Have you had a webshop for several years? Then, you’ve likely noticed how consumer shopping behavior has changed. It’s an art to evolve with the current landscape of online shopping and to take advantage of the opportunities it brings, because standing still means falling behind. Let’s discuss a few important changes!
Online Shopping via Mobile
More and more consumers are using their smartphones while shopping online. In fact, about half of e-shoppers use smartphones when they shop online. The younger the target audience, the more consumers shop using their smartphones. Millennials, for example, grew up with smartphones in hand. If your webshop is not mobile-friendly, you’re missing out on revenue! There is a big difference between desktop optimization and mobile optimization. If your webshop is optimized for desktop, chances are some conversion killers will appear on mobile. Make sure your webshop is mobile-friendly and that the checkout process is easy to complete on a smartphone. By the way, did you know that more and more consumers use their smartphones while physically shopping? They search online for reviews or compare prices.
The Power of Remarketing in Online Shopping
When shopping online, it’s very easy to add products to the shopping cart. Since there is no purchasing trigger when you add something to the cart, many online shoppers don’t complete a purchase. If they do, they still have to go through several steps to finalize the order. Research shows that 90% of online shoppers abandon their carts early. There are many ways to re-engage this audience. Learn more in the blog “10 Tips to Increase Conversion on Your Webshop” by our partner Digital Natives.
Cross-Border Shopping Continues to Grow
More and more online shoppers are buying products from foreign webshops. In most cases, consumers choose webshops from neighboring countries. Belgian consumers, for example, mainly shop online in the Netherlands and France. Therefore, it’s important to offer a multilingual webshop and make agreements with shipping partners since sending packages abroad is not cheap. If you haven’t yet made agreements about international shipping, contact your shipping partner immediately so that your webshop’s growth isn’t hindered.
Shipping Options in Online Shopping
We’ve noticed an increase in the number of packages being delivered to pick-up points. In the past, consumers wanted their packages delivered as quickly as possible. This thinking has slightly shifted to “I want my package as soon as it’s convenient for me.” Your customers often have busy schedules and cannot wait at home for a package. For this reason, they opt for pick-up points. They get notified when their package is available and can pick it up whenever it’s convenient for them. Make agreements with your shipping partner regarding deliveries to pick-up points, as often the costs for such shipments are cheaper!
Should You Deliver Every Package to a Pick-Up Point?
No! Your customers want to choose where their packages are delivered. Be smart! You can offer free shipping to pick-up points or charge a small fee for home delivery. You’ll find that people still choose home delivery, but by letting the customer make the choice, they’re less bothered by paying for shipping costs.
The Number of Packages
Not only are more people shopping online, but the number of purchases per person has also increased. The convenience of online ordering has made people place smaller and more frequent orders. Consumers break up their orders and place them when they need a specific product or when they just happen to think of it. There is no longer a fixed ordering time when all collected orders are shipped out. Today, there is a continuous flow of orders. Companies are increasingly applying this trend as well.
This obviously impacts warehouse operations. You need to shift your warehouse processes from handling large shipments to managing many small ones. This requires a different approach because, with this trend, you’ll have more orders, more pick tickets, more activity in the warehouse, more couriers picking up packages, etc. You will spend more time packing the packages.
A fulfillment partner can be the solution. A fulfillment partner takes care of the picking, packing, and shipping, allowing you to focus more on other core tasks and benefit from cheaper packaging materials and shipping rates. Is too much time being spent on picking, packing, and shipping your orders, or do you want to work with true professionals? Contact Webship! We ensure your orders reach the consumer flawlessly.
