The rate of change in eCommerce has always been fast. Covid-19 has put everything into overdrive, but many external factors were already in play long before the pandemic. And while some businesses are tackling the changes head on, ready and willing to adapt and stay agile in their approach, others are getting left behind.
There are some clear factors that are creating a growing wedge between what customers experience and what they want. In some cases volumes are high but the increase doesn’t necessarily convert to a rise in conversion. But how can retailers adapt?
1. Brands Are Rethinking the In-store Experience
Shoppers have come back to the high street, but they are still buying online. Prior to the pandemic we were already seeing a rise in digital interactions, driven largely by an increase in mobile use. But it looks like that shift created a permanent change in behaviour. Like offices, physical stores now need to think about the experiences they can provide that people can’t replicate online.
2. The Fun is Moving Online
Typically it has been in-store where retailers could have fun with customers and provide the “surprise and delight” moments to set themselves apart from competitors. Online experiences have historically remained quite functional. Focus has been on a smooth customer journey right through to checkout. But how can retailers add value to customers in a fun or exciting way? Given the more balanced online/offline shopping journeys, retailers must move those experiences online, giving customers something they wouldn’t necessarily expect. Something to keep brands top of mind.
3. Social Media Has Moved Us From the Homepage
Social media has changed how people buy online. Whether within the platform, like Instagram, or directing people to other channels, customers interact with brands at different points along the “typical” retailer funnel. The homepage is no longer the focus, or the first point of entry for shoppers, as they arrive directly onto product detail pages (PDPs) and product landing pages (PLPs). Brands must redefine their experiences, pivot their efforts and direct resource to deliver more content to suit different situations.
4. IoT Devices Are Here to Stay
Nowadays, almost everything is an IoT (internet of things) device. From wearables with health and fitness apps and fridges that order groceries, through to the likes of Traeger Grills that can be controlled via WiFi. This connected world and the proliferation of IoT devices opens a stream of possibilities for customers to connect and purchase from retailers. But with all these touchpoints comes increasing pressure on retailers, both technologically and in how they present themselves to customers across so many different channels.
5. The Explosion of Choice
Shoppers can buy from anywhere. With international shipping now making overseas retailers as accessible as ever and large-scale marketplaces (cue Amazon) saturating the market, retailers are clawing for attention, looking for ways to stand out and winning consumer loyalty is harder than ever. The digital experience provided by a retailer is the key differentiator
6. Everything Starts with a Smartphone
The rise in mobile has been well documented, with customers very evidently now browsing mobile first. One thing to note, however, is that customers aren’t always converting on mobile. Often they use multiple devices to research and interact with a brand before purchase. With customers expecting consistency across all those touch points and the risk of them dropping off if those needs aren’t met, this is placing added pressure on retailers.
Thriving in the face of change
Dabbling in digital or being responsive isn’t enough anymore. Now more than ever, retailers need to invest in new technologies and digital platforms that will support a strategy centered around being digital first and customer-centric. Competing in a digital-only world is tough. Success depends on their ability to build an experience around the customer and give them what they want, when they want it. Otherwise they’ll have no qualms in heading elsewhere.
It’s time for them to stand out through their customer experiences – how brands deliver to customers, across what channels, with consistency, layering in personalisation and relevance – is important. The key then comes in continuing to optimise those digital experiences and the speed at which they can do so. Competitor offerings change. Their own products change. Customer preferences change. So the pressure is on to be constantly optimising their customer experience to stay ahead. That means creating and managing an array of versions of that experience, making thousands of changes every month, every week, perhaps every day if they can automate some of it, across millions of customer journeys.
Embrace an agile approach to stay ahead in ecommerce
There’s no getting around the fact that delivering a customer-centric, digital-first approach relies on technology and importantly how a brand shapes and manages all their processes and workflows. The problem lies in the bottlenecks and the backlogs that quite often the monolithic platforms of old can’t respond to. Their inflexibility is killing productivity and inhibiting opportunities to keep up with the change. These platforms may allow for monthly releases, with many retailers experiencing a backlog of technical change that they simply can’t get done. They’re letting retailers control experiences through content management system (CMS) templates that are inefficient in delivering a high performance frontend and that business users have little control over.
Manage your digital experience using content, not code
It’s time for retailers to do away with inflexible technology and broken content management systems, and instead harness platforms that let them define the customer experience in content, not code. Basically they get to eliminate complex templates and templating languages that require developers to make changes and move to a world where changing experiences is straightforward, fast and easily scalable. For retailers and brands, this means giving their business users the tools they need to take control.
By James Brooke, CEO and founder, Amplience.
