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  • 11 Grand Opening (and Reopening) Ideas for Any Business - Your new business’s grand opening isn’t just a one-day event—it includes a buildup to your big moment. Whether you’re opening your first business or your 10th, a launch is cause for celebration. Here, we’ll look at real examples of virtual grand openings, in-store events, grand reopenings, and other grand opening ideas to inspire your own.More
    Topics: ideas, business, event, store, online, host, live, social, grand, opening, customers, reopening.
  • - The Shopify Experts marketplace provides a way for you to connect with Shopify professionals from multiple categories. It's Shopify's way of offering a simple hiring website where merchants can seek out assistance, filter based on expert type, and check out… Continue reading 15 Best Shopify Experts for Web Design, Marketing, And More
    Topics: store, marketing, content, web, setup, best, custom, development, design, experts, services, shopify.
  • 15 Ways to Come Up With an Idea for Your Online Store - The hardest part of starting an online business? Coming up with a great idea! Here are 15 ways you can discover great online business ideas.
    Topics: come, ideas, store, idea, online, business, start, ways, strategy, ideatostore, products, product.
  • 19 Omnichannel Experience Examples from Top Brands - This post was originally published in July 2022 and has been updated for relevancy on Nov 29, 2022.  Front and center in any conversation about commerce are the words personalization, omnichannel, customer-centric, and experience-driven. Today’s brands (if they are paying attention) are taking note of how customers interact with their brand, and how the brand makes them feel to optimize the customer journey. Shoppers crave experience, and the way to get to an optimal experience (and the conversion), is to collect and act on the data.  The numbers (from the mouths of actual shoppers) help tell the story:  Purchase frequency is 250% higher on omnichannel vs. single channel, and the average order value is 13% higher for omnichannel vs. single channel  Customer retention rates are 90% higher on omnichannel vs. single channel  Ninety-eight percent of Amercans switch between devices on a daily basis  Source: Clout Brands  The experience plays out in any number of ways, dependent on customer preference; do they want to shop entirely online and pick up in-store? Do they prefer the in-store experience but engage with an app during the buying journey? Do they want suggestions of other products of interest based on their purchases? Maybe they enjoy building up points towards offers and promos? Brands have more power than ever to meet the shopper where they are.  I don’t know about you, but I love a good app. The food kind, yes, but for these purposes, the digital kind just as much. I’m not attached so much to the in-store experience, but when I do shop in the physical realm, I like an app to play well and merge the two worlds with the end game being my convenience and confidence in the brand.  When I enter a store, I like to know where I stand in my loyalty program, any possible offers directly loaded to my account, and similar deals in-store to online – no surprises. Nothing like the frustration of finding out a deal on my favorite shampoo is only available online when I sign up for delivery.  Today’s brands are embracing the omnichannel experience and reaping the rewards: more conversions, lower bounce rates, and maintaining a healthy Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), to name a few. And how do they do that? By investing in the omnichannel experience. Here is a selection of brands raising the bar on creating differentiated experiences… 1. Best Buy The leading electronics retailer does a few things well in the app space to refine the omnichannel experience.  It’s easy to navigate and uncluttered, but packs relevant information in a well-balanced flow, with the shopping cart always within sight at the top. I can set my store by allowing the app to pin my location, or easily change stores with a tap.  Shoppers have options for checkout with curbside pickup, or of course add to cart. A particularly helpful feature is the ability to locate a product at a different store and have it shipped to the designated My Store, or have the option to pick it up where it’s available right now for pickup today.  Other convenient features include deep deals of the week on frequently purchased items like smart TVs and laptops, and seasonal sales for Back-to-School events or the high volume sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  2. Disney Experience App For those Disney lovers out there (I’m a big fan of Moana, anyone else?), downloading the Disney Experience app makes the most of any family vacation to the Magic Kingdom or any one of their attractions and parks.  Through the dedicated app visitors are able to create a plan before entering their park of choice  and use the app during their visit to engage with more of the attractions. There are many conveniences accessible through the app such as the Disney Genie to track your itinerary and make reservations. A built-in guide to make the most of your experience pre-visit, and discover more of what’s available based on your interests or the age groups within your family. Showtimes and hours are listed daily by park on the app so you won’t miss a minute, and for some select attractions access the virtual queue prior to the park opening to get a jump on the day. With the sheer size of the parks and attractions and the high volume of visitors each day, Disney helps true fans navigate the experience with customizable features based on preference - a sure way to encourage repeat visitors and loyal fans.  Disney tracks and acts on multi-generational preferences with the ultimate goal of winning lifetime omnichannel customers:  The most critical outcomes of Disney’s pivot to providing STEM toys will be an increase in customer lifetime value (CLV) for Gen Z customers, which will be seen through the lengthening of connection between on-screen content and in-person purchases.   Source: Ivey Business Review  3. Crate & Barrel Home goods retailer Crate & Barrel is responding to the call for streamlined omnichannel experiences regardless of channel in ways involving payment and pickup. The retailer is expanding payment options with digital wallet and Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) adoption. From an omnichannel perspective, Buy Online Pickup In-Store (BOPIS) was widely adopted during pandemic restrictions and has not waned since in-person restrictions were lifted. Customers clearly like the convenience, speed, and peace-of-mind of picking up their items curbside.  4.  CVS A pharmacy favorite for many, CVS expanded their app to include many shopper conveniences. I’m able to see what prescriptions are on auto renewal and ready for pickup, or schedule delivery. I get a clean look at my loyalty rewards status, including what deals are available that week. With a tap the deal is added to my loyalty account and will appear at both in-store (both live and self-checkout kiosk) and online checkout. For those preferring the in-store experience, any CVS location allows customers to print out loyalty program coupons at a kiosk, and  select locations offer self-checkout.  5. Walgreens Another worthy pharmacy omnichannel example is the digital offering Walgreens built for their customers. To deliver a more convenient pharmacy experience, they launched a mobile app enabling customers to refill their prescriptions by scanning a barcode on their medication with a smartphone.  Customers can also access their prescription history, easily change pick-up locations, and set a pick-up time. While not groundbreaking, it’s a prime example of how pharmacies can and should be thinking about how to improve their customer omnichannel experiences. 6. DSW Shoes! Handbags! Accessories! DSW has it all, including the deals. The dedicated app in my experience has been just as well-organized and friendly as the in-store experience. Again, well thought out flow of information, and plenty of personalized offers. I’m reminded of how far I have to go to reach the next membership threshold (for even deeper discounts), and my coupons are front and center with a gentle reminder to BUY THE SHOES. I can easily change my store, and when in-store I have the option for self-checkout. Simple and satisfying, like all shopping experiences should be. 7. Dunkin' Donuts Go ahead, treat yourself to some Dunkin’. The app reflects the branding and feel you’ll see in-store, plus the meaningful extras like joining the loyalty program for freebies, and the ability to order ahead and skip long lines. They also do a great job with imagery tantalizing their fans with what’s on the menu. They offer equally satisfying experiences in-store for those who want to kick back or work, but for those on-the-go the omnichannel customer conveniences are there for those who want them.    8. JCPenney JCPenney gets high points when it comes to omnichannel examples by offering Buy Online Pick Up in Store (BOPIS), and also offering returns on online purchases in-store (cross-channel returns). They’ve also brought their online experience in-store by having their website accessible at POS. JCPenney team members use it to check inventory at other locations and place orders. These investments add up to a better, faster, more convenient experience wherever their customers are.  9. Macy's A well-known retailer headquartered in Ohio, Macy’s is a standout among the more traditional department store formats who successfully weathered the retail storm by incorporating more digital assets into the customer experience. They’ve made significant investment in their app for easier product discovery and checkout, and they’ve also invested in smart fitting rooms in-store complete with wall-mounted tablets for customers or associates to scan items for availability across locations. Another feature of the in-room tech allows a shopper to “complete the look” with access to reviews and product recommendations. The investment to scale their omnichannel experience shows in the numbers: their digital sales were up 12% in 2021 and were up 36% over 2019. 10. Meijer Meijer is a leading grocer in the Midwest. They offer food, clothing, electronics, home goods, toys, and a broad selection of craft beer, wine, and liquor. Talk about one-stop shopping. As a loyal Meijer customer, I have their app and I am an mPerks loyalty member. Their in-app functionality directly affects the omnichannel customer experience.  Each week I  “clip” digital coupons based on my purchases (personalization),  with the option of curbside pickup or delivery. One of my favorite features on the app is all my receipts are stored by date, and I have a clear picture of how much I’ve saved over a time to the cent. If for some reason I need to return an item I don’t need to find a paper receipt, the app recalls it for me. Notice how clean and personalized the interface is; their physical stores mirror this aesthetic down to the color palette and coupon layout.  Omnichannel eCommerce Made Simple Boost brand loyalty and scale your business with unified commerce experiences across every consumer touchpoint. Go to Omnichannel Solutions 11. REI As an avid outdoors fan, REI is the place to go for everything I need to enjoy myself with the best equipment, developed by people who’ve been there. By joining the co-op for a nominal fee, I’m a lifetime member with exclusive access to discounts and promotions.  With this membership, I feel as if I’m a part of something special. REI takes a clear stance on sustainability and stewardship; for example, they’ve consistently run a social proof campaign at the holidays to encourage people to #get outdoors,  instead of shopping on Black Friday. Their stores are closed on the sought-after, controlled chaos of the shopping holiday, to give their employees back the time to enjoy outside. Clearly walking the walk, REI.   Their app offers in-store pickup or cart checkout for ease, and I get a sneak peek at their Garage Sale events for co-op members only. Their blog is worth the time; so many testaments to loving the outdoors, and a full schedule of in-store events and trips designed for all season sports and an active lifestyle. They have a customer for life. The level of omnichannel customer service is well balanced from in-store experts to chat, to a dedicated customer service number, depending on customer preference.  12. Target Retailing behemoth Target continues to go all in on the omnichannel experience with exceptional results. Their Buy Online Pickup In-Store (BOPIS) usage increased exponentially during the height of pandemic restrictions (nearly 500%)  and has remained a top priority for the retailer.  Customers enjoy the convenience of ordering basics online and having the order fulfilled and loaded into their car by Target team members in under 2 hours from time of order placement. BOPIS is seen as a safer option for customers who have limited physical capabilities and may not be able to lift heavier items into a vehicle without injury. A win for accessibility for all.  13. Teilor A global luxury jeweler since 1998, Romania-based Teilor needed more of an omnichannel experience to connect with customers given pandemic restrictions. The traditional in-store experience had to be rethought. Elastic Path was eager to help them transition the experience with the expertise of systems integration partner Orium, formerly Myplanet.  Managing three child brands across numerous catalogs, and expansion into multiple locations required a simplification of sorts onto a single platform using Elastic Path Pre-Composed Solutions (™) for a quick launch.  Read their case study for more of the Teilor omnichannel story.  14. Ulta You may have heard of this beauty giant in the retail space, offering live demos from hair and makeup stylists. What I love about the app experience is how I can get the same treatment from wherever. They have a virtual beauty assistant of sorts, where I snap a pic with my phone and see how a bronzer or lip gloss shade will look on me prior to purchase. It’s like being in-store without messy testers. I can schedule an appointment at my nearest location, and as you can see from the screen grab, they keep me informed of my purchase history across channels.  15. Verizon I know many have mixed feelings on phone carriers, but I do enjoy the Verizon in-app and in-store omnichannel experiences in equal parts. The few times I’ve been in a store, I’ve had great service and not felt pushed to buy add-ons I don’t need. That might be luck, but for the in-app experience it’s been consistently helpful and easy. From the app I can manage and order existing and new devices, chat with the help desk, get deals and offers, and make changes to my account like Auto Pay.  A particular feature has also strangely pleased me. In my settings I can set a name of what I like to be called. It’s touching (and a prime example of personalization), to open the app and see first thing, “Hi, Em.” Well done, Verizon. You got me.  16. Dick's Sporting Goods With about 600 stores in the eastern U.S., Dick’s also owns Golf Galaxy, and operates specialty stores True Runner and Field & Stream. Where Dick’s gets their omnichannel wins are through the in-store experience in how they equip their team members. Referred to as an “endless aisle” experience, associates have handheld devices to assist shoppers with real time inventory and product information.  17. Sierra Trading Post If you know this company, much like another name in their retail family, TJ Maxx, you probably know that its shoppers are price-conscious. It’s a key driver in their value proposition. To deliver on this proposition just as items are tagged in store with a comparison price, the same information is available for online shoppers. Additionally they offer Buy Online Pickup In-Store (BOPIS),  consistent pricing across channels, a shared cart across devices, and three ways to contact customer service: phone, email, or chat.  18. Apple They’ve essentially written the book on omnichannel experience and making the path to purchase as seamless as possible across channels, and while they were at it, revolutionized the way we access and purchase music. From talking to an expert live in-store, to chatting online and purchasing for contactless delivery, they’ve reimagined the commerce experience. They were industry leaders in launching Apple physical locations that allow customers to interact with their products live before purchase - Apple stores set the bar for in-store discovery. After initially browsing and asking questions, shoppers are free to either purchase in-store or complete the purchase from any device.  19. Amazon  As long as we’re talking about behemoths, I’d be remiss not to include Amazon. They’ve set the bar for eCommerce best practices, but have not let the in-store experience fall by the wayside given there is appetite for it. With their Amazon Go stores they’ve expanded the physical store to connect with the online experience by enabling zero contact checkout. For those Whole Foods shoppers, in-store checkout is connected to your Amazon account to access discounts and create more opportunities for personalization with product discovery. You may have also seen Amazon pop-up stores in airports and shopping centers using the Amazon Go model, for those busy travelers on the go. As omnichannel experiences become more relevant due to customer demand, look to Amazon as a thought leader in the space.   This is by no means a complete list, but it does give you an idea of how much the best omnichannel retailers (big and small) are investing in omnichannel. It’s no longer a nice to have, but a must to stay competitive. Looking for more insights? Check out our guide to Implementing an Omnichannel Strategy.
    Topics: customer, app, stores, experience, instore, pickup, omnichannel, customers, store, examples, online, brands.
  • - The 2020 holiday season was — to borrow an overused but nevertheless true phrasing — unprecedented.  For months, ecommerce experts…
    Topics: sms, consumers, holiday, mobile, shopping, trends, shoppers, marketing, season, online, store.
  • - You know Shopify is a big deal. Millions of merchants use it every day. On a global scale, it has grown from a fledgling Canadian startup to a behemoth amongst ecommerce platforms. But how big is Shopify Inc., really? In… Continue reading 2022 Shopify Revenue, Statistics, and Usage Numbers
    Topics: usage, store, revenue, solutions, subscription, statistics, numbers, merchant, merchants, total, growth, shopify.
  • 25 Realistic Ways to Make Money From Home in 2022 (+ 5 To Avoid) - The lure of fast and easy cash gigs may seem like a great idea, but will only keep you on a hamster wheel of trading your time for cash. Want to really make money from home? These nine tactics will help you build valuable skills and earn extra cash online.More
    Topics: ways, online, product, avoid, care, start, realistic, money, store, selling, products, business, sell.
  • 3 Mistakes to Avoid With Your First E-Commerce Store - As a flood of entrepreneurs moves online, many are getting caught in the same traps.
    Topics: website, avoid, thats, dont, ecommerce, store, think, getting, thing, work, online, mistakes.
  • 4 Simple, Proven Ways to Improve Your Customers' Ecommerce Experience - Do you find yourself competing in a crowded ecommerce niche? Creating a little more wiggle room for yourself is easy.
    Topics: create, ways, website, simple, improve, shipping, proven, experience, ecommerce, customer, robust, customers, store, product.
  • - We’ve rounded up 75 print-on-demand product ideas that exist on the market right now, so entrepreneurs can stock their stores with them.
    Topics: print, product, youre, sell, customers, ideas, designs, demand, easy, products, printondemand, store.
  • 93 Mobile Games of Zynga - By acquiring Zynga for $12.7 billion, Take-Two Interactive is receiving a huge bench of programmers, millions of users, and (at least) 93 popular mobile games, which we've listed here.
    Topics: app, zynga, lets, mobile, 3d, store, farm, game, view, google, games, friends, puzzle.
  • A New Link in Bio Tool That’s Worth Using - Link in bio tools like Linkpop create a one-stop shop for everywhere your business lives online. Here’s how to craft one that gets customers clicking.More
    Topics: tool, profile, customers, bio, store, links, social, page, link, thats, media, worth, using, linkpop.
  • A practical guide to consolidate your business in the digital world - Compared to the United States of America, where 50% of sales are concentrated in two retailers (Amazon and Walmart), e-commerce in Mexico is still a territory that is maturing.
    Topics: world, search, digital, sales, optimization, consider, options, client, practical, good, store, service, business, consolidate, guide.
  • AiFi adds new funding into its cart to expand autonomous retail footprint - Contactless stores are gaining traction, more so in Europe, but there are some trickling into the U.S., including Atlanta’s Nourish + Bloom Market that opened in January. In that article, we pointed out that the store was entering territory that included Amazon Go, 7-Eleven and Walmart. Behind some of that cashierless technology are startup companies […]
    Topics: aifi, autonomous, funding, techcrunch, retail, company, stores, retailers, store, cart, adds, million, gu, expand, footprint.
  • Amazon’s Alexa app feature lets customers option to scan their shopping receipts for cashback rewards - It’s been said that no one uses Alexa for voice-based shopping. But retail giant still sees the potential for Alexa as a shopping companion — just in a different way. That’s why this month the company quietly rolled out a new feature designed to boost consumers’ use of Alexa’s Shopping Lists: cashback offers. The company […]
    Topics: retail, offers, information, option, scan, techcrunch, receipts, alexa, amazon, app, customers, data, lets, cashback, store, shopping, feature, rewards.
  • Amazon’s cashierless Just Walk Out technology comes to Houston Astros’ Major League Baseball Stadium - Amazon announced today it will bring its cashier-free checkout technology, Just Walk Out, to a Major League Baseball stadium for the first time. MLB team Houston Astros will introduce the Just Walk Out system to two stores at Minute Maid Park, allowing fans to purchase food and beverages. 19th Hole and Market, two food and […]
    Topics: walk, houston, stadium, comes, astros, cashierless, league, shopping, major, store, fans, baseball, techcrunch, amazon, stores, customers, technology.
  • - No matter your niche, finding and using the right theme for your WooCommerce store is integral. Needless to say, the sports nutrition industry is no exception – your site still has to communicate credibility and expertise. Within seconds website visitors… Continue reading An In-depth Biona Theme Review: The Perfect Theme for Sports Stores?
    Topics: theme, perfect, woocommerce, indepth, website, elementor, youre, zemez, store, wordpress, stores, biona, review.
  • - Welcome to our in-depth Rewind review. Have you ever thought about what you would do in the event that your store data, blog posts, and product listings were accidentally or maliciously deleted at this moment? While this may look like… Continue reading An In-depth Rewind Review – Everything You Need to Know
    Topics: rewind, need, shopify, backups, know, month, indepth, data, backup, online, bigcommerce, store, review, plan.
  • - You’ve got goods to sell. Customers to contact. Products to move. But unless you have the store set up to handle every aspect of modern online selling, your fashion store isn’t going to make it. There’s good news. Using Shopify… Continue reading Best Shopify Apps for Fashion Stores
    Topics: features, stores, customers, clothing, fashion, product, add, best, apps, shopify, store.
  • Charts: Physical Retail to Transform Layout, Purpose - The shift to online buying could prompt physical retail stores worldwide to commit a third of their space for online fulfillment. That's according to Edge by Ascential, a U.K.-based research and advisory firm.
    Topics: stores, retailers, worldwide, layout, online, charts, edge, retail, space, transform, store, purpose, insight, physical.
  • - There are a host of different payment platforms that you can partner with to process payments for your digital business. However, finding the right one is often difficult, especially when you consider the variable rates and different features offered by… Continue reading Checkout.com Review (2022) – Fees, Solutions, and Features
    Topics: major, risk, solution, fees, platforms, different, support, payment, payments, store, solutions, features, checkoutcom.
  • Choosing a Powerful Host for Your Growing eCommerce Store - Big stores need big solutions. From security and backups to traffic spike protection, see the must-have features in a great host for your online store.
    Topics: customer, growing, sales, choosing, host, traffic, storage, store, support, hosting, ecommerce, site, youre, powerful, company.
  • Collect and leverage zero-party data to personalize marketing and drive growth - Implemented correctly, zero-party data marketing allows you to treat every customer as an individual, personalize their experience with your brand and build real relationships.
    Topics: think, collect, zeroparty, thats, products, tracking, thirdparty, leverage, personalize, store, growth, routine, drive, marketing, data, techcrunch.
  • Crisp convinces more investors that it will rid the world of empty grocery store shelves - As we enter Junior Year of the global pandemic, the sight of empty or near-empty grocery store shelves has returned from its debut in early 2020. And if it’s a headache for us, the end consumers, imagine how it must feel to the brands, distributors and retailers of the grocery store supply chain that are […]
    Topics: techcrunch, convinces, brands, world, retailers, shelves, investors, platform, data, supply, better, distributors, chain, grocery, crisp, rid, store, product.
  • Demystifying four aspects of launching an online business - One of the reasons why many entrepreneurs still do not have a full online presence is due to certain myths, misinformation or a lack of knowledge on the subject.
    Topics: online, choose, store, networks, website, aspects, demystifying, create, business, presence, social, internet, launching.
  • Do you want to export? eBay launches its second round of support for Mexican SMEs - eBay will invest 5 million pesos to help small and medium Mexican companies accelerate their export process.
    Topics: program, launches, mexican, smes, businesses, online, round, export, second, store, ebay, support, business.
  • Etsy opened offices in Mexico: Here are 21 strategies to provide a first class service - Good customer service requires more than just saying 'thank you' to your online shoppers.
    Topics: etsy, customers, information, mexico, address, service, opened, order, shipping, class, provide, important, questions, business, strategies, customer, store, offices.
  • Flush with new capital, Foxtrot’s ‘convenience store of the future’ is coming to a location near you - Foxtrot is reimagining the convenience store experience by seeking out the best food items by local artisans along with its core offerings of coffee, ready-to-eat cafe meals and wine.
    Topics: foxtrots, stores, convenience, company, coming, store, retail, way, future, foxtrot, flush, location, capital, techcrunch, locations, near, lavitola.
  • Four New Countries and Launch of Multi-Currency for WooCommerce Payments - Our native payment solution, WooCommerce Payments, is available in four more European countries! If you’re a merchant in Spain, France, Germany, or Italy, you can now benefit from a secure and fully integrated solution that supports new local payment methods. In this latest iteration of WooCommerce Payments, we’ve also introduced Multi-Currency. You now have the […]
    Topics: know, local, store, available, customers, solution, woocommerce, countries, multicurrency, launch, payment, payments.
  • Greece’s Pop Market, another dark store grocery delivery startup, gets $3.5M - Make way for yet another “quick-commerce” player in Europe’s heavily heating on-demand grocery space: Pop Market is a Greek startup which launched last week in Athens — taking orders via and app and touting 15-minute delivery times and a curated selection of “thousands” of items (including fresh fruit and vegetables). The seed round, which Pop […]
    Topics: online, greeces, startup, grocery, groceries, offer, delivery, market, store, pop, gets, seed, techcrunch, ondemand, dark, greece.
  • Her Company Is Worth $1 Billion. But It Began As a Way to Solve Her Own Shipping Problems. - Shippo founder Laura Behrens Wu has created a software similar to Expedia for the shipping industry.
    Topics: way, company, store, problems, help, shippo, worth, billion, carriers, wu, shipping, online, behrens, carrier, solve, began.
  • How Do You Pick the Best Theme For Your Online Store? Take Our Quiz - Your website design and layout could win—or lose—a customer for life. That’s why it’s an important step in launching a new brand or rebranding an existing one. Most businesses start with a website theme and tweak it to suit the brand’s needs. How do you choose the right one for you? Start with our interactive quiz, then read on to get the most from your theme.More
    Topics: fit, themes, online, product, pick, quiz, store, shopify, website, best, right, theme, brand, try.
  • - […]
    Topics: social, resignation, great, business, easy, start, helping, ecommerce, online, steps, facing, shipping, consumers, boss, product, store.
  • How Small Brands and Entrepreneurs Can Navigate the New Era of Digital Retail - The pandemic sped up innovation in retail. Entrepreneurs can seize this moment of opportunity.
    Topics: entrepreneurs, navigate, products, identity, shopping, store, retail, small, world, product, data, digital, brands, era.
  • - You may have heard of the Shopify Experts marketplace and considered it as a way to make money selling your services. If that’s the case, it’s essential to understand the fundamentals of the marketplace and what it takes to become… Continue reading How to Become a Shopify Expert (From Start to Finish)
    Topics: start, services, store, shopify, partners, experts, clients, merchants, expert, business, marketplace, finish.
  • How to Build a Sales Channel Strategy Around Your Online Store Without Losing Customers - We take a deep look into the different types of sales channels and how you can set your business up to be more resilient in the long term.More
    Topics: customers, strategy, channels, business, store, build, marketplaces, brand, sales, online, channel, losing, shopify.
  • How to Create an Email Marketing Strategy for Your Online Store - Email marketing remains a top tool for successful stores. Ready to grow? 10 steps to create a winning email marketing strategy + key tools to maximize impact.
    Topics: create, strategy, emails, send, email, marketing, perfect, subscribers, audience, content, youre, customers, store.
  • How to Create and Print Shipping Labels with WooCommerce Shipping - Keep it simple: 8 quick steps to print shipping labels in WooCommerce. Plus, see how to reduce shipping costs and work more efficiently with easy automations!
    Topics: shipping, process, usps, rates, label, create, print, labels, orders, store, woocommerce.
  • How to Earn More Money by Selling on Amazon FBA and Shopify - Capitalize on the e-commerce boom by private labeling.
    Topics: amazon, product, private, shopify, products, youll, money, selling, label, earn, learn, store, fba.
  • How to Get Bitcoins: 6 Tried-and-True Methods - The conversation around Bitcoin has been brewing for years but it exploded in 2017 when the stock reached $19,000. It dipped back down for a few more years until it surged in 2020 and reached new peaks in 2021.
    Topics: cryptocurrency, investors, store, methods, earn, bitcoins, wallet, exchange, online, buy, triedandtrue, bitcoin.
  • How to Make Custom Phone Cases to Sell Online: The Complete Guide - If you want to sell phone cases online, this guide is for you. In this article, you'll learn how to start your own phone case business from scratch in just a couple of hours.
    Topics: phone, complete, cases, products, guide, custom, product, niche, case, store, design, shopify, business, sell, online.
  • How to Maximize Efficiency with a Multichannel Store - Selling products in more than one place? Streamline management, reduce expenses, and thrive. Actionable ideas to simplify the complicated world of eCommerce.
    Topics: customers, woocommerce, efficiency, tax, using, customer, youre, product, store, sales, multichannel, channels, maximize.
  • How to Pick the Perfect Shopify Theme for Your Online Store: 2021 Edition - Creating a beautiful & functional website is as easy as selecting one of the top Shopify themes! Pick the perfect Shopify theme for your online store here.
    Topics: products, product, pick, theme, page, shopify, website, best, store, themes, ecommerce, perfect, pages.
  • - Many people might have thought that crypto was a fad but the data points to the fact that it is far from a fad. There are various use cases for cryptocurrencies and the technology that powers it, the blockchain. It… Continue reading How to Sell NFTs on Shopify – The Complete Guide
    Topics: website, guide, creating, selling, payment, sell, nft, shopify, nfts, complete, store, digital.
  • How to Sell on Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Shops in 2022 - New to selling on Facebook? In this detailed guide, we’ll explain the steps, costs, and tips for selling your products in Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Shops. Updated for 2022. More
    Topics: shopify, youll, marketplace, sales, buy, youre, shops, sell, page, store, facebook.
  • How to Set Up a New WooCommerce Store - Learn how to build the store of your dreams! From adding products to setting up shipping — skip the stress and master the basics to start selling online fast!
    Topics: need, shipping, started, fast, store, site, woocommerce, product, tax, youll, set, products.
  • - Phone cases are everywhere. And the demand for phone cases is constantly rising because of new phone version releases, old phones, broken cases, an increase in population, and new customers getting into the market (like teenagers with their first phones).… Continue reading How to Start a Phone Case Business (With No Prior Experience)
    Topics: design, shopify, printful, cases, start, case, product, prior, store, experience, phone, business.
  • How to Start a Sticker Business: How to Make & Sell Stickers Online - Create your own sticker designs and start selling them online now! Starting a sticker business is easier than you think.
    Topics: start, sticker, product, create, products, sell, need, stickers, business, store, youre.
  • How to Start an Ecommerce Business: Build an Ecommerce Store - Starting an ecommerce business is as exciting as it is challenging. To help, we've put together a list of essential advice, compiled from Shopify's most popular guides and videos, on all the steps involved in getting a new online business off the ground.More
    Topics: products, marketing, need, ecommerce, store, search, product, build, start, online, business.
  • - As more and more shoppers go online to purchase their clothes, shoes and accessories, there’s never been a better time…
    Topics: realistically, product, business, store, products, marketing, market, boutique, youre, online, start, ecommerce.
  • How to Start an Online Store Without Inventory - Start & grow an online business without buying any inventory. These 3 low-risk business ideas (+ more strategies) will help you get started!
    Topics: niche, youre, start, youll, online, business, product, ecommerce, lowrisk, marketing, models, inventory, store, products.
  • How to Use the If Function in Google Sheets - One of the most valuable functions in Google Sheets is the "IF" functions.
    Topics: profit, google, return, function, true, denote, formula, value, sheets, store.
  • Instacart updates its customer ratings system, rolls out new features for shoppers - Instacart announced today that it’s introducing a revamped customer ratings system that is designed to be more informative and fair for shoppers on its platform. The company will now remove a rating if it’s from a customer who consistently rates their shoppers below five stars. Instacart is also going to forgive more ratings for reasons […]
    Topics: shopper, safety, rating, system, shoppers, rolls, instacart, customer, tip, techcrunch, ratings, access, store, updates, batches, features.
  • Is the Disney Store in crisis? The reality behind the closure of more than 60 physical stores - The company is fulfilling its plan to close nearly 75% of the Disney Stores in the United States, which could indicate a crisis, but the reality goes further.
    Topics: store, target, physical, ecommerce, close, stores, locations, disney, closure, reality, shopping, united, crisis.
  • Kindle’s China future in doubt after disappearing from online shelves - Since Kindle began shipping in China nearly nine years ago, the e-book giant has garnered a loyal following in the country. The journey has never been easy, thanks to regulatory hurdles around digital content. Recently, there are signs that the Amazon-owned e-book business is scaling back some of its operations in China. Kindle’s official store […]
    Topics: china, shelves, techcrunch, doubt, amazon, books, official, disappearing, kindle, versions, store, online, chinese, future, ebook, kindles.
  • Lucky is bringing brands, retailers together with its take on product merchandising - Lucky's plug-and-play API gives e-commerce brands visibility of its products on retailer store shelves to offer local fulfillment options.
    Topics: inventory, techcrunch, online, retailers, company, target, bringing, brands, nordstrom, product, merchandising, lucky, store.
  • Lula’s delivery tool gives convenience stores, pharmacies second sales channel - Lula helps convenience stores, pharmacies and consumer packaged goods brands use its zero-commission tools to establish a second sales channel and third-party delivery companies.
    Topics: lulas, tool, gives, gupta, delivery, online, sales, companies, convenience, ripple, second, stores, techcrunch, lula, ventures, store, pharmacies.
  • Make it Big Podcast: Hybrid Retail and the Future of Commerce with Melissa Campanelli - Welcome to The Make it Big Podcast, a bi-weekly audio series about all things ecommerce by BigCommerce. We live in a hybrid world.…
    Topics: online, podcast, big, store, commerce, shopping, going, future, think, retail, campanelli, obviously, feel, hybrid, melissa.
  • Make the most of iOS 15’s updates to the App Store - With iOS 15.0's new updates come new opportunities for developers, giving them more freedom and opportunity to test and market their work across this OS.
    Topics: ios, app, testing, 15s, developers, process, page, impact, techcrunch, store, updates, product.
  • Need a Catchy Online Store Name? Find Ideas With These Tips and Free Name Generators - A snappy, memorable brand name gives you an immediate advantage when you start your business—it makes your brand easy to remember and shapes the associations a customer makes with your products. Today, we’re sharing the key traits of catchy business names—along with a few modern examples.More
    Topics: tips, business, store, domain, need, brand, shop, ideas, online, catchy, free, names, list, generators, generator.
  • Nigerian one-click checkout platform OurPass raises $1M pre-seed, wants to build ‘Fast for Africa’ - We like to buy things online ranging from e-commerce stores to subscription-based sites. However, no one enjoys the hassle when you have to always re-log into different sites and stores. I mean, shopping can be a whole lot more fun if a fast logging and checkout system existed across all your favorite online stores. In […]
    Topics: merchants, ourpass, checkout, techcrunch, store, online, ecommerce, need, raises, oneclick, consumers, eze, company, wants, preseed, nigerian, platform, fast.
  • Nigeria’s CredPal secures $15M in debt and equity to scale its BNPL product across Africa - The adoption of buy now, pay later (BNPL) in Nigeria as a payment option both online and at the point of sale is expected to record a CAGR of 20% from 2021 to 2028, per this report. BNPL’s growth is further highlighted as GMV is predicted to increase from $204 million to over $1 billion […]
    Topics: africa, credpal, store, scale, later, company, product, techcrunch, credit, bnpl, nigerias, equity, pay, consumers, secures, nigeria, debt, merchants.
  • Nourish + Bloom Market, first Black-owned, autonomous grocery, opens in Atlanta - The grocery store and bistro offer over 1,000 locally-sourced, healthy food products, including produce, meats, baked goods, dairy and prepared meals.
    Topics: nourish, grocery, bloom, jamie, market, blackowned, user, started, store, hemmings, food, atlanta, opens, ago, autonomous, techcrunch.
  • - If you aspire to become an independent UK store owner, there's no time like the present! With so many eCommerce platforms to choose from, it's never been easier to launch your own online business. These solutions simplify the whole process:… Continue reading Our Take On The Best Ecommerce Platforms in the UK
    Topics: plan, best, need, uk, features, platforms, ecommerce, platform, free, store.
  • - Creators need ways to monetize their work. Whether you’re a musician, YouTuber, streamer, artist, or writer, the ultimate goal is to make money from your creativity, whether that means selling content subscriptions, merchandise, videos, or graphics. Unfortunately, it’s not always… Continue reading Sellfy Review (Dec 2021): An Affordable and Beautiful Storefront for Selling to an Established Audience
    Topics: sellfy, affordable, review, email, storefront, online, marketing, add, audience, beautiful, product, products, sell, store, digital, selling, dec, established.
  • Selling online, key for entrepreneurs at the end of the year? - According to data from the Mexican Association for Online Sales (AMVO), 5 out of 10 companies in Mexico are doubling their growth on the internet.
    Topics: key, sales, online, ecommerce, web, world, store, entrepreneurs, business, end, stores, mexico, high, selling.
  • - Shipping is a necessity for ecommerce stores, but it shouldn't be confusing, overly expensive, or limited to only a few carriers. That's why we like to recommend partnering with shipping providers: companies that offer premium shipping software, partnerships with multiple… Continue reading Sendcloud Review: Is It the Right Shipping Platform for Your Online Store?
    Topics: returns, support, sendcloud, shipping, review, platform, online, branded, api, right, return, tracking, store, plan, rates.
  • Setting up an Accessible Shopify Store - Ecommerce has come a long way in accommodating consumers with disabilities. I've addressed over the years many accessibility aspects of online shopping, from screen readers to lawsuits. Shopify, the focus of this post, is a rare ecommerce platform that supplies Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates.
    Topics: setting, create, product, theme, accessible, store, text, vpats, accessibility, content, shopify.
  • Seven Ways Jetpack CRM Can Help Your WooCommerce Store Grow - Jetpack CRM is an excellent CRM for WooCommerce, with a modular approach, seamless integration, and limitless functionality. Find out more.
    Topics: store, product, jetpack, dont, crms, woocommerce, ways, grow, need, help, data, business, crm, seven, customers, customer.
  • - The debate of Shopify POS vs Clover POS can be more complex than it seems. Both of these tools have a lot of benefits to offer the average ecommerce seller. With both Clover and Shopify, you can sell products online… Continue reading Shopify POS vs Clover POS (Apr 2022): Which is Best?
    Topics: need, store, pos, best, plus, shopify, tools, payments, online, offline, apr, clover, vs.
  • - Solidus.io is a community-centered, open-source eCommerce framework that's 100% free to use. It’s powered by the ruby on rails framework and maintained by a passionate community of web developers. Initially, it was designed to help businesses, brands, and developers create… Continue reading Solidus.io Review: Everything You Need to Know
    Topics: products, solidus, know, framework, review, store, ecommerce, extensions, solidusio, need, product, community, soliduss.
  • - Many moons ago, merchants embarked on long journeys to far away lands. Traveling in caravans, sailing on schooners or riding…
    Topics: products, business, inventory, small, guide, ultimate, need, source, product, online, suppliers, store, sourcing, shipping.
  • - Wondering how to sell print on demand with Squarespace? Squarespace is one of the most popular tools for building your own professional online presence. You can design a stunning website with Squarespace and use it to attract all kinds of… Continue reading Squarespace Print on Demand – Everything You Need to Know
    Topics: sell, printful, pod, need, youll, choose, store, know, products, squarespace, demand, print.
  • Swiftly quickly gets brick-and-mortar stores set up to cater to online customers - Swiftly provides the technology tools that democratize the technology lead, enjoyed by Amazon and Walmart, to the rest of the industry.
    Topics: customers, cater, techcrunch, store, brickandmortar, set, gets, online, swiftly, million, quickly, retailers, digital, kim, grocery, ecommerce, technology, company, stores.
  • The Beginner's Guide to Selling on eBay: List, Manage, and Sell Your Products Through Shopify - First time selling on eBay? No sweat. Learn step by step how you can use Shopify and eBay together to list, manage, and make more sales on the global ecommerce marketplace.More
    Topics: list, sales, selling, beginners, sellers, shopify, sell, ebay, business, shipping, products, manage, store, guide, shoppers, listings.
  • - Offer Click and Collect services to see your profits and revenue grow! Check out these businesses' click and collect strategies for ideas.
    Topics: pickup, businesses, collect, customer, ecommerce, right, click, customers, drive, orders, getting, store, sales, order, strategy.
  • - The best ecommerce course could be a valuable tool for you if you’re planning on launching a new store online. Already the size of the ecommerce market is expected to reach a value of beyond $7.5 trillion by 2030, and… Continue reading The Best Ecommerce Courses for Business Owners
    Topics: owners, ecommerce, online, experience, business, youre, store, marketing, courses, youll, best, shopify, course.
  • - There’s a reason that ecommerce has become a multi-trillion dollar industry — to the tune of a projected $6.5 trillion…
    Topics: checkout, experience, shipping, purchases, creating, store, customers, holidays, site, bigcommerce, shoppers, frictionless, help, customer.
  • The Creator Economy Draws Entrepreneurs - Is attracting an audience via content a better way to start and build an ecommerce business? The creator economy appeals to many would-be entrepreneurs.
    Topics: online, creators, selling, retail, economy, products, ecommerce, audience, store, creator, sell, draws, entrepreneurs.
  • The Key Benefits of Using Shopify for Your Business - Ecommerce solutions such as Shopify make it easy for customers to engage with your online business.
    Topics: shopify, benefits, platform, online, solution, tier, store, ecommerce, amazon, using, business, users, key.
  • The Next Big Opportunity for Entrepreneurs - E-commerce for services includes everything from cleaning services to legal services to medical care, beauty, hospitality and beyond.
    Topics: massive, opinions, services, medical, setting, big, entrepreneurs, updated, ecommerce, store, looking, opportunity.
  • The hybrid customer experience may be the key to your eCommerce success - This post was originally published on March 11, 2019 and has been updated for accuracy and relevancy in the market. Why a Hybrid Customer Experience is Essential for Today’s Consumer There are 2.14 billion digital shoppers today. Having an eCommerce strategy has become not just a nice-to-have, but a vital component of any business’s long-term success; And the recent expansion of IoT, proliferation of smart devices, global crises like COVID-19, and trending mobile apps like TikTok, have forced businesses to shift their focus, expand their online presence, and accelerate their digital strategy. After all, that’s where the customers are, right? While yes, many consumers today do prefer shop online as it can be more accessible and cater to personal preferences, it’s not the end of the brick-and-mortar store. As it turns out, based on a 2019 study, many customers actually prefer a hybrid experience over one that is entirely online or in-person. In fact, customers that shop using more than one channel have a 30% higher lifetime value than those that only use one. What exactly is a hybrid customer experience? The hybrid experience is a commerce experience that combines elements of both eCommerce and in-person shopping experiences, whether that’s in-store, at an event, or over the phone. A good example in understanding the hybrid experience is how many companies now let customers order products online and pick them up at one of their local stores. Many businesses also now allow customers to return items they ordered online to a local store to receive a refund or even cash. We’ve even recently seen the adoption of in-store mobile self-checkout and COVID-19 introduced the concept of curbside pickup. These hybrid experiences are driven by an integrated ecommerce strategy and solution that allows companies to carry not only brand messaging, marketing tactics, and product information across channels, but also customer data. This means businesses can give customers a more seamless, frictionless experience. Their account information can be accessed by in-store representatives or pulled up on different devices, and shoppers can hunt for product data such as pricing or in-store availability. At the end of the day, consumers can take that next step of their journey when and how they want. That level of convenience is one of the core underlying behaviors that drive all shoppers today. Why all businesses should consider a hybrid approach In 2016 and 2017, customer experiences that were fully online experienced a one percent decline, while customer experiences that were hybrid actually increased by one percent. For large companies, a one percent change in either direction can represent either a loss or gain of hundreds of millions in revenue. Today, in 2021, companies that can build and deliver strong multi-channel engagement for their customers can actually see a 9.5% year-over-year increase in annual revenue. Here are a few additional compelling trends and stats that highlight the importance of leveraging a hybrid customer experience: Consumers of all ages – including 62% of Baby Boomers and 58% of Gen Zers, still prefer buying from a physical store (Source) 63% of shopping occasions begin online (Source) 45% of brick-and-mortar buyers check online reviews before buying (Source) 50% of Consumers Expect to Buy Online and Be Able to Pick Up In-Store (Source) 39% of consumers are unlikely or very unlikely to visit a retailer’s store if the online store does not provide physical store inventory information (Source) 71% of in-store shoppers who use smartphones for research say their device has become more important to their in-store experience (Source) 56% of consumers have used their mobile device to research products at home with 38% having used their mobile device to check inventory availability while on their way to a store and 34% who have used their mobile device to research products while in a store. (Source) Given some of the stats above, it apparent that in-store moments matter to customers, whether they’re stand alone or augmented by a digital concept. The reason why the hybrid experience was deemed better than online or traditional experiences is mainly about convenience. Customers aren’t necessarily looking for a specific shopping experience. Instead, they are looking for the best overall shopping experience for their wants and needs. Customers today demand shopping experiences that are simple, lack any friction, and can cater to their preferences and timeline. The emotional response to the shopping experience is another important factor. Less friction, more personalization, and better convenience will satisfy consumers, and a positive emotional response increases brand affiliation and can result in positive reviews, word-of-mouth, more revenue and less churn. When a company’s overall shopping experience is pleasant, customers tend to remember that and often become repeat customers as a result. Ready to Bring Your Hybrid Commerce Strategy to Life? Make any touchpoint transactional and build unique commerce experiences catered to your brand with an Omnichannel approach. Check out our comprehensive guide to learn more. Read the Guide Hybrid Customer Experience Example 1: Carvana Carvana for example, is typically an online-only car company founded in 2012 that embraced the hybrid experience in a creatively big way. The company’s business model involves selling slightly used vehicles online for less than what traditional car dealers sell them for. Customers can order cars online and have them shipped to their homes. They then have seven days to decide whether to keep them or return them for a full refund. But Carvana customers also have another option. They can travel to a Carvana location and pick up their new vehicles in person if they want. And to make things interesting, the company has created what it calls a “car vending machine,” which is a five-story automated car storage and retrieval system. Carvana customers are given a large token. When placed in a token receptacle, the system is activated and the vehicle they selected is pulled from inventory and placed right in front of them – just like a vending machine In the Carvana example, and with other companies that have embraced the hybrid experience, the important takeaway is customers aren’t necessarily looking for a traditional retail experience or an online experience. They are looking for a shopping experience that makes them feel like a valued customer. It’s about offering customers a superior shopping experience, and it’s a strategy you can embrace with your eCommerce business to take it to the next level, win over more customers, and close more sales. Hybrid Customer Experience Example 2: Birchbox Birchbox is another prime example of a brand that that took their mastery of online ecommerce and expanded to physical locations. Birchbox, founded in 2010, is a global online monthly subscription service for beauty products and cosmetics. They offer a wide variety of skin care products, makeup, perfumes, and other organic-based beauty lines to consumers in the US, the UK, France, Spain, Belgium, and Ireland. In 2014, four years after launching their online-only business, BirchBox dove head-first into in-person retail and opened their first brick-and-mortar shop in New York City’s Soho neighborhood. Consumer data showed that shoppers in New York had a 3x higher lifetime value than any other customer. In an attempt to cater to their most loyal customers, they wanted to offer a personalized, in-person experience. Customers can build custom boxes, in-person, just like they might online, but they’re also able to get the knowledge and expertise of the BirchBox representatives, ask questions, and get an even more personalized experience. Where Birchbox excelled was how they carried their online brand experience and messaging to an in-person experience. Consumers could still pick-and-mix while choosing from the top 100 products and brands that Birchbox had to offer. Even the store coloring and concepts matched their digital store, from the color and styling to the packaging.  Developing your hybrid experience strategy If you want to cash in on the benefits of the hybrid shopping experience, you’ll need to develop a strategy to implement hybrid solutions in your own eCommerce business. There are many different ways you can do this, and a strategy that works for one company isn’t necessarily going to work for another. Still, there is a general approach to developing a strategy that does work well for most businesses. The first thing you want to do is to brainstorm ways you can transform your eCommerce business from a solely online or in-person venture into a hybrid business. What are some ways you can improve the customer experience by adding a physical or digital element to your business? Write down everything that comes to mind and then carefully consider each idea to see if it makes sense financially for you to pursue. The next thing is to implement your idea to see if you see an increase in customer loyalty and repeat business. If you do come up with more than one idea, it’s important to experiment with only one idea at a time. That way you will be able to easily determine the things that work and those that don’t. Consider split testing your ideas. Measure shopping outcomes prior to implementing ideas and after so you can have a clear comparison of the results. You also want to consider investing in the latest technologies if a technological solution will be a part of your strategy. How long has a particular technology been around? You don’t want to run into a situation where you invest in a technology only to find out something better and/or more affordable is about to be released. Which companies offer the technology you are interested in? Take the time to evaluate different options to see which company offers the best solution for your needs. Other factors to consider when evaluating options include how much customer support is offered, availability of product training, and overall ease of use. Finally, when developing your hybrid experience strategy, it’s vitally important to always remember what customers are looking for. It isn’t an issue of online versus offline. Rather, it’s about the overall shopping experience. The purpose of developing a hybrid strategy is to increase brand loyalty. Anything that takes away from that goal should be discarded. Do’s and Don’ts of Building a Hybrid Customer Experience Do Ensure Your Messaging is Consistent Both Online and In-store You want your customers to have the same brand experience walking around your brick-and-mortar shop as they do when browsing online. This can include your graphics, copy, sinage, and even product labeling or packaging. They don’t need be identical, but should give your customers the vibe they know and love. Don’t Try to Make the In-Store Experience the Exact Same as Your Digital Experience In fact, you don’t want it to be. In-store shopping is a much more sensory experience than a digital one and should be treated as such. People shop in-person still because they like to see, smell, feel, or try on the products they’re evaluating, and this is something brands should take advantage of. Take Sephora, the retail beauty giant. The brand look and feel and messaging is the same across the website and in-store experience, but when you go in person, you can smell the perfume when you walk in. You can get physical free samples and even get your makeup done at the counter.   Imagine Sephora decided to remove all that, but you could still use their digital app in-store to virtually ‘try on’ the newest lipstick color. Doesn’t quite make sense, does it? Do Offer the Same Level of Communication and Education as You Do Online Customers want to feel like they’re getting the same value as they do when hunting for product information online. You’ll want to ensure your ground staff has been trained on company branding, messaging, and are knowledge on product information. Having one-on-one recommendations come from an in-store representative feels personal, one of the other core trends consumers crave today. The bottom line At the end of the day, you could just continue doing the things that have already made you successful and not bother with embracing the hybrid experience. Why rock the boat? But ignoring the power of the hybrid experience is leaving money on the table. Making the hybrid experience a part of your strategy is really about increasing customer loyalty, brand recognition, and revenue. It’s about scaling your business and growing the bottom line.
    Topics: key, brand, customers, ecommerce, online, strategy, instore, success, customer, store, shopping, experience, hybrid.
  • This startup solves the management of shipments in your ecommerce or physical store and helps you save up to 70% in logistics expenses - The SkydropX statup has the mission of making shipping management easier for ecommerce and all types of entrepreneurs, giving them access to very competitive parcel prices.
    Topics: delivery, parcel, shipments, startup, platform, solves, shipping, tool, save, helps, expenses, logistics, skydropx, entrepreneur, management, store, physical, package, business.
  • Three Areas to Focus on Customer Service in 2022 and Win Online - A headline recently caught my eye, which highlighted the rising cost of delivering an ecommerce experience and how the days of going online for better deals may be shifting as retailers and branded manufactures start to raise prices online to improve margins. Working for a company that sells an ecommerce platform, it got me thinking about how this reality might impact online customer experiences. While there was almost a blind rush to get 100% online during the pandemic, businesses will no doubt be evaluating how they invest in ecommerce to support permanent shifts in buying habits. In 2021, buyers started to go in store/in person or continued embrace a hybrid approach like buy online and return in store, this had created more data that shows profits are better when buyers use brick and mortar commerce. The corporate bean counters that analyze spreadsheets will be pressing the business to push buyers down a more profitable path and likely begin question the value of ecommerce investments in favor of seeing recovery from more traditional channels. Others might view ecommerce as a risk mitigation approach for when the next pandemic hits and make sure there is something viable in place. And some may focus on how to cut costs across the ecommerce supply chain, with little thought on the impact to the buyer – hey it’s the new normal as we wait 6 months for a couch, right? However, real winners in all this will be the companies that look at ecommerce as part of a multi-channel customer service experience. Instead of grouping buyers into those that buy online and those that don’t, businesses will need to consider the following three segments: Those that prefer to buy online Those that prefer in person buying experiences Those that move almost equally between both experiences. Add to that a deep layer of buyer complexity for the hybrid buyer is how they move from online direct-to-consumer vs. online marketplace sites vs. in person buying. The following are three areas that companies should consider pulling in your customer success/customer service team to input on design ideas and optimize across multiple channels where ecommerce is involved. 1. Returns/Exchanges Always a hot topic around the holidays and certainly driving the discussion around the rising cost of ecommerce in 2021 is returns and exchanges. The impact of returned merchandize is having major cost impacts on businesses, but also some are seeing it as an environmental impact. “According to research firm Statista, the delivery car fleet could reach 7.2 million vehicles by the end of this decade, and total emissions caused by parcel and freight shipping are forecast to generate 25 million tons of CO2. In addition, the average commute time, including last-mile delivery, is expected to increase from 53 minutes in 2019 to 64 minutes in 2030.” (Source) “Approximately 30% of e-commerce sales are returned compared to 10% of brick-and-mortar sales, according to CBRE.” (Source) Data shows that consumers return more things bought online and if you think about the deliver chain for returns, the environmental impact of delivery is 2x and if you exchange something it is 3x – deliver the item, return the item, and deliver the new item. While companies focus on fuel efficient modes of transportation, it likely will take decades to offset the rapid rise in transportation required to support rising online buying behaviors. However, there is a customer service opportunity that elevates your brand, cuts cost and maybe even adds to an upselling model when enticing buyers into the store when returning an item. Providing incentive to take items ordered online to a branded store or reseller location can accomplish this task – but it can’t just be a reward model, brands can use this to connect ethical environment issues with buyers that find this more and more important. Buyers are choosing loyalty not just based on convenience, but also how the brand aligns with their personal values. Having the buyer bring back the merchandize themselves while on their way home from work or out grocery shopping will reduce the use of less fuel-efficient vehicles and packaging waste required to return an item. 2. Online Search The great thing about selling your goods and services online is your entire inventory is online for the buyer to find. The bad thing about selling your goods and services online is your entire inventory is online for the buy to find. Companies that are using outdated search tools (many of which are packaged with an “all-in-one” ecommerce platform) are missing an opportunity to provide a customer experience critical to generating that first sale and generating loyalty and referrals. By now, it's not a secret that search can drive revenue, but the experience needs to be optimized using more best-in-class tools (part of the composable commerce movement) and consider evolving buying stages when searching. Research circa 2013 showed that search was aligned to late-stage buyers coming to your site and driving higher conversions as a result. But that motion is dependent on the buyer already knowing your brand when they used the search function. With more and more buyers engaging with your brand online as a first experience, your search needs to be an experience versus just a means to an end – it needs to be fast; it needs to understand natural language and type tolerance, it needs to be able to pull in promotions and suggestions in a more engaging format, it needs to align with your catalog management layer to create dynamic and engaging filters to help refine how buyers find products.   Give customers a better experience with an Omnichannnel approach An Omnichannel approach to your commerce strategy will help you deliver a more seamless, frictionless customer experience, at every stage of the buyer's journey. Learn more with our complete guide. Read our Omnichannel Guide 3. Be proactive when there are delays One of my biggest pet peeves buying online is getting to the cart, or even worse, submitting an order to only to be informed that what you want is out of stock or will be delayed due to back-logs. This has become an even hotter topic in 2021 as the supply chain crisis has impacted so many buyers across all industries. Every online seller should make it their mission to create transparency on availability of items and when the buyer has accepted the terms that there will be a delay, proactively update them on status – even if the status is we are still working to get a delivery date. I can speak to this personally having recently ordered a new living room set. We were told it would take up to 10 weeks to get our living room set and we were okay that because it was the “new normal” for 2021. However, that timeline has moved out several times and the only way we know is we (my wife and I) had to call up the company for a status. It is frustrating to think that this company has banked thousands of dollars of our money and we are waiting on product with little to no communication – at least pretend that someone has eyes on our order and is working to get it fulfilled. Not to mention it is possible an alternative may have come up that is in stock and depending on our personal preferences, we might have upgraded to a more expensive set just to get it faster. Not only are there opportunities to improve the customer service experience, but companies could be leaving an upsell opportunity on the table. This will require orchestration across in-store, online, manufacturing and delivery – but knowing that is an area that needs optimization to cut costs, makes sense to include the customer support team into the project to find ways to integrate the buyer communication experience as well. What is interesting is this concept of helping the buy is nothing new. I worked at Herb’s Sport Shop in Hartford, CT back in the 90’s to help pay for college expenses. We had a very small retail floor – so we were limited in the merchandize we would have for customer to browse. The owner required that every customer that came in the door was greeted within seconds of entering – it was the owners only mandate. Most customer loved it as they could describe what they wanted and we help them find it in seconds and we would also upsell in a conversational way, “we have some new team apparel that would match the color on these Air Jordan’s perfectly”. We focused on making sure the customer got value from stepping into our store, we did not have the mall traffic as we were selling on “Main Street USA” – but we knew that every person that came into the store had value and we needed to maximize that experience and this is the principal that needs to be applied across every customer interaction if you want to win in a world of endless online options.
    Topics: win, delivery, areas, needs, ecommerce, customer, store, search, online, focus, buyer, service, buyers, experience.
  • Tiggy ready to take on Canadian food delivery incumbents with 15-minute option - Employing a dark store model is “virtually non-existent in Canada,” according to the company.
    Topics: bisovka, option, incumbents, market, ready, store, food, dark, 15minute, model, canadian, stores, tiggy, capital, delivery, techcrunch.
  • - TikTok has gained a tremendous amount of notoriety around the globe for the social app's features for quick video sharing, vibrant conversations, and popular games, challenges, and tactics used to entertain users. The app is native to China, but it… Continue reading TikTok Marketing for Ecommerce Store Owners
    Topics: challenges, brands, videos, influencers, hashtag, influencer, marketing, owners, ecommerce, users, tiktok, content, store.
  • Top 10 Things Customers Expect from Your Online Store - Customer experience is key to any online shopping scenario. Shopping behaviors dictate these experiences and if you’re paying attention to your bottom line there are a few rules to follow: 1. Omnichannel Experience: Allow your customers to shop any way they choose. What that usually means is a blended, omnichannel approach from discovery to purchase. Your customer may start in a brick-and-mortar store window shopping for their next couch, but the transaction may occur on a tablet as they settle in for the night streaming their favorite show. What that means for you isa consistently branded, fully optimized experience across all platforms. From store, to smartphone, to laptop, the experience is seamless. 2. Clear Shopping Interface: One of the key detractors for an abandoned cart is always a clean interface with the shopping cart in clear view. One of theUser Interface design champions is Amazon. With the uncluttered layout and icons (including shopping cart), the user is guided through their shopping journey from search to checkout. 3. Visual Appeal: In addition to clear focus towards checkout, shoppers respond to pleasing layouts (more UI driven design). A trend in the mobile commerce world is the adoption of integrated design. More and more apps are turning to animation and card layout design to entice the user to engage in any way they choose. Here is an example of the card layout design. 4. Robust Search: The larger your product catalog, the more important site search is to your ecommerce success. While it's rare to find an ecommerce site without a search box, it happens, even among some of the most famous brands. Search result usability is also important. Customers expect filtered navigation to further refine results by attributes that are meaningful to them (category, price, star ratings, color, size, etc.). Killer search result pages provide filters, the ability to sort results, prices, stock availability, large thumbnail images, product description snippets and add-to-cart/add-to-wish list buttons. When it comes to product search, Elastic Path partners with Algolia to enable product catalog sharing. Elastic Path offers the script to push the catalog from Elastic Path Commerce Cloud to Algolia. With an integration partner for functions like search, you ultimately build better user experiences with easy implementation and quicker speed to market. 5. Customer Reviews: Customer reviews are known to increase conversions by as much as 270%, with a majority of shoppers (82%) seeking out negative reviews. Word of mouth matters, and shoppers not only seek it out they clearly trust it. 6. Chatbots Shoppers: Prefer the ease of contacting a chatbot to resolve cart or order issues versus making a time-consuming live call and be subjected to the dreaded call queue, or the slower pace of waiting on an email inquiry response. Aside from customer support, product suggestions are a chatbot use case to guide your customer towards purchase, much like a personal shopper. You may also see applications in weather, online banking, news, or even ordering a pizza. Chat is good for business. Research shows sales activity transacted through chatbots, digital voice assistants, and messaging is expected to rise from $41 billion in 2021 to $290 billion by 2025 according to Juniper Research. Read more about top chatbot providers in the market. 7. Personalization: With so much competition in the marketplace it’s important for brands to differentiate themselves with unique experiences. A growing demand for personalized shopping, often tied to social media, is highly sought after among online shoppers. With the ability to curate personal collections and browse influencer content, shoppers are enticed by product suggestions specifically tailored to their style. 8. Payment Methods: Allow customers to pay with any method they choose. Alternative payment options like digital wallet options from Apple, Google, or Samsung are widely accepted and favored for their touchless function. A growing trend in mobile payment is the BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) option from vendors like PayPal and Klarna. BNPL provides a broader payment solution for those on a budget who seek big ticket items. 9. Quick Page: Speed The albatross of all shopping experiences. The slow page load. You have a matter of seconds to impress a shopper once they arrive at your site. The good news is you have established metrics and UI/UX design methodologies in your corner to optimize the experience. 10. Easy Checkout: The checkout process can be tedious enough with entering multiple fields on a smaller smartphone screen. It’s frustrating to get so close to the “place order” finish line then have the burden of a forced account sign up. It most likely results in an abandoned cart. Create more options for shoppers by allowing them either path to purchase; create an account, or simply checkout as a guest.
    Topics: shoppers, customers, customer, things, store, shopping, cart, expect, design, online, search, payment, path, experiences, product.
  • Turn Your Side Hustle into a Full-Time Gig with Shopify - How to build and scale a Shopify store.
    Topics: turn, shopify, youll, way, store, products, start, bundle, right, think, gig, fulltime, hustle.
  • Turning Questions into Sales: How to Create an Effective FAQ Page For Your Store - FAQ pages do more than just answer questions about your business. They alleviate purchasing anxieties, improve SEO, and reduce customer support queries. Learn how to create your own FAQ page in this guide and you’ll see the benefits of higher sales and more satisfied shoppers. More
    Topics: sales, effective, questions, product, brand, create, page, customers, customer, answer, pages, faq, store, turning, question.
  • Victoria's Secret launches store for its beauty products on Amazon - The iconic brand, which previously only sold directly through its stores or e-commerce platform, is exploring new options to reach its potential consumers.
    Topics: beauty, store, amazon, unis, stores, victorias, reach, secret, launches, products, customers.
  • What is Data as a Service (DaaS)? - "The Cloud." It's a concept that has grown wildly within the past 20-40 years as technology evolves. But if you're like me, you might not know what it really means.
    Topics: cloud, data, service, analytics, daas, store, platform, using, companies, company.
  • Why Local Marketing Still Matters in the Digital Age - When budgets are limited, local marketing creates better conversions and more reliable monthly earnings.
    Topics: local, store, matters, national, means, marketing, digital, potential, nationally, shop, online, market, age.
  • - In this Wix POS review, we’re going to walk you through all the benefits of using Wix for your point-of-sale technology. While most people have already heard of Wix as an ecommerce store-building tool, the company is still quite new… Continue reading Wix POS Review (Nov 2021): Your Complete Guide
    Topics: customers, nov, theres, complete, guide, solution, payments, reader, wix, need, store, review, pos, card.
  • YouTube will become an online store for a week - At the beginning of the year the video platform implemented proof of purchases within its platform, but now they will try something different.
    Topics: live, youtube, video, testing, broadcasts, users, products, gifts, store, week, creators, online, platform.
  • Your 24/7 Salesperson: How to Create a Product Buying Guide for Your Store - Buyer’s guides are the fastest way to influence buying decisions and make sales. These landing pages expose people’s struggles, show how your product helps, and acts as a 24/7 sales team that creates new business opportunities for you. Learn how to create one in this guide.More
    Topics: guide, best, buyers, guides, salesperson, readers, store, information, buying, create, online, product, products.
  • Your Ecommerce Empire Starts Here - Take advantage of this booming industry.
    Topics: learn, store, services, bundle, youll, empire, highly, write, online, ecommerce, entrepreneur, starts.
  • Your Guide to Success: How to Start Dropshipping - Get the truth: pros, cons, and FAQs answered! Learn how to start dropshipping fast — with minimal work, less hassle, and fewer risks than traditional stores.
    Topics: guide, dont, youre, start, sell, customers, marketing, success, product, supplier, products, dropshipping, store.
  • Your Startup Guide For Selling Wholesale to Other Retailers - Is selling wholesale worth it as a small business? A $10 trillion industry, wholesale can be a profitable sales channel for any retailer. Learn how to set up your channel and start selling wholesale items today with this guide.More
    Topics: retailers, order, startup, shopify, selling, customers, store, product, payment, guide, business, products, wholesale.
  • Zeeman expands online presence in Europe - Dutch discount retailer Zeeman is expanding its online presence in Europe. The retail chain currently has an online store in the Netherlands and Belgium, but will now also launch an ecommerce website in France and in an yet unknown market. Zeeman is a Dutch discount chain with stores in the… Continue reading
    Topics: netherlands, zeeman, france, online, store, unknown, ecommerce, expands, shop, europe, operation, presence.
  • Zippedi is using robots to digitize inventory for last-mile delivery - Luis Vera believes the third time is the charm. The self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur admits that his vision for digitizing retail was a decade or two early when he started his journey in the 90s. Through a pair of startups — Prospect and SCOPIX — he tried a variety of methods to help capture store inventory, […]
    Topics: shopping, store, techcrunch, system, johnson, inventory, digitize, company, vera, retail, vision, lastmile, delivery, zippedi, using, amazon, robots.