Let’s say you see someone wearing a really cool pair of shoes and you want to get the same pair. What’s the first thing that you’re going to do? Unless you’re actually walking distance from a shoe store, you would probably take out your smartphone and search for it online. Once you find it, you’ll add it to cart and make a purchase right then and there.

This is how a lot of people do their shopping today. About four in five Americans shop online, and more than half of them do it on their mobile devices. It’s easy and convenient. Many of us do not just use our phones and tablets for communication, social media, and gaming but also for searching for products, comparing prices, and shopping.

For this reason, mobile marketing plays a big role in the success of both small and big businesses.

Mobile Marketing –

In a nutshell, mobile marketing is a digital marketing strategy that targets a specific audience – the ones on their mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. Mobile marketing is done either via social media, email, apps, and more.

How Important is Mobile Marketing?

According to Statista, just last year, 52.2% of all web traffic all over the world was mobile-phone generated. As of July this year, there are 3.9 billion mobile internet users worldwide. Eighty-nine percent of buyers are more likely to recommend a business or brand if they had a positive mobile experience, while 46% say they won’t purchase again if they have a negative and interruptive mobile experience.

These are numbers that should not be ignored. As more and more people shop online via their mobile gadgets, mobile marketing has become a necessity in ecommerce.

Also Read – How to Choose A Visual Commerce Platform For Your Ecommerce Business?

Advantages of Mobile Marketing for E-Commerce –

1. Instant Access –

Mobile marketing is comparably faster than other digital marketing approaches in many aspects. Not only does one have instant access to it whenever it’s needed. A consumer can quickly check an image or watch a video on mobile without the fuss of having to take out a laptop or plug a desktop.

2. Streamlined design –

Because websites optimized for mobile have simpler designs, all kinds of content are viewed easily by users. All the information a prospective customer could want is just a tap and swipe away on their mobile phones, making things more user-friendly.

3. Easier Payment Methods –

As banks now support and even encourage mobile banking, most payment methods are now processed through mobile devices, too. This makes the whole buying process more convenient and less time-consuming for shoppers.

4. Larger Audience –

There are more smartphone owners than laptop or desktop owners. Not everybody has access to or makes use of a computer on a daily basis. But most people now have smartphones and use their mobile devices constantly throughout the entire day. Having a mobile marketing strategy in place allows you to reach a wider audience with ease.

5. Optimized Social Media Platforms –

It’s hard to imagine mobile marketing without social media. There’s a reason why businesses, both startups, and more established companies, find their home on social media platforms. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media channels are optimized for mobile. Users find it easier to use their phones than their computers to access and spend hours on social media. Mobile marketing allows you to make the most of social media to engage your audience and boost sales.

Disadvantages of Mobile Marketing –

1. Privacy and Security –

Privacy and security may be one of the very few cons of mobile marketing. One needs to check their privacy and security settings to ensure that important information, including their location and financial details are not compromised. Hacking is still a risk that hasn’t been completely eliminated.

2. Screen Variety –

With all the different brands and models of mobile devices, screen sizes vary. It is therefore difficult if not impossible to have one online shop that works perfectly for all screen sizes. Thankfully, there are some online tools that you can use to see how your website actually appears on a number of mobile devices. You can then make necessary changes to improve how your site looks on the majority of those screens.

3. Landing Page Optimization for Mobile –

Many businesses still have trouble optimizing their landing pages for mobile. Smartphone screens, especially, are tricky because even a responsive design for a landing page that would work seamlessly between laptops, desktops, and tablets, may not exactly work as intended on a much smaller smartphone screen.

4. Navigation Limitations –

Even with the emergence of phablets, website or online shop navigation can still be tricky on mobile. This is more so on smaller 5-inch screens. Unlike with a desktop mouse or a laptop trackpad with a tiny pointer to help you accurately navigate, mobile users only have their fingers, and it’s so easy to tap on the wrong link or button. Marketers also have to choose carefully what content to show on a limited screen size because they just can’t show all the content they want on mobile.

5. Functional App or Website Required –

While a fully functioning website is a requirement even for laptop or desktop users, it is even more important for mobile users who are less patient when it comes to loading speed.. Additionally, a highly-efficient app for e-commerce is becoming more of a necessity than an option now because mobile users prefer to use dedicated apps than their mobile browsers for checking out products and making purchases.

Now that you know the pros and cons, you would want to know how you can make the most of mobile marketing for your e-commerce business. Here are some of the best mobile marketing practices that you should keep in mind.

Make sure you have a responsive or adaptive design. This is a no-brainer, but there are still some online shops out there that are not optimized for mobile viewing. What you can do is check if your site is mobile-friendly using this tool. There are also some tools or web builder templates that you can use to give your website a more adaptive design. Most of these tools are easy to use and don’t even require web design knowledge. Of course, the best way is to have experts create an e-commerce mobile app for you!

Make it simple and user-friendly. Even with the ease of use that mobile devices offer, no one wants a complicated design, especially on such a small screen. Also, remember how you feel about popups as a consumer. You are not fond of them, so why should your audience be? Make every visit to your page or your app a pleasant experience for mobile users.

Check out how Amazon designed for mobile in a way that their call-to-actions are always in an accessible zone.

Structure your content in shorter paragraphs. Nobody likes big blocks or walls of text. Shorter paragraphs are easier on the eyes and won’t scare your audience away. Even if the content is of the same length, having shorter paragraphs will help keep your audience on your site for much longer.

Steer clear of big, bright, and bold text colors. When it comes to text, nothing beats the classic black and white combo. As a reader, you know how painful to your eyes those red and yellow texts are. Providing optimal visual experience should be one of your goals when it comes to mobile marketing.

Offer a hassle-free checkout process. Even if you provide your audience with a smooth buying journey, things could still go awry if you make your customers jump through hoops to check out items on your shop. Make the checkout process as easy as you possibly can so your customers will experience no trouble and won’t change their mind about their purchase.

Conclusion –

Mobile marketing is here to stay and whether you like it or not, it has changed the way e-commerce business is done. So make sure that you take advantage of all the benefits mobile marketing offers and don’t be left behind.

Author Bio –

Naida Alabata is a digital marketer with a vast experience in social media, digital marketing, SEO, web design & development, and business development. She’s also the editorial-in-chief for startupcredo.com.

Also Read – How Data Scraping can be Helpful for Businesses?

 

Let’s take a look at the statistics first…

According to Statista, the number of digital buyers in whole of Asia Pacific is expected to cross the 1 billion mark in 2019. India is said to be the largest and also the fastest growing e-commerce market in Asia.

Number of digital buyers in Asia Pacific from 2014 to 2019 (in millions):

 

Digital Market Outlook study by Statista forecasts India’s eCommerce revenue growth to grow to a whopping 62.3 billion dollars from 2017-2023.

If these figures are anything to go by, online shopping has a bright future. Technology has pervaded our life to great extent affecting the way we work, the way we communicate with friends & family, the way we consume entertainment and above all, the way we shop.

And, it’s not just the way we shop but also the way brands engage with customers, offer customer experience and give customers choices have evolved.

From lifestyle products, electronic gadgets to groceries everything these days is available online on computer and mobile screens ready to delivered to your doorstep. What’s more you get goods delivered to your door without ever having to leave home. Little wonder then that online retailers are making billions of dollars each year by selling goods online.

Read More: How Machine Learning is helping business grow in market?

Factors that Drive E-Commerce Growth:

However it’s not just the ease or the comfort of buying everything online in just a few clicks that has led to the massive growth of e-commerce in the country. There are other factors as well.

1. Easy Display and site navigation – E-commerce sites have a website wherein they display their range of goods along with prices, specification etc. Customers can get complete information about the product at their fingertips.

2. Multiple payment options –

 

Buyers can pay via credit/debit card/net banking/digital wallets or opt for cash on delivery. Gone are the days when you would need to carry wads of cash to go shopping.

3. Open 24x7x365 – Retail shops open only at certain times of the day and may be closed on certain days. Online stores are open throughout each day of the year so you can shop anytime as per your convenience.

4. Beat the cues – Forget about long wait times or jostling through crowded lanes in the stores to buy the product you want. You can simply log into the online portal, select the product and confirm purchase. You can buy whatever you want in just a few clicks.

5. Increasing number of Mobile phone users – These days almost all online shopping sites have a mobile app to tap the mobile customers. This means customers don’t even need to have access to laptops and desktops to browse products online, they can do it from their mobiles itself!

6. Retailers save money – E-commerce while it offers convenience to shoppers also has benefits for retailers. By selling goods online, they save money on physical space, rent, store maintenance, staff wages etc.

Trends in E-commerce to watch out for:

It is evident that online shopping has become a popular alternative to brick and mortar stores and it’s not just a fad. It’s a fact and it’s here to stay. The following are some of the e-commerce marketing trends that is set to shape the future of e-commerce.

Compete with the Giants –

If you are an online marketer wanting to make it big in the industry, you have to learn to fight and survive with the giants like Amazon and eBay. Whichever industry you’re in they are your toughest competitors with the largest customer base all over the globe and highest ever sales figures. Amazon business is dynamic consistently looking for newer ways to engage customers and improve customer experience. So the only way to survive in this fiercely competitive ever-changing environment is to constantly innovate and come up with newer ways to engage customers and build brand loyalty.

Social Selling –

 

With the massive popularity of online shopping we see many social channels giving in to the demands of e-commerce. Gradually social media channels like Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook etc are allowing for sales buttons that takes the shopper directly to the shopping page. More and more online shopping sites are seen taking advantage of these relatively new phenomena to tap into the large audience base of these platforms.

Market Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) –

AI powered tools help you capture important customer data which can then be used in marketing campaigns and promotions. You can send out tailored emails regarding certain products and promotions based on the buyer history, user behavior, purchase pattern etc. You can also create personalized recommendations for each user to enhance customer experience and satisfaction. This helps businesses improve customer experience and increase conversions.

Same Day Shipment –

 

Nothing much had been done in this area of e-commerce until Amazon launched different types of delivery like Advanced Delivery, Same-Day delivery, Free Delivery etc apart from Standard Delivery for its different category of members and orders. And if that wasn’t enough, Amazon is in the news for testing Drone Delivery in the U.S. The drones, with the help of Google Maps integration will be able to discover fastest route to the destination. Although still in a nascent stage, this trend is sure to catch up as technology improves.

Augmented Reality for Product Visualization –

How cool would it be if you visualize the new sofa set that you have been browsing in your home using your mobile’s camera or maybe visualize how the new pair of shoes would look on you that you’re planning to buy for Christmas? That’d be amazing right? With new technologies like AR KIT for IOS and Google’s AR Core for Android Smart phones these product visualization trends would no longer be a distant reality.

E-commerce industry is constantly evolving and is ever-changing in an attempt to shape the way shoppers all across the globe purchase goods online.

Future of e-commerce looks exciting to say the least.

A lot of big changes are expected to take place. Let’s take a look at some of them:

End of Free Returns –

So far we have been enjoying certain privileges of easy returns/exchanges. Online retailers have long used this strategy to engage customers and increase conversions but with returns increasing every year, the cost of managing returns is about to reach a tipping point. Free shipping and free returns are proving to be too costly for e-commerce stores and therefore they are looking to track down serial returners and ban them. The year 2019 will see some changes like conditional or complex return policies, complete ban on certain users etc in order to curb the growing pace of returns.

Voice Search –

Use of voice search is growing steadily. According to Search Engine Journal, around 30-50% of searches will be conducted by voice by 2020. It’s time for E-commerce stores to start optimizing their content for voice searches. As per Google’s guidelines content for voice search should have textual content so as to appear in rich snippets and knowledge graphs. Top brands of the likes of Amazon, North Face etc have started making e-commerce apps for voice assistants. It helps users place orders through their smart speakers.

Chatbots as Personal Assistants –

 

Chatbots have been around for quite some now. But AI-powered chatbots are expected to see a rise in the times to come. These increase user engagement by providing relevant options to them. This will help reduce complaint turnaround time while also providing personalized options to them.

Video Marketing –

Again, not a new phenomena but video marketing in e-commerce is sure to spread like wildfire. Product videos explaining how to use the product, talking about its benefits etc will soon become common. It is even predicted that Product videos would soon replace textual product descriptions. This is sure to have a positive impact on conversions because consumers interact better with videos.

The world we live in is changing rapidly. Technology is improving and is becoming all-pervading changing the way we live and do things. As e-commerce business owners you need to be aware of all these changes and embrace the ones that suit your business and provide value to your users. After all, the better the user experience, higher will be your sales!

If you think I might have missed some important point regarding the future of online shopping or e-commerce, do let us know in the comments section below!

Author Bio:

Anupam Rajey is a seasoned marketer and sales expert. He is the CEO of Acelerar Tech, a leading KPO that eCommerce Virtual Assistant, social media, Internet research, email & chat support, and more.

 

 

Read More: How to Make Money Online Through Drop Shipping & E-Commerce Sites?

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]]> https://www.techsmashable.com/future-of-e-commerce-and-online-shopping-in-india/feed/ 0 https://www.techsmashable.com/10-tips-to-boost-your-e-commerce-marketing-sales-in-2019/ https://www.techsmashable.com/10-tips-to-boost-your-e-commerce-marketing-sales-in-2019/#respond Tue, 28 May 2019 13:28:20 +0000 https://www.techsmashable.com/?p=1189 10 Tips To Boost your E-commerce Marketing Sales in 2019   Who doesn’t want their e-commerce store to thrive and…

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10 Tips To Boost your E-commerce Marketing Sales in 2019

 

Who doesn’t want their e-commerce store to thrive and attract as many customers as possible? However, it might not be as easy as it sounds, because attracting a wide number of visitors to your e-commerce store is not a promise of higher sales.

E-commerce stores use promotional tactics to lure potential customers into visiting the online store and make a purchase. This ideal situation is not difficult to achieve if your e-commerce store is marketed at the right time to the right people. If you know your potential consumers will love the new range of winter collection, simply showing them an ad of your leather jacket range won’t be enough. Your online leather jacket store should be marketing a discount on the new arrivals or some sort of offer.

Promotional tactics and marketing of the products of an e-commerce store, work together to bring a large number of visitors to the site who then convert to actual buyers. You just have to choose the right tactic or strategy to convert your visitors to buyers.

Read More: 5 Best Skills That Every Digital Marketer Must Have in 2019

Let’s have a look at What are the 10 Tips That Can Boost your E-commerce Marketing Sales in 2019

1. Content marketing:

Have your products described to your potential customers. People love to read about the products online to get a feel of it. Start a blog about your e-commerce store and have your product descriptions, reviews, or tutorials posted over there.

Such content marketing keeps people engaged and hooked on about what’s next. Blogging can also provide you with the opportunity to build a network with other partners by inviting them for guest blogging and vice versa. It enhances your visibility to the consumers.

2. Mobile optimization of your e-commerce store:

By the year 2021, it is expected that more than half of the online sales will be made by mobile devices. The previous years have already witnessed an exponential growth in online e-commerce sales mostly done through mobile devices, according to Statista.

These facts can make or break your online sales as they are an indicator of a change that all e-commerce businesses should embrace. Optimizing your site for mobiles should be the top priority. It also implies having an interactive design that is easy and seamless to navigate through. You can also have your professional logo design incorporated into the mobile app or site so that consumers can relate to it more.

3. Utilize personalized data:

What could be better than having your product marketed to the right set of the target audience who actually need the products and purchase them? Technology, today, provides marketers with a wide range of user information – from their preferences to shopping history, they know everything.

Using such a set of personalized data is extremely useful in boosting your sales. You can know what your consumers want in the middle of the night or what they would prefer at the start of a new season.

4. Email reminders and subscription:

Email might sound a little old school to many, but it’s not. Email subscriptions provide an effective way to remind your consumers about the range of products that might appeal to them, based on their shopping history.

Moreover, it is highly likely that consumers do not go about checking your store’s app or website daily for promotions or offers. Thus, email reminders can help to inform them about current or upcoming offers.

5. Upselling your products:

Upselling is a tactic used by many of the marketers. If you have a distinctive quality in any of your products and want to sell it on a higher price, make it prominent and visible to your consumers.

However, upselling might go wrong if your updated price is higher than the anchor price a consumer has in his mind. Remember to keep your updated product related to the original one and not exceed the price a lot.

6. Market your customer testimonials for building trust:

 

People trust the opinions and feedback of other customers when making an online purchase. They search through feedback about how satisfied your previous customers have been. Marketing your customers’ testimonials help extend a relationship of trust with the new customers.

Use this tactic to build trust with your potential customer base. Show them the testimonials of your products along with customers’ names and pictures. It enhances the level of trust and leads to more conversions.

7. Embrace reviews positively and gracefully:

Another very essential aspect of luring customers and making them purchase something is to show that you care about your consumers. The most effective way to do so is to market your relationship with your previous consumers.

What you have to do is to embrace your product reviews very positively and gracefully. Lend an attentive ear to your customers if they have any complains and tend to them as soon as possible. It enhances your image and projects your excellent customer service.

8. Battle shopping cart abandonment:

 

Shopping cart abandonment leads to serious financial losses by the e-commerce stores every year. If you want to up your sales, you need to battle this hard. First of all, setup an email reminder to keep your consumers posted about their carts on your e-commerce store. This way, they’ll have a reminder popping in front of them to clear away things they want and purchase the rest.

Secondly, what you can do is to make the checkout process as hassle-free and simple as possible. The fewer distractions there are during the check-out process, the more swift purchases will be.

9. Offer a range of payment options:

Do not confine your buyers to only one or two payment options. Increase the range of your target audience by incorporating various payment options. For example, if you only offer credit card payment, you might be losing a whole lot of consumers who trust cash on delivery more than the card payment, or who simply do not have a credit card!

10.  Free giveaways and offers:

Customers love to receive free things or packages along with their orders. It increases the chances of them returning to make a purchase again from you. Offer discounts and giveaways upon suggesting to a friend or family member. Or get them to buy a product upon which they get a discount coupon for buying the next item on a discounted rate.

Conclusion:

The e-commerce market is turning out to be more promising than ever. Gone are the days when consumers did not use to trust the online sites and their products and did not want to shop online. E-commerce has come a long way in establishing trust among the people. From a hairpin to gardening tools, all the things can be ordered from the comfort of your home these days.

Hence, for e-commerce businesses, the industry is getting saturation day by day, which is why it is essential to come up with new tactics or strategies to augment online sales.

Author Bio:

About Michelle Joe: Michelle Joe is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences, and express herself through her blogs. You can find her on twitter: @michellejoe524

 

 

Read More: A Quick Review Of Digital Marketing Trends in 2019