The days when Ford could “manufacture a car in any color, as long as it is black and still can sell” it to thousands of customers are long gone. Today, customers have grown from being takers to makers. Every business, small or big, runs according to the expectations, demands and necessities of its end users. For online businesses, this statement has greater implications. While the market has been able to break geographical boundaries, thanks to internet, there are also several new players competing for your target demographics. Entrepreneurs and businesses that still want to sell profitably and build a brand name need to adopt updated ecommerce strategies. Here are some key trends to follow in 2015 and beyond:
1. The growth of mobile
Since 2013, Black Friday has been for several times been referred to as the “Mobile Friday” by ecommerce players. In 2013, 40% of the online orders on this day were placed via mobile devices. The trend continues and more numbers of shoppers are turning to mobile to browse through products and have them delivered at their doorsteps. Ecommerce brands like Flipkart are on their way to leaving behind the desktop interface and encouraging mobile-only shopping over apps. This goes on to how that the mobile is becoming a more powerful, popular and profitable platform for shopping. For small businesses, this could be the best way to start penetrating the market.
2. Faster and free shipping
Nothing is more frustrating for a customer when his/her delivery is late. Also, customers don’t want surprises when it comes to shipping costs to be paid for their item. In many cases, shipping costs are more than the price of the product itself, making many customers looks for alternative and preferably local vendors. In response to the behavior, several ecommerce businesses are focusing more on faster and free shipping. Be creative and you can always find a way around the logistics.
3. Businesses sans borders
The online phenomenon presents the opportunity for local businesses to go beyond their local markets and pitch their products/services. Online retailers, across the globe are in fact working on expanding their sales beyond the domestic boundaries of their countries. With several courier and logistics services at your disposal and the means of online payment getting easier, the world is just like a singular market.
4. Content marketing
Coming to the point about how small businesses can market their products and services so extensively, there isn’t a better and more proven way than ‘content marketing’. According to a recent study, about 82% of online retailers are planning to increase their budgets of content marketing. This includes textual information, images, video content, press releases, blogs, etc. long gone is the trend to keyword targeted SEO campaigns. Modern customers want fresh and unique ideas to be delivered.
5. Personalization
Personalization and tailored products and services are keys to winning the rat’s race in the modern marketplace. This is also an area where businesses can start getting creative and work on unique ways to attract and impress the end user. The sole aim is to make a more personal connection with the customer.
