A guide to the latest trends, developments and statistics in ecommerce, providing a snapshot of what is happening right now. This quarter’s edition includes early results from peak season, the latest developments in GenAI and the growing focus on sustainability in ecommerce.
Ecommerce capability, strategy and execution are ever evolving. As technology continues to develop, new models, channels and possibilities are emerging, providing organisations with more options than ever for reaching, engaging and selling to consumers. As software-as-a-service models proliferate, sophisticated technology-driven capability is becoming democratised, giving businesses of all sizes access to advanced tools and changing […]
Ecommerce teams must consider customer retention when designing experiences. The ability to retain customers makes a business more resilient, while monitoring metrics that indicate loyalty, such as average order value and customer lifetime value, can inform communication strategy, making marketing more efficient. This chapter looks at strategies for promoting customer retention, as well as how […]
An understanding of the customer, including who they are, how they behave and what they seek when they visit an ecommerce site, is crucial for creating experiences that delight and convert. This chapter outlines the key considerations when it comes to customer data, including how to use and handle it in a compliant way. Customer […]
After the product page, the customer reaches the point of sale. This chapter outlines the most important considerations for ecommerce teams building shopping baskets and checkouts that convert. Shopping basket The shopping basket page should not place any barriers to conversion in front of the customer. It should include a detailed but easy-to-read product summary […]
Often the site for decision-making, the product page is one of the most important considerations for ecommerce teams. This chapter looks at best practice for putting a product page together, after considering the role of content hubs in in the customer journey. Content hubs Content clearly plays a key role in driving conversion through the […]
This research has so far considered the early parts of the customer’s journey online, but what exactly leads to a conversion, and what steps must brands make to optimise the conditions that drive visitors to convert? This chapter looks at conversion rate optimisation, explains how conversion rates can be calculated and considers the factors that […]
With the principles of persuasion now in mind, it is time to think about how to apply them to the ‘digital shelf’ in order to convert visitors to the website. First, however, it is important to consider where visitors are coming from. Customer acquisition Ecommerce revenue is driven by three key factors: visitors, conversion and […]
Understanding how customers can be persuaded to move towards conversion at different points in their journey is crucial to successful UX in ecommerce. Getting to grips with the principles of persuasion and UX can provide an excellent starting point. This chapter outlines the six key principles of persuasion, set out by psychologist Dr Robert Cialdini, […]
Alongside establishing a solid operational set up for ecommerce, and a clear strategy for generating demand, it is essential to convert that demand and maximise value to realise the true potential of ecommerce. This requires a coherent strategy for generating customer value propositions, an understanding of how user experience and conversion principles can be deployed […]
Ecommerce is evolving rapidly as businesses look to drive revenue and meet growing consumer expectations. With swiftly changing competitive, technology, market and customer contexts (accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic), businesses need to respond by shaping their ecommerce operations, strategies and models in ways that satisfy contemporary customer needs. Yet they must also ensure their practices […]
What might shape ecommerce as we head into 2024? We asked the experts for their predictions and trends.