Digitalization has totally changed the whole marketing scenario and got a strong foothold in the consumers’ mind who have a habit of checking out things on the go. With the launch of the mobile app, it has become significantly easier for both the brands and their target audiences to get what they actually want. It is expected that Fashion e-commerce sites which are mushrooming day by day have the potential to break all the records in the coming years in terms of popularity and profit making. Half of 2017 has passed and it will be interesting to check out some powerful trends in the fashion based e-commerce sector.
Extensive shopping experience-Omni-channel: Shopping is always fun when you can do it at your convenience. The recent retail e-commerce sites are designed keeping that in mind so that their customers can get everything and anything as per their requirements. If you follow the trend you will understand that your favorite physical store is also offering and encouraging online purchase and it has app targeting the mobile users as well. So, now retail shopping is an integrated field where various shopping methods are open for the customers.
Asia’s digital growth: The US being the key player in the online marketing guessed it right. That’s why their premium shopping portal Amazon has successfully spread its root in India. The demand and meteoric growth of online shoppers in Asia are going to give the western world a tough competition. It will be interesting to see China’s position in the coming years.
Mobile shoppers: The shopaholics are no more limited to physical stores and PC or laptop. The craze for a mobile app is increasing but turning the customers into buyers is not that simple for the retailers through a mobile app. There are many consumers who don’t rely on the security and privacy of the mobile app. The retailers should come up with more user-friendly mobile app version so that they can gain more buyers at the same time.
Myntra, a famous online portal was exclusively available only on the app version for purchasing a few years ago but unfortunately, couldn’t sustain in the race for the long run. They had to restart their site version very soon. Evidently, it reflects that Indian buyers are yet to accept ‘only on App’ strategy for fashion e-commerce. To boost the buyers, the retailers should think of some effective strategies targeting the App users only.
Story telling marketing strategy: Story leaves a strong impact on the consumers’ mind and it is tested. You must have seen many online campaigns that feature some characters leaving a strong social message. The apparel brands should shift their focus to videos sharing emotional stories to get an instant recognition and stand out distinctively in the crowd.
Biba, a renowned fashion brand had previously launched a campaign- ‘Change Is Beautiful’ to address the digital customers and got a huge response. Such appealing and engaging campaigns increase the credibility and visibility of the brand.
Chat with customers: Interactive communication plays a pivotal role in the digital world. The visitors will stay on the page for the long time when there’s someone to address their query. In some websites, you must have noticed a chat box that appears automatically when you visit their page. The same method should be applied on the e-commerce sites so that the retailers can easily turn the visitors into the customers. Sometimes buyers have doubts about the delivery and return policy and some get confused about the payment method. The best possible way to attend the customers is by incorporating the chat box.
Customized shopping: The fashion world is all about trend, size, and design. In the competitive market scenario, the more features the online stores will add the more customers they will get. As you know, the customers mostly prefer to go for a trial before buying apparel but online shoppers can’t avail this.
The sites that offer customization on all their products automatically becomes the favorite shopping destination. Additionally, the site should give the proper size chart for each product and also needs to mention the models’ height so that the customers can relate to it at a glance. This will certainly give a boost to the sales.
Fastest shipping: In 2017 when technology is so advanced the online retailers should know how to make most of it. Creating the user-friendly website is definitely a daunting task but that’s not all. Fastest shipping also matters as the consumers check the price and the delivery time before ordering the product. There’s no doubt that offering lucrative discount is the most important thing to catch the attention of the consumers but if you are able to deliver the products within a few days it will surely make a huge difference.
Most of the prime fashion e-commerce offers a same day delivery option and charge very nominal for that. Small boutique and new fashion stores should follow the same pattern and if the same day delivery is impossible then at least make sure to reach out to the buyers within 3-7 days. Additionally, the shipping status should be available on the site so that the buyers can track their ordered/purchased item.
Use of social media: Social media campaign plays the key role for all premium brands and fashion e-commerce sites should utilize this accepted platform to promote their products. Instead of sticking to Facebook and Twitter, they need to expand their reach by using Instagram, Flickr etc. You can see a lot of unknown brands using these effective tools to showcase their exclusive collection and needless to say, they are establishing their business day by day. So, in addition to investing in digital marketing, the online fashion sites should equally invest time and money on social media to grab the maximum benefits.
Running an e-commerce portal is not a joke and it’s not a single man’s task. It’s a team work where each member equally contributes to building the brand’s USP. From managing logistical things to handling the advertisements, the retailers need experienced experts.
Popular brands Like Amazon, Fashionbuzzer, Flipkart, Jabong etc. have already set up their strategy to address more and more consumers and the new comers in the league are also not far behind. Knowing the emerging trends and growth of online portals, the fashion sites should incorporate the above-mentioned game plans to establish their online existence.
Author Name – Nirdesh Singh
Age – 36 Years
Bio – Nirdesh Singh has 10 years of experience in IT sector. He decided to start his own development company in 2012 and founded Zedex Info Pvt Ltd. where he is director also. He is also co-founder of fashionbuzzer.com a fashion e-commerce portal in India. He loves to write and share about technology, startups and business very often related to his business.
Social Links –
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nirdesh-singh-976810105/