How can e-commerce ventures protect against digital disruption?

ALIBABA Founder Jack Ma recently said that the e-commerce industry is on the verge of disruption — and that technology will re-invent the industry to better serve sellers and customers.

Although there is a tremendous opportunity for e-commerce players across the world, especially in parts of the APAC where mobile wallets and autonomous last-mile delivery are helping online sellers gain access to new markets.

However, in order for e-commerce companies — those that sell online — to leverage it, the reality is that customers demand more in terms of both, the experience and the service.

To succeed in the coming months, e-commerce players need to do more. For those e-commerce players in the APAC, here are five ways to make selling online easier, better, and more efficient.

# 1 | Make your site mobile-friendly

It is becoming more common for people to turn to their mobile phones for their every need.

When designing an e-commerce website, making it mobile-friendly must be a priority. It should not only look fantastic on the latest smartphone, but also function well with a host of mobile devices. Being mobile-friendly can also help improve the website’s search engine results.

# 2 | Help customers feel safer

As a starting point, most merchant service providers will require that the e-commerce website utilizes a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate.

Further, having trust seals on the checkout page can be a good way to help earn the customers’ confidence while shopping on the site.

# 3 | Keep checkouts to a single page

Having a never-ending checkout page can likely annoy customers and offer them the opportunity to drop off with each additional page.

The goal of an eCommerce website should be to provide a single-page check out. If the website has the option to skip viewing the cart to head straight to checkout, sellers must remember to include a ‘Continue Shopping’ option for shoppers who may decide to add some items at the last minute.

If a longer check out page is inevitable, it is advisable to add a progress bar to show clearly how many steps are left.

Another quick tip is to allow the guest check-out option as many people may avoid shopping on the website altogether if they just wanted to do a one-off purchase.

# 4 | Retarget shopping cart and offer special discounts

For shoppers who may have browsed the website and perhaps added an item to cart but for some reason left the website without purchasing, it is a good idea to retarget them.

Offering a special discount offer may help lure them back to make the purchase.

Retargeting campaigns ‘follow’ the user as they browse online, showing them an advertisement of the product to tempt and remind them to purchase.

# 5 | Add a live chat / support function

E-commerce sites are always on. Unlike regular stores, they never shut down. As a result, customers expect to be able to make inquiries and get responses round the clock.

Adding live chat support can be a simple way to provide a more personalized customer experience for your customers. An instant response to a customer’s inquiry can help a customer make a real-time purchase decision.

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