E-commerce businesses cannot stay on one platform if they want to get ahead of the competition. This is where e-commerce multichannel marketing comes in

Channel loyalty doesn’t exist; buyers check different channels before they make a purchase. Even with promos, they still compare offerings. Take Amazon prime day for example. Some 76% of shoppers plan to visit other channels before making a purchase. Around 46% of them compare prices at Walmart, 40% use Target, 39% try brand websites. E-commerce businesses cannot stay on one platform if they want to get ahead of the competition. This is where e-commerce multichannel marketing comes in. Multichannel marketing involves promoting and selling on every channel that your customers can interact with you on. [si_guide_block id="122303" title="Download our Premium Resource – Omnichannel marketing planning guide" description="Our omnichannel planning guide will outline the differences between omni and multichannel marketing and then help you…

Depending on what business you’re in, typically anywhere from 2%-15% of your online visitors convert into customers. That means 85%-98% don’t. So, wouldn’t you like to know why?

You can, by gathering some critical customer feedback with some very affordable methods and tools. Best of all, all of these analyses can be done for less than $1000 (USD).

I call this ‘taking the pulse’ of your prospects and customers — from two angles, and using multiple methods. By two angles I mean doing both quantitative and qualitative analysis. And the methods include:

Reviewing your analytics data Reviewing your visitor clickstream data Gathering ‘voice of customer’ data Running an eye-tracking study Launching a one-question poll Getting expert conversion review [si_monthly_campaign_blog_cta_banner id="150538"]

Why so many methods? Well, your medical doctor doesn’t just check your blood pressure, then say, ‘OK, we’re done,’ and send you on your…

... and what they might mean for 2020

Seasoned visitors to the Smart Insights blog will no doubt agree that there’s an abundance of, well, smart insights to take in on a daily basis. With digital and marketing constantly evolving, marketers have to work hard to keep up with the rapid pace of change and Smart Insights plays this role perfectly, providing up-to-date guidance, tips and advice on a huge range of topics. There’s a handy function on the Smart Insights blog that lets visitors sort posts by both recency and popularity. But rather than talk about what others have found most interesting in 2019, I thought I’d outline some of the insights that have educated and inspired me this year and how they’re likely to influence my thinking further in 2020. [si_blog_banner_cta]

Stories and stats that stood out in 2019

Looking back over the last twelve months, I was surprised by the breadth of…

Only 16% of companies focus on retaining a customer when all data points to the fact that acquiring a new one is at least five times more expensive.

In this modern digital world, with fleeting loyalties and diminishing attention span, brands and businesses are continuously trying to come up with new plans and ideas to keep their customers in the fold. Today, this is largely driven by the data an organization can collect on its customers. Thanks to the proliferation of the internet and social media, much of this information is available freely. Brands are now studying customers’ behavior, expectations and motivations to learn more and more about what goes into their purchase cycle. A large part of this is trying to engage with the customer once the purchase has been made. One common mistake that most brands (especially those in the e-commerce sector) make here is assuming that the customer will re-enter…

You should strive to add concierge-level service to your e-commerce website’s user experience

We all want to be cared for.

On a business trip to Winnipeg, Canada, Michael Scott’s character in the popular sitcom ‘The Office’ is over-the-moon excited to learn that his hotel has a concierge (a concierge is a hotel employee whose job it is to assist guests with their every need). If you’ve seen the episode, you know that later that evening the concierge’s services far exceed his logistical support needs. It’s human nature to want to be cared for, especially in this often impersonal world. So you should strive to add concierge-level service to your e-commerce website’s user experience. To make your service ubiquitous and consistent, you should extend this higher level of service to your other customer contact channels.  [si_guide_block id="125181" title="Download our Resource – E-commerce personalization buyer’s guide"…

Headless commerce is rising its ‘head’ in the e-commerce space, empowering marketers to deliver extraordinary customer experiences. Here’s what you need to know about this new e-commerce strategy

Online shoppers seem to be embracing the Internet of Things (IoT) era like no other. The introduction of connected devices, applications, and touchpoints has brought about a drastic change in customer behavior and expectations. In-store interfaces, smart voice assistants, and Amazon Dash buttons are offering customers innovative ways to know about the product, read online reviews, and shop. [si_guide_block id="79186" title="Download our Free Resource – 12 common e-commerce marketing mistakes" description="Your e-commerce channels will already be a major contributor to your profit, but you need to avoid making these common mistakes."/] E-commerce sites like Amazon and eBay are staying on top of this digital trend by embracing headless commerce that allows them to deliver relevant experiences to their audience.

So, what is headless commerce, anyway?

Headless commerce…

Videos are the second most lucrative form of content, leaving behind blogs, webinars, infographics and case studies. This year, to dominate your competition, use videos to increase conversions, attract a new audience, create brand recall, explain a product service and for customer support

Videos have taken the marketing world by storm. By 2021, video traffic will be responsible for 81% of all consumer internet traffic, reports Cisco. Think about where you go when you want entertainment or information about a product? I bet, one of your go-to-solutions is YouTube. Not only are people seeking more videos to consumer information, but they also remember them more. Around 80% of customers can recall an advertisement they watched last month, according to Vidyard, which analyzed 250,000 videos from 600 businesses. [si_guide_block id="23343" title="Download our Individual Member Resource – Video and YouTube marketing guide" description="Our guide shows you how to…

Google's latest EU regulator fine, Facebook removing millions of videos showing New Zealand terrorist attack, NZ advertisers pulling Google and Facebook following shooting, Instagram's in-app checkout launches in the US and LinkedIn's new advertising features

Read more about some of the biggest and most important stories in the marketing and advertising industries with our latest news roundup. This week, we look at Google's latest fine from the European Commission, the backlash following videos of the shooting in New Zealand being uploaded to Facebook and other platforms, Instagram's latest shopping feature and how LinkedIn is aiming to make life easier for advertisers on the platform.

Google hit by €1.49 billion AdSense fine

Google has been fined €1.5 billion by European regulators for blocking other online search advertisers. The European Commission (EC) accused Google of stopping the placement of rival’s ads in certain spots, effectively breaking EU…

Five top tips and best practices to follow to ensure your e-commerce site gets the best results

The world of e-commerce is an incredibly competitive space. Although the e-commerce and online retail sector is booming, new entrants and established players continue to raise the stakes by providing consumers with more choice, improved usability and new options to buy online. Brands selling online today need to have a compelling value proposition to stand out. [si_guide_block id="80674" title="Download our Business Resource – E-commerce statistics benchmark" description="This guide is for anyone who works in e-commerce marketing who needs to review the latest customer adoption research and statistics or conversion rates to compare their performance or set targets for plans."/] At the same time, search engine optimization (SEO) continues to evolve. Since 2010 Google has introduced scores of algorithm changes as it tweaks and changes the way it ranks…

When customers feel an emotional connection to a brand, the lifetime value of that customer can increase by 300%

There is so much more to success in business than a profitable bottom line. Unfortunately, many marketing teams and sales departments get so wrapped up in hitting goals and increasing conversion rates that they forget about the most important part of creating a great brand: the customer-business relationship. Often, the reason that a customer comes back to buy from your business is the perception they have about your brand. If their experience was positive and they enjoyed your product, there is very little convincing needed to get them to convert once again. This is why cultivating meaningful relationships with customers is so important. In fact, when customers feel an emotional connection to a brand, the lifetime value of that customer can increase by 300% and they are far more likely…