Technology is constantly changing and so are the expectations of users. For example, 60% of people own a virtual home assistant device to make online purchases with a voice command. Many of such things are changing the state of online shopping experiences and going to evolve more in the future.
B2C ecommerce is gaining popularity and speed due to the higher interest of consumers, increased demand and participation in the market. Technology is the main fuel behind the evolution, existence, and future of the ecommerce industry, it is changing the way how we treat B2C ecommerce as well as online retail. Today, everything in ecommerce is done through technology like B2C transactions, purchase & delivery of orders at the doorstep and what not?
The combination of technology with ecommerce has led many businesses to rethink the ways of doing business to fit the faster, newer ecommerce world. Here are some ways technology is changing in B2C ecommerce and the changes you can expect in the near future.
Table of Contents
1. Extensive analysis of customer data
Gap analysis is the most important thing in ecommerce and this is where the role of analytics starts. To serve customers better, you need to understand the gap between the expectations of customers and the actual delivery of shopping experience to customers. The best way is to analyze customer behavior because the ecommerce industry is sitting on a treasure trove of data, specifically customer related data.
Taking action on the analytics does not require you to invest heavy amounts or be an online giant. The key to successful B2C ecommerce business is to track the interaction of customers with the brand throughout their lifecycle. This includes the
- What are the reasons for clicking to the link of store?
- What they have explored on the website?
- Which pages they have visited or stayed at?
- What they have added to the shopping cart?
- If they are new or return customers?
This data develops a customer profile and help in providing a tailored experience to the customers.
The basic analytical capabilities like average order value, conversion ratio, basket size are available with many ecommerce players. However, the changing scenario demands deeper analytics and actionable insights revolving around the overall experience of the customer. The top ecommerce platforms like StoreHippo allow you to use ecommerce applications on multiple devices, check the important insights, and drive sales and revenue.
2. Increasing flash sale tactics
Flash sale is the offer on specific products for a limited time, and mostly these offers are sent to an email list or offered in limited stock. These deals are very popular on special days, weekends, festivals and now, increasing tremendously on Indian ecommerce sites. Every flash sale is expected to maximize the average rate of transactions done on the website. Flash sale not only helps in increasing the revenue but also helps in getting rid of the existing inventory. The concept is driving a large number of audiences to the B2C ecommerce business and also, incentivizes the visitors to purchase "sale" as well as "non-sale" products.
B2C ecommerce market is getting highly competitive and it is important to rapidly catch-up with the new techniques to avoid being wiped out in the online market. Draw more traffic by offering special discounts on different products, categories, user groups for device-specific audiences with the powerful discount engine. You can also generate coupons easily and set up your own discount coupon rules like products, time, start and end date, maximum usage to offer personalized coupons to your customers. This will make your customers feel special every time they visit your online store and also they will end up completing the purchase. Feed the thrill-seeking appetite of your customers with successful B2C ecommerce flash sales.
3. Faultless payment process
Every online business requires a secure payment method for customers and of course more payment options to attract more consumers. With the emerging movement of the economy from cash to digital money, there will always be a need for a strong payment process for the sustainability of the ecommerce industry. The payment gateway is an excellent solution as it provides multiple options to make payments like debit cards, credit cards, internet banking, payment wallets, etc.
Another advantage of payment gateways for online businesses is that they receive the money instantly without waiting for Cash on delivery payments. It eliminates the possibilities of fraud and theft. Most of the B2C ecommerce businesses have shifted to payment gateways for dealing with the financial issues and improving security. The retailers, as well as the banks, are providing different offers and cashback to encourage customers to make online payments. The popular option of EMI is also commonly used by customers because they can make flexible payments according to their convenience. There are various security measures like One Time Password (OTP), CVV while making payments from credit/debit cards, PayPal, and payment wallets like RazoePay, PayTM etc. The online payment processes are not only quick and convenient, but also quite secure for online retailers and customers.
You can also get a faultless payment process, that too at ZERO additional cost for your ecommerce store. Give a secure and hassle-free payment experience to your customers, eliminate payment downtime and never miss an opportunity to convert your website visitors into real customers.
4. Convenience over innovation
Not to forget that the primary reason for the immense growth of ecommerce is convenience. The user’s convenience is based on many things like easy navigation, mobile app shopping, friendly websites, native social media buying, etc. Today, most of the buying is done through social media because it motivates them to purchase frequently and get good deals. With some good reasons to buy online, there are also some inconvenient experiences like shipping and handling fees.
With the growing technology, the trend is moving more towards convenience. Mobile-powered convenience is also becoming the king of shopping experiences. For example, Starbucks allows its customers to select the product and pay online at the store to skip the queue. Well, understanding the customers, crafting the right strategy, and implementing it correctly is not a cakewalk. Most of the ecommerce companies have to partner with top ecommerce platforms to provide a high convenience level to the customers.
5. Mobile engagement with Progressive Web App (PWA)
Progressive Web Apps are one of the most trending thing in B2C ecommerce world as it looks like a mobile application and there is no need to download it on your mobile. Some of the best features of PWA are integration with system settings, sends push notifications to users. In the era of M-commerce, when most of the online buying is done through mobile, PWA is a must have to engage well with consumers and drive sales. Get better engagement and conversions with PWA for ecommerce.
Once the PWA is installed, the B2C ecommerce businesses can offer tailored content, track the activity of users via analytics, send notifications etc. Unlike mobile browsers, PWA offers different experiences to achieve wider access and brand loyalty which ultimately leads to more sales. Also, there is no need to update the application through the app store as updates are pushed automatically in PWAs. There are many successful examples of PWAs that helped in reaching more users, increasing user engagement, elevating performance. One of the most prominent examples is Twitter. Most of the users of Twitter are mobile users and seek faster and engaging experience with lower consumption of data. The development of Twitter Lite PWA has led to a 75% increase the Tweets, increased page sessions significantly, and also reduced the data consumption with the help of image optimization.
It’s the time for YOU to Change
Technology has led to many B2C ecommerce companies to re-think the way of doing online business. Now, the expectations of consumers are reaching the next level and digital age is bringing major changes to the world of online retail and ecommerce. It’s the time to change because the retailers who don’t embrace the technology trends tend to fall soon in the market. Schedule your 14-day FREE trial to upscale the shopping experience of your customers and achieve more sales.
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