We know here at Reflect Digital the importance of having the best possible website where our clients can gain rewards and with online retail sales predicted to reach £52.25 billion in the UK alone this year (2015) having an online presence in crucial to success.
We know that the retail industry is a highly competitive market both on the high street and increasingly online strongly highlighting the importance of needing an attractive, user-friendly website for all businesses potential customers.
This blog post aims to highlight the most significant factors needed of an e-commerce website and the digital marketing mix which is needed to be successful online.
Identify key audience and adapt to them
According to ConStat and BIA/Kelsey, 97% of consumers now use the web to shop in their local area, highlighting the importance digital marketing for local businesses. SEO and PPC campaigns can help to change your ranking on Google and help you appear on advertisements for key terms surrounding your products.
Responsiveness
Another contributing factor is a companies target audience. Age of consumers depicts how people are accessing websites online; 63% of consumers ages 18-24 use multiple devices to shop, 66% 25-34, 58% 35-44, 48% 45-54, 44% 55-64, and 29% 65 and older. This indicates the importance of having a responsive website.
Security
A main concern of customers shopping online is the security aspect with card fraud being a high fear and 9% of online sales lost annually. To combat this your site not only needs to be trustworthy and secure but it must also look it. There are many ways in which this can be achieved including becoming part of Google shops however there are many options available which can help to make your websites transactions look secure and be secure.
Your websites homepage is your virtual shop front where you need to instantly impress in order to draw customers in to search deeper.
Whether you are currently a bricks and mortar retailer venturing online to create a multi-channel experience or a pure play retailer it is essential to have the best possible designed website to capture audiences and reap rewards.
The combination of social media to increase your brands awareness digitally, email campaigns to existing customers and online marketing such as SEO (search engine optimisation) and PPC (pay-per-click) are essential in capturing the right audience and directing consumers to your products using the web.
Sources:
