Open Source eCommerce: Weighing the Pros & Cons

Open Source eCommerce: Weighing the Pros & Cons

by | Feb 26, 2021 | eCommerce, Technology

When it comes to running an eCommerce business, there are two types of website software platforms you can choose to power your shop with: open source or software as a service (or SaaS). Their main differences have to do with capabilities and cost. Neither is objectively better; which platform works best for you will depend on your business needs and your budget. 

eCommerce retail sales topped 4.13 trillion USD in 2020, and they’re set to keep climbing, according to Statista. As online shopping continues to grow, more and more businesses are seeking information on these two platform types, specifically what benefits they each offer and what makes them different from one another. 

What Is Open Source?

Open source is a type of software platform that is powerful and deeply customizable because its source code can be overridden, or edited. You buy it (some instances are even free to use), install it, and host it on a server, either on the same premises as your business is located, or from a hosting company or leased in the cloud from a firm providing that service. Like anything, you get what you pay for: free versions are sometimes stripped down to the basics and don’t include all the features that you may need to run your business. 

The big differentiator with open source is that you manage everything yourself—or pay a third-party provider to. As they say, with great power comes great responsibility. So unless you have developers/programmers on staff, you’ll likely need support from a development agency with building and maintaining your open source eCommerce website.

What Open Source Platforms Are There?

Magento is one of the main open source platforms, and it’s available in three versions: Magento Open Source (formerly Magento Community Edition), which is free to download; Magento Commerce (formerly Magento Enterprise Edition), which requires you to pay licensing fees in exchange for advanced features and ticket-based support; and Magento Commerce Cloud, which is the paid version with cloud-hosting included in the license fee. Other open source platforms include WooCommerce, OpenCart, PrestaShop and Shopware.

The Pros of Open Source

Flexibility Through Complete Customization

Open source platforms are highly customizable, which means they offer a large degree of control regarding the shopping experience. This is because powerful features can be built by overriding source code, making them great for businesses with very specific, niche needs. For example, with many fashion eCommerce businesses wanting to provide advanced technologies like virtual fitting rooms, this makes open source platforms an enticing option. The only limit is your developers’ abilities, your imagination and, of course, your wallet.

Unlimited Selling Potential

There is virtually no limit to how much or what you can sell with an eCommerce site built on an open source platform. You can start at any size and keep growing. This is great for auto aftermarket websites in particular, as they tend to run their product numbers into the hundreds of thousands.

Community Support

Open source platforms are built and monitored collaboratively, by developer communities, with programmers sharing ideas freely online in blogs and forums. These supportive environments can be great for fostering creativity, solving problems and generally building amazing websites. However, the level of this collaborative access can be determined by whether or not you pay a licensing fee for your version of the platform.

The Cons of Open Source

Complexities Can Keep People Out

Generally, open source platforms are created for and by software developers and programmers, meaning that not only the initial setup and creation of the site, but also any ongoing maintenance and functional improvements requires a developer, in-house IT department, or outside agency. There is a lot of technical knowledge that’s required to begin with, and that must be kept up with, as platforms and best practices evolve. It can be difficult or at least time-consuming, and costly for a typical merchant to manage these capabilities by themselves

Higher Cost to Build and Maintain

The initial cost to build with open source also doesn’t include other software extensions and customizations you may need for the site to function exactly as you would like it to. The more overrides you make to the source code, the more complex and therefore often more expensive it can be to maintain. Plugins can often be incompatible with each other as they are built by different developers, and when they become outdated and unsupported they need to be replaced, which requires identifying, purchasing and installing new ones. This can mean you need to keep building new tools for promotions, merchandising and so on. Hosting provider fees can also fluctuate with usage and traffic spikes.

Security and Maintenance is in Your Hands

Open source platforms can be vulnerable to hackers. The software provider (ie. Magento) will probably provide patches. But the onus is on you the merchant (or any third party you hire) to install these patches, plus install any upgrades, fix bugs, and meet PCI Compliance (Payment Card Industry Data Security) standards, to be able to accept payments.

Interested in Learning More?

InteractOne has a team of highly skilled developers that are very experienced in building and maintaining open source platforms for a range of different types of online businesses. If you’re interested in learning more, reach out to us to discuss whether an open source platform could be right for your business.

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SaaS eCommerce: Weighing the Pros & Cons

SaaS eCommerce: Weighing the Pros & Cons

by | Feb 26, 2021 | eCommerce, Technology

When it comes to starting an eCommerce business, there are two types of platforms you can choose to power your shop with: software as a service (or SaaS) or open source. Their main differences have to do with ease of customization, capabilities and cost. Neither is objectively better; which platform works best for you will depend on your business needs and your budget. 

eCommerce retail sales topped 4.13 trillion USD in 2020, and they’re set to keep climbing, according to Statista. As online shopping continues to grow, more and more people are seeking information on these two platform types, specifically what benefits they offer and what makes them different from one another. 

To shed some light on this, we’ve put together two introductory guides to these different platform types. For information about open source, check out our guide to the pros and cons of open source. Now, onto the basics of SaaS.

What is SaaS?

Software as a service, or SaaS, is software that is licensed and delivered to you by a SaaS provider. This means that the provider takes care of all of the hosting, maintenance and security that you would otherwise have to manage yourself. 

You pay for the use of the software via a monthly fee, which generally includes much of what you need to run your online business, including the eCommerce platform software itself, plus hosting, software updates and security patches. This makes SaaS a great option for businesses of a variety of sizes who may have fewer resources, but it also means constraints customizing your site from the ground up.

What SaaS Platforms Are There?

There are numerous SaaS platforms available; one of the more well-known ones is BigCommerce, which offers a more flexible, customizable type of SaaS platform popular with mid-market and enterprise brands. There’s also Shopify and Shopify Plus, which has lots of themes to choose from but limits the number of products you can sell, which can be problematic for businesses with big catalogs. Other SaaS platforms include Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Volusion and Squarespace.

The Pros of SaaS

Quick to Set Up

You don’t have to download or install anything to start a website on a SaaS platform; simply create an account and start building your store using the provider’s interface. SaaS providers usually offer many pre-built themes with drag-and-drop page-building, so no coding is required. This makes it quick and easy—depending on which software you choose and the functionality it has built in. Of course, quick and easy is a relative term. Many merchants will engage with a development agency to build their SaaS site, to take advantage of their expertise and previous success with building and maintaining other stores. Generally, stores on SaaS platforms can launch quicker than those on open source platforms, even if you work with an agency, because they’re not being built from scratch and there is generally less need for customization.

Much of the Site Maintenance Is Done For You

Most of the technical details—software updates, hosting, site maintenance and security—are managed for you by the SaaS platform provider. This is good for businesses that don’t have a lot of technical knowledge nor the budget for extra professional help. It’s all managed through cloud-based delivery for a monthly fee. This makes it user-friendly and simple to maintain. It also means that the merchant can focus on running and growing the business, as opposed to focusing on the nuts and bolts of site maintenance.

More Stability and Reliability 

Open source platforms can have issues relating to extensions or plugins, as they are built by different developers and can be incompatible with each other. They also become outdated and unsupported and need to be replaced when new versions of the platform are released, which requires identifying and installing updated extensions. With SaaS platforms, there’s less risk of update-related breakages and security breaches. This provides merchants with peace of mind, as there’s less risk of lost revenue and reputation issues due to the site being down or security-related issues.

The Cons of SaaS

Lack of Customization

Without the ability to override source code, which you can do with open source platforms, there can be limitations to customizing a SaaS platform website. Platforms such as BigCommerce do provide some openness through APIs, though these customizations, like on open course sites, do require some programming investment. It’s likely that you will still require further apps and extensions not included in the software, to get the full functionality that you need and want. For example, BigCommerce partners with a number of providers for functionality such as payments, shipping, site search, etc. Shopify’s model provides these services themselves or via a proprietary software stack. If flexibility and providing an innovative customer experience is important to you, some SaaS platforms may not offer enough capabilities for your business or you may be forced into using a functionality provider not of your choosing.

Limited process and capacity

Some SaaS platforms have limited processing and SKU capacity. They can also decide what types of products a business will or will not sell using their platform, and they can change their minds whenever they like. This means that some stores start on a SaaS platform and then find they have to migrate to open source when they get too big, or when they want to sell something that’s not permitted by their SaaS platform. Some merchants have been given only a few weeks to move their sites to other platforms after their SaaS provider decides to no longer allow the sale of their type of product (for example firearms or cannabis products).

Less Choice of Features and Products

With many SaaS alternatives, you have to work within the confines of the platform. Some platforms don’t let you choose certain apps or features, meaning you’re locked into whatever they’ve selected. For example, Shopify has a proprietary payment provider. You can choose another payment provider but Shopify will charge a transaction fee of 2% of every sale that uses gateway. They also don’t allow access to certain features like multi-currency.

Extra Cost for More Functionality

As with most things in life, when it comes to eCommerce platforms, you get what you pay for. Some SaaS platforms bundle functionalities and services, making it easier to estimate costs and capabilities. However, often a SaaS platform will appear inexpensive, but that is because it provides very limited functionality (it’s how they afford to keep the price low). This means that you often end up having to pay for and install additional apps later on, to get the full functionality you require to run your store. The upside is you can start with a basic site and add functionality as you grow and based on need. The downside is that these costs can add up over time, sometimes unexpectedly.

Want to Find Out More

InteractOne has a team of highly skilled developers, site architects and solutions specialists who are very experienced in building and maintaining SaaS platform eCommerce sites for a range of different types of businesses. If you’re interested in learning more, reach out to us to discuss whether a SaaS platform could be right for your business.

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UPDATED: Unique eCommerce Challenges Facing the Supplements Industry

UPDATED: Unique eCommerce Challenges Facing the Supplements Industry

by | Feb 19, 2021 | eCommerce, Nutraceuticals/Supplements/Vitamins

No matter how you slice it, eCommerce is everywhere. Every day, more companies are moving their business online. This comes with some perks and some challenges. The pharmaceutical industry is no different, but the challenges for this industry are unique. Read on to discover the challenges you might face as you bring (or expand) your pharma business online — and how you can have the best chance to succeed.

Challenge 1: Heavy regulations aren’t so easy to implement online.

In doctors’ offices, hospitals and pharmacies, the world of supplements and medications is heavily regulated. But with the rise of eCommerce, many over-the-counter supplements and prescription medications can now be sold online by anyone. In fact, studies show that 66% of countries around the world have no laws in place that regulate the online sales of medicine. In the United States, authorities do have many laws and regulations in place and try to step in to make sure that the public is receiving legitimate medications from legitimate sources. Unfortunately, however, this doesn’t always happen. As a result, each month, these US regulations shut down around 1,500 websites that sell medications to consumers without appropriate safeguards.

As a retailer of supplements, vitamins or nutraceuticals, you have an obligation to stay-up-to-date with regulations and do your best to make sure your sales are legal and legitimate. If you don’t, regulatory authorities can then step in and produce a “buyers beware” message to help ensure that consumers are smart in their buying decisions. If your site runs counter to their message by selling any products with warnings attached to them you could lose credibility. 

Challenge 2: With online sales, there’s too little involvement by a healthcare professional.

Now that so many medications and supplements are available online, they’re easily accessed by anyone—whether or not there’s a doctor or pharmacist involved. This can lead to risky situations, with many people ordering supplements online without a diagnosis from a doctor or any idea of the right dosage from a pharmacist. This can easily cause supplements to be used in the wrong way or a patient taking too much of a certain supplement.

Supplements eCommerce retailers should always sell only legitimate products in recommended amounts. Failing to do so can easily land you in legal hot water. In August 2020, the FDA sent a warning letter to RX Easy Meds because they were “misbranding” their products. Before selling any supplements, vitamins or nutraceuticals online, it’s vital to check the FDA’s website so you don’t find yourself in legal hot water too.

Challenge 3: All pharma eCommerce companies must not violate HIPAA regulations.

As a supplements, vitamins or nutraceuticals retailer with an online business, you’re subject to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations, so it’s important to be aware of how to comply with them. 

HIPAA regulations can be extensive and complex. They ask companies to implement rules to protect patients’ health information, limit all sharing of confidential personal data and train all employees about security and confidentiality. As a result, you have to choose the right HIPAA-savvy eCommerce development partners so that your customers’ personal information is always secure and never exposed online or elsewhere. If you aren’t careful enough, hackers can breach your customers’ healthcare records, which can quickly send you down a road of unending legal troubles. Plus, customers are quick to abandon any company that makes them feel that their private information is at risk.

Conclusion

As your pharma company grows its eCommerce presence, you’re sure to face challenges along the way. It’s a great idea for online merchants to continually check in with legal counsel to make sure that all of their activity is above reproach. Failing to do so can quickly lead to items slipping through the cracks and then exposing a company to devastating losses. However, by knowing what’s coming and tackling those challenges in a smart way, your online sales are sure to be a success.

To find out how InteractOne can help with your supplements, vitamins or nutraceuticals eCommerce business, contact us today.

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7 Simple A/B Tests to Improve Your eCommerce Site

7 Simple A/B Tests to Improve Your eCommerce Site

by | Feb 17, 2021 | Adobe/Magento, Design, eCommerce

No matter how much time and resources you devote to building the most modern, most user-friendly automotive eCommerce website, there are always going to be features that can be improved upon. That’s where A/B testing comes in. 

 A/B testing comes down to making small adjustments to your website until you find the combination that resonates most with your audience. This means that there are few “ah-ha!” moments; with A/B testing it’s all about baby steps. But be patient, let the testing data inform you, and you will reap serious rewards. 

 Whether this is your first attempt at A/B testing or you’re already on a never-ending quest for ways to improve your eCommerce site and increase sales conversions, here are seven simple A/B tests to try for your automotive eCommerce site.

Show Your Product Alone or In Context?

Of course you are going to feature your products with great, high-res images, but what’s the best way to display them? Do users want to see the product in action or just against a solid background? A/B testing will tell you.

Product Videos

Every single bit of research and data shows that video is the future. Even the most crisp, beautiful high-res images have limitations. Video is as close as merchants can get to bring their product to life, short of having customers physically hold the parts or products in their hands. If you haven’t yet fully committed to product videos, start with a few for some select products and see how they perform. If you already have product videos, test out an auto-play option and add captions to make it accessible and to catch the eye of customers surfing your site with their sound off.

List View vs Mosaic

It’s the job of your website to make it as easy as possible for customers to find the right product. But, what’s the best way to organize your products visually? For some, a grid view is more successful. For others, a mosaic produces better results. Try A/B testing the visual layout of your product pages and compare the user engagement for a list view versus a mosaic view. You could also ultimately provide both view options via small buttons above the product results, as CARiD does, if you find that your shoppers respond well to having the choice.

BIGGER calls to action

Customers should never have to search for what they’re looking for on your page. It should always be fairly obvious where they should go for what they need. If they can’t find where to check out or add to the cart then your site is failing. Those are the two most important elements of your store and when it comes to those CTAs, bigger is better. But what design, color scheme, and wording on your buttons work best? Test it out.

Feature Contact Information

It may seem like something small, but adding your contact information can have a big impact on your conversions. Relationships are built on trust, and customer/merchant relationships are no different. Customers want to know how to get in touch with you if something goes awry. Try prominently listing your email address, phone number, and (if applicable) physical location across the top of your site and see if your conversions are boosted.

Static Image over Carousel

Carousels have fallen out of favor in recent years. Testing has shown they can often be distracting to customers, causing them to overlook details that merchants are often trying to get noticed, such as sales and new products. Automotive eCommerce customers also crave control, which auto-carousels remove. So if you’re using a carousel (banner slider) at the top of your pages, try swapping that out for a static hero image with a single, clear proposition. You may find that one bold image and message resonates more than a flurry of images and options. CARiD’s homepage is a great example, enabling shoppers to immediately enter their vehicle’s details to find the best products for their needs.

Highlight a Price Reduction

If you’ve recently reduced the price of an item, make sure your customers know about it by showing them visually. But what’s the most effective way to show them? That’s what you need to test. Perhaps it’s a ‘slashed’ price like JEGS uses on their website, different colored text, or an icon on the product image. There’s only one way to find out which works best for your site: A/B test it.

What to Prioritize With A/B Testing

You can avoid costly mistakes with your A/B testing if you know what to prioritize. Here are some things to do and keep in mind as you begin.

Test Your Most Profitable Pages First – Start where the money is. Begin testing on the pages that bring you the most traffic and the most money to build on that success.

Assign A/B Testing to a Single Person – Give one person on your team the responsibility of A/B testing management, implementation, monitoring and reporting. The term “too many cooks in the kitchen” definitely applies to A/B testing. Keep things simple and empower a single person to handle these aspects.

Don’t Forget About Mobile – Perform A/B tests on both mobile and desktop. Results for mobile can be 180 degrees off from results you see on desktop. What works for one doesn’t necessarily work for the other.

Start Big – Begin by testing the larger elements on your pages; hero images, purchase buttons, product descriptions. Don’t get bogged down with testing the smaller elements until you’ve tested the larger elements and improved those first.

Test a Single Element At a Time – Select one element at a time to test, otherwise your results are going to be skewed and you won’t be able to determine what elements that are being tested are effecting the page. 

 

Our team has a lot of experience in A/B testing to determine the most profitable outcome for automotive eCommerce websites. If you’re ready to get the absolute most out of your website, contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

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Comstar Video Case Study

Comstar Video Case Study

by | Feb 12, 2021 | Design, eCommerce, Technology

Comstar

Comstar is a manufacturer, developer and retailer of environmentally friendly, industrial strength chemical products for the trade professional. 

Comstar partnered with InteractOne to build a new Magento 2 website. This new website needed to have international reach, empower distributors and support B2B and B2C clients. 

In this Case Study video we’ll be taking a look how InteractOne created this new site as well as highlighting many of the back-end user-friendly functionalities that allow the Comstar team to manage and this high-end eCommerce site without the need of a developer. 

See the new Comstar’s website for yourself here.

Contact the certified Magento developers & their team at InteractOne here!

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What Vitamins, Supplements and Nutraceuticals Brands Must Know About Establishing A Loyalty Program

What Vitamins, Supplements and Nutraceuticals Brands Must Know About Establishing A Loyalty Program

by | Feb 11, 2021 | eCommerce, Nutraceuticals/Supplements/Vitamins

As a vitamins, supplements, and nutraceuticals eCommerce retailer, if you’re missing a loyalty program, then you’re missing a lot. In today’s day and age, loyalty programs give a unique opportunity for eCommerce stores to form deeper, closer relationships with their customers. Read on to learn all about the benefits of a loyalty program, best practices, and more — so your online store can start reaping the benefits of a loyalty program today.

What is an eCommerce store loyalty program?

A loyalty program for an eCommerce store is a customer retention tool meant to keep customers engaged and loyal to your store. This leads to loyal customers shopping on your site more often and buying in higher quantities.

Many loyalty programs offer points for every dollar spent. Once enough points are accumulated, customers can either use those points to save money on their next purchase or redeem the points for a reward. In physical stores, loyalty programs usually come via a card you scan during checkout. For eCommerce stores, however, the merchant typically asks you to sign in, which then allows your loyalty information to populate and update based on any new purchases.

How popular are loyalty programs?

The most popular type of loyalty program in America are found at grocery stores. In fact, 74% of US adults are members of a grocery store’s loyalty program. However, pharmacies are not far behind. Studies show that 70% of US adults are members of at least one pharmacy or drugstore loyalty program.

What are the best practices of a loyalty program?

As you build your pharma eCommerce store’s loyalty program, keep these five tips in mind:

Use personalization. Today’s customers don’t want generic content. They appreciate customization that makes them feel personally engaged with a brand. Developing a specific loyalty program that helps customers monitor their unique health condition and gives personalized, relevant advice and offers goes a long way.

Focus your loyalty program on your existing customers, not on recruiting new customers. When it comes to loyalty programs, 80% of income comes from the top 20% of loyal customers. That’s why it’s important to keep your existing customers satisfied with your reward program. Look at your research and analytics to see what products and offers resonate with this audience, and then keep these rewards coming.

Introduce a progressive web app (PWA) instead of a plastic loyalty card. The days of plastic loyalty cards are nearly gone, as people increasingly have more information on their phones and less in their wallets. As a result, it’s a good idea to have your eCommerce store’s loyalty program easily accessible via phone. That way, customers can see their medication reminders, notifications, rewards and more all in a quick tap. For more info on PWAs, check out a blog post  we recently wrote about how pharmaceutical brands can profit from a PWA.

Give opportunities for customers to add more to their carts. A good loyalty program should incentivize its members to add more to their carts than they originally intended. To do this, offer “double-point campaigns” (such as: “Add this to your cart today and you’ll receive double the points on your entire purchase!”) and other targeted offers.

Host social media contests. The most successful loyalty programs encourage their members to interact with their brand on social media. Give your members points if they link their Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. Then, offer rewards for participating in social media contests. This is great for your members because they get more points and freebies, and it’s great for you because you get your supplement or vitamin brand’s name out there even more.

What are the benefits of a loyalty program?

There are three main benefits of creating a loyalty program for your supplements eCommerce site:

It increases brand awareness. Loyalty programs are straightforward ways to increase customers’ awareness of your brand and store. Over time, loyalty programs lead to customers becoming more and more attached and, well, loyal. This helps eCommerce stores maintain and build customer relationships for the long haul.

It helps you track your customers’ buying habits. With loyalty programs, it’s easy to keep track of what your customers buy. This helps you better manage inventory, offer relevant sales/specials and enhance your CRM database.

It builds brand advocates. As people come back to your store more often and engage more, they become brand advocates among their network of family and friends. This word-of-mouth marketing is invaluable, as it is sometimes shown to be trusted even more than a doctor’s advice. But don’t forget: Once these brand advocates are vocal about their loyalty to your store, they must feel appreciated. You can do this by offering exclusive offers just for them.

How has COVID-19 changed loyalty programs?

Even before the global pandemic, consumer shopping behavior was happening more and more online — but COVID-19 has only accelerated this change. People are beginning to engage differently. They want to feel connected to their favorite brands and they want value that they can’t find elsewhere. For many companies, the answer to this is a stand-out loyalty program. Giving customers access to personalized information, offers and rewards goes a long way.

Ready to start — or enhance — your online store’s loyalty program?

At InteractOne, this is one of our specialties. As a senior-level Magento partner, we know Magento loyalty functionality. Plus, we partner with leading eCommerce loyalty program companies, such as Nosto and Yotpo.

To see what we can do for your supplement or vitamin eCommerce store’s loyalty program, contact us today.

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Marc Phillips Video Case Study

Marc Phillips Video Case Study

by | Feb 8, 2021 | Design, eCommerce, Technology

Marc Phillips

Marc Phillips is a leading innovator and manufacturer of decorative high-end rugs. They are headquartered in New York and Los Angeles. Marc Phillips’ rug collections are vastly-layered, yet highly-curated by their team of creatives, who breathe soul into the brand mixing laid-back livable with a sophisticated edge.

Marc Phillips partnered with InteractOne to build a new eCommerce website. One that better showcases their luxury brand and products, and provides all of its visitors with a sleek and modern user experience.

Marc Phillips new website needed to do more than showcase their products and their brand. This new website had to serve multiple masters, in that it needed to be functional and usable for their customers, distributors and partners worldwide.

In this Case Study video we’ll be taking a look how Interact One created this new site as well as highlighting many of the back-end user-friendly functionalities that allow the Marc Phillips team to manage and this high-end ecommerce site without the need of a developer.

Click here to see the new Marc Phillips website for yourself.

Click here to learn more about InteractOne and how we create amazing ecommerce experiences.

Since 1998, InteractOne has been helping our clients grow and compete online, always keeping in mind to do whats best for our clients. We build, maintain and market great eCommerce experiences.

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5 Reasons Why Customer Reviews Drive Sales

5 Reasons Why Customer Reviews Drive Sales

by | Feb 2, 2021 | Automotive eCommerce, eCommerce

Visibility leads to Trust. Trust leads to Engagement. Engagement leads to Sales.

Customer reviews play an increasingly impactful role in the success and online presence of auto aftermarket eCommerce stores. In recent months we’ve discussed customer reviews and recommended extensions for powering reviews, but one topic we haven’t explored is why you need reviews in the first place. In this blog we’ll take a look at why every auto aftermarket eCommerce website needs customer reviews, and the direct benefits they can bring.

1. Reviews Encourage Engagement With Your Site—Before and After a Sale

Reviews for your auto aftermarket products help inform the customer’s decisions. During the decision-making process, shoppers take note of what other people are saying about your products. This may even cause them to change their mind and look at a different product than the one they were initially searching for. Research shows that 70% of customers look at reviews on products and stores before making a final purchase.

Customer reviews are the ultimate user-generated content. They provide a unique level of insight on a product that a seller can’t provide, giving your product and brand true validation if a large enough number of positive reviews are flowing in. This is especially true for auto aftermarket products. Without the ability to try the products out to ensure they fit with their vehicle, your website visitors will look to reviews to learn more about the product specifications and features from unbiased individuals with first-hand experience.

2. Reviews Increase Revenue and Conversion Rates

All of the engagement, trust, and visibility that builds up with genuine customer reviews leads to increased revenue and traffic. According to Reevoo stats, 50 or more reviews per product can mean a 4.6% increase in conversion rates. And 63% of customers are more likely to make a purchase from a site that has user reviews, according to iPerceptions. Simply put, customers are more likely to convert because of review representation on products.

That’s because reviews are a form of social proof, which removes some of the friction and uncertainty of shopping online. People are much more likely to believe the third-party perspective of what their peers are saying about your product than what you wrote in your product description. Personal shopper experience trumps a seller’s sales pitch every time—especially when that shopper shares how great their customer service was, in addition to how happy they are with the product, as one shopper on CARiD did. 

3. Reviews Increase Site Traffic

Customer reviews can increase site traffic in several key ways. Adding a review schema to your auto aftermarket web store ensures that your reviews are readable by search engines. This makes your appearance in search result pages more appealing to the searcher and can make your business rank higher in the local pack when applicable. More visibility in these areas can equal more traffic. For example, AutoZone appears towards the top of Google search results for cargo liners, in part because of its excellent customer reviews.

4. Reviews Keep Your Offerings Competitive

Google, Bing, Amazon and other platforms you may use to showcase your business’s offerings all utilize reviews to show potential customers relevant products based on what they have previously searched for. Reviews are free content, but the trick is getting them from your customers. Usually, all it takes is a small reminder, and there are tools out there that will follow up with your customers for you so that you don’t let any possible reviews slip through the cracks. These include automation from review services like Yotpo to a myriad of other tools like Bazaarvoice and OutReach Frog.

5. Real Reviews Reaffirm Your Brand

Shopify has revealed that 63% of customers are more likely to convert after seeing reviews. Good reviews, bad reviews—no problem! Having an overwhelming amount of positive reviews may make your customer wonder if the reviews may not be from actual customers. That’s why you should make sure to utilize reviews of any kind, wherever possible. Advance Auto Parts does a great job of this, by featuring the most popular positive and negative reviews, to win shoppers’ trust.

JEGS also incorporates a range of reviews on their product pages, along with recommended items with similar ratings from customers.

Conclusion

Customer reviews make a dramatic impact on conversion rates and remain key to maximizing your revenue-per-visit. They add a layer of trust and legitimacy to your website and brand that no marketing initiative or campaign can purchase. This all makes customer reviews a must-have for any eCommerce brand. To learn more about how to choose and install a product review system on your auto aftermarket eCommerce site, or for assistance with how to make the most of your current system, reach out to our team of specialists.

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5 Reasons eCommerce Reviews Maximize Revenue Opportunity

5 Reasons eCommerce Reviews Maximize Revenue Opportunity

by | Jan 19, 2021 | eCommerce

Visibility leads to Trust, Trust leads to Engagement, Engagement leads to Sales.

Customer Reviews are playing a larger and more impactful role in the success and online presence of eCommerce stores. In recent months we’ve discussed customer reviews and the best extensions for powering reviews, but one topic we haven’t considered is why you need reviews in the first place. In this blog we’ll take a look at why every eCommerce website needs customer reviews and their direct benefits.

 

Reviews encourage engagement with your site, before and after a sale

Reviews for your products help inform the customer’s decisions. In the decision making process, customers take note of what other people have said about your products and may even change their mind to a different product than they were initially searching  for. Research shows that 70% of customers look at reviews on products and stores before making a final purchase.

Reviews are the ultimate user-generated content. They encourage engagement with your site both before and after the sale. Customer reviews  provide a unique level of insight on a product that a seller can’t provide giving your product and brand true validation if a large enough number of positive reviews are flowing in.

Reviews increase revenue and conversion rate

All of this engagement, trust, and visibility built up with genuine customer reviews will lead to increased revenue and traffic. Simply put, customers will become more likely to convert because of review representation on products.

  • According to Reevoo stats, 50 or more reviews per product can mean a 4.6% increase in conversion rates.
  • 63% of customers are more likely to make a purchase from a site which has user reviews. (iPerceptions, 2011).
  • Reviews produce an 18% uplift in sales (Revoo, as shared by Econsultancy)
  • 8.72% of customers won’t take action before they read some reviews.

Reviews serve as a form of social proof, removing some of the friction and uncertainty when visitors are shopping online. Shoppers are much more likely to believe the third party perspective of what their peers are saying about your product than what you wrote about it in your product description. Personal shopper experience trumps a seller’s sales pitch every time.

Reviews increase site traffic

Customer reviews can increase site traffic in several key ways. Adding review schema to your website makes sure that your reviews are readable by search engines. This makes your appearance in Search Result pages more appealing to the searcher and can make your business rank higher in the local pack when applicable. More visibility in these areas can equal more traffic.

Reviews keep your offerings competitive

Google, Bing, Amazon and other platforms you may use to showcase your business’s offerings all utilize reviews to show potential customers  relevant products based on what they have previously searched for. Reviews are free content, but the trick is getting them from your customers. Usually all it takes is a small reminder, and there are tools out there that will follow up with your customers for you so that you do not let any possible reviews slip through the cracks. Some of the tools include automations from review services like Yotpo to a myriad of other tools like Bazaarvoice and Outreach Frog.

Real reviews reaffirm your brand

Shopify has revealed that 63% of customers are more likely to convert after seeing reviews. Good reviews, bad reviews, no problem! Having an overwhelming amount of positive reviews may fill your customer with anxiety that the reviews may not be from actual customers. Make sure to utilize reviews, of any kind, anywhere possible. Best Buy does a great job of this, with reviews on products, suggested products, and services they also sell like AppleCare.

Earn More Reviews Now

Earning reviews makes a dramatic impact on conversion rate and remains a key to maximizing your revenue-per-visit. Plus, customer reviews add a layer of trust and legitimacy to your website and brand that no marketing initiative or campaign can purchase. They are becoming table stakes for any eCommerce brand. To learn more about how to choose and install a product review system on your eCommerce site or how to make the most of your current system, contact us today.

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‘GLUE’ (Giving Little Unexpected Extras), Could Be Your Stores’ Key to Success

‘GLUE’ (Giving Little Unexpected Extras), Could Be Your Stores’ Key to Success

by | Jan 6, 2021 | Apparel, eCommerce

How many times have you received a package in the mail that had a special surprise that made you smile? Maybe it was free merchandise, or gift wrapping you hadn’t asked for, or a personal, handwritten thank you note. 

As we say, a little goes a long way, and can be a huge driver of customer loyalty. That’s why Giving Little Unexpected Extras, or GLUE, is a strategy that works for many eCommerce businesses—and it could work for yours too. GLUE entails going slightly above and beyond expectations—not enough to break the bank and ruin your profitability, but enough to delight customers and build a sense of loyalty that turns one-time shoppers into long-term customers.  

There’s a spirit of generosity to GLUE that obviously bodes well for the holiday season, but which could—and should—be applied year-round. Here are six ways you could Give Little Unexpected Extras to your apparel web store customers into the New Year. 

 

  • Offer Personalization of Products
    Customized products tend to grow in popularity around the holidays, but they can also be enjoyed year-round for birthdays and other gifts. Turn your products into unique, memorable gifts by offering personalization options.

    This could mean offering embroidery of recipients’ names on clothing items like jackets or shirts, or allowing customers to choose their own unique colorways on items like shoes. Personalization options can be limited to certain high-value products or when customers reach a certain value threshold with their orders.

    Anya Hindmarch has a whole Bespoke collection, including bags, accessories and face masks that can be personalized with embroidered initials. Luggage brand Away offers stylish monogramming of their bags and suitcases for an additional fee, with options for placement, style and color of up to three letters. 
  • Give Affordable Branded Gifts or Special Merchandise
    As we said before, a little goes a long way! Stand out from many brands by including small branded gifts, samples or merchandise with orders. This could include anything from stickers, pins or pens, to tote bags or face masks. With so many options available it comes down to what makes sense for your brand, and also your budget.

    Make it economically viable by including gifts only with certain value orders, or for a limited time only. Include a note encouraging the shopper to share their purchase on social media—that way you get maximum return on investment. You could also sell this special merchandise. As your store builds a devoted following and sense of fandom in your community, branded merchandise becomes particularly covetable and encourages a sense of collectibility.

  • Make Charitable Contributions
    We’ve mentioned before how important it is to consumers today to support brands that they feel are making a positive difference. Make your customers feel like they’re part of your philanthropy or ethical commitments by supporting causes you all care about when they shop with you.

    Savvy brands nowadays are donating a percentage or set amount from the sale of certain items or sales from their entire inventory to charities or organizations they have partnered with or identified as important and relevant to their values. Some brands like Toms and Bombas are also donating items, where possible. Even savvier brands make sure to communicate their charitable commitments on their website as well as on their packaging, such as Nike, with their shoe boxes that tell their customers “you helped plant a tree,” or Allbirds, who has an all-in-one shoe box and mailing box for their sustainably made shoes. Make a difference and make your audience aware of where you stand, and build a loyal following in the process.
  • Provide Extra Support
    Have extra customer service on deck to ensure that your store goes above and beyond the norm and exceeds customer expectations. All too often shoppers are greeted by badly programmed chatbots or made to wait in a long line on the phone, while being reminded that their call is “important.”

    Instead of telling your customers that you appreciate them with an automated message, show them with warm, human interactions via phone, email, chat and direct message. Provide plenty of options for assistance—Everlane has a note on their product pages saying “Want this item today? Text us.” As we all know, actions speak louder than words, and customer service remains a powerful way to demonstrate that.

Conclusion

The season of giving doesn’t only have to occur once a year. Make a habit of giving your apparel web store customers memorable moments and you’ll find your apparel web store benefits too. Talk to us today about implementing any of these ideas and Give Little Unexpected Extras to your customers into the New Year.

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