There is little doubt of the change in marketing eCommerce continues to experience since the initial breakout of the global pandemic. eCommerce is different in 2021 and marketing is one of the big innovators to that change. eCommerce platforms are now a vital part of the marketing ecosystem. The methods of marketing of 2021 are more numerous than ever. Most importantly, they are also more interactive than ever. This meets the expectation of younger customers and this expectation will be required by other demographics.
New Tools
Tools such as live streaming for product demonstrations have completely transformed the consumer’s imagination of a market place. This pandemic had a big impact on the integration of live streaming into the broader eCommerce buying process. This gives the opportunity to have two-way communications with the audience to improve customer engagement. This can be converted to sales through target marketing and promotions to drive conversions.
Convenience
When it comes to the buying experience, consumers prioritize convenience. This means retailers must give customers the most value from the online shopping experience. Customers of all demographic demand a user friendly site. Customers want online retailers to ease the process of discovering more products they might like. AI enabled personalization, can use customer data and browse history to display items that are most likely to resonate with the individual customer.
Another way to help your customers find the right products for them is with ‘people like you buy’ recommendations. This tactic looks at the shopper’s product purchase history, and compares with other shoppers who have viewed those products, using a machine learning algorithm to recommend the most likely eventual purchases.
Retaining customers
Retaining customers is a two-way process as they often expect a return on their loyalty. Some brands can incentivize these loyal customers, with exclusive access. Loyal customers want to be in the know before other shoppers. Brands also give early access to sales or limited editions. Market segmentation can facilitate this by sending repeat customers exclusive offers and advance notifications of sale promotions. Younger customers are more willing to share user-generated content (UGC) on social media in exchange for rewards. Businesses can take advantage of post-purchase emails, social media hashtags and customer purchase photos to drive marketing in an organic way.
This is the most crucial objective of marketing and there are many ways to skin this cat. An innovative approach to this is offering subscription based purchases. The method has become more popular over the years. Subscriptions make sense for both perishable and seasonal goods. As subscribers increase, merchants increase leverage in negotiations with manufacturers and suppliers.
Finally, launching a referral program is a great way to engage the marketing team. Once a customer has been secured, marketing must reinforce the relationship by offering discounts when customers refer others. Uber became a market leader through this type of online referral process. Word-of-mouth advertising is as valuable in marketing as ever before. Referral options entice first-time buyers to repurchase while minimizing the costs of acquiring new ones