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ECOMMERCE SEIZE THE SEASONAL OPPORTUNITY This year, the November shopping period will be more important than ever, given the retail turmoil of the past six months. By BigCommerce Vice President Iand General Manager APAC Shannon Ingrey. n the past few years, we’ve seen the rise in Australia of US-style shopping holidays, with milestones such as ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’ driving more and more shoppers online and increasing retail turnover significantly throughout November, even superseding December in terms of retail activity Let’s be honest, Aussie shoppers love a pre-Christmas bargain. The key sales dates in November are likely to account for a heavy portion of retailers’ annual revenue, while also setting businesses up for success in 2021. For those looking to seize the seasonal opportunity, in preparing and prioritising online efforts for the November shopping period, some of the key areas to focus on include the foundations of your offering (from user experience to personalisation), your ability to differentiate yourself from competition (payment options and shipping) and administrative processes (inventory). Analyse your own user experience Ecommerce competition has never been fiercer. Not only did Australian ecommerce jump by more than 80 per cent year on year in the first eight weeks of the pandemic, but the number of businesses moving online is unprecedented. There’s been a clear shift in the retail power dynamic. This changing retail landscape is testing customers’ brand loyalty. With usual habits and patterns disrupted and more choice at their fingertips, 2020’s consumers have become more discerning and purpose driven than in years past. This isn’t to say they aren’t buying. Australian consumers are just better prepared and going in with the intent of buying a specific item. As such, the shopping experience has become more transactional. Shoppers who might have spent hours browsing and adding extra items to their cart are now going in with the express purpose of buying a certain item and getting out. Fickle brand loyalty makes it more important for retailers to nail all aspects of the consumer experience. Whether it’s site speed, third-party integrations or foundational infrastructure, now is the time to test your platform and ensure you’re making the right first impression. Given that data shows 64 per cent of “The key sales dates in November are likely to account for a heavy portion of retailers’ annual revenue.” 68 RETAIL WORLD OCT, 2020