There are really only 2 contributing factors when it comes to buying from an eCommerce website; the way the products are presented and the descriptions that sit along side these products. The potential buyer has to be enticed by the online shopping experience, and funnelled through this buying process to the check out.
Ideally, the consumer must feel that the experience has been worth it if they are ever going to come back to the website again. Any small hurdles or bumps in the road that hinder this process will result in a rise of what is termed shopping cart abandonment. This is killer for revenue and online sales.
I read in a recent article that there was an every increasing importance placed on the use of mobile phones, videos, sharing links, and social media when it comes to eCommerce transactions. If you, the web owner can start to become more actively involved in these platforms, them sales will naturally grow.
Putting all the above aside, I have also seen some examples that have blown my mind when it comes to the eCommerce shopping experience, and I feel that this is definitely the way of the future and the direction that online shopping will take.
So what is the future of eCommerce?
We have all become very accustomed to the use of video on ecommerce web sites, where people are providing testimonials about the product. But these new Sites are using a new Google tool called Hangouts, to create a virtual and very dynamic shopping experience – it’s quite amazing and its great to watch. Sort of like an interactive shopping channel that you see on TV – the only difference is that shoppers can join the site, login and participate via email, ask questions and have these addressed immediately.
These interactive sites are encouraging users to login and they even offer freebies and giveaways for this type of engagement. Think about it. Perhaps you have a great product and want to engage more with your client base – then this is the perfect way to do this.
At present, this is in its infancy stage, but I can see momentum growing in this arena. If conversion rates are high then this will become commonplace and the buzz will spread quickly. Over time, the way in which eCommerce websites are designed will have more of a focus on this interaction between the consumer and the online store owner – Watch this Space.