Thousands of online stores emerge on the Internet every month. The latest market research reveals the average lifespan of various ecommerce projects, regardless of their size and business niche, is a little more than two years, and about 90 percent of ecommerce start-ups eventually close. The following is a look at several problems ecommerce start-ups encounter, along with solutions to help you make your online business a success.
Browsing: For Buyers
Loss prevention has entered the digital age. Some of the latest advancements to stop shoplifters are security cameras that can be monitored from a cell phone or home office, specialty tags to stop shoppers from buying garments with the intent of wearing them once and returning them, and tags that beep if a pin is tampered with, a lanyard is cut, or the thief tries to grab an item and run.
Building customer loyalty is essential for brick and mortar merchants, and today that requires online customer appreciation. Not only will this encourage engagement on your social networks, but it also will keep your brand top-of-mind when your customers decide where to shop. Your independent business will thrive as long as you address online comments and questions as attentively as you would in your retail store. Here are four tips to help you do just that.
Holidays are a time for cheer. A recent survey reveals B2C small businesses planning their holiday marketing strategies will have something to cheer about come 2014!
Mcommerce sales from mobile devices are forecast to approach nearly $52.17 billion in 2014. $17 billion of that will come from smartphones, and the remainder will be split between tablets and other mobile devices. Many online retailers have already adapted their sites to produce a mobile ready version that is poised to take advantage of this opportunity.
Boutique Window, co-founded by Ella Wirtz and Courtney Rodgers, is an online marketing tool built specifically for small retailers running brick and mortar shops. “Our goal is to help business owners take advantage of all the online opportunities that are going to help them connect with local customers, and drive foot traffic into their stores,” Rodgers states. “We know that small retailers have a ton on their plates, and managing a website, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest can be a lot of work that they do not have time to do.”
Closeouts and liquidated products, which often sell for well under regular wholesale prices, can offer indie retailers generous profit margins. Closeouts exist as a result of excess inventory, discontinued products, packaging changes, customer returns and slight imperfections, as well as merchants going out of business. They are the same name brand, designer labels and first quality merchandise found in department stores and retail chains.
In store advertising, just like every other type of advertising, asks the question, “How do I capture customers’ attention and keep it?” If you are an independent retailer, manufacturer or product designer that retails through this channel, it is important to answer this question. Competing for attention in a smaller shop can be especially challenging without the ample square footage larger retailers have. Here are some creative ideas for in-store advertising to increase engagement and sales.
Walgreens has long been at the forefront of retail revolutions. Before the days of the Internet, the company would deliver prescriptions to their customers by the time they got off the phone. Today, the drugstore is changing the face of retail again with its scan-to-refill prescriptions. Customers simply scan their empty pill bottles to order new prescriptions instantly. They can then be picked up in a local store or delivered to their door, whatever is most convenient for the customer. It is this notion of bricks-and-clicks that is taking the retail world by storm.
Making buyers lifelong customers should be the goal of everyone operating an online store. Retailers want this golden goose because it is less expensive to keep a customer than it is to acquire a new one. However, it takes a concerted effort to keep first time buyers around for life. Following are three strategies you can incorporate to keep shoppers coming back to your eCommerce site.