From a decade of close work with Ecommerce professionals, I’ve picked up several key tips of the trade. While the industry has experienced more twists and turns than a heated game of tag rugby, some things will never change…
Stakeholders
Managing the expectations of stakeholders means more than just turning up to meetings. The value of Ecommerce is best put across as a scientific discipline, so facts and figures are beneficial to support any point made. In a rapidly changing industry, it’s difficult to assert the value of any trend without stats that chime with your central point. Surveys, test results, or any quantitative findings are essential to delivering a believable and actionable pitch.
Do what the rest do best
It’s crucial to have a look at what everyone else is doing if you want to get ahead. Ecommerce leaders hold regular meetings where each member is encouraged to bring a good and a bad example of industry practice. Most industry experts would shun any carbon copies of competitors’ brainchildren, yet there’s a lot to be learned from the trials and triumphs of your how these ideas fare. The value of employing key aspects of competitors’ grand designs as part of your own business model could not be more significant.
Pricing it right
Knowing where to pitch price points and balance them with delivery charges is a headache for many Ecommerce Managers, although there are a few key things you’ve just got to get on with. It has been generally agreed that customers are more tolerant of low price points: they’ll be more likely compromise on delivery times and user experience to get a good deal. However, some customers simply won’t purchase a product unless the delivery is free. It’s crucial to keep an ear to the ground with a consistent research programme and, most importantly, to get to know your customer.
If the shoe fits, distribute a footwear catalogue
The perseverance of catalogues in the digital age is to the bafflement of many in Ecommerce, but it’s easy to see their appeal when you take a step back from the industry itself into the murky realms of design and marketing. It is far easier to search a database than it is to refer to an index, yet the glossy design and display of choice vaunted by a catalogue remains popular across lifestyle and luxury brands as an effective method to engage and captivate a dedicated audience. The need to attract a certain type of customer usually determines the relevance of a catalogue. ‘If the shoe fits’ is the best approach, and while catalogues may not deliver the return on investment Ecommerce professionals would naturally look to first, when done right, they can improve customer experience and reinforce the value of brand.
Agency work
Outsourcing Ecommerce work has its obvious advantages, however, despite the ease and value for money offered by an agency, return on investment over a longer period of time cannot be guaranteed. On the contrary, investing in an in-house team shows support for the project while offering a set programme for improvement, which the staff can help with. As a result, budget can be more effectively spent on focused projects that are more closely involved with the organisation’s core message.
Using an in-house Ecommerce team is generally more valuable as the staff are more invested in the brand, are more likely to perform, and are more likely to think outside the box when developing new ideas, whereas agencies drag their heels.
By Patrick Tame, CEO of Beringer Tame.
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