What Trends Should Influence Your Marketing Strategy for Ecommerce?

Today, more than ever, eCommerce companies have accurate information about the habits and trends of their online customers. As it is easier and easier to mine digital data and utilize that information to make business decisions, intelligent merchants will also apply this information to marketing strategy for eCommerce.

However, there is more digital data available than could applied at a single business. An eCommerce company must be judicious regarding what information and customer trends will shape their strategies and business choices. In mid-2017, these are three trends that should influence a business’s marketing strategy.

Mobile Shopping Is Growing But Not Necessarily Buying
In recent years there was a massive push to ensure eCommerce companies are mobile friendly. It is a constant recommendation to choose an eCommerce platform and theme that are fully responsible and mobile friendly. Data tells us that when it comes to eCommerce more and more people are shopping online.

Simultaneously, data has revealed that many customers that browse online aren’t converting to purchasers. The latest information reveals that the majority of shopping sessions are started through mobile sources, but desktop devices still account for most online sales. Part of any eCommerce marketing strategy in 2017 has to take this into consideration.

While this trend could indicate a need to boost mobile conversion, a better way to build your mobile marketing strategy is realize that most people want to use their phone to browse and a computer to purchase. This doesn’t mean ignoring your mobile customers, but valuing them differently. What you place on mobile friendly marketing channels, such as Instagram, should be there to influence a decision, not actually facilitate the purchase.

As well, many marketers like to differentiate between mobile customers and their desktop counterparts. But for many online merchants, these individuals are actually the same customers using their different devices for different purposes.

Social Media Continues to Reign Supreme
There are a number of ways for eCommerce companies to build a broader base for its business, but social media continues to be one of the most prolific ways to interact with potential customers. There were a few changes to social media marketing at the start of 2017 that made it even easier to use social media platforms for pay per click advertising and other strategies. Facebook created product tags for better searching and Instagram made it even easier to determine a target audience for your ad.

If social media isn’t already a huge part of your marketing strategy for eCommerce, it is time to get in the game. Not only are there new possibilities on established social media channels, such as Facebook, but other platforms are becoming good ways to reach customers too. In particular, Snapchat is offering a new way to interact with up and coming purchasers, the millennial shoppers. Also, Instagram is allowing businesses to place paid video updates within its Instagram Live feature. As individual users go through their friends’ video updates, eCommerce advertisements can play for the same short time frame.

Omnichannel and Multichannel Shopping Are Making More Sales
At the start of 2017 one of the biggest predictions for the year was that multichannel shopping would gain importance for online businesses. A number of eCommerce experts felt that delivering a high quality experience across platforms, devices, and shopping mechanisms was essential. This means seamlessly allowing customers to shop in a store, on a phone, from a desktop computer, and elsewhere.

Multichannel shopping should be a continuous experience for customers of eCommerce companies. Showing your customers that it is possible to make a purchase anywhere and through any method must be aparto of your marketing strategy.

Genius ECommerce is helping online merchants make smart marketing decisions and other improvements to the eCommerce experience. Visit the Genius website at www.geniuseCommerce.com to find out more.