Ecommerce has seen an exponential amount of growth over the past few years, especially following the coronavirus pandemic. With people working from home and unable to visit shops during the numerous lockdowns, brands have had to develop their online presence to ensure they’re making the most of sales when their physical outlets have been closed.
But what actually makes a successful ecommerce business and how can businesses capitalise on current and future trends?
The growth of ecommerce
According to the Office of National Statistics, online sales grew by a staggering 46% in 2020, compared to the previous year – the strongest increase since 2008. Despite this exponential growth, overall retail sales fell by 1.9% in volume, with clothing being hit the hardest. With the majority of the population working from home, there was no longer the need to look and dress a certain way. It’s no surprise then that online food sales saw the greatest increase of all, growing by a whopping 79.3%.
With these results, it’s safe to say that no retailer can afford to be lazy when it comes to adopting ecommerce as part of their business. Only businesses that embrace their website and online presence and ensure these services match those that a customer would expect in store, will survive these turbulent times.
For example, although clothing retail was one of the worst hit sectors, many businesses adapted their offering by providing “Working from Home” and “Loungewear” type clothing lines.
Trends to keep an eye out for
For all businesses, it’s more important than ever to keep an eye out for existing and upcoming trends. This is one of the only ways you’ll stay ahead of your competition in an ever-challenging world.
One of the best things you can do is to maintain a close eye on government announcements, news channels and publications. These will help you keep up on important factors such as restrictions which may influence the kind of products and services you are offering. For example, with summer months just around the corner, you may want to offer outdoor related products such as furniture, drinks packages or even garden party ready clothes.
Dedicate some time to staying ahead of the curve. After all, things can change in a flash!
Key aspects of a successful ecommerce website
There are a number of aspects you’ll need to consider when building your ecommerce website:
- Optimised product pages and checkout: Keep things simple and make sure customers can browse and purchase products easily! There’s nothing worse than an over complicated shopping and ordering process.
- Mobile responsive: People want to be able to shop while they’re out and about, and if you’re not mobile friendly, you’re likely to lose customers, fast!
- Multiple payment options and security: With the likes of Klarna and Clearpay on the rise, it’s a good idea to offer multiple payment options to your customers. You’ll also want to make sure people are aware that their personal information is secure! Make sure you have your data and privacy policies updated to communicate this.
- Effective design: Design and UX functionalities play a key role in the success of your ecommerce site. Although you may want to do this yourself, it might be worth getting advice from a specialist ecommerce agency.
- Data collection: Data can help your business thrive. Through website optimisation, advertising and email marketing, collecting data responsibly from your customers or site visitors can make all the difference to your marketing efforts.
