Andrey Anders is an innovator and entrepreneur, founder of the Philippe Anders Milano brand. It has proven that you can create a successful global shoe brand by completely giving up on your hobby and making it your life’s work. He grew his small business into a company that can now sell the best, highest quality shoes around the world at affordable prices.
Omnichannel sales to increase audience reach and increase conversions
Omnichannel selling is set to gain momentum among e-commerce businesses, no matter how hard they try to avoid it. This reluctance is mainly due to the fact that multi-channel sales management is quite difficult. But no matter the size of your business, omnichannel sales will give you a competitive edge and, if done right, lead to increased profitability. Sales channels to look for include:
- Online retail and wholesale via an online store;
- Sell through social networks;
- Online sales via marketplaces.
Contacting a person through different channels increases conversion and increases brand awareness. The more channels and touchpoints you use with your audience, the higher your conversion rate will be.
Some statistics:
- 46.7% of all internet searches originate from marketplaces such as Etsy, Amazon and eBay.
- 37% of users use social media to research products and brands.
Steps to follow
- Optimize your site for mobile devices. If the budget allows, create a mobile application.
- Work on increasing the number of traffic sources.
- Personalize your customer experience every step of the way.
- Consider the possibility and profitability of entering the markets.
Visual commerce is the new “minimum plan” of online platforms
The main difficulty of online sales is to encourage the buyer to buy a product without physically interacting with it. It is for this reason that companies should turn to visual commerce (VC) to take marketing to the next level.
Visual commerce refers to the use of images not just on product pages, but throughout the store to motivate users to interact and increase sales conversions. Instead of photos, it is recommended to use other VC options: interactive content, videos, augmented reality elements and user-generated content.
Major retailers are already using visual commerce, posting high-quality images and videos coupled with VR elements on as many pages of the platform as possible.
What am I supposed to do?
- Change photo formats from JPG to JPEG2000 or WebP to improve quality and download speed.
- Create panoramic images or videos of your best-selling products.
- Connect visual search tools that allow customers to search for products by images.
- Add user-generated content to your pages to increase interest and trust in your product.
- Actively post author photos and videos of your products, and run social media ad campaigns with creatives in a variety of formats.
Ecology and green consumption shape consumer preferences
Concern for the environment has long since passed the prerogative of “Greenpeace” and has become a common trend. Respect for the environment permeates all spheres of life, including commerce. People are excited to take care of nature and more often choose products made from eco-friendly and biodegradable materials that keep the environment clean.
One of the reasons for the growing popularity of “green” consumerism is that the new generation of millennials are becoming a more creditworthy class of shoppers. It is important for Generation Z to be proactive in protecting the environment and using “clean” products.
To stay relevant and competitive, brands need to adapt to the new trend. Major e-commerce brands are incorporating more sustainable production and sales practices into their businesses. For example, Amazon has committed to zero carbon emissions by 2040, as well as switching to renewable and alternative energy sources.
Some useful tips
- Formulate your position on the environment and start spreading it on social media and the store’s site. Tell your audience about the environmental practices you use and the values you promote.
- Initiate the transition to sustainable product packaging (paper and fabric, if possible).
- This may increase the cost of the product, but the customer will definitely appreciate this approach. In any case, the cost of materials may be included in the price of the goods in advance.
Summary
In the opinion of Andrey Anders, it is becoming clear that e-commerce will continue to grow. If you want to be on top of the changes, you will have to accept the trends, adapt to them and continue to grow considerably.
2022 will continue to strategically change the sphere, introducing its adjustments. Companies will continue to rethink their policies and values, start actively declaring their presence on social networks, express their position on the environment, optimize the interface and continue to work on logistics issues.
