E-commerce sales ballooned during the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, it’s because of the pandemic. People had to stay in their homes, so they resorted to online shopping to acquire many of their needs. In the U.S., online retail sales increased from $598 billion in 2019 to $ 91.7 billion in 2020. It’s also important to note that during the pandemic, many people opened online businesses.
Consumers are only willing and able to spend as much on goods that they don’t consider to be necessities. And with the e-commerce space being almost saturated at this point, there is tight competition between brands in several industries.
Businesses need to use effective e-commerce strategies to drive themselves forward and stay ahead of their competitors. Most if not all businesses already leverage social media to invite prospects and possibly convert leads. These businesses also use brand tracking research to get to know consumer behavior even more and make the necessary changes in their campaigns.
But social media is not the only way to attract customers online. Below are only a few of the game-changing strategies businesses owners should try.
Video Shopping
For the majority of Zoomers, TikTok is king. They spend most of their day scrolling through their TikTok feeds and making videos to post on their own accounts. As of March 2021, teenagers make up 25 percent of TikTok users in the U.S. Meanwhile, 22.4 percent of the user base is composed of young adults aged 20 to 29.
Given this information, it would be wise for businesses to implement a video shopping experience in their social media accounts. Most online users are already frequent social media visitors, so this strategy will help businesses attract customers and increase sales.
Brands should upload videos that demonstrate their products and include purchase links, such as the Swipe Up feature on Instagram. They can also do a livestream to showcase their products. In the livestream, the host can interact with the viewers and better persuade them to purchase products.
Augmented Reality
Some items need to be seen and felt to be better appreciated and convince customers to buy. Unfortunately, many people can’t go to physical stores due to the pandemic.
To help these customers, businesses should incorporate augmented reality into their marketing strategies. One example is Nike Fit. Nike created this app so that customers can measure their shoe size without having to wear sample shoes. They simply need to scan their feet using the app. And they can use this information to easily purchase a new pair of shoes online.
Voice Search
Voice search has become a popular feature on many websites, especially given the fame of voice assistants. In a 2019 report, it was found that in the U.S., 111.8 million people use voice assistants monthly.
Given this user base, businesses must add a voice feature to their websites. This feature will attract customers since using voice search is much faster than typing keywords into a search bar. Customers will be able to navigate through a website more easily, which will make them keep coming back and eventually make a purchase.
Improved Personalization
Personalization for the sake of persuading consumers to buy is no longer enough. Consumers are smart, and they can see right through the small tricks that businesses do just to get them to buy something. That said, simply including a customer’s name in an email won’t cut it.
Brands need to improve the way they personalize their marketing content. This way, they will create and strengthen their bond with their customers.
One example can be seen in email marketing. For instance, a clothing business should use heatmaps to understand how visitors interact with their website. Then they can use this information to divide their mailing list and send tailored content. The emails will promote items similar to what each user browsed the most on the website.
Help From Social Media Influencers
Many social media influencers usually get a bad reputation. But it can’t be denied that enlisting them to market products will be very helpful to businesses.
Most social media influencers have already built their own following and supporters. So companies can invite these influencers to become brand partners. These influencers will promote these companies’ products on their social media accounts. Their followers will be more inclined to buy these products as a way to support their favorite online influencers.
E-commerce is the new normal. And this status may continue even after the pandemic. Companies must stay updated with new e-commerce trends. This way, they can find what’s best for them and use that to drive their businesses forward.
