2014 saw an increasing number of people buying online. With ever-growing competition, it’s ever more important for retailers to understand what their customers want and how to best serve them.
Let’s look at five main ways that shoppers will be dictating what they want from ecommerce retailers in 2015 and how you can track these trends.
1. They’re shopping more on mobile devices
Not only are shoppers making more purchases on their laptops and PCs but they’re also increasingly using their mobile devices. Retailers saw mobile transactions grow 40% at the end of the last year and there are no signs of slow down.
If you’re sceptical about whether optimising for tablets and smartphones is necessary for your business, add a custom Google Analytics report by Lens10 that will quickly tell you if you should go mobile. It will also show you which devices are being used to access your site so you’ll know where to focus your efforts.
2. They’re using click & collect services
In 2014 we saw some of the biggest companies jump on the click & collect bandwagon to allow customers to choose when and where they want to pick up their purchases. Waitrose, Ocado, Amazon partnered with TfL to provide click & collect at tube stations. Argos and eBay teamed up to offer the collection of parcels to eBay buyers from Argos stores nationwide.
Online buyers want to enjoy a greater freedom when it comes to their shopping so we expect to see more companies join up to expand their offering.
With 76% of digital shoppers predicted to use click & collect service by 2017, many more companies will begin offering the service.
It’s time to offer customers the option to pick up purchases on their daily commute.
3. They’re expecting convenient delivery options
It’s annoying to go through the online buying process only to be faced with limited and costly delivery options at the checkout page.
Customers want more flexibility with how and when their purchase will be delivered and if your competitor offers those better options, then why aren’t you?
50% of online shoppers have abandoned a purchase online due to inconvenient delivery options. This number is staggering and should act as a warning to review your delivery cost, times and the accuracy of information you provide on the site.
4. They want personalised communication
As shoppers get snowed under hundreds of emails, their individual experiences have become more important. Whilst a large majority of the businesses, 94%, understand that personalisation is crucial to their strategy it’s surprising that not that many are using the tactics.
Econsultancy and Adobe produced a survey that reported 14% rise in sales, which makes a strong case for making marketing more personal.
Track your customers’ location, local weather, viewed and bought items, and start testing with personalised marketing campaigns to see what works for your sales.
(Chart: How do you (or your clients) measure the benefits of personalisation? | Econsultancy)
5. They’re accelerating online sales
UK retailers saw their biggest sales over Christmas period, with digital increasingly getting the bigger share of the overall retail market. In 2014 ecommerce sales broke the £100bn mark for the first time and IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index predicts further growth to £116bn this year
Be wary of repeating the mistakes of retailers like Currys, Argos, Tesco and PC World, whose websites couldn’t handle the increased number of visitors on Black Friday. Many customers remained stuck on frustrating holding pages instead of shopping. Check out some useful tips from Econsultancy for how to prepare for Black Friday in 2015.
By setting up ecommerce tracking you can understand what shoppers are doing on your website and make informed decisions on further updates to product pages.
In 2015 retailers’ success will depend on their ability to meet customers’ expectations and we hope the list above has helped your preparations.
If there are any other trends you see growing in 2015, do share them in the comments.
