As high streets continue to suffer in the wake of the economic downturn, retailers are turning towards the internet in a bid to cut costs, increase sales and reach new audiences. As a result, eCommerce is fast becoming the backbone of business and implanting a successful strategy is essential to survival within this fast-moving retail environment.

But how can you guarantee online business success, whilst attracting the new savvy online consumer? Consumer behaviour is notoriously unpredictable and with the use of devices increasing, understanding online buying trends is near impossible. However by realising the importance of strong infrastructures and optimising content, your online business is ready to face eCommerce head-on.

This article covers the following:
• Top tips every eCommerce business should know
• How to ensure your eCommerce business can cope 365 days a year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
• How to optimise your site across mobile devices

Making the most out of mobile

As technology continues to become more advanced and user-friendly, shopping on-the-go is quickly becoming a consumer favourite with Google recently revealing that 67% of consumers use devices sequentially when purchasing online.

The smartphone is leading the way in this online revolution, with the average UK consumer spending over 25 minutes a day accessing the internet on their mobile; specifically researching information on a potential future purchase, replacing the role of the traditional in-store retail assistant. Interesting insight also reveals that mobile usage can encourage spontaneous purchasing, whilst also increasing the size of the online shopping cart.

While having a functional website is essential, optimising your online offering for mobile is the most influential and impactful recommendation for building a successful eCommerce strategy. Retailers must increase their digital footprint by utilising innovative functions; including apps and interactive functions, only available through a distributed mobile retail model.

Every consumer uses their mobile differently, however all expect a quick and accessible route to information, and therefore retailers need to implement measures that do not affect the quality of content or the route to purchase.

National multi-brand retailer, Debenhams, is a good example of how successful mobile optimisation can be. Generically online sales were up 40% in the last 16 weeks to 22nd June 2013, with mobile visits compared to the same period last year, up 85%; strong bottom line results from implementing a multi-device retail strategy.

To encourage consumer trust and repeat purchase behaviour, it is essential that all of your payment security guidelines, across devices and online, are fully compliant with the PCI DSS standards. This ensures that consumers are protected from fraudulent activity, including the unauthorised use of credit and debit card information.

Speed matters

Maintaining a consistently fast and functional eCommerce site can mean the difference between a fulfilled purchase and an abandoned shopping cart; every second matters when it comes to page load time.
To meet revenue and growth predictions, it is vital that your eCommerce site can cope with fluctuations in demand; particularly around Christmas. When a site is at its busiest during peak trading conditions it’s vital that the necessary measures have been put in place to ensure that this is not noticeable to the customers experience.

To achieve this, it is important that your hosting provider understands your business objectives and when your peak traffic is expected, ensuring they have undertaken the correct measures to prevent any disruption. One second of downtime can result in thousands of lost orders and irreparable damage to your reputation.
It is also advised that retailers gain a basic understanding of how consumer purchase behaviour changes throughout the year. For example the impact of weather on sales or how well a promotion drives traffic to your key online outlets.

Smart Content

Consumers expect an experience when shopping online and are more than willing to share this experience with others through social networks. In light of this, it is vital that content is interesting, innovative and interactive; take advantage of the chance to talk directly to your consumers.
Today’s online consumer has never been more aware of technology and the brand messages being fed to them online and to survive your business must come across as both authentic and transparent.

 

By Mark King, EMEA Channel Lead at PEER1.

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