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Future E-Commerce Trends for Small Retailers

Future E-Commerce Trends for Small Retailers

August 3, 2015

Via: itCurated
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SMALL RETAILERS are currently experiencing important changes, due to the rise of the mobile devices.

A mobile-first driven strategy seems to be the key to success. Not all businesses of this size have the knowledge or resources to adapt, but modern service providers can fit most of the requests. Brick-and-mortar only, online only, both physically and digitally represented retailers – there are solutions available for each.
Small retailers should expect a shift in both the digital and physical aspects of their operations. Not just expect it, but rather be prepared to make the necessary alterations – the sooner the better.
E-commerce trends are here for a reason. At the intersection of quality and quantity, every trend signals a twist or a turn in the ever-changing, yet so important mass of clientele. To simplify, we could follow digital, physical and potential trends as they roll out mid-year 2015.

DIGITAL TRENDS:

• Switching from self-hosting to SaaS platforms (professional services, top speed, off-premises activities). Enterprise-grade value can be obtained via SaaS platforms which offer an array of features available only for bigger companies until not long ago;
• Mandatory online presence (using the full capacities of webrooming to bring customers in) – social media involvement, creative and interactive messages, video content;
• Secure digital payment: m-payment available for customers, secure transactions, trusted PCI compliant web services providers;
• Strong data analytic processors to supply the marketing department with the right kind of input, able to contribute to marketing personalization; also qualitative insight is needed;
• Mobility-optimized online presence: presentation-wise, functional-wise and content-wise. The business site should inspire professionalism, function seamlessly and offer an unique value proposition (UVP);
• Lead generation strategies: content that motivates customers’ trust and loyalty, good practices, personalized customer reach out.

PHYSICAL TRENDS:

• Modern delivery offers, affordable both for the company and for the client – same day delivery is strongly recommended, but it should not burden the business; the clients can be charged for it, or its area could be limited if it proves too expensive as a general policy;
• Integration of Ecommerce and brick-and-mortar commerce, whenever both activities exist – buy online pick up in store, using BLE and NFC technologies in physical stores, digital coupons to be used in physical store shopping, online rewards that make clients interact with real life business locations, and so on;
• Since online competition is globalized and viral, those who decide to keep or open physical stores must make these count; people don’t just buy from the closest store for lack of anything better – the shopping experience should worth the real time spent in the store; design and comfort should be up to date, also the type of merchandise on the shelves might also change, since organizing and strategizing help cutting unnecessary costs.

POTENTIAL TRENDS:

Just some field experts forecast or expect these trends to materialize for small retailers.
• Sales automation (especially in B2B) – software solutions that allow fast operations with huge amounts of data and support frequent ordering for long periods of time; intelligent non-human customer analytics could also offer suggestions based on the customer’s profile; also, B2B should witness an increase, as business combine retail and wholesale;
• Going global, either by launching borderless partnerships that allow buyers from all over the world to purchase products from the company’s stock, either by taking advantage of the optimum moment and expand towards the next business size available;
• An increase in numbers for the “niche” marketplaces, online shopping environments for goods categories such as furniture, jewelry and electronics;
• Competition over the delivery issue: same day delivery, free shipping services, lower delivery costs – small retailers will have to find the winning solution that fits them best;
• Consumers might start looking for ethical brands, with better stories, stronger community contributions and quality merchandise – the kind of business that is voluntarily advertised on social media channels by authentically satisfied customers and recommended by specialists.

In conclusion, small retailers tend to raise to the mobility requests

The technical challenge is being solved by acquiring SaaS services, the marketing departments learn how to convey into strategy the new big data, and businesses slowly conquer social media. Balancing ecommerce with brick-and-mortar commerce is still an equation in progress; the delivery competition might prove difficult for some, but innovation could make the difference.
As for the more far-fetched trends – never say never. The lonelier voices in the field could prove right. It remains to be seen.