Taking your e-commerce business to the next level

E-COMMERCE is growing rapidly in Asia and catapulting businesses big and small to a new space where the competition for customers isn’t purely driven by price.

According to forecasts, the Asian e-commerce market is expected to touch US$1.6 trillion in 2021 — with rapid growth expected in every market in the region, be it Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, or India.

Consumers, increasingly, tend to spend time buying groceries, clothes, and electronics online because it is easy, convenient, and allows them to hunt for deals and find more value.

But bricks and mortar stores aren’t dead yet. They offer a kind of charm and experience that e-commerce companies are still struggling to provide. Here are some tips to help bridge the gap and take e-commerce businesses to the next level:

# 1 | Always greet your customer

Being greeted by a friendly smile and receiving helpful advice from a shopping assistant is one of the biggest attractions of the retail store. This human experience is what creates the retail experience and builds customer loyalty.

For many years, this element of customer experience is what was missing on e-commerce websites. But now, we’re seeing the rise in adoption of chatbots.

Through this AI-powered robot, you can automatically greet customers upon entering your site, answer frequently asked questions, and even offer personalized recommendations.

# 2 | Treat your homepage like a display window

Traditional stores have entire teams dedicated to visual merchandising. Such teams spend a lot of time researching which products should be placed in different locations in the store in order to gain the most attraction.

This same attention to detail should be paid to your e-commerce website. Just how visual merchandisers change and update the display window frequently, your consumers should have a fresh and engaging experience each time they visit your site.

Some of the top e-commerce websites change their landing page almost every day, propping up merchandise that is trending or most in demand. Others use something of a flavor of the week or season approach.

The idea, at the end of the day, is to make sure customers see something new when they visit your site and are taken on a journey to buying what is most exciting for them.

# 3 | Virtual fit assistants

A major downfall of the online shopping space is the inability for consumers to accurately determine if a product will fit correctly before ordering it.

While online retailers cannot offer the same fitting service as traditional retail stores, there is a range of technical innovations that can eliminate some of the guesswork when it comes to sizing.

Many e-commerce companies are adding “virtual fit assistants” which makes sizing predictions based on the customer’s height, weight, bust size, and other personal preferences.

The technology can also integrate with a customer’s previous purchase history and size comparisons from other retailers to determine the right fit for you.

With such a lack of consistency in sizing across retailers, this feature will do well in increasing consumer confidence when ordering a product.

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