COVID-19 left a lasting impression on the wholesale and retail landscapes. As buyers remained at home, more of their spending went online. Many products, which were previously only sold online, are now available on e-commerce. 

The future of eCommerce looks bright. Customers now demand speed and convenience in their shopping experience. However, growing an eCommerce company and the best 3pl for eCommerce is hard work that requires you to take the right steps.

The right strategy will enable you to compete in a saturated market that offers many similar products or services at a wide price range. Here are seven marketing strategies to supercharge your eCommerce business as the competition ramps up.

Why Is Strategy Important?

Nearly $4.29 trillion worth of online sales were made in 2021. Forecasts indicate this figure will grow by 50 per cent over the next four years, reaching about 7.4 trillion dollars by 2025. Despite the pandemic, consumers have become more comfortable with online shopping because they are becoming used to it.

Is your business dithering over whether or not to venture into the e-commerce market? Instead of waiting for a miracle to happen, start the process. You need a well-conceived and well-designed strategy from the outset if you hope to leverage this robust environment. 

Structure your online ecommerce business with an e-commerce strategy. The main goal of this structure is to help you create the best possible customer experience for your online store. Your conversion funnel should contain these “holes” so that you can identify and plan for them.

To accomplish more than just selling on eBay occasionally as an amusing hobby, you’ll need to start formulating your e-commerce strategy.

List of Strategic Decisions to boost eCommerce Business

Incorporate automation 

When selecting an eCommerce platform, automation should be at the top of your list when you have an offline business and consider expanding into eCommerce. 

The concept of eCommerce automation uses software to convert tasks, processes, or campaigns into automated scripts that execute specific requirements. It allows small business owners to become more effective with fewer resources and avoid being overwhelmed by growth.

As businesses become more automated, they increase their efficiency and improve customer experience. Hubspot reports that 79 per cent of high-performing companies have been using marketing automation for three years or more. The trend has gained momentum with COVID-19.

Abandoned Cart Workflows

According to reports, 73.9% of carts contain items that have not yet been purchased, though basket abandonment varies by industry. Regardless of the reason for abandoning a cart, abandoned cart workflows allow you to recover potential sales.

Abandoned cart workflows employ automated email marketing campaigns to redirect customers back to the products or services in their shopping carts. It is advised to set up four emails in your workflow.

This eCommerce strategy has been proven to boost conversion rates and increase sales. As discovered, emails sent out within three hours after a customer abandons their shopping cart on the internet get an open rate of around 40% and an average clickthrough rate of 20 per cent.

Service your customers better

A brand’s customer service can make or break it, no matter how old the adage is. In this day and age, it’s more relevant than ever. 

Nowadays, consumers can easily switch to an alternative brand thanks to the internet – therefore, you must do everything possible to provide your customers with outstanding service.

You’re probably already offering customer service, even though an email or a phone helpline. Have you thought about ways to improve your customer service more effective?

Think about asking your customers to provide comments. Include an opportunity to survey customers in the order confirmation emails. You can also add a feedback form on your site. Send follow-up emails following purchase.

You’ll then be able to gather (hopefully) valuable tips to help enhance your customer service.

Create urgency and scarcity to increase sales

Any successful E-commerce business can create a sense of urgency and scarcity by offering customers special deals.

All products or a range of products might be eligible for a limited-time discount. Furthermore, having a flash sale could help you generate sales if you’re overstocked on a product. Data and automation allow you to reach out to consumers who have purchased the same or similar products via email marketing before. 

Although giving incentives will be more useful to internet merchants, wholesalers and business-to-business sellers can also give discounts to generate a feeling of urgency and scarcity.

Taking advantage of the transaction moment

Overstimulation and overcrowding characterise the digital world. During the Transaction Moment, consumers put their full attention on what they are doing online. Customers pay close attention when they have their credit cards ready.

Consumers engage in a pleasurable mindset when shopping online, which increases dopamine production in the brain. As a result, they are more likely to respond to targeted offers and messages. 

As frequently as 9 out of 10 purchases are made in low-distraction environments, Transaction Moments represent the happiest place in digital and the moment when consumer engagement and attention are at their peak. 

As consumers scroll through social media, they are experiencing negative sentiment and divided attention, and the Transaction Moment is the best opportunity for marketers to draw in undivided attention and build relationships. There is no place where customers are more receptive to new offers and further communication than on social media channels in digital marketing.

Improve fulfilment to grow eCommerce

One of the major benefits for businesses and customers who shop online is the speed of fulfilment and delivery. If you’re not proficient in this field, other companies will be happy to meet the expectations of their customers and fill in the gaps. If you’re not willing to build a fulfilment centre or one, you could outsource your logistics to third-party service providers that provide fulfilment.

As more businesses begin or expand their online presence, the use of the demand for third-party fulfilment has exploded. In the first quarter of 2020, big  3pl companies in the UK experienced an increase of 50% in demand. These facilities allow small companies to increase their eCommerce capabilities without storing physical products.

Make use of social proof.

Reviewing the opinions of satisfied customers can cause your website customers to trust your business.

The reviews could be about the excellent customer service experience with your support staff and product quality, rapid delivery of your goods or an experience that was positive. They are social evidence of how trustworthy your small-scale company is.

It’s a resounding endorsement from people who have interacted with your brand. Additionally, it lets other customers know about the quality and reliability of your products and services, which encourages buyers to purchase.

Conclusion

E-commerce fulfilment is on the verge of revolutionising online retail. Since COVID-19 threatens brick-and-mortar stores, more people are shopping online instead.

Having your brand well-positioned among your customers relies heavily on the services offered by your 3PL provider. Your customers’ loyalty is influenced by how your products reach them. 

It is possible to encourage repeat purchases and online ratings and reviews with seamless delivery. Partnering with the right 3pl logistics companies UK can directly affect your business growth.

To follow these strategies to increase your e-commerce sales and gain a larger share of the pie, reach out to our experts.