Here is your handy digest for e-commerce statistics. Keep rolling!
1st e-commerce statistics: Online sales will continue to grow
According to Statista, for global B2C e-commerce sales, online sales is an increasing line from 2012 and it is predicted to goes higher til 2018. From another source, in 2011, online shoppers spent averagely $1,207 during the year. Next year, online sales are predicted to be increase to around $1,738 a year.
What do these numbers imply?
Stick to the fact and do even a better job next year with walking in your customers’ shoes. Find ways to remove all hindrances on their way to purchase things from your website. Here are some useful articles for you:
- How to make people stay and remove bounce rate on your e-commerce website
- 7 signs to acknowledge before your customers walk away
- Useful tips to avoid cart abandonment
- How to get higher conversion rate on your website
Optimize for mobile but don’t forget about the web
What is in your customer’s palm nowadays when they want to buy things?
Yes, it’s a mobile (sometimes it’s their wallet).
It’s a straightforward fact that about one third of e-commerce sales now are processed via mobile devices. Mobile shopping now has become so popular that there’s even a new term for it: m-commerce. According to Internet Retailer analysis, mobile commerce occupied nearly one-third of all U.S. e-commerce sales.
People are more likely to buy from their mobile since they can do that anytime, anywhere. This is clearly an opportunity to make your online store even better mobile-friendly. However, it also poses a threat – doing things wrong will hurt your brand very badly (it’s easier to buy from a mobile and it’s easier to spread the bad feedback via the same one).
Beside mobile-optimization, other factors on your website still play an important role in bringing your business new customers. So don’t overlook these activities on your websites. Econsultancy said in its report that “the web is the best channel to get answers, with 65% of questions answered online (up 5% since 2014)”.
However, email support is becoming slower down in giving response to customers. It said that retailers could only answer 58% of questions asked via email (the number in 2014 was 63%) when 98% of retailers provide email contact details to consumers.
What does this mean to you? Add more effort in delivering faster customer service for customers. If email is a slow channel, so why not add a more instant support channel like live chat or phone center?
Holiday season is the dominant sales season
That’s true. Every year.
In 2011, ecommerce [in the fourth quarter] occupied 15% of all holiday sales – and it was easily the highest percentage in comparison to any other part of the year – statistics from Forrester study.
Holiday season is always the best time for business to sell. We have countless of holiday events to run offers, like, Halloween, Thanks Giving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas, New year Eve… These events sure can spin customers’ head around when all stores offer their most irresistible deals ever.
What should you prepare?
Halloween has just passed and if you’ve been winning big sales from this event, don’t sleep on victory yet. The holiday season has just begins. Go ahead of your competitors. Learn your customers and know what they want, add something special in the offers you’re going to give them so they won’t buy from others but you. In the same study, it showed that 70% of consumers who bought online in holiday season did so due to sales incentives like deals and promotions.
Customers love loyalty programs
Study showed that 61% of buyers would tell friends and family about their experiences from a brand, while 27% told that they would sign up to the company’s loyalty program. This means, when you’re doing a good job making customers love you, chances are you’ll be suggested to others. Plus, customers will be more likely to sign up for the brand they love.
Plus, online loyalty programs are becoming more favorable. The number of people joining loyalty program has been growing (from 9% in 2009 to 12% in 2011).
So, why wait? Show how much you love your customers with a personalized customer loyalty program. Learn more in these articles:
- Customer Loyalty: How to Reward Customers and Make it Memorable
- The Secrets in Gaining Customer’s Loyalty with Customer Support for Your eCommerce Business
- It’s Time You Win Loyal Fans With Live Chat Support
- How to Touch the Heart of Your Customers?
- How to Make Customers Your Brand Ambassadors
Go further!
Well the e-commerce statistics above are not all e-commerce is about. However, with your own data from your marketing as well as customer support department, the numbers presented in this articles are hopefully useful for you to get your business thriving.
Do you want to add extra piece of useful statistics here? Write in the comment section below!
