Category: MobileCommercePro

MobileCommercePro

PayPal Here Launches Two New Card Readers, Giving Small Businesses More Ways to Accept Payments

Every customer wants a swift and smooth payment transaction, with little fuss. This holds true regardless of whether they’re buying from a major enterprise or a small business. That goal is certainly possible with PayPal Here’s two new payment card readers.

PayPal recently launched a Chip and Swipe reader and a Chip and Tap reader, both of which will help users and small companies easily conduct credit card transactions anywhere.

The Chip and Swipe reader is an improved version of the company’s previous swipe-style reader. It now comes with support for debit and credit cards with EMV chip technology. Meanwhile, the Chip and Tap reader can process contactless payment options from NFC-supported devices and also accepts EMV-supported cards. The device also comes with a portable charging stand.

Both payment readers can easily process transaction choices like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay.

PayPal’s new readers have been designed with portability in mind. The two devices are about the size of a deck of cards, making it possible for small retailers and entrepreneurs to do business in any location—a country fair, the neighborhood cafe—without worrying about wires or having to carry bulky hardware. They can easily connect to any mobile device using Bluetooth technology. The readers also have a user-friendly interface and can now be used for extended periods, thanks to their rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

PayPal is offering the Chip and Swipe reader for $24.99 and the Chip and Tap reader for $59.99. Both devices will work seamlessly with the PayPal Here. The app is available via the Apple App Store and Google Play.

In a statement, PayPal In-Store’s Chief Chris Gardner stated that the company understands the “challenges small businesses face—including protection from fraudulent transactions and the costs of equipment to run their business—and constantly work to develop products and services that allow them to thrive in an increasingly competitive environment.” Their new and affordable card payment readers are their newest endeavor to help small business.

Gardner also pointed out that small and medium businesses also look for a “one-stop shop” for all their commerce and payment services. After all, these companies don’t have the time to deal with various vendors to manage all these financial activities. PayPal is determined to be the company to handle these demands. Merchants can use PayPal for their online transactions, PayPal Here for their physical processes, and PayPal Working Capital to help finance their expansion.

[Featured image via PayPal]

February 12, 2018
Is Amazon Go the Future of Grocery Stores? Maybe Not

With the grand opening of the Amazon Go mini-mart in Seattle on January 22nd, the world was introduced to what the eCommerce titan sees as the future of retail grocery shopping. As complicated and competitive the grocery industry has become, both online and on the street, Amazon’s premise is very simple: Speed and Convenience.

“Amazon Go is a new kind of store with no checkout required. We created the world’s most advanced shopping technology so you never have to wait in line. With our Just Walk Out Shopping experience, simply use the Amazon Go app to enter the store, take the products you want, and go! No lines, no checkout. (No, seriously.)”

At first sight, Amazon Go seems like a sure bet to help retail catch up to the fast paced lifestyles of both today and of the future. The core of Amazon Go’s proposition lies in the customer app that is tied to your Amazon account. The shopper scans a QR code at turnstiles placed near the entrance of the store. Any item picked up is added to a virtual cart while any item put back upon the shelf is deleted from the cart. Once you’re done shopping, you can waltz right out of the store and avoid any lines or the exchanging of pleasantries with a cashier. Your Amazon account is billed before you step back into the hustle and bustle from which you came.

Pretty straightforward and not too complicated except, of course, that is not the case. As Harvard Business Review points out, Amazon will be facing a grocery industry that is paved with innovative technologies that failed to be of real benefit to both customers and stores. Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), Self-Checkout, Electronic Shelf Labels, and Mobile Payments have all fallen short of meeting the customer/retail mutually beneficial criteria.

Even more, there are socioeconomic issues tied to this technology including the potential net job loss and people with low incomes not having the required resources such as credit cards, Amazon accounts, smart phones, etc. And will food stamps (SNAP) be included in the near future?

And then there is the big question of security and privacy that is always a concern with these new lifestyle technologies.

While it seems to be like it could be another successful venture for Amazon that will reshape the retail grocery industry and how we purchase, there are still plenty of everyday issues that Amazon Go will need to address.

February 9, 2018
Simple UX Tips to Keep Your eCommerce Store from Losing Money

Shopping cart abandonment is a big problem that can lead to huge loses in revenue for your eCommerce business. However, there are various reasons why shoppers abandon their carts. Some customers might just want to browse your store items while others are simply not interested in what you have to offer. While some reasons for shopping cart abandonment are out of your control, improving the user experience of your online store will get more customers pass the checkout.

Understanding the Importance of UX

User experience, or UX for short, pertains to the overall feeling a customer has when interacting with your eCommerce store. How positive the UX is usually depends on how enjoyable and easy it was for the visitor to navigate the store, find what they were looking for, and place an order. Conversely, issues like unclear pricing, site errors, and insufficient payment methods can cause people to abandon their carts.

Companies might argue that loyal customers will put up with slight inconveniences. But these days, shoppers have numerous options for buying products and services online. Shopify.com alone has more than 500,000 merchants in about 175 countries. Regardless of how good your product or service is, there are competitors that offer something similar. And if they also provide a better user experience, well, it’s not hard to imagine where the customers would go.

Ways to Improve UX in Your eCommerce Store

A good UX can help attract new customers. More importantly, it helps online retailers retain existing customers and boost customer returns. If you want your clients to remain loyal and keep coming back, then you should look for ways to improve your store’s UX. Here are some suggestions:

1. Enhance Search Results

About 30 percent of your site’s visitors will be using the search tool. These guests know what they want and are very motivated to purchase it. So you should make it easier for these shoppers to find the product they want by enhancing your site’s search feature.

Consider where your search bar is located. Place it in a prominent location, like the page’s header. Look at how Amazon positioned theirs—at the top center of the page. Make sure your website’s search feature can be found on every page. This consistency will make your product catalog more accessible and browsing go more smoothly.

2. Use Good Photos and Improve Product Description

One disadvantage to online stores is that you can’t hold the product, and customers want to see and touch things they plan on buying. One way to counter this dilemma is to provide clear and captivating images of the product.

Online sellers have to make sure that they capture key product details in the photograph. Brands should ensure they display large product images and complement them with several alternative pictures and zoomed-in images. Don’t forget the product description. Add key information like available colors, size guides, weight, and other important specifications.

3. Improve the Checkout Process

A long and complicated checkout process is one of the main reasons for shopping cart abandonment. Luckily, there are some things you can do to make checking out go more smoothly. First, get rid of all unnecessary fields on the checkout form, like Gender or Birthday. Just stick to the information you really need.

It’s also a good idea to optimize your site for mobile checkout by using big fonts, larger input fields, and a clear call-to-action (CTA) button. There should also be an indication to the user that their order is being processed. The “loading spinner” can be useful at this point, and it’s something that users would expect to see.

4. Provide Good Customer Service and Positive Customer Interaction

There are a number of small, and often neglected, things that can lead to positive customer interaction. Ensuring that banners, CTA buttons, and photos link to the right product is one. Using area maps to link to a specific product when there’s more than one being shown in a photo is another. You don’t want to get your customer’s frustrated. Help them find what they’re looking for and give them a positive experience to remember.

[Graphic via Wix.com]

Pay attention to customer reviews, comments, and emails. Make sure you respond to all your users on your different social media outlets. A live chat system is useful since it gives users the chance to contact you immediately, like when they’re about to order but have some questions before making a purchase.

A positive customer experience will do wonders for your store. Take advantage of the numerous tools and suggestions open to you on how to improve your site’s UX. But make sure you test it thoroughly.

[Featured image via Pixel.com]

February 6, 2018
Google to Launch Cloud-Based Digital Store, Teams Up with Mobleiron

Google is trying its best to catch up to its competitors in the cloud computing industry, especially the current market leader Amazon Web Services (AWS). In a recent announcement, the search engine giant—and one of the top players in the cloud segment—revealed that it will launch a digital store offering a slew of white-label cloud-based software products for use by companies and organizations.

Google will launch the online store in a joint venture with MobileIron, a company that offers cybersecurity tools for cell phones. Google also plans to bring Orbitera’s commerce platform to the deal while MobileIron will capitalize on its expertise in app distribution, analytics, and security to make the project work.

With the new online store in place, a company will be able to purchase cloud services for eventual distribution to its employees while, at the same time, keep its corporate data secure. The platform, which is expected to roll out later this year, will be accessed through mobile telecom providers.

In its online post, Google promised a host of advantages that the online cloud store could bring to resellers, enterprises, OEMs, and ISVs. For instance, customers can customize bundles, customize branding for both the marketplace and its customers, offer one centralize bill for various services, enjoy a more secure cloud access as well as analyze usage data to see when apps are being used.

In 2016, Orbitera was acquired by Google in a deal estimated to be worth around $100 million, a move that could help Google compete against cloud rivals AWS and Microsoft Azure. Orbitera created a buying and selling platform for cloud-based software.

News on MobileIron’s partnership with Google was positively received by the market. MobileIron shares climbed as high as 14 percent or a high of $4.60 during Tuesday’s trading until it eventually settled $4.62 by afternoon’s close.

[Featured image via Pixabay]

January 31, 2018
4 Best Platforms for Launching Your eCommerce Store
Picking the right eCommerce platform is one of the most critical decisions that small businesses can make in this digital age. This is because mobile commerce and eCommerce are set to grow exponentially in the coming years as more people shop online.

The booming eCommerce trend shows that brands that chose the right platform have steadily grown their markets. Some have even cornered their niche. However, no two eCommerce platforms are alike, as each one has its distinct advantages and disadvantages.

To help you make the right choice for your eCommerce business, here’s a quick overview of today’s top platforms.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is one of today’s top eCommerce software providers. It also hosts more than 55,000 online stores, with brands like Toyota and Martha Stewart choosing to do business on the platform.
- Pros: The platform is known for its handy built-in features, like analytics, coupons, newsletters, and shipping. It also boasts a powerful tech support service that includes educational videos and a setup wizard. Users also love the fact that BigCommerce doesn’t charge any transaction fee and that all their themes, whether it’s free or paid, are very responsive and adapt to give a great mobile experience.
- Cons: Choice of themes is a bit limited with BigCommerce, as the platform offers only seven free ones. But the company does have an impressive list of premium themes that allows for extensive customization.
- Best For: BigCommerce has been described as the go-to platform for those who don’t have the time, inclination, or technological know-how to work around digital code.
Shopify

Shopify is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms today. It’s the runaway winner with regards to what people are looking for and the number of people showing interest in product online.
- Pros: The platform has a number of features going for it, including shipping rates, automatic taxes, and support for different languages. One of the platform’s best features is its built-in support for abandoned carts.
- Cons: One of the biggest disadvantages of Shopify is how expensive it can be once transaction fees and the add-ons are computed. However, basic plans are very affordable, but the platform charges about 2 percent per transaction. Fees are also tacked on for credit card transactions and the additional apps that you want to integrate into your store.
- Best For: Shopify is perfect for startups and small businesses. Retail companies who have finally decided to wade into the waters of eCommerce will find this platform ideal.
WooCommerce

Companies that already have a WordPress site will find WooCommerce to be the perfect partner. WooCommerce is a free plugin for WordPress, making it a wonderful way for small businesses to integrate an online shop and a checkout process to their existing website.
- Pros: WooCommerce’s almost seamless integration with the existing theme of your WordPress site is a major draw. That means you also don’t have to deal with complicated built-in themes unless it’s being offered by WordPress.
- Cons: One obvious downside to this platform is its dependence on WordPress. Businesses who want to use WooCommerce also have to set up a WordPress site. Hosting is another stumbling block. The platform also lacks many of the functionalities and tools that platforms like Shopify offers.
- Best For: WooCommerce is another great solution for startups and small organizations that prefer to utilize WordPress for their main business requirements and use the platform only as a secondary function.
Yokart

This platform was designed with the express purpose of assisting startups to build their eCommerce system easily. It’s pricing models and features make it ideal for starting multi-vendor stores.
- Pros: Aside from being a ready-to-launch multiple vendor solution, Yokart is also mobile-friendly and has a dedicated app for markets. The platform provides detailed manuals, FAQs and video tutorials for merchants and a year’s worth of free support for retail owners.
- Cons: YoKart has an unfortunate lack of third-party extensions. It also suffers from a dearth of social commerce capacities, which means that retailers cannot sell on Facebook and other social media platforms yet.
- Best For: YoKart is a great choice for stores similar to eBay and Etsy. It offers a good startup package at $250 that allows small businesses to work out their business model.
The right eCommerce platform for your business depends on the type and size of your organization, and the type of web architecture that you’re already using. Factors like your tech support and expertise, budget, and product should also be considered.

[Featured image via Pixabay]
January 24, 2018
Why Your eCommerce Business Should Not Ignore Mobile Marketing in 2018

Mobile devices were named the leading digital platform in 2014, overtaking laptops and desktops. Since then, use of these gadgets just kept increasing. And even though some studies show the amount of time spent on mobile devices has gone down somewhat, non-voice mobile use in 2017 was still ahead of laptop and desktop use.

Reasons eCommerce Companies Should Focus on Mobile

Even though people are on mobile devices more often, companies didn’t put too much stock into using them to make sales. After all, most data showed that while people used their smartphones to check out products, most purchases were done on desktops, laptops, or tablets.

However, the tide is now changing, as last year’s Cyber Monday saw $2 billion in sales on mobile devices. Retail visits accounted for 37.6% of sales while 21% of sales were done on smartphones. Conversion rates on these devices were pegged to have increased by about 10% since the previous year.

Retailers have even more reasons to focus on mobile in 2018. Smartphones are expected to dominate this year, with about 36% of people around the world owning one. A large number of millennials are also foregoing computers and just using their smartphones to access the internet.

[Graphic via Hostadvice.com]

Companies are also expected to come out with better retailer apps that are designed to encourage more consumers to purchase. The rise in popularity of PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Wallet for mobile will also introduce fast and seamless transactions.

3 Ways to Boost Mobile Sales

Now that mobile shopping is on the rise, at last, retailers have to decide whether they are really going to focus on this trend or not. Retailers that don’t want to miss out on the growing sales opportunities of mobile devices, will first need to find the best ways to boost mobile sales. Here are some suggestions on how to go about it:

1. Improve Mobile App Designs

Even though most retailers have their own mobile apps, they often have bugs or are not designed for wide-scale consumer use. Because of problems with the interface and functionality, the apps have low conversion rates. Consumers also are not inclined to keep using them. One study revealed that more than 50% of retail apps are used less than 10 times and that 15% of consumers don’t even use shopping apps.

There are several factors that consumers find off-putting with retailer apps. One is the limited visibility they have when checking product images. Push notifications also tend to interrupt shopping time and many apps crash or freeze when the user gets a phone call or text message.

2. Optimize Websites for Mobiles

Companies that have not optimized their websites for mobile viewing miss out on sales opportunities. Consider the fact that 87% of shoppers would first look for the product online before going to the store. About 79% of shoppers actually check a product online while on the store’s premises and 35% after leaving the store. This is an issue that companies should take seriously, particularly as mobile traffic is expected to overtake desktop traffic in the first quarter of 2018.

Therefore, companies should make sure that their websites are optimized for mobile devices. One important factor that should be considered is the site’s layout and how it reacts to various screen sizes. Retailers should also take steps to minimize customer frustrations and mistakes. For example, offering alternative ways to input choices, like drop-down lists or tick boxes, will make for a more fun mobile shopping experience.

3. Offer More Payment Options

Giving consumers more payment options will also help boost mobile sales. Countries like China have already embraced mobile wallets and payments, and companies who want to tap into such a rich market should make sure they offer that particular payment option.

The increasing popularity of mobile payment apps like Android Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal is also expected to result in people relying solely on their smartphones when they go shopping. Offering customers various payment options can also expand a company’s reach to the millions of shoppers who use alternative payment systems.

[Featured image via Pixabay]

January 10, 2018
Amazon Sold ‘Millions’ of Alexa Devices Over the Holidays, Brands Will Need to Focus More on Voice Advertising in 2018

The recent holiday was a happy one for Amazon, if the company’s latest report is anything to go by. The eCommerce giant alleges that “tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices” were sold worldwide during the 2017 holiday season, making it a breakout year for the voice-activated digital assistant.

Alexa Ruled the Holidays

The Amazon report was decidedly low on hard data but high on self-promotion. It was not surprising though, as the company won’t be releasing its actual financial status from the recent holiday until January when it unveils its fourth-quarter revenue. However, it’s clear from the report that Amazon did a pretty good job hawking its own devices.

The Amazon Echo Dot was the top-selling item on the entire website, according to @amazon https://t.co/kNI3ox5e18 pic.twitter.com/eGVbQhrz4O

— Business Insider (@businessinsider) December 26, 2017

The Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice remote and the Echo Dot were bestsellers on Amazon over the holidays. The Echo Dot, however, holds the distinction of being the top seller “from any manufacturer in any category across all of Amazon.”

The former is a streaming device that allows the user to search for their favorite shows and other information using voice commands. Aside from easily finding interesting shows in the genre they want, users also enjoy the fact that the Fire TV Stick doesn’t need the latest TV model in order to work.

Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote + Echo Dot➡️ https://t.co/LW7yRZU3zw ⬅️ DigitalMarketing Innovation #Tech #Marketing SocialMediaMarketing sale #Amazon #music #holiday pic.twitter.com/SfvXKClNbh

— AKmedia🌎 (@AKmedia_) December 31, 2017

Meanwhile, the Echo Dot is a hockey puck-shaped, voice-controlled device that uses Alexa to manage smart home gadgets, make calls play music and a host of other skills. Products like the Echo Buttons and the Echo Spot were also sold out this season. These gadgets are also part of the Echo family, with Buttons designed specifically for family games while the Spot is the perfect alarm clock that does more than tell time.

The Amazon Echo Spot is a terrific buy, and our Editors’ Choice: https://t.co/xulLx1ASYn pic.twitter.com/xo2ZGGZo4c

— PCMag (@PCMag) December 30, 2017

Alexa’s dominance was corroborated by the fact that the software for the voice-based assistant was the most downloaded app on both the Apple App Store and on Google Play. Real-time data also indicated that people started downloading the app on Christmas, probably as soon as they unwrapped their presents and saw they got an Echo device.

Aside from the millions generated from the sales of Alexa-enabled gadgets, Amazon also had one amazing week that saw a staggering 4 million consumers signing up for Amazon Prime. According to the retailer’s report, these were people who either opted for the free trials or who outright paid for full memberships.

The report also revealed interesting tidbits, like the 70% rise in worldwide use of the Amazon mobile shopping app. There were also more than a billion items ordered from the multitude of independent retailers on Amazon’s Marketplace. These retailers accounted for half of the products bought on the Amazon site in recent months.

Voice Advertising on the Rise

Amazon’s success with Alexa this past holiday season has given it a major advantage over Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, Microsoft’s Cortana, and others in the market for smart speakers and voice-based assistants. This achievement was undoubtedly helped by Amazon revitalizing its Alexa-backed Echo devices and from third-party gadget manufacturers integrating the digital assistant into their products.

More importantly, it cemented Alexa as the de facto choice of companies as more focus is given to voice advertising. Marketers are expecting the voice trend to really be felt in 2018 as more businesses invest in the creation of voice interfaces. And with Amazon corralling 70% of the market for voice-activated smart devices, it’s easy to see why Alexa would be in the forefront of this burgeoning technology.

Amazon’s Biggest Holiday Ever Offers Glimpse Of How Voice Commerce, AR Will Change How We Shop https://t.co/a13OxW915V

— GeelyOman (@GeelyOman) January 2, 2018

Brands now face a unique challenge in 2018. They need to find out the distinct capabilities and benefits of various hardware while offering their users a consistent experience. Brands who also want to make a mark using voice apps would also need to develop a way for consumers to discover them, particularly as voice assistants have no visual interface. This means that new ways of browsing and searching will probably be introduced.

[Featured image via YouTube]

January 2, 2018
Amazon Set to Take on Facebook and Google in Digital Advertising Market

The digital advertising scene is about to get very interesting in 2018. After experimenting with various advertising products in the past, Amazon is now ready to make its presence felt and is seriously planning to challenge heavyweights Google and Facebook.

At the moment, digital advertising revenue is virtually a duopoly between ‘The Big Two’—Facebook and Google. This is not surprising since advertisers have long been flocking to them in droves because of the potential that their ads might reach the billions of users of the two platforms.

Amazon to expand digital advertising efforts in 2018 https://t.co/Ydlp04K8MQ

— Snip (@SnipToday) December 29, 2017

However, reports are now saying that Amazon is now ready to make waves and shake up the current power structure of the digital advertising arena.

According to a CNBC report, Amazon aims to bolster its market share by looking for additional ad revenues within its e-commerce search feature and video products. Also, there are talks that the company is mulling over the possibility of selling beyond Amazon sites and products. Citing unnamed sources, the report added that Amazon is working out a partnership deal with third-party mobile advertising companies such as Kargo for an advertising product that covers both TV and mobile platforms.

While Amazon has yet to respond to queries regarding its advertising business plans, industry watchers noted that the company is revving up hiring for its advertising division. This observation supports CFO Brian Olsavsky previous disclosure during the Q2 earnings call last July where he mentioned that Amazon was hiring more ad sales staff.

At the heart of all the corporate warfare is a gargantuan market that has not shown any signs of slowing down. The size of the global digital advertising business in 2017 alone is estimated at $209 billion. By 2018, analysts project that the industry will experience a 13 percent growth to balloon to $237 billion.

Six largest digital advertising platforms by US rev, per @eMarketer:

1. Google — $35 bn
2. Facebook — $17.37 bn
3. Microsoft — $3.6 bn
4. Oath (AOL/Yahoo) — $3.6 bn
5. Amazon — $1.65 bn
6. Twitter — $1.21 bn

GOOG & FB control more than 63%https://t.co/QE4rbUu8bi …

— Tim Stenovec (@timsteno) December 27, 2017

But if Amazon were to fulfill its grand ambitions in becoming the third member of a triumvirate, it will have some serious catching up to do. At the moment, it only accounts for 2 percent of the $80 billion U.S. digital advertising market while the Big Two (Facebook & Google) combined, account for more than 70 percent of the total market.

[Featured Image via Amazon]

December 29, 2017
Millennials: Why Your eCommerce Business Should Focus on Them

Millennials are now the biggest demographic with disposable income in the US today. This is the generation born between the 1980s and 1990s. Statistics show that Millenials will make up the majority of the US workforce by the year 2025, which also means that most of them still have their prime earning (and spending) years ahead of them. Thus, eCommerce businesses with sound marketing strategies focused on this demographic should yield steady returns for the next few decades.

Millennials also have a distinct psychology from the previous generations. How they were raised and the technology they learned growing up definitely affected their buying habits. Here are some other reasons why eCommerce businesses should concentrate on this segment:

They are an Influence to be Reckoned With

There are about 80 million Millennials in the US today. Aside from being the biggest segment of the population, representing trillions in sales, they are also a force to be reckoned with in terms of influence on brands and what the next generation of shopping will be like.

Being the children of the technology age, Millennials are dependent on their gadgets. Not only are they constantly connected to their devices, they also influence the next generation’s use of these gadgets as well as their shopping habits. eCommerce marketers should recognize that when they target Millennials they are also targeting their sphere of influence as well.

It should also be emphasized that Millennials are very involved with the brands they like. They’re very active in searching for reviews, reading feedback and providing their own as well. They’re also open to giving positive and negative feedback on almost every product they use, as can be seen by their propensity to fill out surveys on customer experience, the products they want and the content they consume.

Millennials Demand Value for Money

Growing up during the recession has caused these group to be more careful with their purchases. This means that they are prone to taking their time and evaluating the value of the product. They will take to social media to look for reviews and ask pertinent questions to find out more about a product they are interested in.

This generation is also wise about getting the most out of their hard-earned money. They will look for deals, promos, and discounts and are not ashamed of using coupons. They would even wait patiently for a flash sale or an auction just to get more for their money. While they would often forego unnecessary expenses, Millennials are famous for window shopping online. They can spend hours clicking on sites, looking at products.

They are Always Online

Graphic via Content Science Review

Never forget their need to be and do things online. Being raised on technology means they know the power they have at their fingertips and are only too willing to use it. This is why brands who were too slow to embrace online shopping are now being left in the dust. This generation loves to check things out online first before buying anything. So companies who want to cater to them should focus on marketing online over other all other types of marketing mediums.

Graphic via Social4Retail

Capturing the Interest of Millennial Consumers

It’s obvious that Millennials have a different approach to shopping. This is why online retailers must find a way to relate to them and capture their loyalty and their dollars. Since this generation has an active online presence, your business should be felt online too.

Using conventional marketing tactics won’t work here. It’s vital that you engage with them honestly and realistically. This means providing content with the same behavioral, emotional, and psychological benefits that turned them to social media. Place yourself in the running by providing high-quality images that provide ideas and inspiration and make sure they’re optimized for sharing and for mobile.

It’s also a good idea to make pricing a priority. Millennials are always looking for good deals. So pushing a marketing plan that incorporates promos, discounts and coupons are a good bet. Add some free shipping and you’ll be able to drive traffic to your site.

[Featured image via Graphica YouTube]

November 9, 2017
Facebook and PayPal Collaborate to Allow Peer-to-Peer Payments

Facebook is making it easier for users to send and receive money. Online payment giant PayPal announced that Facebook users can now make peer-to-peer payments via Messenger by using their PayPal accounts.

The agreement between Facebook and PayPal will also make it easier for the social network’s users to fund online purchases or send money even if they cannot provide credit or debit card information. The peer-to-peer payment started going live on October 20, 2017, but is currently only available for users within the United States. At the moment, it is not yet clear if the service will be made available for users located in other parts of the globe in the future.

PayPal is excited to announce peer-to-peer payments & customer service bot in @Facebook Messenger. https://t.co/gce3EnJmnE pic.twitter.com/voCpksxq0y

— PayPal (@PayPal) October 20, 2017

The new feature can be accessed in the same manner as setting up a credit card or debit card payment method by simply tapping on the plus icon to access the Payments option. Users will then be presented with two methods to choose from—cards or PayPal. Choosing PayPal will link you to Facebook Payments, which doesn’t require credit card or debit card information.

PayPal’s entry as one of the social media platform’s payment option is expected to boost Facebook’s status as an eCommerce hub. Online transactions within the social media platform are already on the rise with around 450 million active users per month.

From our #data: #Facebook is the most popular #socialmedia platform among #eCommerce websites in the #US. #onlinestore #onlinemarketing pic.twitter.com/C9tAfn92xO

— Dataprovider.com (@Dataprovidercom) September 30, 2017

The online payment system is continuing its thrust to be the payment system of choice for online transactions. Recently, PayPal also partnered with the popular messaging app Skype, making it possible for users to send money even in the middle of a chat, a useful feature for those living a mobile lifestyle.

[Featured Image via PayPal]

October 27, 2017
Shopify’s Instagram Integration to Open Doors for Millions of Vendors

Christmas comes early for Shopify and Instagram users, with the former now providing Instagram integration to most of its vendors.

The eCommerce company and Instagram had been collaborating on the new shopping service the whole year. Now the integration appears to be ready and Shopify is offering it to its millions of sellers.

The future of commerce is here. Shopping on @instagram: tag posts with products. https://t.co/eyA7L7DQzO

— Shopify (@Shopify) October 3, 2017

Shopify has already established integration tools with Buzzfeed, Facebook, Facebook Messenger and other sites. With this new tool, vendors on Instagram can now tag photos of their products. This will include links to a page that includes more information about the product and its price. Users can buy the product straight from the mobile app using a “Shop Now” button that takes the buyer to the merchant’s page. And this feature is easier to set up with the Shopify integration, especially for users that already sell products on the site.

The company has admitted that Instagram is one of the major drivers of traffic to merchant stores and this collaboration can boost eCommerce sales. In fact, 72% of Instagram users revealed that they bought products they saw on the site. And last July, Shopify closed a deal with eBay that allowed vendors to sell their goods directly through the website, opening it to around 400,000 users. The company also made a similar deal with Amazon in 2015.

Instagram shopping is getting a big boost from Shopify https://t.co/C1PC01lNcy

— David Papp (@DavidPapp) October 4, 2017

It has been Shopify’s game plan to integrate with various eCommerce channels to make it possible for its clients to branch out from their own sites. It also provides its sellers with small loans, shipping services, and payment tools. Shopify even offers tools for vendors to sell their products offline and provides point-of-sale hardware and software for those with physical shops.

The Instagram integration is currently being offered to select vendors but will ultimately be made available to all the stores and vendors that have accounts on Shopify.

[Featured image via Shopify]

October 5, 2017
How Retail Must Adapt to Compete with eCommerce

The number of eCommerce businesses has doubled in the past five years. The rise of the industry has admittedly caused less foot traffic and some brick and mortar businesses to suffer closure. But contrary to popular belief, retailers are not going out easily. Studies have shown that the majority of shoppers still prefer to go to physical establishments.

To ensure that they do remain relevant, retail has to adapt in order to compete with eCommerce. This means targeting the right demographic and merging what consumers want based on their shopping preferences and experience, both online and offline. This fusion has already started to manifest in the services offered by some companies.

Shoppers Still Want to Get Physical

One advantage that stores have is the tactile experience they provide. Even though eCommerce stores can boast of features like high-resolution images or 360-degree visualizations, people still prefer to touch, smell, and feel products when they go shopping. As a matter of fact, about 78% of shoppers prefer a physical engagement with a product over a virtual experience. Being able to physically touch a product can affect a person’s purchasing decision.

In a study that had participants think abstractly and concretely about buying a coffee cup, those that were able to touch the cup were found to be more willing to make a purchase as opposed to those who just looked at the product. Retailers can take advantage of that by utilizing consumer research data obtained from online retailers to recognize customers who value a more tactile approach to shopping and focus their marketing strategies on them.

Highlight Instant Gratification

Another feature that physical stores can continue to play up to their advantage is the instant gratification they can give their customers. People shopping at department stores can immediately buy and take home whatever it is that catches their eyes, something that online sites are still working to provide.

Retailers are also starting to integrate artificial intelligence to allow them to better compete with their virtual counterparts. AI can be used to help customers identify products they need to purchase without having to spend hours browsing online. For instance, a user can post a picture of an item they’re looking for and brands with AI technology can display similar products that they have in their inventory.

AI technology can also help combine the efficiency often associated with online browsing with the immediate access physical stores provide. For example, groceries can utilize mobile apps that would allow clients to check what they need online, scan a barcode, order the products and check them out without having to go through the checkout line. This type of efficiency allows busy shoppers to finish their task with no interruptions and will undoubtedly keep them going back to that store.

Shopping Becomes Personal Again

Businesses like Amazon might appear to be the future of shopping, what with the store’s vast product offerings, availability, speedy delivery and even the proposed usage of drones. However, that doesn’t mean it’s what all shoppers want. As a matter of fact, a majority of shoppers still prefer to have in-store experiences. Millennials, in particular, are looking for unique shopping encounters.

Some traditional fashion and beauty companies are now providing their customers with personalized shopping experiences inspired by online retailers. Beauty giant Sephora is one such store. The cosmetics company tracks their customer’s purchase preferences using their Beauty Insider card. Once a customer goes to a Sephora store, the Visual Artist, an augmented reality 3D facial recognition program, uses the customer’s buying history to give suggestions on beauty products they might be interested in. Meanwhile, fashion stalwart Ralph Lauren is experimenting with smart mirrors that can adjust the lighting in fitting rooms, recommend pieces that complement the customer or suggest an alternative color or size.

Though eCommerce might tempt shoppers with convenience, drone deliveries or robot customer service officers, people will keep going back to brick-and-mortar stores. However, retailers should continue to find ways to adapt and give their customers a memorable shopping experience if they want them to keep returning.

[image via Pixabay]

September 19, 2017
Amazon Price Cuts Led to Whole Foods 25% Boost in Shoppers

My two most recent visits to my local Whole Foods Market, including this past weekend, were distinctly different from preview visits. Lots more shoppers and some friendlier produce prices. Apparently this is what is called another “Amazon Effect” and it really should come as no surprise.

According to Foursquare data, both the Amazon acquisition and deep price cuts resulted in a whopping 25% increase in customer traffic.

Foursquare compiled location information during the first two days after Amazon completed its acquisition of the grocer. The data, culled from shoppers’ mobile devices, was compared with the same period a week earlier.

As reported by Bloomberg, Amazon acquired the upscale chain last month for $13.7 billion, a move that has brought turmoil to the supermarket industry and sent shares of grocery rivals tumbling. The same day it completed the acquisition, the e-commerce giant cut prices by as much as 43 percent on a range of items. Organic fuji apples were marked down to $1.99 a pound from $3.49 a pound, for instance. Organic avocados dropped to $1.99 each from $2.79.

The traffic data is an optimistic sign that Amazon can succeed in the brick-and-mortar world. In some areas, the jump in customers was dramatic. At stores in Chicago, 35% more shoppers visited Whole Foods stores, Foursquare found.

Amazon biggest obstacle with online grocery shopping is fresh foods and produce. Whole Foods certainly begins to solve part of that puzzle by building a good distribution network. And Wall Street certainly took notice:

However, Amazon with Whole Foods, still only holds a 2% foothold in the $800 billion grocery industry. Established companies such as Kroger and Wal-Mart dominate the market. And the appeal of organic food, which was unique to Whole Food shoppers, has been wisely co-opted and built out by the big groceries.

But this is Amazon we’re talking about and they intend to completely re-shape the grocery industry with the unrelenting Amazon Effect.

So what are some grocery shopping innovations that you see coming from Amazon?

September 11, 2017
5 Google Adwords Mistakes Every Online Marketer Should Avoid Making

There’s no doubt that Google Adwords can be very beneficial to a business. It’s one of the best ways to drive traffic to your site, generate leads and close sales. But like most good things, it also takes time, careful planning and execution, and a bit of an investment.

Google Adwords campaigns have to be set up carefully for it to succeed. This means that you should be keenly attuned to Adwords and know how to avoid critical and costly mistakes. If you want to make the most of your Google AdWords campaign, check that you’re not making these 5 mistakes:

1. Not Spending Enough Time to Research Keywords

One of the key parts of an AdWords campaign is choosing the right keywords. After all, if you are not using keywords that are most relevant to your brand or what your customers are searching for then your campaign would suffer. This is why it’s vital that you spend time researching the proper and relevant keywords for your company.

To help narrow down the best keywords to use, make use of tools like WordStream or Google AdWords Keyword Tool. Take a critical look at your brand and come up with a list of possible keywords. Use available keyword tools to see the different variations of how people use your proposed keywords in their search.

2. Forgetting Phrase and Exact Matches

There are different types of keyword matches – broad match, phrase match, and exact match. Broad match keywords mean that your ads will appear when people search for your keywords, regardless of the other terms in the search string while phrase match keywords will only appear in searches with that exact word order. This is the same principle for exact match keywords.

Most ad groups only use broad match keywords, as it’s the default match type used by AdWords. The good news is that broad matches appear in more searches, but it also means that the odds are high that these are less relevant searches. This could lead to less generated sales and lower click rates if the searcher finds your ads irrelevant. It could potentially cost more money due to a misplaced click.

Research has shown that exact match keywords have better conversion odds, so it’s better to start by using exact matches before expanding it to include phrase and broad matches.

3. Not Utilizing Negative Keywords

Another common AdWords mistake internet marketers make is disregarding negative keywords. This keyword acts in the opposite way of a targeted keyword, meaning it precludes keywords that do not match your product or service. For instance, if you are targeting backpacks designed for hiking or camping then you don’t want your ads to show up in searches for “school backpacks.” You can put “school” as a negative keyword and your ads won’t be displayed in searches with the term “school.”

To ensure that you exclude the right words, check out Google Analytics. Click on “Acquisition,” followed by “AdWords” and “Matched Search Queries.” Click on “Query Match Type” next and choose either “broad match” or “phrase match” to see the keyword phrases that are generating leads and those that are not converting. This can help you choose the words that can be added as a negative keyword so that your campaign will perform better.

4. Not Embracing Mobile

There’s no stopping the mobile trend so it’s best if you embrace it, especially as how customers use mobile devices to search and engage in is vastly different from how they use laptops or desktops. And since more people opt for mobile devices these days, you should make sure your campaign is mobile-friendly.

There are several ways to make your ad campaigns better suited for mobile devices. You can use Click to Call Extensions, Mobile Bid Modifiers, Mobile-Specific Ads, and Short Tail Keywords.

5. Directing Visitors to the Wrong Pages

This is a mistake that owners of eCommerce stores should take pains to avoid. Some e-stores have erred in directing the traffic from their ad to their home page instead of the page for a specific product.

Make sure that when a visitor clicks on your ad, they’re directed to the item they’re looking for. Otherwise, they might just leave your page and that’s a lost sale. So double check your ads and ensure prospective clients are led to the right page.

There’s no question that Google AdWords can be a key component to increasing traffic and generating sales. However, this will only happen with the right AdWords strategy and implementation.

[Featured image via Google AdWords]

September 7, 2017
Facebook Promotes eBay Daily Deals— Will it Help Sellers?

It looks like Facebook is testing out a new way to get its more than 2 billion users to spend money via its platform. Though not yet publicly announced, the tech giant has recently partnered with eBay bringing the online retailer’s Daily Deals to the FB Marketplace.

Currently in the testing phase, the new Daily Deals feature is only available to a small portion of FB users in the U.S. and displays 100 discounted products available on eBay, showing both the percentage discounted from its price as well as a countdown on how long the deal for a particular item is available. To see the actual price, however, you’ll have to click on the deal to be transported eBay’s site for check out.

Facebook tests showing eBay Daily Deals in Marketplace https://t.co/aw2pxYw9ks pic.twitter.com/hDy5Xc4H7X

— The Verge (@verge) August 15, 2017

Until now, Facebook Marketplace has always been about peer-to-peer transactions. Relaunched last fall, it aggregates postings from various “buy and sell” groups and, with its integration of Messenger, allows both buyers and sellers a means to communicate and seal their deals, reports Tech Crunch.

With FB Marketplace setting up an online space for buyers and sellers to meet, the feature was seen as a competitor for Craigslist and eBay, according to TheVerge. Thus, it is a bit surprising that Facebook has now teamed up with a third-party site for deals promotion and with eBay at that.

However, it looks like Facebook offering eBay’s Daily Deals is the social media giant’s tentative step in looking for new ways to monetize its more than 2 billion active user base. As stated by Akash Anand, Facebook Production Manager, “We’re conducting a test to determine if people are interested in shopping for discounted products when they visit Marketplace.” The bottom line is that Daily Deals is still in its testing phase; the feature may not even reach mainstream users as it could be dropped depending on user reception.

In a way, Facebook’s partnership with eBay could be the company’s response to Spark. Last month, Amazon entered the social media scene by creating its own platform – Spark – which is basically a network where consumers can compare notes on the various products being sold by Amazon.

In Facebook’s case, it will be the reverse of what Amazon did with Spark since the social media giant will now be venturing into eCommerce. Though Facebook is not asking for a share from eBay in the revenue from the Daily Deals feature at the moment, it is easy to see how such an arrangement could be worked out in the future.

What is the source of revenue for these companies? @Apple @alphabet @Microsoft @amazon @facebook pic.twitter.com/AOtCXCihoc

— Erkan AYAN (@ErkanAYAN2013) August 15, 2017

But there is one reason why Facebook could be hesitant in going all out on eCommerce. Unlike Amazon whose revenue is mainly sourced from online sales, Facebook’s cash cow is advertising. The deal with eBay, however, might turn off some sellers/advertisers as they might see it as competition to their brand’s visibility unless their product is included in eBay’s Daily Deals of course.

It is interesting to note that Facebook’s deal with eBay is not exclusive. This opens up the possibility that the company could enter into an agreement with other third-party sellers in the future for them to post their own daily deals.

Just like Facebook, advertisers need to follow how FB’s deal with eBay pans out. Don’t worry, we’ll keep you posted on the latest developments.

[Featured Image via Youtube]

August 23, 2017
How Will Amazon’s New Social Media Platform Benefit Brands?

Online retailer giant Amazon just found another way to make it easier for people to part ways with their money. The company has ventured into the world of social media with Amazon Spark, which was launched last July.

Amazon Creates Social Media Platform

At first glance, Amazon Spark looks a lot like some other social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest. The newcomer platform’s feed is also heavy on photos but a marked difference is that these are images of products available on Amazon.

Of course, encouraging people to post pictures of the products they love or make reviews on items they have tried is Amazon’s brilliant way to deepen consumer engagement on their platform. At the moment though, only Amazon Prime members can make posts or comment on them, but non-Prime members can still use the platform to view posts.

Just like your typical social media platform, Spark requires first-time users to register. Once a user has logged in, Spark requires the user to choose at least five interests that would later become the basis for what posts will be included in the feed. The platform actually allows more than five interests, which range from generic, broad categories like “Music” or “Books” to more narrowed-down options like “TV Bingewatching.”

Spark is also using its own version of a “Like” called “Smile” to indicate approval of a post.

The Advantages of Spark

While it shares a lot of similarities to older platforms, Amazon Spark has several advantages over its competitors. Unlike other social media platforms where people log on to see what’s the latest buzz on virtually everything, there is only one reason why Spark users would log on to the platform and that is to see what is worth buying.

Essentially, Spark is a social media network for consumers—people looking for the best products to buy. As such, you can expect the conversion from traffic to actual sale to be higher on this social media platform than most others. Before logging into the platform, users are already eager to buy something. They’re just looking for the right product to justify a purchase.

The higher conversion rate will offset Amazon Spark’s smaller user base compared to other platforms. At the moment, there are around 80 million Amazon Prime members who are allowed to post and comment on Spark. However, there’s a hidden number in there somewhere that brands should not ignore. Apparently, Prime members spend around $600 more per year than non-Prime members. Multiply that by 80 million and you’ll get a rough estimate of its gargantuan potential for brands.

Aside from tapping the purchasing power of the horde of Amazon shoppers, there is one thing that sets Amazon Spark apart from other platforms. Since Spark is inside the Amazon application, buyers can buy the item tagged in a particular post seamlessly and without the need to log into another app to make the purchase. Since the eCommerce component is already integrated into the platform, there is simply no time for consumers to hesitate and, in a way, Spark has made impulse buying even faster.

Current Limitations for Brands

At the moment, Amazon Spark does not allow brands to make posts to the platform. However, brands can work around this problem by reaching out to “enthusiasts,” which is Amazon’s term for influencers, to make posts for their products in the meantime.

Another limitation is that Spark is only available for iOS devices at the moment although Amazon previously promised that an Android version is on the way. In addition, there is no word yet if the company plans to expand Spark’s access via desktop.

[Featured Image by Amazon]

August 17, 2017
Buying an eCommerce Website Vs. Starting One

Over the last few years, the eCommerce model has been giving brick-and-mortar retailers a run for their money. A recent forecast estimates the eCommerce market will surpass $2 trillion in revenue for 2017 and increase its worth to $6.7 trillion by 2020. The eCommerce market has gained such a massive following that companies from different industries can no longer ignore it. In fact, the total number of online shoppers in the US is projected to rise to 224 million in 2019. By 2020, around 168.7 million mobile users will have made at least one purchase from an online store.

Number of digital shoppers in the United States from 2014 to 2019 (in millions)

The great thing about the eCommerce platform is that it gives start-up entrepreneurs immediate entry into the global marketplace. At present, only 28% of small businesses in the U.S. are selling their products online. For a budding entrepreneur, there is still a wide window to get started and establish an online brand. Once you decide to give it a go, the only question left is, should you buy an existing eCommerce website or start from scratch? The following insights could help you come to a resolution.

Buying an Existing eCommerce Business

The Pros

An established eCommerce site has already proven itself profitable. Buying one in your target niche lets you take over an operation that has already generated cash flow. Of course, you would have to assess their operation metrics and financial history first. But the good thing is that it has already overcome the challenges usually encountered by start-ups. You do not have to invest time and money into keyword research, advertising, site development, finding suppliers, SEO services, and others. With a proven business model, your customer base, supplier relationships, software codes, and traffic will already be organized.

Acquiring an existing eCommerce site allows you to take advantage of opportunities the seller may have overlooked. This gives you a strategic edge in growing the business and increasing your profits. If you already own an eCommerce business, buying another site also increases your cross selling and cross promotion capabilities. You get to expand your reach by gaining access to additional traffic and customers.

The Cons

Buying an existing eCommerce business also has its downside. Let’s start with the operative word “buy,” which means you will likely need significant upfront capital. Convenience comes with a price, especially if you are eyeing a well-performing site. Next, finding the right online business to purchase that is reasonably successful may take some time. If you do find one, expect to inherit some errors made by the previous owner, such as lack of customer service, poor quality content and backlinks, soured relationships with suppliers, to name a few.

Starting Your Own Online Business

The Pros

One of the many things that attract entrepreneurs to starting their own eCommerce site is the low startup costs required. With the help of the internet, you can purchase a domain and obtain hosting for less than $100 per year. Outsourcing website development, web design, content creation, and basic SEO services can be achieved for under $300. A setup for a small business—with catalog and light traffic—through a popular eCommerce platform will only cost you around $2,000.

Another advantage when it comes to setting up your own eCommerce site is you gain full control over your products and services. For instance, you can decide to avoid managing inventory or shipping through drop shipping. You choose which direction to take the business and handle SEO, monetization, and customer service using your own strategies. And if your site becomes a success, you can sell it for a lump sum.

The Cons

A newly set up eCommerce business will start off with no traffic or customers. Marketing your brand and bringing traffic to your site can take a lot of work and money. You may need to invest in social media management and search engine marketing just to get the word out. You could spend several months building your eCommerce sites only to find that none of them end up being profitable. Another disadvantage is that it is a highly competitive market. It can be exhausting just to think of ways to stand out from the rest.

New and experienced entrepreneurs should realize that neither option is better than the other, as both can provide significant returns on investment. In the end, your choice may depend on the time and attention you are willing to invest, how much money you are willing to risk, and the level of experience you have. The eCommerce market has the potential to become a huge boon for a business, given that every detail of the business is monitored closely.

June 23, 2017
How Facebook AI Chatbots Benefit E-Commerce Businesses
Facebook continues to develop AI chatbots to aid e-commerce and retail companies grow their businesses at a minimum cost to tech innovations.

Chatbots are certainly not new. People who dial 1-800 numbers have talked to these smart assistants at one point or another. However, innovations in this technology have made chatbots more interactive and responsive.

Then Facebook came in and changed the layout of the land.

David Marcus, Vice President of Messaging Products at Facebook, revealed that there are now 11,000 chatbots on Facebook reaching almost a billion users. Facebook M, the company’s text-based virtual assistant feature, has been modified to make the AI better.

“M will make automated suggestions based on chat intent,” he wrote last month. “These suggestions will help you get more from your Messenger experience by shortening the distance between what you need to do and getting it done.”

Facebook also introduced more changes to the Messenger which will further aid small businesses in improving customer experience and reaching their target clients. Among the changes are:
- Smart Replies for Pages – This feature allows small businesses to interact with their customers even if they are too busy managing their day-to-day operations. They can also customize the API to ensure predetermined answers to the most frequently asked questions.
- Hand-Over Protocol – This feature will allow businesses to manage and even expand their services. With the help of developers, they can create a bot that handles customer service, or another bot which handles orders.
- Parametric Messenger Codes – This allows businesses to create quick response codes to compartmentalize services. In the future, this bot can be used to utilize the mobile phone camera instead of the price scanner.
Meanwhile, the ability to accept bills payment without bouncing users to an external website has already been rolled out by Facebook last year.

Facebook Messenger is free to use, along with the reach of the social media giant (with nearly 2 billion accounts), and that makes it a perfect option for e-commerce businesses. Mark Zuckerberg and the rest of the company are even making it easier for small businesses to embed the conversational tool into their websites.

The potential for Facebook AI chatbots in e-commerce is huge. For instance, they can be customized to fit the goals of the particular business, whether it means promoting the brand, reaching targeted consumers, raising awareness during a product launch, or generating automatic replies to queries. All of these will hopefully influence the decision of the potential customer to order a product, thereby successfully affecting retail conversion.

After the conversion, customer support can also be delegated to these smart assistants so businesses don’t have to hire new people to accept complaints, answer queries, or render post-purchase services.

Facebook AI chatbots also extend beyond the business-customer dynamics. In forging partnerships with other businesses, for instance, these tools can serve as the “advanced party” and give the potential investor the necessary due diligence even before making initial contact.

The success of Siri or Amazon Alexa to assist users in their daily tasks highlights the potentials of AI chatbots in e-commerce. And this will only grow as developers perfect the technology and more people recognize their importance. A study by Oracle last year revealed that 80% of the 800 businesses that participated in the survey believe that they will use AI chatbots by 2020.

A similar study by Gartner, an IT research and advisory company, forecast that nearly 90% of interactions between customers and businesses in three years’ time will be handled by AI chatbots.
May 8, 2017
Milliseconds Are Critical for Online Retailers

It goes without saying that website performance is crucial to online retailers for maintaining customer engagement and completing online transactions. Any delays of content delivery or slow load times will certainly impact online revenue. But as Akamia’s recent State of Online Retail Performance report shows, seconds…even milliseconds, matter.

The data, gathered by SOASTA (now part of Akamai), represents one month’s worth of anonymous user data from top online retailers, equating to approximately 10 billion user visits. The team applied data analytics to generate insights into the intersection of IT, business, and user experience metrics.

The report explores the “magic number” for page load times and the impact of one-second performance improvements – or slowdowns – on conversion and bounce rates, as well as impact of performance on session length.

Findings include:

A 100-millisecond delay in website load time can hurt conversion rates by 7 percent A two-second delay in web page load time increase bounce rates by 103 percent

Half of consumers browse for products and services on their smartphones, while only one in five complete purchases using those phones.

Bounce rates were highest for mobile phone shoppers, while tablet shoppers had the lowest bounce rate.

“Results from our State of Online Retail Performance report have shown that user experience is critical to e-commerce success, and things aren’t getting any easier,” said Ash Kulkarni, senior vice president and general manager, Web Experience Division, Akamai. “Customers have extremely short attention spans, and degradations in website performance – no matter how small – can cause consumers to go elsewhere in an instant. Sharing our findings about performance gives online merchants the actionable data they need to stay competitive.”

May 2, 2017
Digital Product Information is Driving Today’s Shopper

Today’s consumers have become so reliant on eCommerce for every stage of the buying process that shoppers are simply going to retail stores a lot less often. But when shoppers do find themselves in stores, their trusty mobile device is still helping to determine what they buy and how they buy in a big way.

A recent MaiChimp Audience Panel study by Salsify asked 1,000 online shoppers what makes them choose which brands and retailers to shop and buy from. An eyebrow raising 77% of shoppers use a mobile device while shopping in-store and only 35% would even just 35 percent of shoppers would prefer to speak to a salesperson if they have questions about a product.

“Consumers are increasingly turning to their mobile devices to answer product-related questions, like price and availability, while they shop,” said Jason Purcell, CEO and co-founder of Salsify. “This year’s research again demonstrates just how critical it is for every brand and retailer to have a systematized approach to maintain robust and relevant digital content to retain shopper attention and win sales.”

The survey research also found that 87% of shoppers said that detailed product content was extremely or very important to their purchase decision. With so many turning to mobile while shopping in-store as well, the need for product content on every channel has never been more essential.

It’s pretty clear from this survey that eCommerce brands must prioritize the mobile experience. The research indicates that consumers between the ages of 18 and 29 are most likely to use a mobile device when shopping online (84 percent), followed closely by the 30 to 44 group (78 percent).

And good product content is crucial as 87% of shoppers said that detailed product content was extremely or very important to their purchase decision. In fact, bad product content means bad customer experiences and bad sales: 50% of online shoppers have returned a product if it did not match the product description and 54% are less likely to buy from an online retailer if they returned an item.

As found in another other recent eCommerce shopping study cited here, shoppers need robust product content before buying. Cracking The Consumer Code research found that 70 percent of shoppers need to see at least three product images and 86 percent want to read at least three product reviews before purchasing a product.

April 10, 2017
Facebook Seeks To Be the World’s Largest Marketing Platform

Facebook sees a huge opportunity to become the marketing platform of record for businesses seeking to reach consumers and other businesses to promote cross-country sales. Facebook is uniquely positioned as both a social platform and a marketing platform that has an astounding 1.7 billion monthly active users, one-fifth of the entire world’s population. By 2018, according to eMarketer in an April report, overall internet users are predicted to grow 30% to 3.82 billion. If Facebook grows at the same rate which seems likely, they will have over 2.2 billion active users in less than 2 years!

According to a February 2016 study by McKinsey Global Institute, 361 million people worldwide have participated in cross-border ecommerce. This is a growing and huge opportunity for Facebook, finding ways to make international ecommerce seamless and practical for businesses. Internal Facebook data shows that nearly 50 million businesses use Facebook to find customers, and 30 percent of their a businesses Facebook followers fans are in fact from other countries.

Download Facebook’s Cross-Border Business Handbook for a full review of their international marketing opportunities.

Australia

Australia has a population of 24 million with over 21 million using the internet and of those one-third, or 14 million are active on Facebook. On average, people are checking their Facebook feed 14 times a day, making Australian’s an especially reachable target for cross-country businesses. They say that 92% of students below 25 years old access Facebook on a daily basis.

Brazil

Brazil has over a 113 million internet users, 80 million digital shoppers and 49 million smartphone users. According to Facebook surveys, over 70% of users want to receive offers and information about brands and products.

Canada

Nearly 30 million Canadian’s are on the internet and over 21 million of them are on Facebook. According to Comscore, 29% of all time spent on mobile properties in Canada happens on Facebook.

France

Close to 50 million people in France are on the internet and 31 million of those are active on Facebook. One survey showed that 25% of internet users considered Facebook as one of their favorite platforms for discovering
new content/ products or services.

Germany

Germany has 29 million active Facebookers and 82% of all internet users in Germany say that Facebook is their favorite social platform. Over 32% of Germans say they use Facebook while watching TV. There are big marketing opportunities for sports related businesses in this country, with 10 million soccer fans using Facebook.

Malaysia

Malaysia has a population of 30 million, 20 million of them are on the internet and nearly all internet users, 18 million, are active on Facebook. In Malaysia, the internet is Facebook!

Thailand

Less than half of the 68 million people in Thailand are even on the internet, yet Facebook says that it has 40 million monthly active users there. It’s total ecommerce spending is around $1 billion, leaving substantial room to grow considering the population. Over 95% of people in Thailand use at least two devices and a third use three: a smartphone, a tablet and a desktop or laptop.

Philippines

Almost all of the people on the internet in the Philippines are on Facebook, over 50 million with 1.2 more time spent on Facebook than TV, according to a Reach study commissioned by Facebook. Over 70% of internet users have seen or searched for product information on Facebook.

United Kingdom

Most people in the UK are on Facebook, over 51 million of them, and 37 million of those use Facebook. With the UK’s ecommerce market expected to hit $132 billion by 2018, this is one of the world’s biggest marketing opportunities for businesses.

United States

The US has over 200 million Facebook users, close to 77% of everybody on Facebook. The ecommerce opportunity for businesses will be nearing $500 billion by 2018 and Facebook is routinely used by US brands to promote their products.

October 11, 2016