E-Commerce Optimization

What Is Marketing Attribution: A Beginner’s Guide

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Marketing attribution is a data analysis process that looks at how different marketing and commercial strategies are translating into conversions. It involves gathering data from customers’ interactions across all used channels, including websites, emails, ads, and physical stores. Through this data analysis, businesses can discover which strategies are most successful in creating results for their company. This knowledge can then be used to optimize marketing efforts for greater return on investment (ROI). In this article, we’ll explore what marketing attribution is in more details, why companies should use it, which models there are, and which challenges you should be aware of.

What Is Marketing Attribution?

In today’s highly competitive digital environment, understanding exactly where marketing investments are paying off is essential for success. Knowing which campaigns or tactics are working best provides the necessary insights to make the most of a business’s spending and ensure that money is being allocated in the smartest and most efficient way possible. That’s where marketing attribution comes in – it helps companies accurately measure their investments and drive more leads as a result.

The traditional approach to measuring conversion optimization was last-click attribution, meaning that whatever channel or tactic was used right before a purchase would get credit for it. But this method ignores any valuable context that could have contributed to the conversion taking place in other channels further back in the funnel. With marketing attribution, companies are able to accurately track customer journeys across different touchpoints and understand what combination of strategies generate the highest ROI.

There are several different types of marketing attribution models that businesses commonly use today. These include single-touch (also known as first-touch), multi-touch (also called linear), time decay (sometimes referred to as U-shaped) and custom model (which combines aspects from multiple methods). Selecting the right model largely depends on factors such as budget size and business goals — some organizations may benefit more from using one type of model over another.

For example, multi-touch attribution gives weight to all touchpoints throughout the customer journey leading up to a sale — so if someone views an ad but then visits your website later before making a purchase, both touch points will get credit for that sale instead of just one or the other like with first-touch or single-touch models respectively. On the other hand, time decay models give less weight to initial interactions while giving more credence to those nearer when it comes time for conversion – so if someone viewed an ad two months prior but still made a purchase last week —the two month old view would still get its share of credit thanks to time decay modeling’s decay curve algorithm.

Regardless of which approach you take with your company’s marketing measurement plan – total visibility into customer journeys is essential for effectively tracking ROI and optimizing spending accordingly — thus making Marketing Attribution an invaluable tool when planning out campaigns or setting budgets alongside other metrics such as CTRs or CPCs (Cost per Click). As customers become increasingly mobile and multi-channel experiences continue to evolve – having actionable insights directly available will become critical in order stay ahead of competitors while continuing growth trajectory into new markets through effective strategy execution backed by accurate analytics.

Why Should Companies Implement Attribution Tools

Marketing attribution is an essential tool for companies looking to understand the effectiveness of their campaigns, strategies, and touchpoints. By gathering data on customers’ interactions across various channels, businesses can gain valuable insight into which strategies are providing the best return on investments (ROI) and how different tactics are influencing conversions. This allows them to optimize their spending for maximum efficiency and make sure that every dollar is being put to its best use.

Marketing attribution models provide organizations with an invaluable way to view performance information from all angles and better understand what tactics were used throughout each individual customers’ journey leading up to a conversion or sale. As mentioned above, there are several marketing attribution models that can be used, and all of them will be outlined in detail in the next section. But at the end of the day, whether a company uses attribution tools or not, having access to accurate insights into how certain strategies or campaigns contribute directly or indirectly towards sales or conversions is critical for companies looking stay ahead of their competitors in today’s constantly changing digital landscape. Thanks to marketing attribution tools — businesses can rest assured that they’re making informed decisions based on reliable data when it comes spending money or launching new initiatives — this allows them maximize every dollar spent and track ROI movements quickly & effectively resulting in greater success long term.

What Are The Most Used Marketing Attribution Models?

When it comes to analyzing marketing performance, attribution models are a critical tool for providing businesses with valuable insight into customer journeys and ROI. There are several different types of attribution models commonly used today, each with its own set of strengths and weaknesses.

Single-Touch (Also Known As First-touch) Attribution

This model gives 100% credit for conversions to the initiating touchpoint – meaning only the channel or tactic used in the initial part of a journey prior to a purchase would get credit for it. This type of model is best suited for companies that have short sales cycles, or rely heavily on a few sources such as paid search or email campaigns as it simplifies the process by focusing only on the first point prior to conversion.

Last Touch Attribution

Unlike first-touch attribution, a last-touch model of credit assignment recognizes only the very most recent interaction between an individual and your business as solely responsible for conversion. Whether this exchange was clicking on an ad, viewing an email message, or engaging with social media content – whatever it is that they do just prior to converting is assumed to be the source of their decision.

Last-Touch attribution provides businesses an easy way to track and analyze customer behavior, which is especially important for companies with a quick turnover rate. Additionally, it’s relatively simple to implement and evaluate over time; perfect for those who need fundamental insight into their funnel process. Nevertheless, the complexity of modern digital marketing—where consumers are exposed to several ads across multiple channels prior conversion—makes Last-Touch somewhat inadequate in providing a comprehensive understanding of consumer habits.

Last Non-Direct Touch Attribution

A last-touch or first-touch attribution model might not be enough to understand the efficacy of your marketing channels, especially if you have a long and complex buying cycle. Last non-direct touch is Google Analytics’ default Attribution Model that does not assign any credit for conversions related to direct traffic such as manual URL entries or clicks from bookmarked links.

Just as with basic first-touch and last-touch attribution, this method allocates all of the credit to a single encounter. The difference here is that direct traffic isn’t seen as an accountable channel. Similarly to simple last-touch attribution, it does not give any recognition for prior interactions leading up to the final one, making it hard to comprehend the effect of your multichannel marketing plan. This model is perfect for products that are sold in a short period of time. Since direct traffic can be omitted, only clicks from marketing channels you have power over like paid and earned media will be assessed.

Multi-Touch (Also Called Linear) Attribution

This is another popular method which provides more visibility into customer interactions throughout multiple channels leading up to a sale or conversion. Every touchpoint receives some amount of credit rather than just one — so if someone viewed an ad but then visited your website later before making a purchase, both would receive some recognition instead of just one like with first-touch models. As such, this model can be useful for organizations that need to gain more clarity in regards to what tactics their customers interacted with during their buying journey .

Time Decay (Sometimes Referred To As U-Shaped) Attribution

This model is also very much in use today — it assigns less importance to initial interactions while giving more credence to those nearer when it comes time for conversion — so if someone viewed an ad two months prior but still made a purchase last week, the two month old view would still get its share of credit thanks to time decay modeling’s decay curve algorithm . It works well for customers who take longer timespans in between initial contact and the eventual sale since all touchpoints still receive some recognition regardless of when they occurred.

Position-Based Attribution

Following the presumption that a customer’s first and last interactions with your business will be most influential when it comes to conversion, position-based attribution assigns fixed credit for every conversion to those two points of contact. The remaining credit is then distributed equally among all other activities in between. This model makes it possible for you to track how each decision affects the customer journey and can help you optimize strategies for maximum results.

Companies that anticipate their leads to have multiple encounters with the brand before making a purchase will be greatly advantaged by this model. It captures both top- and bottom-of-funnel activities, which are essential for businesses with extended sales cycles – in addition to assigning some value to marketing efforts that regenerate curiosity or continue existing interaction. By utilizing this model, your business is given the best chance of success!

Custom Models Combining Aspects From Single, Multi & Time Decay Approaches

Creating customs models based on specific objectives & desired outcomes is also a way to go. They provide businesses greater flexibility when it comes measuring success since they can take multiple configurations into account while achieving desired results tailored exactly towards their needs .

At the end of the day, no matter what type of marketing attribution model a company chooses — having access to accurate insights into how certain strategies or campaigns contribute directly or indirectly towards sales or conversions is essential in order help them make decisions based on reliable data when it comes spending money or launching new initiatives — allowing them maximize every dollar spent and track ROI movements quickly & effectively resulting in greater success long term.

Main Challenges of Marketing Attribution

One common issue is data silos. Without an integrated platform that pulls together data from all channels (e.g., website visits, social media posts, emails, etc.), it can be difficult for businesses to gain a comprehensive view into each customers’ journey leading up to a conversion or sale — this makes it hard for companies to accurately measure ROI from different strategies and tactics . Additionally , some platforms may not track certain types of customer behavior or provide enough granular data for effective measurement – meaning some key insights may be left out when analyzing results & making decisions accordingly.

Another problem is that many campaigns don’t close in single customer journeys — visitors often come back multiple times before making a purchase, so understanding the full process requires tracking multiple individual paths simultaneously. In some cases, customers take months before deciding to convert — this further complicates matters and means that businesses need reliable systems in place which can trace & assign credit appropriately over long periods of time.

In addition, there is debate as to which model of marketing attribution should be used based on factors such as budget size and desired outcomes since different models emphasize various aspects in more detail than others —single-touch (also known as first-touch), multi-touch (also called linear), time decay (sometimes referred to as U-shaped), position-based and custom model (which combines aspects from multiple methods). Finding the most appropriate type for a particular business requires careful consideration depending on internal needs & goals.

Finally, companies must take care not to rely too heavily on just one metric when assessing performance since this could lead crucial details about customers’ buying behaviors being overlooked. It is important for organizations to consider all interactions across channels before jumping into conclusions — this includes looking at things such as page views, purchases made but not completed, cart abandonment rates and the like.

Overall, although challenging, utilizing marketing attribution tools can yield enormous benefits when done correctly — allowing companies measure ROI & refine spending habits effectively while gaining valuable insight into what combination of strategies generate the highest returns. This helps businesses stay ahead of their competition by investing smarter instead relying solely on guesswork or outdated simplified models and approaches.

The Growing Role of Virtual Reality in Ecommerce

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What is Virtual Reality and How Can It Be Used in Ecommerce?

Virtual reality (VR) is an immersive environment that uses digital technologies to simulate physical objects and locations, creating an artificial 3D world. This technology has been used for years in gaming and entertainment, but it is now making its way into the ecommerce field. In this article, we will explore how virtual reality can be used to benefit ecommerce businesses, as well as the potential challenges they may face when implementing VR. There is no doubt, that virtual reality in ecommerce is growing, and will become much more prominent in the future. So the importance of brands to consider how to use this technology for both ecommerce and digital marketing is indeed growing.

The Benefits of VR for Ecommerce

Virtual reality has many potential benefits for ecommerce businesses. One of the main advantages of using VR is that it can create a more immersive shopping experience. For example, customers can easily view a product from multiple angles without having to physically move around or pick up the product. This can help customers make more informed decisions about their purchase. Additionally, VR can be used to create interactive experiences such as giving customers the ability to virtually try on products before buying them, thus eliminating any uncertainty about how something will look or fit on them. By creating virtual showrooms where people can explore products up close and personal, companies can make the buying process more engaging and appealing.

Another advantage of VR for ecommerce businesses is that it can reduce costs by reducing the need for physical store space and staff. Instead of having a shop with shelves filled with products, retailers can use virtual reality environments to showcase their goods. Furthermore, since everything takes place digitally via the internet, retailers don’t need to worry about stocking inventory or managing employees.

Advertising Through Virtual Reality

Immersive advertising is one of the most innovative ways companies are using VR today and this is indeed an avenue which will grow on a continuous basis. Instead of showing customers static ads, immersive ads allow them to interact directly with the product or service being advertised in real-time. This could involve experiencing what it’s like using the product or exploring different environments related to the brand itself; which all adds up to creating an unforgettable experience that’s sure to leave longer lasting impressions than traditional marketing tactics ever could.

Online marketeers have for the past few years been “stuck” with a certain set of marketing channels, which have in fact only gotten more expensive and complex over time. These channels have in particular been paid search marketing, paid shopping, paid social marketing, SEO, programmatic display marketing, referral marketing, e-mail marketing, affiliate marketing, influencer marketing, PR and offline marketing. Immersive advertising through virtual reality could be the next big channel that online marketeers will be exploring over time, but the pace of the usage will of course depend on the adoption of the overall industry. One thing is for certain, it will become a large marketing channel eventually – otherwise it doesn’t make any sense that Meta at this moment in time is deploying most of their resources on the Metaverse, which is a platform in which they expect a large part of their ad revenue to come from in the future.

Potential Challenges Faced When Implementing VR

While there are numerous benefits associated with implementing virtual reality in ecommerce business models, there are also some potential challenges that should be considered before taking the plunge into this new technology. Firstly, many users may not have access to appropriate hardware or software needed to take full advantage of the virtual reality experience offered by certain websites or platforms. Therefore businesses must consider strategies on how they intend to make these tools available to their customers if they choose to implement them in their operations. The overall digital infrastructure that we’re seeing in even the developed world has also not been ready for a large scale virtual reality ramp up in the past years; however, with the introduction of more AI technologies, a faster roll-out of 5G on a global basis, etc., we will see the adoption of the technology pace up in the coming years – more thoughts on the megatrends of 2023 can be found here.

In addition, there may also be unforeseen technical issues that arise when trying to integrate virtual reality into existing operating systems or frameworks which could lead to significant delays or financial losses if not addressed promptly. Finally, given that many users are still unfamiliar with how virtual reality works and its various applications due to its relative novelty compared other technologies currently available on the market today; companies may have difficulty convincing consumers about its value proposition compared other less expensive alternatives like traditional web-based shopping experiences..

Conclusion

While there are many benefits associated with utilizing virtual reality in ecommerce businesses such as increased immersion for customers and reduced overhead costs for retailers; there are also several challenges that must first be addressed such as accessibility issues related hardware/software availability and technical integration difficulties as well as consumer education concerns surrounding consumer awareness about this technology’s value proposition versus traditional methods of online shopping. Virtual Reality will become a large ecommerce channel – and digital marketing channel – on a prospective basis, but the pace completely depends on the consumer adoption speed of the technology and the associate software.

How To Optimize Your E-Commerce Website Speed

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Website speed is a critical factor in e-commerce, as it can significantly impact a business’s bottom line. A fast-loading website can lead to increased conversion rates, higher customer satisfaction, and better search engine rankings. On the other hand, a slow website can lead to lost sales, frustrated customers, and poor search engine visibility. In this article, we will go through how to optimize your e-commerce website speed by first exploring the importance of website speed in e-commerce and how businesses can optimize their website to improve performance.

Enhanced Conversion Rates

First, let’s look at the impact of website speed on conversion rates. A study by Akamai Technologies found that a delay of just one second in page load time can lead to a 7% reduction in conversions. This means that a business with a website that takes 5 seconds to load could be losing 35% of potential sales due to slow page load times. Additionally, a study by Google found that 53% of mobile users will leave a website that takes longer than 3 seconds to load. This highlights the importance of website speed for businesses that want to convert visitors into customers.

Improved Customer Satisfaction

Website speed also plays a role in customer satisfaction. A slow-loading website can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction among customers. This can lead to negative reviews, social media complaints, and a decrease in brand loyalty. On the other hand, a fast-loading website can lead to a positive customer experience, which can lead to increased brand loyalty and repeat customers.

Better Search Visibility

Finally, website speed is a critical factor in search engine optimization (SEO). Google and other search engines use website speed as a ranking factor in their algorithms. This means that a fast-loading website is more likely to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs), while a slow-loading website is more likely to be buried in the SERPs. This can lead to a decrease in organic traffic, which can significantly impact a business’s bottom line.

So, how can businesses optimize their website speed? Here are a few tips:

  1. Optimize images: Images can take up a significant amount of space on a website and can slow down page load times. Optimizing images by reducing their file size can significantly improve website speed.
  2. Use a content delivery network (CDN): A CDN can help to distribute website content across multiple servers, which can help to reduce page load times.
  3. Minimize the use of scripts and plugins: Scripts and plugins can add functionality to a website, but they can also slow down page load times. Minimizing the use of scripts and plugins can help to improve website speed.
  4. Use a website speed testing tool: There are various website speed testing tools available, such as Google PageSpeed Insights, that can help businesses identify issues that are impacting website speed.
  5. Keep software and plugins updated: Outdated software and plugins can also slow down website speed. Keeping software and plugins updated can help to improve performance.
  6. Optimize the code: Optimizing the code of the website can help to improve the website speed.

In conclusion, website speed is a critical factor in e-commerce. A fast-loading website can lead to increased conversion rates, higher customer satisfaction, and better search engine rankings. On the other hand, a slow website can lead to lost sales, frustrated customers, and poor search engine visibility. Businesses can optimize their website speed by optimizing images, using a content delivery network, minimizing the use of scripts and plugins, using website speed testing tools, keeping software and plugins updated and optimizing the code. By taking the time to optimize website speed, businesses can improve their bottom line and provide a better customer experience.

10 E-Commerce Trends You Need To Know In 2023

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E-commerce has been on the rise for years, and the trend is expected to continue in 2023. As more and more consumers turn to the internet to shop, businesses are adapting to meet the demands of the digital marketplace. Here are a few e-commerce trends to watch for in 2023.

1. Increased focus on mobile optimization

With more and more people using their smartphones to browse and shop online on a global basis, businesses will need to ensure that their websites and apps are optimized for mobile devices. This means that websites will need to be designed with a mobile-first approach, and apps will need to be designed with a user-friendly interface, even in developing markets where the focus has been higher on desktop historically.

2. Personalization

In 2023, businesses will increasingly use data to personalize the shopping experience for customers. This can include things like personalized product recommendations, targeted persona marketing, and customized pricing. By using data to personalize the shopping experience, businesses can increase customer engagement and loyalty.

3. Social commerce

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are becoming more and more popular as a way to shop – within the platforms. In 2023, businesses will look to capitalize on this trend by using social media platforms to sell their products directly to consumers. This can include things like “shoppable posts” on Instagram and TikTok, which allow users to buy products directly from the app.

4. Same-day delivery:

As e-commerce continues to grow, consumers will demand faster delivery times. In 2023, we can expect to see more businesses offering same-day delivery as a way to meet this demand. This will require businesses to invest in logistics and delivery infrastructure, such as warehouses and delivery networks in close proximity to the users.

5. Augmented reality:

Augmented reality (AR) technology is becoming more and more sophisticated, and businesses will look to use it to enhance the shopping experience in 2023. This can include things like virtual try-on for clothing and makeup, as well as virtual tours of real estate properties.

6. Voice commerce:

With the increasing popularity of voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home, voice commerce is expected to become more prevalent in 2023. This will allow consumers to make purchases using just their voice, making shopping more convenient and hands-free.

7. Subscription-based models:

Subscription-based models have been growing in popularity in recent years, and this trend is expected to continue in 2023. This can include things like subscription boxes, where customers receive a monthly box of curated products, as well as subscription-based streaming services.

8. Artificial Intelligence:

As AI technology gets more sophisticated, businesses will use it to improve the customer experience by personalizing product recommendations and automating customer service.

9. Larger branding investments:

Since performance marketing has become very complex and expensive compared to just a few years ago, there will now be a much larger focus on brand building, as companies need to be able to convert more expensive online traffic, more efficiently and effectively. Building and growing a D2C brand from scratch through pure ‘cheap’ performance marketing that allows you to get a large reach is no longer an options – and people have also become too fed up with simple D2C brands that doesn’t have a deeper brand narrative that goes beyond the standard price / quality narrative.

10. Customer retention:

Since it has becoming expensive to acquire new customers due to the increased marketing costs, and all the other targeting and tracking challenges, which have become more profound in the past years, it is now more important than ever that the customer lifetime value of your customers are to increase. Becoming profitable on the first order is quite complex nowadays, so it will become important for companies to figure out how they can increase the retention rate of their customers, thereby also increasing the customer lifetime value. This usually happens by facilitating repeat purchases of the same products, or by having a larger assortment, or more categories, that customers can purchase on a continuous basis.

Overall, the e-commerce industry is expected to continue to grow in 2023, and businesses will need to adapt to meet the demands of the digital marketplace. This will include things like mobile optimization, personalization, social commerce, same-day delivery, augmented reality, voice commerce, subscription-based models, AI integration, more branding focus and further investments in customer retention. As technology and consumer behavior continue to evolve, businesses will need to be agile and stay ahead of the curve in order to remain competitive.

Buy Now, Pay Later: 6 Reasons Why Your Website Needs It Right Away

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As your online store get bigger and bigger, you’ll definitely want to explore new and different strategies to attract more consumers and subsequently increase the top line. Adding additional payment methods – in particular alternative payment methods (APM’s) at your website is one way to do it. The introduction of buy now, pay later (BNPL) payment methods to the market has shown its value in the last couple of years, and if you own a business where your average order value (AOV) is around the $100 mark or more, then this is absolutely something that you should be considering.

What is buy now, pay later?

Buy now, pay later allows your customers to make purchases right away while paying over time through instalments, allowing you as a business to get paid upfront and in full without taking the risk of potential defaults. It’s a fantastic approach to make high-ticket consumer products and services more affordable while also increasing your overall cart value and pleasing existing and new consumers with greater financial flexibility. The immense benefit that the payment method is providing makes have made more and more business adopt it in the past years.

But how does BNPL exactly work, and how can it benefit your business? In this article, I’ll go through everything you need to know about the payment type, and what you should be aware of prior to adopting it to your business.

How does buy now, pay later work and which providers can you choose?

The name says it all. Buy now, pay later services are a credit payment structure that gives consumers greater financial control and purchasing power by being allowed to pay over time through instalments. You as a business are essentially allowing consumers to purchase your products or services today and make payments in stages, which gives them more freedom to shop your site as less capital has to be provided up front. BNPL payments are usually divided into four to six interest-free instalments, but the payback time really differs from provider to provider, from industry to industry, and the like.

To start accepting BNPL on your E-Commerce site, you must pick between a number of different BNPL providers, such as Affirm, SplitIt, Afterpay, Klarna and ViaBill. Depending on where you are located, you may select from a variety of alternatives, and in case you are targeting customers in multiple countries, you might even want to add several different BNPL providers to your website. Shoppers can then pick the provider that works best for them, finish the transaction, and start making payments over time. Your business will always get the full payment upfront, minus the fees that the payment providers requires.

The 6 reasons for why you should add BNPL to your online store

1. Large opportunity to drive more revenue

Adding BNPL to your store will most likely allow you to tap into a new audience base, that might not have been as likely to purchase from you in the past in case your products or services are in the more expensive side of the cost spectrum. This is especially seen in the furniture and home decor industry, consumer electronics, high-end fashion, and the like. When consumers are allowed to split their payments, they’re more likely to make larger purchases. A $2,000 item is far more appealing when it can be divided and paid in ten $200 instalments.

2. Increased average order value (AOV) and conversion rate (CR)

Numerous studies have assessed and concluded that BNPL increases the average order value, and in particular the conversion rate, on higher value items. Buy now, pay later is a clever technique to split the total sum of your clients’ purchases. When consumers fill up their carts, the total may mount up to be quite significant. Knowing they have the option of dividing their bill interest free encourages them to keep shopping, increase the basket size, and completing the purchase.

3. Minimum risk for you

From the standpoint of the business adopting the payment method, one of the most worrisome aspects regarding completing online purchases before receiving payment is what would happen if the consumer did not pay – i.e., defaulted. Because you’ll always receive the full payment up front with BNPL, this danger is minimized. BNPL pays you straight and takes care of non-paying clients. Most BNPL providers even cover the risk of fraud and chargebacks, so the risk is really minimal. Of course, since the BNPL provider takes up the full risk, this will also be reflected in the fee that they will charge in order for you to be able to apply their service.

4. More flexibility at checkout

Consumers are generally becoming more demanding when it comes to having more payment options available on a website. Combining BNPL with other payment alternatives gives shoppers greater financial freedom and may also increase the possibility for repeat purchases and hence als the life time value (LTV) of your customers. They’ll appreciate the option to select, and you’ll gain customer acquisitions and loyalty in return over time.

BNPL’s popularity is on the rise, with more and more online businesses adding it as a convenient payment option. As your competitors implement this popular payment method and include BNPL on their websites, you don’t want to be left in the dust. This may result in missed sales opportunities and reduced consumers loyalty. For more information about payment methods in general, you can read this article about ‘The 6 Most Common Online Payment Options’ and for information about local payment methods across multiple countries, I’ve also created the following article: ‘Local E-Commerce Payment Methods To Consider When Internationalizing’.

Additional marketing value is also something that should be considered. Some providers will add your products to their online network once you connect their BNPL to your store, allowing visitors of their website to get introduced to your brand. Klarna as an example have their own shopping universe, where your products could be featured as well.

6. Increased trust

As mentioned in one of my other articles about trust badges, payment methods added to a website do also create value as a trust badge. When consumers see trustworthy, reputable payment method being available on a website, this will also increase the general consumer trust towards a brand. Considering how much the demand for BNPL solutions have increased in the past years, and how large some of the providers have become (e.g., Klarna, Afterpay, and the like) these providers will only increase the trust towards your site further.

The 5 most effective types of e-commerce offers and promotions

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Running promotions and offering deals from time to time is very common within the consumer space, and is sometimes a necessity in order for your business to succeed in case your brand pull isn’t large enough for the business to run without any types of deals or promotions. The most popular and highly successful deal and promotion types will therefore be outlined in this article, so that you know what to consider when pursuing certain campaigns throughout the year. Please note, what we cover here are the deal / promotions types and structures, and not the campaign theme’s themselves. For information about which types of campaigns you can run throughout the year and combined with some of the offer types that are outlined in this article, I suggest that you read the following article: ‘The Complete E-Commerce Marketing Calendar for 2022‘.

Percentage discount

A percentage discount is flexible; you may give a specific percentage value off of a particular product or the entire purchase. You can grab your consumers attention by using smaller percentage discount values (such as 10% off or more), while bigger discounts (think +50% off or more) are ideal for large sales seasons like Black Friday or to simply liquidating slow moving unsold items.

If you sell goods on your Shopify store, I recommend choosing between giving a percentage or dollar discount for each item. Use a percentage price reduction if the item you’re discounting originally costs less than $200. If it costs more than $200, use a dollar discount instead. This approach helps customers see the most value for their money.

Dollar value discount

Offering a dollar-value reduction, such as $10 off, may make customers feel like they’re receiving “free money” rather than simply saving it through a percentage discount. There is no doubt that adding strong discount values to your site can increase the conversion rate and the overall revenue value quite substantially.

You can either make the offer permanent or contingent on how much a customer spends, for example, by offering $10 off orders over $100 and $25 off orders over $150 at the same time. The latter approach may help you increase the average order value by encouraging consumers to put more items in their carts to receive a bigger discount.

It’s important to remember that such strong percentage or dollar value discount campaigns can reduce your margins significantly, and your brand is also at the risk of being diluted if the discount values are too large, and/or if the frequency of your discounted campaigns are too high.

Buy One, Get One – BOGO

The acronym BOGO stands for “buy one, get one.” A BOGO discount might be expressed as “Buy one, get one 50% off,” whereas another option is “Buy two shirts at full price and receive the third for $10.” This deal format encourages customers to buy additional items and spend more than they had initially intended.

Free gift with purchase

Another excellent approach to increase sales is to provide a free gift with purchase. For brands which are hesitant when it comes to offering discounts, this is an excellent way of increasing conversions by framing the “discount” as a gift with purchase – it is essentially the same as a BOGO campaign, just framed differently. Offering items as gifts is also a great method to sell unsold inventory. This present can be a mystery or something that is transparent when purchasing; however, according to studies published in the University of Miami, offering a mystery gift with purchase has the potential to boost the conversion rate even further compared to if the gift is presented upfront, in certain industries.

I recommend including a free present when a purchase minimum is met. This encourages consumers to add more products to their cart, thereby increasing the average order value of the purchase. Furthermore, the Journal of Marketing discovered that individuals who received a product for free discussed it 20% more than those who paid for it — this is essentially also free word of mouth advertising!

Free shipping

Free delivery can be one of the most successful kinds of deals, and something that I would almost always recommend to do – as a fixed strategy. One of the primary reasons customers abandon their carts before finishing checkout is because of high shipping fees. While many shops always provide a free shipping option, offering limited-time discounts on shipping charges as a special promotion for those who don’t may be a smart idea. You may as an example always have free delivery if a certain threshold is met, and the from time to time have free delivery on all orders, if the conversion rate is to be boosted further from time to time.

An interesting fact is that customers are more likely to accept a free shipping incentive than a $10 total purchase discount, even if the cost of delivery is less. Even if shipping charges are lower than $10, customers may find a free shipping deal more appealing, and if the free shipping is dependent on a certain order value, you may use this as an instrument to increase the average order value. Making sure you have the appropriate ecommerce fulfilment approach in place so that the experience of the free shipping is smooth for the customer. A bad shipping experience can often result in bad reviews, and ultimately also in the customer not returning even though the products expectations are met.

The Benefits of Shopify – 11 Reasons Why You Should Choose This Platform

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It’s not an easy choice when it comes to selecting an e-commerce platform, especially if you want it to be cost-effective while also having outstanding assistance and the ability to be scalable for the future. As of 2021, there are numerous E-Commerce platforms available on the market, including Shopify, Magento, PrestaShop, WIX and WooCommerce – each of which have their pros and cons. Shopify, however, is in my opinion the absolut best platform to go for when starting from scratch, and here’s why.

1. Extremely Quick/Easy to Set Up and Utilize

Shopify makes it simple to set up an e-commerce store without the issues that comes with having your own servers or development expenses that come with self-hosted platforms like Magento. The admin interface is simple and user-friendly, and it’s quite easy to understand, meaning that even if you don’t have experience with operating an e-commerce platform, then you will most surely learn it quite quickly by using Shopify.

2. No Tech Worries Whatsoever – Focus on What Matters!

Some great news! To establish a basic Shopify store, you don’t need any technical expertise; Shopify does everything for you. Not only is this convenient, but it’s likely that Shopify’s hosting will be faster and more secure than what you could achieve on your own, as well as easily accommodating any spikes in traffic. The Shopify app updates are also handled by the platform. So you can concentrate on on building your brand and promoting your products / services without having to worry about technical difficulties.

3. Reliable and Secure Platform

If you run an E-Commerce business, you’ll be handling delicate consumer information such as credit card numbers and impatient customers. This implies your website must be quick, safe, and always accessible. One of the biggest benefits of using a hosted solution is the degree to which it is reliable. The hosting for your store will be handled by Shopify. It will maintain and upgrade your site and shopping cart to ensure that they are accessible at all times, and that pages load quickly.

Shopify includes a secure connection with SSL certificates, which can be used to encrypt all data and send it via a secure link. Shopify also takes care of PCI compliance for you (needed when dealing with credit cards).

4. Accurate Marketing Tracking

For many, this might not seem as an obvious variable when considering which E-Commerce platform to go with, but it is in fact a variable that is of utmost importance. Having accurate tracking when it comes to ones marketing activities across various platforms (e.g., Facebook advertising, PPC, etc.) is extremely important in order to navigate your business in the right direction, and Shopify does allow you to plug in most of your marketing platform seamlessly, ensuring that the tracking is properly in place from the beginning. When using more open source based platforms like Magento, or when building a store from scratch, there are much greater risks associated with getting the integrations done inadequately, resulting in your tracking being off, which ultimately results in you operating blindfolded. I am personally aware of two major E-Commerce brands, which purposefully switched to Shopify mainly due to the need for more accurate and reliable tracking.

5. Mobile Optimized From The Beginning

Today, mobile visits to websites are more common than desktop visits. It is critical, not optional, to have a mobile optimized website. Shopify understands this. All of Shopify’s themes are mobile responsive and the platform includes a free built-in mobile commerce shopping cart, ensuring that your store looks great on all devices and your consumers can shop without any hassles.

There are also free iPhone and Android applications that allow you to manage your store on the move if desired.

6. Customizable

There are +150 Shopify themes to pick from in the Shopify Theme Store (both free and paid), as well as hundreds more on sites like ThemeForest. Each theme is also fully modifiable, allowing you to create a stunning and distinctive online store that complements your company’s image.

7. App’s For Almost Everything

The app store for Shopify is a gold mine of capabilities that you may use to enhance your business. You can add customer feedback, loyalty programs, purchase wishlists, receive detailed statistics, print labels and packing slips, connect with accounting software, shipping systems, and social media sites, among other things. Over 1,500 apps are available, so whatever you want to accomplish is most likely already covered. Many of them are free, but over half of them are priced.

8. Various SEO & Marketing Tools Available

It’s great to have a well performing, good looking online store, but if no one visits you’ll be closing up your business soon. Shopify has some of the most advanced Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tools available, which will assist your website rank higher in search results and allow customers to find you organically. You’ll be able to use a variety of marketing and data tools to tell where your customers are coming from, allowing you to adjust your marketing accordingly.

The Shopify app store currently includes a number of marketing resources, including social media integration, product reviews, and email marketing. Shopify offers you the option to develop discount codes by default. Gift certificates are available at the next level up. Social media icons are included in all themes. If you’re concerned about the amount of time it takes to manage digital marketing, Shopify Kit is also available to assist. It serves as a virtual employee, suggesting and executing marketing activities based on your items, audience, and store performance.
For more information about SEO tools that you should consider to use, i suggest you go through the following article: ‘Best Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tools For E-Commerce‘

9. Standard Abandoned Cart Recovery Flow

What if a customer adds something to their basket but then leaves without making a purchase? According to statistics, over two-thirds of potential clients will do this. Shopify offers an abandoned checkout cart recovery solution that automatically monitors and notifies these possible customers to encourage them to make a purchase; it’s an easy way to increase sales.

10. Various Payment gateways

Shopify has partnerships with numerous payment processors, but it also includes its own Stripe-powered system. If you choose this option, you will not be charged any transaction fees and will receive lower credit card processing costs. It also doesn’t need a merchant account to use. For more about payment options, please go to the following page: ‘The 6 Most Common Online Payment Options‘

11. Customer Support 24/7

Customers are another key advantage of using Shopify. Customer support at both Shopify and WordPress is fantastic. They’re accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and response time is quick, so your company is never alone. You can reach out to them by phone, email or online chat. There are also a number of community discussion boards, as well as extensive documentation in the Shopify Help Center and a host of professional Shopify University courses.

Facebook Advertising Post IOS 14.5: What To Do?

Categories Digital Marketing, E-Commerce Optimization, Paid Social Media MarketingLeave a Comment on Facebook Advertising Post IOS 14.5: What To Do?

It is critical to protect one’s privacy, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who disagrees.

That was the motivation behind iOS 14’s release—to offer customers more control over the data they (sometimes inadvertently) share with advertisers and publishers. This update has been heavily advertised via national advertising across TV, digital, and public relations.

The reality of the iOS 14 upgrade, from a marketing standpoint, is that Facebook and Instagram ad campaign effectiveness has dropped across the board. The iOS 14 release negatively impacted Facebook advertising in three key areas:

  • Targeting of Ads
  • Reporting on Performance
  • Optimization of Ads

Those three elements are critical to the success of your paid social media efforts, whether you know anything about advertising on social media—which I’m guessing you do.

We’ll go through how iOS 14 affects the Facebook advertising environment and provide you with a few pointers on how to optimize your campaigns moving forward within the constraints of iOS 14.

What Did the iOS 14 Update Actually Do?

Simply defined, Apple has reduced the amount of user activity that advertisers and app developers may track.

Cookies are not used on mobile devices the way they are on desktop computers. Instead, Apple provides something called IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers). Every iOS device is assigned a unique, entirely random ID number known as IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers). IDFA also allows you to monitor activity in apps. IDFA does not store any personally identifiable information (PII), and it may be deleted by the user at any time.

On April 26, 2021, Apple delivered the iOS 14.5 upgrade, which disabled IDFA by default. That implies that each user will have to individually enable each app for IDFA to be enabled.

Another way to look at it is that the user will encounter this prompt.

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Approximately 17% of people globally are opting into tracking, and 10% of American users have opted in, which is obviously a very low number, and a large challenge for advertisers.

This is the new reality for marketers, whether they like it or not. So, how will this change our advertising efforts?

How iOS 14 Impacts Facebook and Instagram Ads

Any reputable Facebook media buyer will confirm that performance has gone down since the April 26 iOS 14 upgrade. And this is a big deal for Facebook—the company has run multiple full-page adverts in publications like The New York Times to voice their disapproval of Apple’s decision, as well as creating a comprehensive help page on their site.

As stated earlier, the Apple update has had an impact on three key aspects of the Facebook advertising platform: targeting, reporting, and optimization. I’ll go through all three aspects in the following subsections.

Targeting

Lookalike audiences and retargeting have long been a mainstay of advanced Facebook advertising, but they’ve lately become less popular or ineffective.

The problem with retargeting is self-evident: since the vast majority of iOS users are opting out of tracking, your target audiences will be a lot smaller. If your advertising campaign was heavily reliant on retargeting website visits, you’ve probably seen a significant fall in performance. In the following section, we’ll look at how to overcome

Lookalike audiences based on data sources, such as pixel conversions (such as purchases or leads), are no longer being tracked accurately either. As a result, the quality of your lookalike audiences have most likely dropped, and so has your associated ad performance.

Reporting

Advertisers have used Facebook Pixel conversion statistics like ROAS and CPA to assess the success of their campaigns. Most advertisers have witnessed wild variances in these metrics as a result of iOS 14.5’s release.

Apple has also stated that the Private Click Measurement (PCM) protocol will result in a three-day delay in attribution data from iOS 14.5 users. This affects advertisers’ data significantly, as conversions from IOS users are reported with a long delay.

Optimization

As you probably know, sophisticated Facebook advertisers have used the algorithm to aid in the optimization of their campaigns. In other words, you give the algorithm data— conversions from your advertising—and it automatically displays ads to consumers who are comparable to those who have converted before.

With iOS 14, this approach is likely to fall flat. One reason is that Apple now restricts Facebook advertisers to eight “conversion events” per website, which means there are less data points for the algorithm to consider during optimization. This will have a significant impact on smaller advertisers who lack access to large quantities data due to limited advertising budgets.

So, there you have it — the annoying news. However, you may still do a lot to keep your campaigns on track.

5 Actions You Can Take to Combat iOS 14

If you’re ready to take action and address the concerns caused by iOS 14, here are a few ideas for you.

1. Verify you domain

Use the instructions in this article to validate all of your Facebook Business Manager domains. This is a hint to Facebook that you are authentic, so if you have any account difficulties, it will be beneficial.

2. Use re-engagement audiences

The data from Facebook users who are still active on the site allows marketers to create re-engagement audiences. These include targeting individuals who have engaged with your content or Page in the past, people who have watched one of your videos, and individuals who have clicked on an ad.

If third-party data is unavailable or limited, you may always attempt your luck with Facebook’s own first-party data.

3. Explore new audiences via whitelisting

If your Pixel lookalike audiences are no longer returning results, test Lookalikes based on the followings of your influencers. To gain access to their followers / audiences, you’ll have to use whitelisting, which comes with a slew of other advantages.

4. Develop fresh ad creative featuring UGC

If you don’t have a lot of targeting choices, one of the most effective ways to improve your results is to improve the creatives for your Facebook ads. Incorporating user generated content (UGC) into your ad creative works for a lot of brands when it comes to ROAS.

Trying out a variety of types of UGC, from unboxing films to product evaluations to lifestyle photographs, will help you A/B test various ideas and see how your users react to the content.

5. Implement the Conversions API

Since many of the problems are due to the Facebook Pixel itself, you may input data directly from the server to Facebook using the Conversions API. Such implementation require tech resources; however, there are numerous guides for how to use the Conversion API, and the implementations is not too complex.

Local E-Commerce Payment Methods To Consider When Internationalizing

Categories E-Commerce Optimization, InternationalizationLeave a Comment on Local E-Commerce Payment Methods To Consider When Internationalizing

Understanding the best payment options for online enterprises targeting a global audience is critical, yet in order to sell in certain local areas, you must first understand how preferences differ from one region to the next. Some markets, for example, have a stronger preference for cards, whereas others prefer eWallets.

There are numerous methods of payment which are used globally, which aren’t necessarily similar to the “usual suspects”, which I’ve written an article about here.

In a country, local payment methods can vary from 10% to 50%, so keep that in mind when building an E-Commerce presence in a new market, especially if it’s an “exotic” territory compared to your home market.

Europe

In general, most European buyers prefer cards or eWallets for their online purchases, with different markets showing distinct preferences for certain online payment methods.

PayPal is popular in Germany, with 32% of online consumers using it. In comparison, just 16% of French customers use PayPal. Germans are also quite fond of SEPA Direct debit, which they utilize for one-time and recurring payments alike. SOFORT and Klarna is also very popular in the German market.

In the Netherlands, iDEAL is the most popular payment option, with 44% of consumers selecting it as 2Checkout’s 2019 digital benchmarks report shows. It comes as no surprise that online customers like iDEAL, a standard internet banking-based payment method with a high adoption rate on the internet.

By contrast, in countries with a lower banking penetration, such as Russia, eWallets are more widely embraced. In Russia, payment methods include Qiwi wallet, Yandex Money and WebMoney.

Shoppers in France, which has a high degree of banking penetration, may pick their cards. However, as a merchant, you must still be aware of their preferences. According to 2Checkout’s benchmark research, 14% of customers here prefer Cart Bancaire, a local payment option that is only available in this market.

In Turkey, 17% of consumers prefer local credit cards, but they do so because these local credit cards have installment capabilities. Here, 80% of card transactions are done using installment cards.

North America and Latin America

In the Americas, credit cards and debit cards continue to be the most popular online payment methods, with over 50% market share in each region. Beyond cards, however, preferences differ considerably.

Most North Americans use their PayPal or other preferred digital wallet, whereas most South Americans rely on a local credit card with installments. In Brazil, for example, almost a third of internet buyers opt for local credit cards with installments. If you’re selling on the Brazilian market but haven’t set up Boleto Bancario payments yet, it’s time to call it a day. Brazilian consumers use a variety of alternative payment options, with 13% paying with their Boleto Bancario and 28% utilizing local credit cards that include payments. Only 20% of the cards in use here support foreign currencies, so unless your payment provider accepts these payments, you’ll need a Brazilian business partner to have a strong positioning in the market.

Asia Pacific

In the Asia-Pacific region, mobile/digital wallets are preferred by more than half of all online transactions.

When it comes to digital wallets, and shopping through mobile, Chinese consumers are the most enthusiastic, with AliPay and WeChat Pay taking up the majority of the entire market. They have over 1 billion users, a penetration rate of over 90%, and a market share of well over 90% between them. Alipay has 520 million active users; WeChatPay has 300 million active users per month, meaning that if you are to operate in the Chinese digital space, it is a prerequisite to have one or both of these payment methods. Asia Pacific’s second-favorite method is bank transfers, which follow cards.

In Japan, more than 5% of people prefer Konbini, a cash-based payment method that allows customers to place orders online and then pay in a convenience store. This is in particular a payment option which is used by individuals who don’t hold a credit card, as they can pay with cash in their local convenience store. The convinence stores include – but are not limited to – 7/11, FamilyMart and Lawson. JCB payments are also very popular among the Japanese consumers, with the card’s large usage – more than 55 million JCB cards are in use in the country.

Africa

Due to the fact that a large part of African internet customers do not have access to conventional banking services, mobile payments and e-wallets as an alternative online payment approach are becoming more popular in these areas.

Mobile wallets are popular among buyers in Africa who purchase online, yet cash on delivery is preferred in countries like Egypt, while others still use prepaid cards.

The 7 Most Common Online Payment Options

Categories E-Commerce, E-Commerce Optimization, InternationalizationLeave a Comment on The 7 Most Common Online Payment Options

One of the most important – and to many, most difficult – task you’ll face as a business looking to expand into E-Commerce markets in different geographical locations is determining which online payments are used most often. Knowing which online payment option is best for each respective market you want to enter is critical, since customers are substantially more likely to complete a purchase if they’re offered the right payment methods

I am sure you’re aware of how popular credit cards and PayPal are, but can your organization really satisfy the demands of all audiences you’re seeking to reach? If you only take the aforementioned two payment methods into considerations, then I can assure you that you won’t fulfill all customer expectations when it comes to payment methods.

Let’s take a deeper look into the best payment options online to see if you’re making any mistakes, or if you’re fully covered.

International E-Commerce payment methods

Consumers nowadays want to see a variety of payment options available on the websites of online retailers, so they can pick the one that best fits their needs. To appeal to the broadest audience, you must ensure that your site offers support for the most popular payment methods online – both on a global level, but also in markets where more localized solutions are a must.

If you’re casting a wide net and want to include any of the planet’s 4.6 billion internet users, your payment option list should certainly include:

1. Credit & debit cards

Credit and debit cards are still one of the most popular online purchasing options across the world, although their market share has been declining in recent years due to eWallets. Cards made up more than 35% of all E-Commerce transactions worldwide in 2020 and are expected to decline towards 2024 according to Statista. Cards have a stronger preference in longer established E-Commerce markets such as Europe and North America.

The popularity of cards as online payment methods was helped by the security benefits they offered – card transactions have been governed for decades by global and regional compliance standards as well as consumer protections enforced by payment processors, such as those upheld by Mastercard, American Express, and Visa.

In Western markets, credit cards have a slightly more obvious preference vs debit cards, owing to their additional capabilities. Some consumers are encouraged to use credit cards to participate in bank reward programs, for example. In the US, particularly, credit card spending influences a user’s credit rating and adds to the incentive of using it as an online payment option.

Card’s position as the number one solution in consumer preferences for E-Commerce payment methods has been challenged substantially in recent years, which will also be outlined in the following sections.

2. eWallets

eWallets, also known as digital wallets, are a type of online payment method that is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to pay for goods and services across B2C E-Commerce sites all around the world. By 2022, eWallets are expected to account for half of all global eCommerce sales.

Using an eWallet, you can pay for items without applying your credit card. Instead of customers have to enter their bank account information, they are redirected from the checkout to the eWallet’s site where they simply has to log in using their username and password to finish a transaction.

PayPal (mainly in the West), AliPay (particularly popular in Asia Pacific), ApplePay, GooglePay, WeChat, or Venmo are the most common digital wallets. eWallets may also be used with mobile wallets to take advantage of a smartphone’s biometric capabilities, which allow consumers to authenticate faster and complete their transactions faster.

3. Bank transfers

Customers may pay using their bank account and funds directly. It is seen as having a higher level of security because transactions are authenticated through the user’s bank. In essence, when chosen as payment option during checkout, a bank transfer sends the customer to their internet banking site, where they must log in and authorize the transaction.

In 2020, around 8% of worldwide E-Commerce transaction volumes were paid with bank transfers, which was mostly used in Europe.

4. Buy now, pay later

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) is a relatively new online payment method that has seen tremendous growth in the previous two years. This is a form of instant lending that more and more young consumers are seeking out.

Customers may choose to pay later, over time, without having to open a credit card for this when opting for this option. According to reports, availability of this choice at checkout has been able to persuade 30% more customers into finalizing a transaction that they would have otherwise abandoned.

Despite the fact that this alternative payment approach is still in its early stages, with just over 2% of global E-Commerce transactions in 2020, it is anticipated to grow rapidly in the coming years. Some of the payment providers which offers this payment options include SplitIt, Klarna, Bread, Viabill, and Afterpay. For more information about, I encourage you to read the following article.

5. Prepaid cards

Alternatives to credit and debit cards include prepaid cards, which are popular among unbanked people and minors, allowing users to choose a specific amount of money on the card that they can spend online when shopping.

Prepaid cards are yet to experience significant penetration in the E-Commerce market, with just about 1% of all global E-Commerce transactions currently using them. Some of the most popular prepaid cards chosen by customers include Mint or Paysafecard, which have a limited usage among users. Gaming is one industry where this payment method has seen increased use.

6. Cash On Delivery

A “cash on delivery” transaction is one in which payment is made upon delivery rather than at the time of order. Although the term “COD” commonly refers to cash on delivery, it may also refer to collect on delivery. You do not have to provide a cash payment. You may offer the amount owed with any sort of payment that the merchant or delivery company accepts, such as a credit card or money order. The payment method took up a bit more than 3% of global E-Commerce transactions in 2020, and is expected to decline quite significantly in the coming years.

The payment method is especially used in developing countries, where the fraud rate on online transactions can be quite high in certain markets.

7. Electronic checks

Acceptance of e-checks, which are subject to ACH rules, entails drawing money from a checking account. The payment is authorized directly from the user’s internet bank account and carried out in the same manner as paper checks, but quicker.

Electronic checks are popular among American companies with large sales volumes and a high average order values, as they are seen as an inexpensive online payment option. E-checks were the first Internet-based payments used by the US Treasury to make major online purchases, which may explain their popularity in areas where the payment values are very high.