As brick-and-mortar shops give way to online storefronts and consumers increasingly turn to screens for their shopping needs, ecommerce has become more than just a convenience— for many, it’s essential.

Where mere seconds decide a purchase or an exit, User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) emerge as critical determinants of success.

But why are these elements so vital in the ecommerce domain? Simply put, they bridge the gap between brands and consumers in a virtual world, ensuring not only functionality but also emotion, perception, and trust.

In this guide, we’ll reveal how your ecommerce business can best improve the customer journey by harnessing the power of UX and UI.

As we delve deeper into this guide, we will navigate the intricacies of UX and UI, revealing how they shape consumer behaviour as well as brand loyalty. We’ll introduce the core tools essential to improvising UX and UI, and even discuss our top checkout page tips.

The Interplay of UX and UI

While UX and UI are sometimes used interchangeably, they have distinct roles. UX is the experience a user has while interacting with your product, while UI is the series of screens, pages, and visual elements — like buttons and icons — that you use to interact with a device.

Imagine walking into a beautifully designed store. The layout, ambiance, and lighting (UI) make it visually appealing. But if you can’t easily find what you’re looking for, or the checkout process is tedious, your overall shopping experience (UX) might be less than satisfactory. In ecommerce, these elements play out on your website in the exact same way on your web storefront.

Stellar UX ensures that your customer can effortlessly navigate through your site, finding exactly what they’re looking for, and completing their purchase without hindrance. In essence, it’s about creating a frictionless path from the first point of contact right through to the checkout button. With myriad options available at their fingertips, loyalty is hard-won and easily lost. By focusing on a seamless UX, you’re not just aiding your customers; you’re building trust, establishing credibility, and, most importantly, encouraging them to return.

Making UI More Than Just Aesthetics

While it’s true that a well-designed UI will make your site visually appealing, it goes beyond mere aesthetics. Every button placement, colour choice, and typography decision plays a role in how a user feels and interacts with your platform.

A checkout button that stands out clearly will intuitively guide the user, while harmonious colour schemes can evoke trust and professionalism. In essence, your UI is the silent ambassador of your brand.

The Symbiotic Relationship

It’s essential to realise that while UX and UI have their individual roles, they’re deeply intertwined. A beautiful interface (UI) with poor navigability (UX) will frustrate users. Conversely, a highly functional site (UX) that looks outdated or cluttered (UI) might deter users from exploring further.
In ecommerce, the sweet spot lies in achieving a harmonious balance between the two, ensuring that aesthetics and functionality go hand in hand.

Optimising the checkout process
The checkout process is one of the most crucial aspects of the ecommerce journey. It’s where the user finalises their purchase, and it’s also where many businesses lose potential sales due to friction, distrust, or confusion. Optimising the checkout page using UX and UI principles is vital for conversion rate optimisation.

Optimising Checkout Pages with UX and UI Design, CSP’s 5 key tips:

1. Minimise Steps:

At the heart of UX is simplicity. A multi-step checkout might seem thorough, but to a user, it might feel tedious. Where possible, reduce the number of steps. For instance, instead of separating billing and shipping information, provide a checkbox that allows users to indicate that the information is the same, thus filling both sections simultaneously.

2. Visual Progress Indicators:

From a UI perspective, it’s beneficial to show users how far they’ve come and what’s left in the checkout process. A visual progress bar helps set expectations, reducing potential frustration.

3. Clear and Concise Form Fields:

Only ask for necessary information. Every additional field can feel like a hurdle to a user. Ensure that field labels are clear, and use input masks for phone numbers or credit card fields to guide users.

4. Offer Multiple Payment Options:

By providing a range of payment methods, from credit cards to digital wallets, you cater to wider user preferences and reduce potential drop-offs.

5. Ensure Trustworthiness:

From a UI standpoint, the presence of security badges, SSL certificate icons, and trusted payment gateway logos can enhance trust. For UX, consider a clear return policy link or even a mini-FAQ section addressing common concerns.

The transition from Traditional Web Design to Sales Funnels

At its core, a sales funnel is the journey that a customer takes from the moment they discover your brand to the point of conversion (e.g., making a purchase). In ecommerce, this process has evolved from simple static web pages to intricate, data-informed pathways designed to guide users organically through the purchase journey.

To craft an effective sales funnel, you must first segment your audience. Identify different user personas, understand their unique behaviours, and tailor different funnels to address each segment’s needs. For instance, a first-time visitor might need more educational content before they make a purchase compared to a returning customer. : Tools like Google Analytics can offer insights into user behaviour. A/B testing different landing pages or call-to-actions can further refine your funnels, ensuring they are as effective as possible.

Mobile Optimization, the non-negotiable

Mobile-First Approach: With the ubiquity of smartphones, many users begin and end their shopping journey on mobile devices. Your ecommerce platform must be optimised for these users.

Mobile optimization is not just about responsive design; it’s about reimagining the entire user experience for smaller screens. This includes larger, tappable buttons, optimised images for faster loading, and simpler navigation structures.

Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test can give you insights into how well your site performs on mobile devices. Moreover, platforms like AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) can help streamline your content for mobile users.

Unravelling User Behavior with Mouseflow

Mouseflow is an essential tool for any ecommerce business serious about UX. It lets you record and replay real user interactions on your site, offering invaluable insights into user behaviour. Here are a few ways it can benefit your ecommerce platform:

Session Recordings: Watch how real users interact with your site. Understand where they face friction or confusion, and iteratively refine those trouble spots.

Heatmaps: Identify which parts of your website get the most attention and which are overlooked. This can inform where you place crucial CTAs or promotions.

Funnel Analysis: Recognise at which stage users drop off in their purchase journey. Is your checkout process too complex? Are users getting lost on a particular page?

By diving into the insights that Mouseflow provides, you can make data-driven decisions that refine and optimise the user experience.

Other Essential Tools for Your UX and UI Arsenal

Google Analytics: This tool offers a comprehensive look at your website’s traffic and user behaviour. Monitor bounce rates, session durations, and more to gauge how well your site engages visitors.

Optimizely: A/B testing is crucial for UX (User Experience) and UI (User Interface) because it provides empirical evidence on which design elements or features resonate most with users, leading to better engagement and conversion rates. By directly comparing two variations, businesses can make data-driven decisions, ensuring that changes enhance the user experience rather than detract from it. Optimizely is one of many A/B testing tools on the market.. Test different layouts, colour schemes, or CTAs and determine which resonates best with your audience.

Sketch or Adobe XD: When conceptualising and designing the UI, tools like these allow for collaborative design with feedback loops, ensuring that the visual aspects align perfectly with usability.

UX and UI: essential to any ecommerce business in 2023

In the vast expanse of the digital marketplace, the stores that stand tall are those that prioritise the human touch in a virtual setting. Through thoughtful UX and compelling UI, eCommerce platforms have the power to transcend mere transactions, cultivating relationships, loyalty, and memorable experiences. As technology continues to evolve, so will the nuances of UX and UI, beckoning forward-thinking brands to remain adaptive, empathetic, and ever-focused on the user at the centre of it all. Embracing these principles is not just a strategy; it’s the future of eCommerce as we know it.

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.

We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platform-first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.

We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.

If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,

1 New Quay Street,

Manchester,

Greater Manchester,

M3 4BN.

#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchesterecommerceagency #amazon #ebay

The post From Clicks to Conversions: A Guide For UX and UI in Ecommerce appeared first on CSP Commerce.

Now more than ever, there’s a pronounced demand for a genuine, human-centric approach to brand interactions.

A consistent, positive experience across all customer touchpoints not only fosters loyalty but also bolsters retention and transforms customers into brand champions. Given this significance, it’s unsurprising that a superior customer experience is climbing the agenda for businesses worldwide.

Absolutely critical to this is the web experience, and nowhere is this point more salient than in the world of ecommerce.

With new technology, search algorithms and consumer demands, websites require consistent attention and optimisation. With so much noise, it can be hard to focus on what matters to your customers.

All too often, ecommerce leaders struggle to meet these pressures, resulting in a poor web experience that deters shoppers. By highlighting the 5 areas of your website you must get right to deliver the best possible customer experience, we can help remedy this problem. From product pages to search functionality and navigation, level up your ecommerce business’s customer experience with these web optimisation tips.

1: Optimising Product Pages

The journey to a satisfied customer commences on your product pages, making them pivotal in your website optimisation efforts.

An optimised product page is not just a showcase for your merchandise; it’s a key touchpoint where customers decide whether to make a purchase or abandon their carts.

Here’s our product page essentials:

High-Quality Imagery

Elevate your product images by ensuring they are not just high-resolution but also immersive. Consider using 360-degree product photography or interactive image zoom features. For certain industries like fashion or jewellery, virtual try-ons can offer customers a unique experience.

Compelling Descriptions

Craft product descriptions that not only provide essential details but also tell a story. Describe the product’s benefits, how it can improve the customer’s life, and the emotions it can evoke. Incorporate persuasive language that highlights uniqueness and value.

User Reviews and Ratings

User-generated content, such as reviews and ratings, plays a crucial role in building trust. Encourage customers to leave detailed reviews and ratings, and consider offering incentives for their contributions. Implement systems that allow customers to attach images and videos to their reviews for added authenticity.

Related Products

Enhance cross-selling and upselling opportunities by prominently displaying related or complementary products on the page. Implement advanced recommendation engines that analyse user behaviour and preferences to make highly relevant product suggestions. Utilise data-driven algorithms to curate product bundles and sets based on user purchase patterns.

2: Increasing Usability with Enhanced Navigation

Enhanced navigation is pivotal in delivering an exceptional customer experience. It simplifies the shopping journey, reduces abandonment rates, encourages exploration, builds trust, accommodates mobile users, facilitates efficient searching, supports filtering, improves engagement, and enhances accessibility.

In essence, it creates a user-friendly and enjoyable website experience, increasing the likelihood of conversions and fostering customer loyalty.

Here’s how you can get it right:

Intuitive Menu Design

Create a navigation menu that is not only visually appealing but also highly functional. Employ clear labels and consider incorporating mega menus for categories with a wide range of products. Implement adaptive menus that dynamically adjust based on user behaviour, preferences, and even seasonal promotions.

Search Functionality

Implement an advanced site-wide search bar that goes beyond simple keyword matching. Incorporate real-time suggestions, predictive search capabilities and natural language processing. Ensure it understands synonyms, typos, and offers auto-correction. Implement voice search for an even more convenient experience.

Filtering and Sorting Options

Empower users to refine product lists with granular filtering options. Provide filters for price ranges, sizes, colours, brands and customer ratings.

Implement dynamic filtering that updates in real time as users make selections. Offer customizable sorting options like relevance, price and customer ratings.

3: Increasing Efficiency and Quality of the Checkout Process

Efficient and high-quality checkout processes are essential for a seamless and satisfying customer experience.

A simplified and streamlined checkout reduces the risk of cart abandonment, as customers encounter fewer obstacles when completing their purchases. This step ensures that the final stages of the customer journey are smooth, intuitive and trustworthy, leading to increased conversions and improved overall satisfaction.

Streamline the checkout experience with:

Guest Checkout

Offer a seamless guest checkout option that requires minimal information. While guest checkout reduces friction, encourage account creation by highlighting the benefits, such as order tracking and exclusive offers.

Progress Indicators

Provide a clear, step-by-step checkout progress indicator. Visual representations help customers understand where they are in the process and what to expect next, reducing anxiety and uncertainty. Incorporate microinteractions and animations to make progress tracking engaging and intuitive.

Auto-Address Suggestions

Implement autofill functionality for address fields based on postal codes or zip codes. This feature minimises manual entry errors and speeds up the checkout process. Ensure that autofill suggestions are accurate and up-to-date by integrating with reliable address validation services.

Multiple Payment Options

Offer a variety of payment options, including credit cards, digital wallets and alternative payment methods like PayPal or cryptocurrency. This flexibility caters to diverse customer preferences and enhances convenience.

Secure and Seamless Payments

Ensure that your payment gateway is secure and offers seamless experiences like one-click payments and tokenization for returning customers. Consider implementing digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay for added security and convenience.

4: Boosting Site Personalisation

Boosting site personalisation is paramount for the customer experience because it transforms a generic online shopping journey into a tailored and engaging interaction.

By leveraging customer data and behaviour, businesses can offer product recommendations, content and promotions that resonate with individual preferences and needs. This level of personalisation not only streamlines the path to purchase, but also cultivates a deeper emotional connection between customers and brands.

Customers feel understood and valued, fostering loyalty and trust. It drives conversions, encourages upsells and optimises marketing efforts, ultimately ensuring that each visitor experiences a unique, satisfying and memorable journey on the website, significantly enhancing their overall satisfaction and loyalty to create a website that feels custom-made for each visitor.

User Profiles

Encourage customers to create profiles with preferences and wishlists. Leverage this information to curate product recommendations and content that align with individual tastes and interests. Implement a user-friendly profile dashboard where customers can easily manage their preferences and track their order history.

Behavioural Tracking

Monitor customer behaviour, including past purchases, product views and search history. Utilise this data to offer personalised product suggestions and special offers that resonate with each customer. Implement advanced algorithms that consider both short-term and long-term user behaviour patterns for more accurate recommendations.

Dynamic Content

Display dynamic content blocks that adapt based on user preferences and browsing history. Showcase recommended products, blog posts or promotions tailored to each customer’s unique interests. Use machine learning algorithms to predict the optimal timing and placement of dynamic content to maximise engagement.

Personalised Email Marketing

Extend personalisation beyond the website by customising email marketing campaigns based on user behaviour and engagement history. Implement email segmentation and dynamic content within emails to deliver highly relevant and timely messages. Utilise A/B testing to optimise email subject lines, content and calls to action based on individual preferences.

5: Harnessing Chatbots and AI for Support

Providing easy access to support and assistance is crucial for customer satisfaction. Here’s how to leverage chatbots and AI-driven support to enhance the customer experience:

24/7 Availability

Implement chatbots that offer around-the-clock support, answer common questions and provide assistance even when human agents are unavailable. This ensures that customers can find help whenever they need it. Use natural language processing (NLP) to make chatbot interactions feel more conversational and human-like.

FAQs and Troubleshooting

Use AI-powered chatbots to guide customers through troubleshooting processes or direct them to relevant FAQs and resources. This not only resolves issues efficiently but also empowers customers to find solutions independently. Implement a robust knowledge base with AI-driven search capabilities to enhance self-service support.

Order Status Updates

Enable customers to check their order status, track packages, and receive automated notifications for shipping updates through chatbots. This feature keeps customers informed and minimises inquiries about order progress. Implement proactive order status notifications to provide real-time updates on delivery dates and expected arrival times.

Incorporating these comprehensive strategies into your ecommerce website can make a significant difference in the overall customer experience. By optimising product pages, improving navigation, streamlining the checkout process, embracing site personalisation and providing easy access to support through chatbots and AI, you can create a website that not only attracts visitors but keeps them coming back for a seamless and satisfying shopping experience.

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce and Shopify Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.

We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platform-first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.

We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.

If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,

1 New Quay Street,

Manchester,

Greater Manchester,

M3 4BN.

#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchesterecommerceagency #amazon #ebay

The post Optimize and Excel: 5 Proven Steps to Elevate Your Ecommerce Customer Experience appeared first on CSP Commerce.

Consumer expectations are evolving, and they don’t show any signs of slowing down.

Whether you’re an apparel e-retailer in Manchester or one of the country’s larger drop shippers, the fact remains that nearly 80% of your potential consumers would prefer a personalised shopping experience.

Many ecommerce retailers are aware of this, yet just 27% of businesses are completely satisfied with their capacity to create genuinely tailored customer experiences. Against an increasingly competitive landscape, retailers able to take advantage of these consumer demands put themselves in very good stead.

But this is far harder said than done, and many ecommerce leaders simply don’t have time to take a step back and think carefully about personalisation and the holistic customer experience.

That’s why we’ve distilled our expertise on the topic into 7 key tips. From understanding true customer desires, right through to using AI to elevate customer support, get ahead with this blog.

Understanding Your Customers’ Desires

To excel in personalisation, it’s crucial to gain a 360-degree understanding of your customers. Utilise advanced data analytics tools to deeply dissect customer data and craft intricate customer personas. Popular ecommerce platform, Shopify Plus, has an array of plugins such as Klayvio, that can help you collect and consider demographic details, psychographics, past purchase history, browsing behaviour, and even geographic location.

Take advantage of advanced machine learning techniques to segment your audience into micro-categories, ensuring highly targeted and personalised marketing strategies. Employ sentiment analysis on social media mentions and reviews to grasp the emotional aspects of your customers’ relationships with your products.

Consider implementing in-depth ethnographic research techniques, such as in-home observations, to gain a profound contextual understanding of how customers integrate your products into their daily lives. This will enable you to anticipate their needs and desires more effectively and allow for the creation of highly personalised marketing campaigns that resonate with your leadership objectives.

Tailoring for Mobile Shoppers

Crafting a truly personalised experience for mobile users demands an in-depth understanding of their behaviours and contexts. Mobile optimisation goes beyond responsive design; it’s about tailoring the entire experience to cater specifically to mobile users.

Consider leveraging geolocation data to provide personalised in-store experiences for mobile users. For example, use geofencing to trigger location-based promotions or notify users of in-store events when they are in proximity to one of your physical locations.

Implement Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) that offer the convenience of a native app without the need for installation. PWAs allow for offline access, push notifications, and faster load times, enriching personalisation and convenience for mobile shoppers, all while aligning with your leadership vision.

Simplifying the Checkout Process

Personalisation at the checkout stage extends beyond merely reducing form fields. Employ predictive analytics to estimate shipping times and costs based on user behaviour, location, and preferences. Offer personalised promotions or discounts during checkout, based on user history and cart contents.

Implement one-click checkout options, but go further by incorporating saved payment methods and shipping addresses. Advanced personalisation even extends to the selection of payment methods offered during checkout. Use AI to analyse historical data and offer preferred payment methods based on individual user preferences, aligning with your leadership goal of streamlining the shopping experience.

Consider integrating digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay for a seamless, secure, and personalised payment experience. Utilise AI-driven chatbots to assist users during checkout, offering real-time answers to questions and providing assistance when needed, thus reflecting your commitment to enhancing the customer journey.

Delivering Personalised Recommendations

Advanced personalisation involves real-time, AI-driven product recommendations that go beyond the typical “you may also like” sections. Implement collaborative filtering algorithms that analyse user behaviours, preferences, and even real-time contextual factors.

Consider user-generated content, such as reviews and social media posts, to enhance product recommendations. Use natural language processing (NLP) to understand the sentiment within user reviews and tailor recommendations based on sentiment analysis. Additionally, offer personalised bundles and product sets based on users’ historical purchases, creating a sense of curated shopping experiences that align with your leadership vision of fostering customer loyalty and increasing sales.

Implement deep reinforcement learning algorithms that optimise recommendations based on long-term user engagement, ensuring a dynamic and continually evolving set of personalised suggestions, thus contributing to your leadership goal of continuous business growth.

Elevating Customer Support

Take customer support personalisation to the next level with the integration of AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants. These bots should not only offer real-time assistance but also remember past interactions and provide personalised responses based on user history.

Utilise machine learning models to predict potential support issues, enabling proactive outreach with solutions before customers even have a chance to ask. For instance, if a user has repeatedly faced difficulties with a specific feature, your system can offer proactive tutorials or guidance, thereby reflecting your leadership commitment to enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Designing with the Shopper in Mind

User-centric design becomes hyper-personalised design when considering the shopper experience. Implement AI-driven design systems that adapt your website’s layout, colour schemes, typography, and content based on user preferences.

Consider incorporating dynamic content blocks that change in real time to cater to individual users’ interests. Personalisation extends to the entire shopping experience, including email marketing. Customise email content and timing based on user behaviour and engagement history, aligning with your leadership goal of maximising customer engagement and conversions.

Leverage behavioural triggers to send personalised messages, such as cart abandonment reminders, replenishment reminders based on previous purchase cycles, or exclusive offers tailored to individual preferences, thus reflecting your leadership objective of maximising revenue and customer satisfaction.

The Journey of Continuous Refinement

Personalisation is an ever-evolving journey that demands continuous monitoring, adaptation, and optimisation. Implement AI-driven analytics tools that provide real-time insights into user behaviour and sentiment, thus aiding your leadership in making data-driven decisions.

Use machine learning models to predict future customer behaviour, allowing you to adapt your personalisation strategies proactively. Embrace agile development methodologies that enable rapid changes to your website, promotions, and content based on the latest insights, demonstrating your leadership commitment to staying at the forefront of industry trends.

Employ advanced A/B testing techniques that take into account individual user behaviour and preferences, enabling you to fine-tune your personalisation efforts with pinpoint accuracy, aligning with your leadership objective of delivering exceptional user experiences and maximising profitability.

Personalisation in 2023

Personalisation demands a deep understanding of customer data and the technology that can enhance that data.

By meticulously segmenting your customers, tailoring the mobile experience, simplifying the checkout process, delivering AI-powered recommendations, elevating customer support with AI and predictive analytics, designing with hyper-personalisation in mind, and perpetually refining your strategies with machine learning and agile methodologies, you can create an ecommerce experience that not only meets but exceeds individual shopper expectations, achieving your leadership goal of driving business growth and customer loyalty.

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce and Shopify Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.

We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platforms first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.

We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.

If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,

1 New Quay Street,

Manchester,

Greater Manchester,

M3 4BN.

#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchesterecommerceagency #amazon #ebay

The post Crafting a Personalized Ecommerce Experience: 7 Key Tips for Success appeared first on CSP Commerce.

Unlock more opportunities on Amazon Prime Day with our top tips.

In a flash, Amazon’s highly anticipated Amazon Prime Day is nearly upon us. With so many retailers striving for a multichannel presence, how much resource and investment should online retailers and brands allocate to the two-day shopping bonanza? We take time to speak with Cloud Seller Pro, a digital growth agency and Verified Amazon Partner, to understand the opportunity this can present for multichannel eCommerce businesses.

What is Prime Day?

One of the biggest shopping events of the year, Amazon Prime Day, is a two-day occasion for online retailers. For Amazon Prime members, the incentives are clear, with thousands of deals and discounts across multiple product categories, big-ticket items and gadgets available on Amazon. Much like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it has become a staple date for the perfect shopping spree with over 250 million items sold in 2021. For Amazon Sellers, who must offer discounted goods to feature, the opportunity might require some further consideration – as any discount can eat away at their precious margins. Yet with so many potential buyers, an increased number of products per order and store visits, there are some clever ways that Amazon Sellers can leverage the event.

So whether you are choosing to expand your presence on to Amazon or deciding how you should discount your products, we can help.

Creating the right kind of offer for Prime Day

So the first thing we would encourage you to remember is that Prime Day is all about customer savings. They’re seeking big discounts on items they need and want. For Amazon sellers, we would suggest selecting your highest margin products, products where you can upsell to encourage multibuys alongside other SKUs (Stock Keeping Units), or current best sellers. We’d recommend this because Prime Day is as much about creating long-term value as it is over short-term profit.  For example, if you are able to significantly increase the volume of sales, product reviews, product rankings and brand loyalty, then these short-term loss leaders may pay dividends with your sales in the long run.  You should keep a close eye on your competitor’s pricing strategies to ensure your offering is competitive but remains affordable for your business.

Key considerations for creating Amazon Ads on Prime Day?

During Amazon Prime Day a big factor is the cost of advertising and your budget. As there are 16 paid results and only 4 organic results on page one of Amazon the majority of listings now require a budget to appear.  You can set your Paid Ads up in three ways: Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display.

Sponsored Products allow you to select which keyword, product or category you would like your product to be visible for. Your Ads will then appear in the search results and on product detail pages. Secondly, you can use Sponsored Brands, which also use a cost-per-click for Key Term and ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) targeting strategy. These methods help customers to discover your store and improve customer awareness by leveraging custom images and videos where available. Finally, Sponsored Display which launched in 2019 is one of the newer options available for advertisers on Amazon and already in 2022 29% of 3rd party sellers are using this targeting type. Sponsored Display targets Amazon users by their shopping behaviour and audience interests along with retargeting based on purchases and product detail page views. These particular ads target customers across Amazon but also on Amazon’s 3rd party websites and apps. We have a dedicated team who would be happy to explain this further and help you set up, optimise and manage your Amazon campaigns.

If you are going solo on Prime Day, we encourage you to pay close attention to your ad budget. With thousands of Amazon Sellers increasing their advertising budget to appear on page one the competition and costs tend to increase significantly. It can be costly to carry on using the same bidding strategy that you use on other days or seasons. Some sellers have even opted to completely disengage from the Paid Ads battle. Other Amazon Sellers have opted to narrow their campaign spending to a limited number of halo products. A few have reallocated their advertising spend to different channels, such as Facebook Advertising, to encourage cross-channel purchases. We’d always recommend testing out a couple of different PPC Strategies to see what works best. Be sure to utilise Amazon’s Attribution insights.

Creating A+ content on Amazon

Content goes hand in hand with your keyword research. You should ensure that your listing is informative and includes the desired keywords your product is aiming to rank for. Crafting great content could bump your listing into one of the 4 organic search results on page one.  Before making any big changes to your listings, content or headers you should take a look at your keyword selection and the performance of your current listings. Ideally, your keyword research should have been carried out before Prime Day. If you previously ran campaigns on Amazon export search terms that customers used to find your store. This can be used to update your product listings. If you’re just starting out or if you’d prefer to cross-check for any missed opportunities you can use Google Keyword Planner for general keyword research. An alternative approach would be to set up a new campaign specifically for Prime Day. Either of these methods will help to reveal specific trends relevant to Prime Day.

We would encourage you to include any new relevant search terms into your headers. One the subject of headers, although it might be tempting to reference Prime Day in headers, be aware this violates Amazon Prime Day and advertising policy. Instead, opt to use more general statements such as ‘Save on…’, ‘Discounts on..’ and ‘Great savings on…’.

Be sure to maximise every opportunity on Amazon Prime Day by optimising Product Details Page. Use Amazon Prime Day as an excuse to review your PDP for the following points:

• Make a product title that is easy to understand, relevant and clear.
• Include at least four high-resolution pictures that the viewer can enlarge to get a more detailed view of the product.
• On the item specification section of your product details page, you should include at least three bullet points.
• Check to make sure that your items are available and prepared for shipping.

Leveraging Social Media on Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day also presents an opportunity beyond Amazon stores. One clever tactic used by eCommerce businesses is to cross populate channels with content related to offers. Social Media can be particularly useful to build awareness of upcoming promotions to a larger audience at a lower cost. Our clients have seen fantastic results by using engagement campaigns across multiple social channels to increase traffic to promotion pages. This increases their conversion rates on high-interest events. Another tip worth mentioning is to reference a deal within your creatives. You can attract more attention to the content of your posts by including a reference to savings or an offer within your creative. Ultimately this can lead to an increased click-through rate from social media channels to your Amazon store. Just remember that direct references to Prime Day are exclusive to Amazon Sellers with an official Prime Deal running.

Prime Day presents Endless Opportunities

Prime Day is a huge event for many eCommerce brands and businesses. Identifying the best approach to the occasion without taking a substantial upfront cost can be challenging. A key takeaway from Prime Day is the event’s long-term benefits over short-term profits. With expert advice from Amazon experts, you can ensure that you navigate the best route for your business.

If you are looking to expand your presence on Amazon or wish to use paid advertising to grow your revenue streams then please reach out to Cloud Seller Pro. Cloud Seller Pro is always happy to have an open and honest conversion.

#ecommerce #multichannel #ordermanagementsoftware #ebay #amazon #woocommerce #integrateshopify #integrateebay #integrateamazon

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce and Shopify Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.

We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platform-first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.

We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.

If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,

1 New Quay Street,

Manchester,

Greater Manchester,

M3 4BN.

#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchestershopifyagency #amazon #ebay

The post Primed and Ready: Are you ready for Amazon Prime Day? appeared first on CSP Commerce.

How to build a website that converts visitors into customers

Whether you’re looking to launch your first website, want to completely redesign your existing site, or simply want to optimise your current one, we’ve put together this handy guide on the things that can really change your site from store window, to one that converts visitors into customers.

5 ways to build a website that converts visitors into customers

When it comes to your website, the most important metric you can track is how many visitors are converting on-site. Having a site that will convert potential customers into loyal ones for life isn’t just good business – it saves time in finding new clients!

Analysis has shown that 84% of conversions happen within their first visit while 11% take place on or after the second. This means an effective website needs to not only focus on conversion rates but also initial interactions with users which help establish brand affinity and engagement.

When you consider how important first impressions are, it’s no wonder that a website with great design can help your company grow. In fact, research has found that when people visit an attractive site their opinion of the page influences them more than other factors like content or price points because designs tend to stick in our minds.

While there are 100s of factors and variables that can influence conversion rates and sales performance, we’ve tried to distill it down in to 5 key areas below:

1. Clear, attention-grabbing Calls to Action

Your website should have a clear call to action, focused on grabbing your visitor’s attention as soon as they land on it.

Provide the consumer with a clear call to action that either makes the buying process easier, or gives them an incentive to purchase. A few examples include:

1. Buy now
2. Get 15% Discount Here
3. £xx off your first order
4. Sign up here

2. Add trust symbols and Social proof

A number of ways are available for creating trust on your website. The most important thing is making sure that visitors know, like and trust the brand or business they are visiting before engaging with it!

Some ways you can build trust are:

1. Testimonials
2. Awards
3. Customer Reviews
4. Security symbols

3. Make sure your website is Mobile-friendly

Users are increasingly using mobile devices. According to statistics, 48 percent of all web page views occurred on mobile devices worldwide. This implies that your website must be mobile-friendly. Your visitors will then be able to view your content when they access your site from a mobile device rather than being compelled to pinch and zoom in order to read product descriptions or images.

4. Make sure you’re getting the right traffic

After you’ve optimised your website for conversions, the next step is to ensure that you’re getting the right traffic to it. You should ask questions like:

• Who is my target customer?
• Where are they based?
• What are their interests?
• Where do they spend their time online?

Once you’re clear on who you want to attract to your site, you can then use SEO strategies or spend money on advertising campaigns across platforms such as; Google Ads, Amazon Advertising, Facebook Ads, YouTube or Pinterest Promoted Pins.

5. Build an Email Marketing list

Although many ecommerce sites neglect to develop an email list, an engaged email subscriber is more likely to buy from you than someone who arrives at your site for the first time.

Some ideas for promotional content could be:

• Exclusive discounts and deals
• New product releases
• Flash Sales
• Loyalty Bonuses and Rewards
• Free Gifts

Looking for an ecommerce growth agency to help you drive the performance of your digital channels? Get in touch to find out how we’ve helped similar businesses to increase traffic, conversions and that all-important revenue!

CSP Commerce | Manchester Ecommerce and Shopify Agency

From brand through to demand, we support and manage ecommerce growth at each stage of the commerce journey.  Our extensive knowledge and experience in ecommerce have established us as industry leaders for our capabilities in performance marketing, marketplace management, social commerce, and Shopify, Shopify Plus and WooCommerce web development.

We’re a Manchester ecommerce agency that works with retailers as committed to growth as we are. Our performance and platform-first approach is tailored to the ambitious brands and online retailers we partner with. As part of Wunderman Thompson Commerce, we are uniquely positioned to support businesses to scale nationally to globally.

We’ll hand-select a team of specialists to work with clients and operate as an extension of their ecommerce department. We are accountable for delivering measurable results that grow reach and revenue. Together, we will work to scale and sell your products across online channels.

If you’re serious about growth then start your journey with us. Let’s succeed and scale together.

Why not visit us in person?

WPP Manchester Campus,

1 New Quay Street,

Manchester,

Greater Manchester,

M3 4BN.

#shopifyagency #shopifyplus #manchester #ecommerceagency #ecommercegrowth #marketplacemanagement #performancemarketing #googleads #socialcommerce #manchestershopifyagency #amazon #ebay

The post Is your ecommerce website losing you sales? appeared first on CSP Commerce.