We work in marketing. Of course we know the importance of being tech-savvy.
We work in marketing. Of course we know customers want a personalized experience.
We work in marketing. Of course we know our brand needs to be on multiple platforms.
While these notions are not new to marketers, they are becoming increasingly important for brands to implement into strategic plans, no matter how big or small the company is. These concepts are necessary for most, if not all organizations, but crucial for direct-to-consumer business models.
Organizations must also consider how their consumers shop, evaluate options, and ultimately decide to purchase. Understanding the consumer decision-making process and what e-commerce tactics can be implemented to intersect consumers’ hearts and minds during the purchase decision process will help increase sales and achieve marketing goals.
Let’s get into three e-commerce marketing practices you should consider implementing to influence consumer decisions in your brand’s favor:
1. Augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) allows consumers to visualize what products will look like in their own lives. While some large companies have adopted this feature in recent years, this is no longer a tactic just for retail giants. This helps consumers feel confident in their purchase decisions, removes some of the risk of what if, and builds trust – all factors that impact consumer decisions. Consumers are more willing to purchase when they feel confident the product will meet or exceed their standards of quality and value while helping them achieve their desired outcomes.
Snapchat recently reported that 2/3 of shoppers are less likely to return a product after using AR. While returns do not immediately affect your reputation or customer loyalty, can’t we all agree it would make our lives so much easier to not have to take that trip to UPS? And isn’t that why consumers make purchases, to make their lives easier or better!
2. Personalized loyalty and subscription programs
Thanks to Spotify, Netflix, and Amazon we have all experienced products and services that have been personalized to us. Data folks are continually finding new ways to apply data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to further personalize user experiences, but there are other facets of marketing that can also play a role.
Take loyalty and subscription programs, for example. Loyalty programs don’t all have to be “buy 10, get 1 free” but can be customized for each customer. This can be implemented in numerous ways, but always consider which customers are making what purchases and how can you influence them to be more loyal to you. Subscriptions can also increase loyalty by allowing both product types and frequency of deliveries to be customizable.
3. Omnichannel experience
Having multiple sales channels across different platforms is essential for success. The numbers speak for themselves:
- 73% of retailer consumers shop across multiple channels
- 179% increase in sales revenue for companies that utilize omnichannel
- 30% higher lifetime ROI experienced by retailers that use omnichannel
Social platforms should definitely be included in your omnichannel strategy as social media commerce is expected to reach $8.5 trillion by 2030. This isn’t simply having social accounts but implementing e-commerce optimization strategies for both organic and boosted posts as well as paid ads. This could include setting up multiple campaigns to match the different stages of the sales funnel, creating shoppable posts with product tags to make it easy for consumers to purchase, and pairing your research with the vast targeting capabilities that both Google and Meta offer.
These tactics can be implemented in your e-commerce marketing strategy to help guide consumers as they decide what and when to purchase. It all comes down to being innovative in the digital space, making it easy for customers through personalization, and having a strong brand presence across multiple channels. These tactics can help you build loyalty with your customers and reach your sales goals – not only boosting profits but retaining those loyal to your brand with high purchase intent.