Over the past two years we have seen extraordinary changes in the digital landscape. It was particularly interesting to observe how brands and retailers have often used an agile approach and adapted their digital strategies to offer their customers new experiences and new ways to shop online.
In this regard it is interesting to look at the results of an EMEA study conducted on over 10,000 consumers – Getting eCommerce Right in the 2020s – to see what matters most to shoppers and what concrete actions online retailers need to take to keep up.
Since 2020, eCommerce players have been offered a huge growth opportunity as many consumers have switched to online shopping. However, shoppers have gotten more sophisticated in the way they shop, and their expectations have also risen.
The research identifies a number of key areas that retailers need to focus on to meet new customer needs. Personalization, innovation and ethical values are the keys to winning over customers.
The rise of the conscious consumer
EMEA research findings show the growing importance of brands reflecting their customers’ personal values in order to gain preference. Nearly 60% of UK shoppers said they would buy from brands that best represent the values they care about, with an overwhelming majority (87%) saying their values have recently gained a greater role in how and where they choose to spend their money.
As a matter of fact, the importance of brand values is further demonstrated with almost 40% of buyers actively seeking sustainable and environmentally friendly brands.
The message to the brands is clear: it’s not just about offering a range of products that appeal to the consumer. People care about a brand’s values and how it behaves: if they don’t like it, they’ll go elsewhere. Brands must communicate their credentials to the customers and act on the issues they care about, whether it’s being climate conscious, having ethical supply chains or having solid experience in the way they treat their employees.
Too much choice is overwhelming
The EMEA study also revealed a desire for a more streamlined shopping experience, with many respondents finding too large a choice of products overwhelming.
91% of UK consumers want simplicity from their online shopping experience, with one in five shoppers eager to see fewer products on the virtual shelf (22%).
In addition, more than a third of online shoppers only want to see products and offers that are relevant to them, demonstrating the importance of personalization.
With an additional 60% interested in receiving targeted offers, there has never been a better time for retailers to increase personalization as a key component of their digital strategy.
Offline habits creep into online shopping
The EMEA research also found that window shopping also exists in the digital world, with 68% of consumers claiming to visit e-commerce sites numerous times before making a purchase.
This trend means that consumers browse the sites three times before making a purchase, especially when the purchase is for home furniture or clothing.
Understanding when consumers are in “browsing mode” and when they are ready to buy is therefore essential.
Brands need to use whatever data they have at their fingertips to personalize and streamline the customer journey so that every visit counts and converts into a purchase as quickly as possible.
Video helps sell luxury goods
We at Shopcall know it well: consumers are increasingly looking for a more experiential and innovative online offer, especially when it comes to luxury and high-value goods.
The report reveals that 65% of people are more comfortable buying high-value goods than they were a year ago, with 62% of shoppers interested in using new tools like video or virtual reality to personalize their own experience (19% say they have already used these new tools).
Brands must therefore invest in innovation and embrace emerging technologies to satisfy this growing appetite for new and exciting digital shopping experiences. Once customers are engaged in these experiences, demand and loyalty are sure to grow exponentially.
Attracting and retaining new customers will require those operating in eCommerce to offer quick responses to meet the high standards demanded by consumers. Those who will offer simple and personalized shopping experiences through innovative formats with strong ethical values at the center, are destined to thrive in the near future.
3 practical tips to increase online sales
Make sure that product information on your site is detailed, always available and clear to understand
Be clear and transparent with price, description, images etc. With all the shopping options out there, it will be all too easy for your prospects to switch to a competing eCommerce if you don’t adequately cover these aspects.
Personalization
32% of respondents say getting recommendations based on their purchase history is a determining factor in making a quick new purchase.
Consumers are more aware of how their data is being used, and if retailers aren’t using them to add value to the customer journey, a sale is very likely to be lost. In the case of personalization, consumers don’t want to be chased around the Internet with retargeting messages; instead offer useful advice so that they can discover new products and buy them.
Customer Assistance
The introduction of video calls into your eCommerce not only supports sales by personalizing them, but represents such a unique and useful service that customers will no longer be able to do without them.
Customers who visit your eCommerce website do so with all kinds of intentions. It is up to you to turn a simple visitor into a customer.
Offering customers the opportunity to talk via video call with a sales assistant to assist them in their purchase, not only responds to the wishes of the customers interviewed in the EMEA study, but greatly simplifies their purchase journey and will make them come back for new purchases.
Shopcall Assistant is the video commerce platform that enables the omnichannel experience for digital customers and allows you to interact with the customers of your e-commerce in a one-to-one video call.
Shopcall’s video call is meant for sale. It therefore offers a series of specific features to make the remote purchasing experience fluid and simple.
Get in touch with us to learn more.
