Commerce Strategy Four ways to bring back the spark on your Magento store by Matt Parkinson Last updated on April 3rd, 2023 Ecommerce has had its first full-year decline, decreasing in value by a record of 10.5% last year. The 2022 market and economy has been tough. And with the cost of living rising, ecommerce teams will be under added pressure to perform and increase sales. Just kidding, the pandemic accelerated the ecommerce industry at a very fast rate (as we all know). And remember, what goes up, must come down. You can see where we’re going with this. The decline isn’t a setback. If anything, it’s an opportunity to make ecommerce better. What can ecommerce managers be doing in 2023 to improve customer experience? How can they enhance their website? And finally, how can they increase online sales? We’ve asked some of our Magento experts for their opinions on how ecommerce teams can turn the tide. And here’s what they had to say… Remove the noise on ecommerce sites Sam Dineley, Magento/Adobe Commerce DevOps Engineer Sorry, what did you say? I’m too busy trying to read the 110 things that are on this page.Imagine this, you walk into a store and one of the staff says hello and tells you about an offer. You say thanks, but not right now. And then someone else tells you about a different offer, but you’re not interested and say no thanks. Then someone else asks you to sign up to their newsletter for exclusive members only discounts and deals, and you say maybe later. And then someone else asks you….. By this point, you’re fed up and feel harassed. You didn’t get to see what you wanted to see, and you walk out of the store with nothing! This concept works online too. Yes, you want to get your message out there. We know you are amazing and have great offers. But just take a moment to think about the customer experience before you bombard them with pop-ups, deals and ads everywhere. Keep it simple. Keep it subtle. Make it as easy as possible for them to see what they are looking for, and then, give them that little nudge. For example, Nike has kept it clear and simple. Only one cookie pop-up when I arrive to the site and one banner to tell me I can get free shipping and return if I’m a member. It’s subtle, simple and lets me browse for what I’m looking for. Relinquish unrealistic expectations on online stores Valeria Del Sordo, Magento/Adobe Commerce Solutions Specialist It didn’t look the same as it did online, so I returned it. We’ve all heard this before and many times too. So, what’s the solution? Close the gap between your customer’s expectations and what they receive. Don’t let them receive a duck when they think they’ve ordered a swan. Let your customers see everything. If there are 356 dots on a dress, make sure they are seeing 365 dots on that dress. Create videos that do a 360-degree view of the product and add this video to the product page. Let them see what they look like in that dress by trying it on virtually. With augmented reality (AR), products can be visualised in real-world situations. A good example of this is from Pandora where they compare the size of the item to something you are familiar with (a headphone and credit card). They also give you the opportunity to try the item on by taking a picture on your phone. If your using a desktop, don’t worry – they let you scan a QR code so you can almost instantly see the item on you when your phone is out. And to top it all off, the images automatically transfer back to your browser on desktop. It’s really bringing the customer experience of being in the store back home. Create a loyalty program that encourages customers to interact and promote the products they love. Ask them to take pictures of your products being worn or used. Let them inspire your potential customers to get that product. It builds trust and credibility. It will also help keep your customer’s expectations on track.Everyone says your best salespeople are your customers, so use them! If they know exactly what they’re getting, there’s no questioning it. It’ll reduce return rates and increase sales. Check out the checkout: 1, 2, 3 pay… Simon Bond, Head of Front-end Magento/Adobe Commerce development It’s no surprise that customers want a fast, frictionless checkout experience. The highest-performing checkouts are made up of loads of small optimisations that work seamlessly together. Take a mobile-first approach to the user experience. Can your customer buy something using one hand? Can they use autofill to put in their details? Is there a one-click payment method (Google or Apple pay)? Make sure the key areas of the checkout doesn’t require too much effort for the customer. For example, as you can see from the image, PartyDelights have implemented an instant checkout system where customers can pay using digital wallets which will only take them two taps to pay. Want to learn more about how to optimise checkouts to convert visitors into delighted customers? Take a look at our blog post. Analyse, adapt, and overcome Xabier Izaguire, Marketing Director Take a look at the metrics. It’s what everyone wants. And what everyone needs. These metrics can tell you where your customers are stuck on your Magento site. For example, if you’ve had 50 mobile users add things to the basket and abandoned the cart when they are about to pay. You know where the problem lies. You can then analyse the page. Find optimisations and overcome the problem. Some other metrics to look out for are:– Micro to macro conversion rates– Average order value– Refund and return rates Want to learn more about measuring ecommerce success? Take a look at our KPI framework to help you boost revenue. Do you need help increasing online sales for your Magento (Adobe Commerce) site? Our dedicated Magento / Adobe Commerce specialists work closely with clients to ensure they are optimising website performance and getting the most out of their ecommerce strategy. If you’d like to discuss how GENE can support you, get in touch.
