Category

Conversion

Fewer than 5 percent of visitors to an ecommerce site typically convert to customers. In this “Conversion” category, we offer insights to increase that percentage. Our expert contributors address ratings and reviews, social proof, site search, product page enhancements, product descriptions, checkout options, live chat, and much more — anything to help close online sales.

Analytics & Data | Checkout Tactics | Customer Retention | Customer Service | Photography & Video | Product Pages

Conversion
Consumers Want Visibility into What They Buy

May 5, 2021 • Elaine Porteous

Is that new summer dress 100-percent organic cotton? How can you prove it? What happened after the cotton was picked until the dress was delivered to the customer? Consumers have questions, and they are not getting answers.
Analytics & Data
Using Google Analytics for Continuous Improvement

April 28, 2021 • Morgan Jones

There is no shortage of articles on tips and tricks for improving Google Analytics. This article, however, will focus on using Google Analytics for its main purpose: driving continuous improvement in your business. To help, I've assembled a Data Studio template tailored to ecommerce.
Photography & Video
Using a Smartphone for Stellar Product Photos

April 25, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton

Manufacturer-supplied photos are not the greatest. Professional photographers can help tell a product’s story. However, photo sessions are cumbersome and pricey. Need an alternative? Consider a modern smartphone.
Analytics & Data
Charts: U.S. Direct-to-consumer Sales 2018 to 2020

April 22, 2021 • Anna Kayfitz

The growth in U.S. direct-to-consumer ecommerce sales continues, albeit at a slower rate. In 2018, year-over-year growth was 56.6 percent. In 2020, it was 24.3 percent.
Conversion
Ask an Expert: How Does Artificial Intelligence Impact Ecommerce?

April 13, 2021 • PEC Staff

“Ask an Expert” is an occasional feature where we pose questions to ecommerce practitioners. For this installment, we've turned to Gagan Mehra, an international ecommerce consultant and a longtime contributor, who explains artificial intelligence.
Product Pages
Product Page Headlines Drive Conversions

April 8, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton

Every product has a name. It could be short and simple or long and tedious. It can be definitive, witty, or subtle. And unless it's your company's product, you have no control over it. But there's an alternative way to grab shoppers' attention: headlines.
Photography & Video
14 Stock Photo Sites, Free and Paid

April 5, 2021 • Sig Ueland

Quality images are essential for an ecommerce site. Not only do pictures display the products, but they also establish the brand and inspire the shopper. If you don’t have the means to produce all of your imagery, stock photos are an option. Here is a list of stock photo websites.
Analytics & Data
Is Marketing Just an Art?

March 30, 2021 • Armando Roggio

Modern commerce marketing can be data-driven and repeatable. At some companies, however, marketing is unplanned and unorganized. This came up during a recent job interview when a candidate said, "Marketing isn't construction work. It is not workmanlike. It is more like art." But is it really?
Checkout Tactics
4 Pricing Strategies to Increase Average Order Values

March 22, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton

Price isn’t everything, especially for quality and niche products. When boosting average order values, take things up a notch by focusing on the overall value of each product. That, coupled with stellar service, can provide a much better return on investment.
Conversion
Will AI for Ecommerce Go Mainstream in 2021?

March 18, 2021 • Armando Roggio

Buzzwords such as "personalization" and "artificial intelligence" have been around ecommerce for years. But could 2021 be the year these technologies go mainstream? Some industry participants believe so.
Customer Retention
5 Ways to Prompt First-time Customers to Buy Again

February 22, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton

Loyal customers talk about the business and its products, driving more shoppers. So it makes sense to shift some of your marketing efforts to retain the buyers you already have. Here are five ways to do it.
Customer Retention
Want Repeat Customers? Foster Long-term Relationships

February 8, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton

Successful brands make a point of building long term relationships with customers. It’s a crucial step in a company’s growth. But it takes more than exclusive deals and special features. Here are seven ways to foster long-lasting relationships.
Conversion
Charts: Conversion Rates by Ad Channel

January 26, 2021 • Anna Kayfitz

Benchmarking digital marketing campaigns is a good way to track their effectiveness. Monitoring conversion rates will help optimize the creative, target market, placement, and channel. But a better indicator of marketing success is the cost per conversion.
Conversion
What’s the Future of Traditional Retail?

January 25, 2021 • Armando Roggio

The combination of Covid-19 lockdowns, supply chain problems, and economic woes accelerated the adoption of digital retailing in several areas of the economy. While some experts believe this will result in more individual retail businesses, it may be an indication that the traditional retail model will not work or at least not work as well in the near future.
Customer Service
Pandemic-driven Shoppers Expect More from Ecommerce

January 21, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton

The pandemic has upped consumers' digital expectations. What was once the exception is now the norm. Telemedicine, online learning, virtual meetings — all have advanced in the past year. Ecommerce stores must evolve, too, in how they engage and interact with shoppers.
Conversion
Print-on-demand Services Create Sourcing Opportunities

January 18, 2021 • Armando Roggio

Technology, software, and business innovation are enabling the print-on-demand industry to expand from second-rate t-shirts, mugs, and wall art to quality manufacturing-as-a-service solutions.
Conversion
Retail Returns Can Be Hazardous and Subject to Fines

January 11, 2021 • Armando Roggio

Booming retail sales in November and December can lead to tons of returns and exchanges in January. Some of those returned items can be hazardous and require special handling and disposal. The return of hazardous materials poses several problems for retailers, including identification, reverse logistics, and disposal.
Checkout Tactics
Resolve in 2021 to Drive More Conversions

January 7, 2021 • Pamela Hazelton

Consumer shopping habits changed drastically in 2020. Ecommerce sites experienced dramatic growth. Resolve in 2021 to capitalize on that momentum and convert more visitors. Here are three tips to help.
Customer Retention
7 Customer Retention Strategies for 2021

January 6, 2021 • Armando Roggio

Retaining ecommerce customers lowers costs and boosts profits. In 2021, customer retention could be critical. “In 2020 we saw multiple years of ecommerce growth….And when we look at [2021], the big question is 'Will this shift to ecommerce last?'"
Conversion
The Keys to More Ecommerce Conversions

December 28, 2020 • Armando Roggio

Ecommerce conversion rate optimization and user experience are complementary, but the former works best when businesses focus on shopper expectations, competitive innovation, and the industry segment.
Conversion
5 Essentials for Ecommerce Site Search in 2021

December 22, 2020 • Armando Roggio

Ecommerce site search is vital for navigation and conversions. Picking the right provider should be based on features, data, and measurability. Here are a few tips to help you decide.
Conversion
Clienteling Personalizes In-store, Online Shopping

December 10, 2020 • Gagan Mehra

"Clienteling" enables shoppers and personnel in physical stores to interact with online channels, such as web, mobile, and social. Saks Fifth Avenue, for example, has used clienteling for over five years. With clienteling, in-store associates to access an application that provides info about a shopper. The result is merchants can better serve customers and drive higher average value orders.
Analytics & Data
How to Name Product Categories

December 8, 2020 • Anna Kayfitz

Category names on an ecommerce site have a huge impact on organic search rankings and on-site conversions. To determine the right names: Start by listing all categories on competitors' sites and marketplaces. Next, add additional category names that may apply to your products. Then determine the search volume for each term.
Checkout Tactics
My Top 6 Conversion Tactics for 2021

December 6, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton

Despite the unprecedented changes in 2020, the standard ecommerce usability requirements remain constant: simplify navigation, ensure mobile-friendliness, and streamline the checkout process. But there are plenty more conversion tactics merchants should deploy heading into 2021. Here are my top six below.
Conversion
Covid and the Long Tail

November 25, 2020 • Armando Roggio

An interesting development is happening on the way to retail recovery during the covid pandemic: Brands and retailers are cutting back on the breadth of products they make and sell. In August 2020, for example, Todd Kahn, president and interim CEO of Coach, announced during an earnings conference call that the brand would slash the number of products it offered this holiday season.
Checkout Tactics
6 Tweaks to Streamline the Checkout Process

November 24, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton

Ecommerce should see significant spikes this holiday season. However, merchants must consider the need for speedy, no-hassle checkout processes to lower abandons, especially from shoppers on mobile devices. What follows are six tweaks to streamline an ecommerce checkout.
Photography & Video
15 Photoshop Tutorials for Product Photography

November 23, 2020 • Sig Ueland

Taking the photographs is just the start of compelling product images. Adobe Photoshop’s image editing suite provides plenty of tools to perfect and highlight product images against the right background.
Analytics & Data
Cookieless Browsers Will Upend Ad Tracking

November 11, 2020 • Armando Roggio

Trends toward greater consumer privacy may force ecommerce marketers to change methods of measuring performance, including turning to "marketing mix modeling," a 70-year-old technique. Most digital marketers depend on some form of multi-touch attribution modeling to measure the effectiveness of their various promotions.
Product Pages
13 Product Demo Videos, for Inspiration

November 10, 2020 • Sig Ueland

A demonstration video can introduce a product or service to an audience of prospects. There are many types of product videos, but good ones share traits. They’re simple and concise. They tell a story that involves a problem. And they relate to viewers through emotion, honesty, and often humor. Here is a list of compelling product demo videos.
Conversion
7 Quick Tips to Drive 2020 Holiday Sales

November 8, 2020 • Pamela Hazelton

Consumers will rely on online merchants more than ever during this year’s holiday season. Here are seven tips for retaining shoppers and closing more sales. 7 Tips for the 2020 Holidays Integrate ...

« Previous 1 2 3 4 … 43 44 45 Next »