With so many new online selling platforms so swiftly emerging, it is no wonder that the doors to successful online business ownership are opening up to Internet entrepreneurs ever wider with increasingly appealing options.
Almost anyone these days is capable of launching an online business, but starting one and making it successful are two separate things. To logically progress from the establishment stage to one of profitability, it is important to know the current trends in e-commerce. Below is a list of four trends that are driving e-commerce in 2014 so pay close attention – this is what the experts are doing and how they are making money online RIGHT NOW.
1. Multichannel Sales
Customer shopping patterns are becoming more fragmented which means that online businesses need to follow suit. You need to be where your customers are going to find you and that means fragmenting your marketing strategy the same way the customer is fragmenting his or her buying habits.
Having an e-commerce website just isn’t enough anymore. Small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) need to be seeking out ways to expand their online presences. This can be accomplished through means like shopping feeds with sites like Amazon and Ebay and multiple social media accounts – anything that allows them to reach out to more consumers.
2. Analyzing Metrics and Other Relevant Data
As this outward expansion and fragmentation takes place it is becoming more important than ever to keep up on the data that is relevant to an SMB’s online presence. SMB owners need to be aware of how well their marketing strategies are working on different platforms. The most important piece of the puzzle is how well the main website is fairing since the goal of having an offsite presence is always to drive traffic back to the primary business website.
3. Responsive Web Design or Mobile Sites
If an SMB has the choice between the two, building a responsive website is the best option. It decreases overhead and allows administration for one site, not several. Having multiple sites for the purpose of capturing traffic on multiple devices is becoming an antiquated strategy. It also causes the search engines to index your sites individually which can provide a skewed picture of the overall metrics.
Your site should be optimized for mobile users and have checkout capabilities that are mobile-optimized, but a smartly-designed responsive website will cater to all users, whether they are using a tablet, smartphone, desktop PC or laptop. Mobile users now account for about 1 in 8 page hits. Take this trend seriously as that figure will only increase over time.
4. The End of Traditional SEO
The rules of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) have changed dramatically over just the part 18 moths or so and Google is always tweaking their system to create a better experience for their users. With that in mind, if a business website hasn’t been updated to meet the current requirements of the major search engines, that site is losing traffic and ultimately losing money. Period.
The old ways just don’t work anymore. Seeding with keywords to enhance rankings is ineffective. Today, it’s all about content. Websites MUST generate meaningful, high-quality content that is relevant to the target demo if it is going to get Google’s attention and rank high.
These few trends are among the most noteworthy as we make our way through 2014 and will likely retain their relevance well into the future. Take them seriously and organize your marketing strategy around them.
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- Could your Scottish start-up benefit from a new digital grant? - August 13, 2015
- Does Google care if your website is responsive or not? - August 11, 2015
- Three powerful tips to boost your ecommerce conversions - June 15, 2015
- How Googles algorithm changes influence web design - June 7, 2015
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