3 ecommerce lessons big brands are teaching you this holiday season

It’s the time of the year that every retailer awaits. It’s the retail holiday season and each retailer out there is trying their best to get a share of the season’s triumphs. Earlier this eMarketer predicted that this is going to be a happy holiday season for retailers with an increase of 5.7% year over year sales in the US, reaching US$885.70-billion. Therefore it is no surprise that shop owners are doing everything, from massive discounts and store-wide sales to limited time offers, to increase their sales and revenues.

While almost all retailers are busy boosting their sales, some overlook the fact that the holiday shopping period is also a great time to learn some take-away lessons, especially from the big brands. Chances are, these brands have already inspired your eCommerce idea or innovation in the past and it’s time again to see what they have to offer to help you maximize your store’s performance this season.

Here are three eCommerce lessons these big giants are trying to teach online retailers this holiday season.

Lesson 1: Go Big

We live in a time when Internet has taken over everything else. The online stores have become the ultimate shopping destination for many. But this also means a lot of competition for online retailers as new eCommerce players are emerging in the market almost every day. The secret therefore is to go big and beyond your original business plan. That’s exactly how Amazon become the most popular eCommerce vendor.

From an online bookstore to the world’s largest retailer, Amazon’s journey has always been about evolving and going to the next level. Had the company remained stuck in its small ‘book’ zone, it would have never become what it is today – a company that nets more than US$100-billion in revenue a year.

That’s incredible! Just think about how Amazon has moved forward from its humble origins; from retail goods to cellular service plans and original digital content, the company is truly going big. The company has realized that everything in the technology and Internet world changes quickly and unforeseeably and you just need to keep up with the speed, expanding your business in the process. If you really want to learn a lesson from Amazon, this is what you need to understand.

Don’t get yourself stuck in a small zone. Even if you have a small eStore today, selling women’s clothes nothing is stopping you from expanding your reach with fashion accessories, men’s items, gadgets and everything else you can think about. The goal is to gradually become a one-stop destination for your customers. This will also help you to stay flexible in your approach so that you can leverage unexpected business opportunities and go to the next level.

Lesson 2: Visually Pleasing Browsing is a Must-Have

Pinterest is not just the second largest driver of social traffic for businesses, online stores can also refer to this site for designing inspirations. In fact, most ecommerce websites have a look and feel similar to that of Pinterest pin boards these days. There is a reason behind this. The pinboard style design provides a visually pleasing browsing experience to your users. It is easier to search and view information and is also more engaging.

Even a big brand like Etsy is also using a pinboard style look for its online store and it is really working for them. According to VentureBeat, this brand has 54 million members that drove US$1.93-billion sales in 2014.

How the design works for Esty? It’s quite simple actually. The pinboard-like design makes it easier for users to spot similar products nearby when looking at a particular product. Besides, the website has its social media buttons placed right by all images, making it easier for people to share them on the social media channels.

That said, Esty is not just a replica of Pinterest and its design stands true to its nature of business. Product description and other details are important for any eCommerce stores and Esty is no difference. This website provides enough space below the main product image as well as to its side to add details for each product along with the shipping policies.

The only lesson you need to learn here is to make your website’s design as aesthetically appealing as possible, while giving equal importance to user experience. Understand how Esty leverage the pinboard style design to make product browsing a pleasant experience but at the same time the company is taking advantage of every possible opportunity to communicate with its visitors.

Since online shoppers have a tendency to skim over details, consider using pin-like spread and have ample space below your product image and that beside it to provide them the necessary information using clear text.

Lesson 3: Build a Customer Loyalty Team

This lesson comes from the popular online shoe and clothing shop, Zappos. This company owes all its success to its customer loyalty team that conveys the brand’s earnest intentions to the customers. What’s really interesting here is that instead of having a mere ‘customer service’ team, Zappos has a team that is accountable for improving its customer loyalty.

The company not only aims to resolve problems fairly but also have its customers’ best interests in mind, inspiring loyalty in turn. The customer loyalty team strongly encourages the customers to chat, call or email them, 24/7 round-the-year. The free customer service number of Zappos is visible on every page so that people can easily reach out to them.

The company balances technology with direct customer contact to develop deep and long-lasting loyalty. And the result is visible in its sales from repeat customers. Around 75% of Zappos’ sales come from its repeat customers.

Apply the same approach to your eCommerce store. You are perhaps too busy this holiday season but instead of hiding your helpdesk phone numbers and other contact details prevent customer calls, display your phone numbers and email address prominently on your website. Encourage your customer support team to respond to each email personally in a more humane way.

Finally, give your customer support team members a face and a name. Display their name and contact details along with their contact details on your website for customers to see and understand who they are talking to.
Conclusion
It is true that not all eCommerce business have the resource to match the services and experiences provided by big brands. But you can always start small. For example, consider adding one more item in your product list or perhaps you can make your customer support practices a little more indulgent of your customer desires to drive both sales and loyalty this holiday season. Understand what your target audience wants and then see how you differ from big brands in providing them. The bottom line is to cater to your customers’ need better than anyone else and when you can do it, growth will follow immediately.