According to Statista, electronic retail sales in 2019 summed up to 14.1% of the global retail sales, and this figure is estimated to reach 22% by 2023. In fact, ecommerce has already begun to overpower the brick and mortar store. It would not be incorrect to call ours’ a digital age, where the majority of the population uses social media platforms, not only for entertainment but also for many day-to-day activities, including shopping for goods and services.
About 70% of the world’s population uses some or other kinds of social media platforms. This widespread adaptation of social media platforms for everyday activities has turned out to be great news for online marketers as well as sellers. The time spent by the online population on social media platforms is increasing day after day. Social ecommerce has become a medium to streamline the user funnel, increase sales, as well as to enhance the user experience. It is more than the perfect time to use the power of social ecommerce to crack customers and increase sales. Therefore, in this blog, we will be listing out the ways to use social ecommerce in 2020 and more!
What is social ecommerce?
Social ecommerce is the buying and selling of goods and services facilitated through ecommerce platforms. No, it is not just marketing them on social media platforms; it is much more than that! The online sellers may integrate with social media platforms or create their beautiful business pages and list their products for sale. However, the influence and motivation to purchase those products come only through the social environment.
Unlike traditional ecommerce practices, in social ecommerce, the buyers learn from the feedback and opinion of others on the social media platform. Usually, social ecommerce is confused with social media marketing. Let us clear the mess; social ecommerce is a process that lets customers purchase the products they see on social media platforms, right there, and right then. On the other hand, social media marketing is a process that directs customers from social media platforms to ecommerce websites or applications in order to complete a purchase.
Steps to crack customers and increase sales via social ecommerce
Know your customers
In the times of neck-to-neck competition in the online world to seek online shoppers’ attention, it has become more than important to work on understanding your potential customers. There is a wide range of social media platforms used by customers across the globe. However, businesses have a finite budget as well as resources for social ecommerce, like every other selling channel. Therefore, you need to define your target audience, find the best platforms they use, and invest in the right social media channels.
The social media platform is evolving, so are the public interests, and so must be your social ecommerce strategies. Just because one strategy worked for you in the past, does not mean that it will be your asset for the future. Consider investing in analytics platforms that help you analyze and understand the changing customer behavior. Eventually, the better you know your customers, the higher are the chances of delivering seamless user experiences.
Build clear and short purchase procedure
Convenience is the key to ecommerce, and so is for social ecommerce. The business who can successfully create a clear, short, end-to-end purchase procedure across all selling channels is the ones with higher conversion rates, increased sales, and a loyal customer base. When a social media user scrolls through their feed and finds a product they like, the last thing any business must do is to create friction between that moment of inspiration and users making a purchase. If the customer is asked to click on the link in the bio, find the product they just liked, and complete a purchase, they would plainly back off from their decision to purchase from you.
Test the checkout features of the social media platforms you use and optimize your users’ social shopping experience. Now, social media platforms are much more than simply advertising your product. You have thousands of options to convert the users into your customers with videos, social proofs, engaging activities, and so on. Not only should your social media channels be interactive and engaging, but also should be equipped with all the right buttons in place to drive sales.
Deliver personalized experience
Online consumers look for personalized experiences from brands, and if you implement it rightly, they will be rewarding you with loyalty, revenue, and social proofs. Social media platforms are a great way to engage with consumers as it is the place where most of the online shoppers as well as the online community are spending their time. There are many ways to personalize the user experience such as sending personalized recommendations based on previous purchases or searches and studying their purchasing behavior. Many online tools do the work of studying customer behavior for ecommerce businesses in exchange for a few bucks.
Taking the complete benefit and power of personalization can be done by a deep understanding of online shoppers, especially social media shoppers. Consider using retargeting and launching email campaigns while studying the previous search history, browsing frequency, past purchases, and cross-channel engagement, to name a few. If you master the art of personalizing the user experience, you are ready to crack customers and increase your sales.
Conclusion
Social ecommerce has presented the ecommerce sellers with a golden opportunity to streamline the purchasing cycle for the customers as well as boost their sales. It has already impacted the retail industry significantly. Social ecommerce opens doors to put all the best online selling strategies in place. The adoption of social ecommerce is a convenient and beneficial way to reach more users, motivate them to become your customers, keep them satisfied, and enjoy competitive advantages. While you have decided to make the best use of social ecommerce, we have a great opportunity for you. Builderfly Ecommerce Platform has opened doors to all budding online sellers like you with its all-inclusive features to sell online as well as stay ahead of the trends. Especially, check out its Starter Plan that lets you build a strong online presence, absolutely for free!
