabilities, scalability, and reliability. For most things, setting up and maintaining an Adobe Commerce store will require a developer.

Conclusion on Choosing the Right eCommerce Platform

When it comes to choosing eCommerce platforms for your business, there are no simple solutions. You have to consider many factors, from customer support to pricing and customization capabilities.

However, if you can prioritize these factors and compare eCommerce platforms based on them, you can choose the platform that matches your business plan the most.

To get more details about the features you should look for in an eCommerce platform and a holistic view of Shopify- BigCommerce – Adobe Commerce, contact atmosol.

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    Tips for Surviving Economic Hard Times

    Posted on by Honey Olesen

    It’s no secret that the worldwide economy is in a bit of a down cycle. No one knows this better than eCommerce businesses, as sales growth slows, and prices are forced to drop. To stay afloat and generate healthy profits during these difficult times, eCommerce businesses must take several strategic steps. In this blog post, we’ll outline the key elements of a successful eCommerce business during fears of recession. So, whether you’re already running an eCommerce business or just thinking about starting one, read on for essential advice!

    What Is a Recession?

    A recession is a period of economic decline in the United States or other developed countries. The National Bureau of Economic Research defines a recession as “a significant reduction in real GDP, after inflation has been taken into account, spanning two consecutive quarters.”

    There are several effects on businesses during a recession. First and foremost, sales tend to be lower than usual because consumers have less money to spend. This could lead to job loss or reduced income for employees. In addition, advertising budgets may be cut back due to decreased revenue, which can affect website traffic and overall brand visibility. Finally, suppliers may reduce production or raise prices due to reduced demand from customers.

    eCommerce Holiday Sales 2022

    When the economy turns down, it can be difficult to sustain a successful eCommerce business. Digital Commerce 360 estimates that there will be a 4% rise in holiday shopping in 2022, even though 63% of online retailers expect fewer sales.

    Some things to keep in mind for holiday sales in 2022:

    – Set realistic expectations. Don’t expect your sale quantity to triple just because it’s the holidays. According to Digital Commerce 360, almost 40% of customers stated they would comparison shop more since they anticipate prices to be high, and 35% claimed those high costs would cause them to buy less for the holidays.

    – Reconsider your pricing strategy. Try shifting some of your prices upwards by 10% or 20% and see how the sales respond. You may also want to consider offering discounts on larger orders or special deals for customers who purchase frequently during difficult times.

    – Discounts. Offer discounts and incentives to encourage people to purchase more than just what they need or want at first glance. This will show them that your company is committed to helping them through this tough period and may lead them to become long-term customers down the line.

    Steps eCommerce business should take during an economic downturn.

    No business is immune to recession, which is why it’s important to have a business strategy that is flexible and able to adjust as the economy changes. Here are five key steps ecommerce business owners should take during an economic downturn:

    Optimize finances

    When it comes to financial optimization, there are a few key things that need to be in place. The first step is setting a strict budget and sticking to it as closely as possible. This will help you identify where your money can go without compromising the quality of your services or products. Furthermore, it’s important to monitor KPIs regularly and make changes when necessary so you don’t get stuck in a rut. By doing this, you’ll be able to track progress and see if your efforts are bearing fruit – which will give you confidence going forward with further optimizations. Eliminating unnecessary overhead also plays an important role – by streamlining processes and cutting back on spending wherever possible, businesses can save significant amounts of money each year!

    Evaluate supply chain

    Evaluating your supply chain is a critical step in ensuring optimal efficiency, stock availability, and reducing risk. By assessing inventory levels, you can determine which items are over or under-supplied. Automating inventory management processes will help to improve accuracy and reduce the chances of errors. Additionally, it will also save time and effort on your part.

    Invest in best-selling products

    There’s no doubt that product sales are a major factor in business success. However, ensuring you’re investing in the best-selling products is key to making sure your business thrives and continues expanding. By using social media and staying up to date on trends, you can ensure that your customers have constant access to the products they love. Furthermore, it is important to keep a close eye on what people are talking about online so that you know what type of product to offer next. This way, you’ll be able to stay ahead of the competition and maintain customer loyalty – something that will make all the difference for your business in future times

    Find new revenue streams

    There are many ways businesses can find new revenue streams. One way is to evaluate your best-selling products and offer them in bundles, or as add-on options for customers who purchase a product separately. Additionally, consider developing strategies such as subscription boxes or offering exclusive sales and products to VIP members only. By doing this, you can tap into new market segments that may not have been explored before – making sure your business stays ahead of the curve!

    Increase customer loyalty

    Customer loyalty is the key to success when it comes to business. By ensuring that your website is easy to navigate and incorporating customer-requested polls into product development, you can increase customer satisfaction and keep them loyal through downturns. Additionally, by offering deals or incentives during economic downturns, you can help incentivize customers to make purchases.

    A very important thing that you can do to increase customer loyalty and keep them coming back is make sure your brand is constantly communicating with customers in a timely manner. Respond quickly to feedback, comments, and questions – even if you don’t have the answer right away. This shows that you’re concerned about your customers and want to ensure they have an enjoyable shopping experience.

    Improve conversion rate

    There is no one-size-fits-all answer to conversion rate optimization, as the best way to improve conversion rate depends on your specific business and marketing goals. However, some tips that may be helpful include:

    – Make sure your site is easy to navigate and use. This includes making sure your website’s design is user-friendly and appealing. Make use of attractive fonts, colors, and graphics, and make sure all elements are consistent with each other throughout the site.

    – Use focused and relevant content. Make sure that all the content that you publish is relevant to your audience and helps them achieve their goals. The more specific and tailored this content, the better!

    – You can also offer BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) or split payments as ways of payment, which will make shopping on your site even more convenient for customers.

    – Offer valuable incentives – Whether it’s free shipping or exclusive discounts on products/services offered through your business website, offering incentives can help customers take an actionable step forward toward purchase.

    Conclusion

    During a downturn in economic stability, it can be tough for ecommerce businesses to stay afloat. However, staying flexible and adaptive is key to their success. Ecommerce businesses must be able to pivot and change their strategies as the market changes. They must also stay focused on their core business goals, and make sure that they are offering a valuable product or service that customers want and need. By staying nimble, ecommerce businesses can weather a downturn with ease.


    UI/UX in ecommerce web design and development

    Posted on by Honey Olesen

    UI/UX web design and development is the process of designing a website so that it is easy to use and visually appealing. The user interface or user experience (UI/UX) of a website refers to the graphics, layout, design, functionality, and performance of the website. It is important for a website to be user-friendly because customers will spend more time on a website if it is easy to use. However, making a website look good and responsive is not the only concern – usability also needs to be considered. For example, if a search engine can easily index your website and find the information users are looking for, then you’re doing well! A group of scientists from Northumbria University found that 46% of consumers in the study made their decisions regarding the credibility of websites based on visual appeal and aesthetics

    What is the difference between UI and UX?

    User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) are two important aspects of web design. UI is the look and feel of a website, while UX deals with how users interact with it. UI is more concerned with the visual elements of a website – things like graphics, layout, colors etc. UX, on the other hand, focuses on how well users understand and use the site’s features. It considers such factors as ease of navigation, finding what you’re looking for quickly, and making sure information is presented in an understandable way. Both are important but they work in different ways to help users achieve their goals. UI helps people find what they’re looking for easily by providing clear visuals; meanwhile UX makes sure that information is easy to understand so that users can get the most out of it. Taken together these two elements create a user-friendly website which will help your business thrive

    Why is UI/UX important in eCommerce web design and development?

    UI/UX (User Interface/User Experience) is important for two primary reasons in web design and development: first, it improves the user experience and second, it increases conversion rates. By making your website more user-friendly and easy to navigate, you’ll likely attract more customers who are looking for a positive online shopping experience. Properly designing and implementing user flows will ensure that users can find what they’re looking for quickly and easily – boosting conversion rates even further! So make sure to design and implement user interfaces and user experiences that are both elegant and effective, and you’ll be on your way to a successful eCommerce website design and development project.

    Better user experience leads to increased conversion rates

    Creating a good user experience is essential for ensuring high conversion rates. This is because it helps customers find what they are looking for much faster, leading to increased sales. In addition to making navigation easy and effective, creating appealing visuals can also help increase conversions by drawing users in. However, good user experience isn’t just about looks – it’s also important to keep things simple so that even novices can navigate your website easily. If all these elements are put together correctly then you’re guaranteed success in increasing your eCommerce website’s conversion rate!

    Enhances brand reputation

    A well-designed and user-friendly website is one of the best ways to enhance your brand reputation. It helps customers feel like they are part of your company while making it easy for them to find what they’re looking for. Furthermore, a great website ensures that all relevant information is easily accessible and looks great on any device. It’s important to keep the overall look and feel consistent so that users have a positive experience from start to finish when visiting your site.

    Increases loyalty and customer base

    Customer satisfaction is key when it comes to building a successful website. By effectively communicating with your customers, you can increase loyalty and boost your customer base. Plus, if the experience on your site is great – from design to navigation – people are more likely to return often and recommend you to their friends. Ensuring that all user inputs are easy to understand also helps keep visitors coming back for more. It’s important not just to focus on design but also on usability to make sure your visitors have a great time while they’re here!

    Trends for UI/UX in eCommerce web design and development in 2023

    The focus on usability and user experience in ecommerce web design and development will continue in 2023. This means that designers will need to focus on how users interact with the website. This includes designing for different devices, such as smartphones and tablets, as well as desktop browsers. Additionally, designers will need to consider how users search for information on the web. By doing so, they can create a website that is easy to use and efficient for customers.

    Web-accessibility

    Web accessibility is becoming a bigger trend in web design and development. In 2023, it will be more important than ever to make your website accessible to everyone. This means that products and pages should be easy to understand and use, no matter what your disability is. For customers with disabilities, making your website fully accessible will mean they don’t have to struggle with navigation or finding the information they are looking for. In turn, this will help you attract a wider range of customers – both disabled and non-disabled alike. So, if you’re not already taking web accessibility seriously, start now!

    Inclusivity

    Inclusivity is important in web design for several reasons. First, it’s a fundamental principle of human rights and social justice. All people deserve to be treated fairly and equally, regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. Secondarily, inclusive web design leads to more satisfied customers because it makes the shopping experience more pleasant for everyone involved. Finally – and perhaps most importantly – inclusion boosts brand loyalty and SEO rankings because it sends a positive message about your company’s values and mission statement to potential consumers.

    Advanced Personalization

    Interactive tendencies are the trend that many ecommerce websites will rely on in 2023. Customization is the key to success in today’s digital world. People want information that truly reflects their interests, and design needs to be made more customer-centric for businesses to succeed. This means making sure each piece of content, images, and interactions are designed with the individual user in mind. This way, customers will feel like they’re getting a personal experience rather than simply consuming information on a mass scale. It’s essential that businesses understand this concept if they want to remain competitive in an ever-changing market landscape.

    Geolocation & Browser-Based Content

    When creating and publishing web content, it is important to consider how your users will interact with it. For example, if you are targeting browser-based content such as articles or blog posts, make sure that the design is compatible with all browsers. In addition to designing for compatibility across browsers and devices, ensure that your website’s overall design aesthetics are visually appealing and engaging. This way, more people will be inclined to explore what you have to offer – leading to better conversion rates!

    Minimalism

    Minimalism is a design trend that’s currently in vogue. It’s a simple, sleek approach that focuses on using minimal elements to create an effective and professional look. As ecommerce websites become more sophisticated, users are looking for designs that are user-friendly and easy to navigate. In addition, they want a design that can be customized according to their specific needs. By keeping the focus on making all elements easily accessible and stylish at the same time, minimalism achieves these goals quite effortlessly. This trend also incorporates effective use of white space which helps achieve an airy and spacious feel overall.

    White Space

    When it comes to web design, the use of white space has been and will be important. This refers to using empty areas of a page layout or graphic design for aesthetic purposes and not for functionality. White space can be used in various ways to create an airy, lightweight design – from using margins and padding as well as typography to creating spaces between elements on a page. By adopting a minimalistic approach, you’ll be able to better utilize white space and achieve the desired effect. Keep your designs user-friendly by making sure all elements are intuitively placed so customers don’t have too much trouble completing their purchases or navigating through your website. In doing so, you’ll ensure that users enjoy navigating your site and return again and again!

    Color

    Gradient and ombre colors are popular options for web design because they create a sense of rhythm and harmony. They also add personality to websites, making them more engaging and compelling to users.

    Gradient colors work best when the background color transitions gradually from one color to another. This creates a smooth look that is easier on the eyes. Ombre colors work best when the main foreground or background color changes gradually, but not abruptly. This allows the eye to flow smoothly between different colors without being jarred or confused.

    Together, these effects can help make your website visually appealing and easy on the eyes. Use them wisely to achieve optimal results!

    Chat Bots

    Chatbots are quickly becoming one of the most popular methods for ecommerce businesses to interact with their customers. They allow businesses to create a more personal experience, by effectively automating customer service tasks. Plus, chatbot interactions can be automated and scheduled to increase efficiency and decrease response time.

    So, why is chatbot usage increasing among ecommerce websites? There are several reasons. First, they reduce the workload for human operators who can focus on higher-value activities such as product development or marketing campaigns instead. Second, chatbots provide a more engaging user interface that can help convert leads into customers faster than traditional forms of online interaction. Third, they offer an exponentially growing amount of data that business owners can use to improve their overall strategy and operations.

    Smart Video

    Video is a great way to connect with customers and build relationships. By using video content wisely, businesses can create a positive experience for both the viewer and the business itself. Here are some tips on how to make your videos smart and engaging: 1. Make sure that your videos look good on all devices – desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones etc. 2. Use graphics and animation to draw the user in – it will help keep them interested in what you have to say. 3. Use clear navigation so viewers don’t get lost or frustrated while watching your video. Always provide links back to relevant pages on your website so viewers can learn more about what you’re selling or promoting easily! 4. Use video as an opportunity to teach your customers about products or services in a fun, informative way- this could lead to increased traffic into your store!

    Dark Mode

    In 2023, dark mode will be a trend in web design and development. Dark mode is becoming more and more popular on social media platforms. Meta, Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit all have dark modes available now. Here are some key reasons why:

    – Dark mode is easier on the eyes. By making the background lighter than the text, you can reduce eye strain and fatigue.

    – Dark mode reduces screen glare in bright environments. Screen glare causes headaches and other symptoms when looking at screens for extended periods of time.

    – Dark modes are less distracting than light modes. When it’s difficult to keep your focus on a screen because it’s too bright or busy, using a darker color palette makes it easier to focus on what you’re reading or watching.

    Augmented Reality

    Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that overlays digital information on top of the physical world. It can be used to create navigable 3D environments, interactive objects, and even live video streams.

    Shopify found that brands using AR saw retail conversion rates increase by around 250%, as customers are more likely to make purchase decisions when they can see the product in a realistic environment.

    AR and VR can help retailers market their products beyond their normal customer base: online communities devoted to particular genres such as cooking or fashion often use AR or VR extensively for product demonstrations.

    As augmented reality becomes more mainstream, businesses all over the world will reap the benefits. By integrating it into your marketing strategy, you can reach new potential buyers who would otherwise never consider your brand.

    Conclusion

    UI/UX is a critical element of web design and development, as it helps to create a user interface that is easy to use and visually appealing. By understanding and incorporating UI/UX into your design and development processes, you can create a website that is both functional and user-friendly.

    Optimizing User Journey – eCommerce Conversion Optimization

    Posted on by Rahman Hajati

    This article is part of a series of articles from atmosol on eCommerce conversion optimization. This article focuses on optimizing the user journey. Today’s eCommerce users are pampered by the excellent user experience provided by leading retailers and will shop elsewhere if your site can’t compete at the same level. Let’s look at some user journey optimizations that can be considered to improve conversion

    Improve Product Discovery

    Users find a product they are looking for in different ways depending on how and where they landed up on your site. Making sure they can find what they are looking for at each of these landing pages is crucial to reduce bounce rates and improve conversion. Let’s look at a few different ways users find products

    Home page Merchandising

    Images and products on the home page are what a user who lands on the home page sees first and hence is the best location to promote products that customers are most likely to buy if they are simply browsing and haven’t made up their mind about what to buy. Personalization of the home page can significantly improve click rates on these products since the customers see products that are to their taste. The home page can also be the right place to surface products that you want customers to see, like new product launches or more profitable products.

    Merchandizing is hard to get right even in physical stores and is best optimized through A/B testing of different combinations to measure click-through and conversion.

    Search and its role in eCommerce Conversion Optimization

    If a user lands on the home page of a store looking for something specific, there’s a high chance they will use the search functionality to search for the product. If search is able to return results that customers are looking for and want to buy, it eases one step of the user’s journey on the website. While this seems easy enough and is supported by most platforms, there are some nuances that a store owner should be aware of

    Catalog content

    Any search tool is only as good as the content in your catalog since the search engine us essentially using the content to find and display products. When creating your product catalog, it helps to have different synonyms added to your product catalog so products are displayed when users search for the same product in using different words.

    Spelling Errors

    Many modern search engines are able to handle spelling errors, but if you are using one that doesn’t handle spelling errors, it helps to add common misspellings to your catalog. Whatever the method, stores should stive hard not to show the dreaded “No products found” message which almost always drives customers off the site.

    Autocomplete

    Autocomplete enables users to quickly search for products in your catalog and avoids spelling errors by prompting them the correct spelling. It also enables stores to surface content that might further refine a user’s search. For example, a user searching for “outdoor table” might see an option for “outdoor table with umbrella” and if that’s what the user really wanted, it guides the user to the right search results and eliminates undesired results.

    Natural language processing

    Another important aspect of a search engine to consider is its ability to understand natural language especially in searches like “Phone case” vs. “Phone with case” where understanding the conjunctions and language constructs becomes important to understand what the customer is looking for

    Personalization

    Search result personalization is a relatively new concept where results are personalized to a user’s previous interactions as well as things like trending searches. When implemented correctly, this gives the users a feeling of easy discovery.

    Filters

    While filters are not necessarily part of search, a good set of filters make up for deficiencies in search capability by enabling the user to further refine the search for the exact product manually. Displaying the right set of filters can sometimes be hard especially for stores selling multiple categories of products that require different sets of filters. Planning early for filters and having the right attributes in products for filters can make this task easier.

    Direct Links

    Users can also land up directly on a category page or a product page when clicking through from marketing links on the internet. When users land on a page this way, it’s important to make sure that your marketing links all lead to pages with relevant results and not to your home page or a generic page. For example, if a user is searching for “Green T-Shirt” and you land the user on a page with all T-shirts, there’s a high likelihood that the user will leave the page not wanting to sift through everything.

    Improve Product Page

    Product detail pages (or PDP in short) is another page that can make or break conversions. Once the customer has located a product, this is the page where the decision to add it to the cart is made. Following are few optimization guidelines

    High Quality Images

    Product images are the first things that customers look at when opening a product detail page. Having great images keeps the customer on the page and interact further with the page until a decision to add the product to cart is made. Having crisp, large product images and videos with the ability to zoom, pan, rotate, etc. is one of the best investments a store can make to increase conversion.

    Technologies like Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (AR/VR) can provide even better visualizations for higher value products to give the customers more confidence in what they are buying.

    How Sales Copy helps in eCommerce Coversion Optimization

    Well-written sales copy can evoke the right emotion and nudge the customer towards making the decision to add to cart. Best of brands create a brand voice ahead of time and create content using that voice to appeal to their ideal customer persona. Considering the tone and language of your content and how it represents your brand will enable you to appeal better to your target customers.

    Complete Information

    While the sale copy evokes the right emotions, product pages that lack enough information about the product often don’t convert well, especially for certain product categories. For example, furniture stores have to consistently display dimensions, weight, etc. in order for customers to make the right decision.

    Call to Action

    Having “Add to Cart” displayed prominently at eye level is known to increase conversion rate. Although a single button is ideal in terms of reducing clutter, some stores like Amazon have benefited from having another “Buy Now” option that speeds the checkout process. A/B testing can determine what works best for your store.

    Psychological Triggers

    Psychological research has identified several triggers that can nudge customers closer to wanting a product. Following are a few that have been used successfully by many eCommerce retailers​

    Trust

    Increased trust can be achieved by including things like social proof, customer reviews, secure and transaction badges. This has the effect of reducing friction by eliminating the question of trustworthiness from the customers’ mind and is especially important for brands that don’t have significant name recognition.

    Urgency

    Urgency is known to impact purchase decisions and can be triggered through limited time offers.

    Scarcity

    Scarcity refers to text like “Only 2 available” that signifies that a product might sell out if the customer doesn’t buy now

    Improve Checkout

    Making checkout as frictionless as possible while addressing any final concerns in the customers’ mind reduces abandoned carts where the customers decides not to buy after adding items to cart. Following are a few aspects to consider

    Payments

    Payment issues cause a significant amount of cart abandonment because a customer is unable to make a payment.

    Payment Methods

    Enabling as many payment methods as possible will ensure that customers are able to pay using their method of choice. Following are some common payment methods that can be enabled on a site. When picking a payment gateway, stores should make sure they are able to support all or most of these methods

    1. Credit Cards/Debit Cards: The most preferred method to complete an online purchase.
    2. Prepaid Cards: An alternative for credit/debit cards.
    3. Bank Transfer: Although this method is not used much, it’s sometimes useful when the product value is higher.
    4. E-wallets: When platforms provide you with their own payment solutions (PayPal, Cash App, Google Pay, Apple Pay, Venmo etc.)
    5. Digital currencies: Cryptocurrencies are slowly being accepted on many platforms since they allow international payments with ease and reduced documentation.

    Fraud Prevention

    Fraud prevention sometimes clashes with ease of payment and makes payment harder and sometimes rejects payments that are not fraudulent. Stores must determine the right balance between fraud detection and ease of payment. Fraud detection services like that are used by a large amount of customers are able to use aggregated data from all the stores they serve to better detect fraud with minimal false positives. Stores should consider if such a service is right for them

    Trust

    Although we discussed trust on the product page, it is more important to display trust badges to assure the customer that payments made through the platform are safe at the checkout stage.

    Return Policies

    Customer friendly return policies that are prominently displayed further assures the customer that they can buy without the fear of being stuck with a product they don’t want. Free and easy returns cost your store money, but in almost all but the lowest value products, it’s usually a net positive. As in all the aspects of conversion optimization, stores can experiment with a few policies to see if there is an opportunity to reduce cost without affecting conversion.

    Checkout our previous blog about heatmaps and how they impact conversion optimization.

    Clutch’s Leading B2B eCommerce Developers in Arizona

    Posted on by atmosol Developer

    The online shopping experience has been superb and incredible in the past decade. Now, buying things online is easy and reliable. As this trend continues, established companies are forced to adapt and provide ecommerce services and new e-commerce businesses are popping up left to right every day! If you are interested in learning more about e-commerce in your business, the atmosol team is here to help. Founded in 2005, our team is confident that we can help you with your next project.

    We’ve been included in the 2022 list of Clutch leaders in Arizona. To be specific, we were named as one of the leading e-commerce development companies locally! This award says a lot about our work and the quality of services we provide.

    Clutch, for those of you who don’t know, is an established platform in the heart of Washington, DC, committed to helping small, mid-market and enterprise businesses identify and connect with the service providers they need to achieve their goals.

    Here is our CEO, Ram Mohan to officially receive this award:

    “We are happy to be an Award winning company and one of the Top B2B Companies on Clutch. It not only confirms our dedication to the work we do but also motivates us to achieve more!”

    All about Direct to Consumer (D2C) eCommerce Strategy

    Posted on by atmosol Developer

    The Complete Guide To D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) eCommerce

    D2C, or Direct-To-Consumer, is a model where a company that manufactures products at its own facility also packages and sells them directly to the customer through its own channels, channels like an e-commerce store, social media handles, and physical stores.

    Sounds a lot like B2C, where businesses sell directly to customers as well, so what differentiates D2C from B2C? The difference lies in who manufactures the products. While both models involve brands selling to customers directly, D2C brands are those that have also manufactured the products themselves.

    A B2C business is any brand that sells to customers, period. They don’t necessarily have to have manufactured the product themselves, for example, retailers who also sell products directly to customers but source them from third-party vendors and manufacturers.

    Essentially, all D2C brands are B2C because they sell directly to customers, but not all B2C brands are D2C because they don’t all manufacture their own products.
    Understanding this difference is vital for brands in deciding which model to adopt.

    Why Do Brands Adopt D2C?

    1. It allows brands to deliver a unique experience, which supports growth

    In the conventional retail model, the products begin with the manufacturer, move to the wholesaler, distributor, retailer, and then to the customer. In most cases, the manufacturer gets little to no recognition and completely relies on the retailer for sales and growth.

    In the D2C model, all the middlemen – the wholesaler, distributor, and retailer are eliminated, allowing the manufacturer to sell directly to the customer.

    The disconnect between the manufacturer and consumers is bridged, giving the manufacturer control over their brand, the customer experience, marketing campaigns, sales processes, and so on. It allows the manufacturer to actually create a brand and navigate it in the direction they want, and when done right, it helps the manufacturer grow faster.

    2. To collect valuable data and feedback

    Because D2C brands have a direct connection with their end-users, they now have access to vital data that can help them create a customer data platform to improve products and services. Without middlemen, D2C brands eliminate the chance of feedback being Chinese whispers and get valuable information straight from the users of their products.

    Good data platform can help with:

    1. Consumer preferences – what products customers like and what they don’t like, what products will sell better as bundles, what pricing models are favored, and so on.
    2. Upsells/Cross-Sells – D2C brands can upsell and cross-sell products in their inventory directly through their channels and base these promotions on customer data. Here are more ways to increase your average order value and customer lifetime value.
    3. Feedback and product improvement – Through feedback, brands can improve their products and services to better serve customers.

    3. It fosters loyalty and retention

    Nurturing brand loyalty is extremely valuable. It costs five times more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an old one and the success rate of selling to an existing loyal customer is 60-70%, while the success rate of selling products to a newly acquired customer is just 5-20%. (Source)

    Loyalty, however, is driven by experiences. In the conventional retail model, product manufacturers are just the suppliers while the retailer delivers the customer experience. Fostering loyalty lies in the hands of the retailer, and in most cases, the loyalty is directed to the retailer and not the manufacturer. This does not help the manufacturer in any way. Once the customer is loyal to the retailer, they will continue to shop with them even if they change manufacturers. This can clearly be risky for manufacturers.

    In the D2C model, manufacturers reclaim control of the customer experience. They can create strategies to foster loyalty and increase customer retention and ensure they have a loyal customer base for their products.

    4. Better profitability Avenues

    Product prices inflate as they move through the tracks from manufacturer to retailer. Each member (wholesaler, distributor, and retailer) adds a markup to the price and sells it to the next member. Customers buy it at the final price marked by the retailer.

    In the D2C model, since the middlemen are cut out, the asking price for a product drops drastically. This creates an opportunity for manufacturers to increase the selling price and, thus, margins while staying below the retailers asking price. This enables the brand to earn more while customers pay lesser than they would, a win-win.

    Is Direct to Consumer (D2C) a Good Fit for Your Business?

    We made D2C seem like it’s all rainbows and butterflies, but the retailer B2C model exists and still thrives for a reason. Not all manufacturers can incorporate the D2C model and survive. There are some aspects you should first look into before considering which model will be best for you.

    1. Is there an opportunity for D2C?

    The first question you have to answer is if there is an opportunity – an opportunity for sales and an opportunity for growth. Some areas to look into when considering this question:

    Existing customer base – What is the current market like? Does your product (or products) have an existing customer base, either created through a retailer or generated through premarketing? When you go D2C, will there be demand from day one, or will you have to generate awareness first?

    Understanding the current demand will give you an idea of how quickly your D2C brand will be profitable, and how much money you need to survive until it begins generating profits.

    Marketing scope – Marketing will generate awareness and consequently, sales. The scope for marketing will be determined by – first, the products and second, the budget. Certain brands and products do not suit certain marketing channels. You hardly see retailers promoting clothes on a professional platform like LinkedIn. Your products and value propositioning will determine which platforms are open to you.

    The second factor will be the budget. Depending on how much money you can divert into marketing, some platforms and strategies will be unavailable to you. After analyzing 1 and 2 together, do you see marketing potential?

    Other modes of promoting – Is there scope for promoting the brand and products in other ways? For example, adding inserts in shipments to give buyers discount codes or upsell/cross-sell information

    While the earlier marketing analysis was geared more toward acquiring new customers, these promotions are geared toward customer retention and repeat orders.  Together, they form the pillars for sales and growth.

    2. Are the costs viable?

    Once you evaluate the opportunity on paper, you need to ask if you have the funds available to incorporate a D2C model. There are a lot of costs like distribution and marketing that are eliminated when you sell through a retailer. In the D2C model, you are responsible not just for manufacturing, but storage, packaging, and distribution as well.

    a. 3PL Warehouse vs. In-House Logistics – Will you manage order fulfillment in-house or through a 3rd party logistics provider (3PL)?

    Inhouse fulfillment gives you complete control over logistics. You also have control over the customer experience.

    When you go the 3PL route, you save on upfront costs (for a warehouse, for example) and also on day-to-day operations. You also get access to their expertise in logistics and resources from day one.

    You should decide based on your budget and estimated order volumes. If order volumes are projected to be high right from the start, or if you predict erratic order volumes, you are better off partnering with a 3PL logistics provider.

    b. Warehouse vs. Distribution Center – A warehouse is used to store products; a distribution center stores products and offers additional value-added services like packaging, loading, tagging, and so on. A distribution center, basically, performs all the processes needed to fulfill an order.

    Your choice between the two will depend on whether you are choosing to fulfill distribution in-house or through 3PLs.

    c. Earning potential – You already know the cost of goods sold, or how much you spend to manufacture each unit of the product. Once you plan out marketing and logistics, you will also know the costs for operations. The question now is if the D2C model is sustainable for your brand.

    This will come down to the potential earnings, which will depend on:

    • Average order value
    • Average items per order
    • Average shipping cost

    Potential earnings will be the order value x items per order – shipping cost.

    d. Alternatives to improve profitability

    Lastly, you should account for future possibilities for profitability. Different processes or modules that you can incorporate to increase profits for the same product volumes. For example:

    Subscriptions – Can you create a subscription model that customers will accept? Subscriptions are great to nurture loyalty and retention and also create a continuous earning stream.

    Bundles – Can you bundle products and create different pricing plans to include all ranges of customers – those who want to buy single products and pay a lesser amount per transaction and also those who are willing to pay higher amounts per transaction for high-value products or bundled products

    3. The hurdles to implementing D2C (Direct to Consumer eCommerce)

    a. Retail partner objections – When you move to the D2C model, you become a direct competitor for retailers selling similar products. Are you going to face backlash from retailers currently selling your products or similar products? Will you be able to weather the competition and position your brand as unique from theirs?

    b. Different product offerings/bundles – As you become a direct competitor to retailers, will their product offerings, pricing plans, or product bundles take business away from you? It’s a prudent approach to research your competition and pit their services against your own. For you to survive as a D2C brand, you will have to deliver better pricing deals than the competition.

    c. Can you differentiate your brand from the competition – You will need a USP to differentiate your brand from the competition. While not every product or service can be unique, you can introduce a distinction in other areas like operations, pricing, or support.

    Conclusion about Direct to Consumer eCommerce (D2C)

    D2C sales in the US rose from $76 billion in the year 2019 to $111.5 billion in the year 2020. Sales were forecasted to increase to $129 billion in the year 2021. The D2C market is growing quickly, as more manufacturers begin to see the immense benefits of building a brand.

    If you are considering starting a D2C business or moving from a retail-oriented business to D2C, this article will hopefully serve as a guide to you.