Quick question: On your eCommerce list of daily priorities that should never be ignored, where do you rank your customer service or customer support? 

Does it come first? Or second? Or maybe it’s not even on the list of priorities?  

I know that it’s easy to think of eCommerce customer service and customer support as just another basic logistical process in your company and it might seem like a waste to invest money in your customer service and support team. 

Did you know that over a third of consumers have reported that they bought directly from a manufacturer’s website in the last year and 78% of Direct to consumer (DTC) brands increased their marketing budget compared to 60% of traditional retailers ? Direct to consumer brands are growing at fast pace as it has become easier for brands to connect directly with their customers and more consumers prefer to buy directly from manufacturer website. Check out our infographic “The Rise Of Direct To Consumer (D2C) Brands ” for latest D2C brands and customers statistics and trends.

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Understanding your competitors – whether you’re just starting out a new venture or you have a deeply rooted business – is key for the success of your business. 

Competition comes in many forms. It can either be direct or indirect. 

Direct competitors are those businesses that offer the same products as yours. Indirect competitors do not offer the same products or services like yours, but they target the same group of customers with the goal of satisfying the same need. 

So if you think about it, the definition of competition should not be restricted to products or services that look …

In this day and age, we do not expect to see eCommerce shops that do not have gift cards and wish lists features on their websites.  

In fact, this has to be one of the unwritten laws governing the world of retail eCommerce.

Regardless of the size of your online shop, your customers’ shopping experience and conversions can be enhanced just by adding those two features. 

We have come across case studies where gift cards and wishlists were the difference between an eCommerce shop that has a high conversion rate and one that has low sales.  

Folks, gift cards and …

Discount pricing, done correctly, can help you gain and retain loyal customers in both good and bad times.

But when executed poorly, it can program your customers to only make a purchase when a product is on discount. And that, obviously, diminishes your brand value.

So what is the difference between a discount pricing done correctly and one that is handled incorrectly?

Ever discounted some of your products on your e-Commerce website and watched it backfire just a few hours after activating the promotion? 

Despite your best efforts, you probably have gone through this if you have been in the eCommerce marketing space for a long time. It often seems like discounts are the no-brainer way to boost sales or to attract more traffic to both online and offline stores.

But smart marketers have come to the realization that not every discount promo will pay dividends. Some will just flop. 

Why? 

After so many years in this business, and working with e-commerce companies, in particular, it’s interesting to see how they all operate quite differently. But outwardly, and to the customer, most are just copycats of each other. 

Take any women’s clothing category page and remove the logo – is there anything different besides the selection of items and the prices? Companies focus too much on price – because that is what they believe will help distinguish them in a crowded market. 

But I’d argue we are struggling with monotony over anything. Visitors looking for a unique experience. Visitors are looking …