E-commerce and Christmas shopping: 6 tips from PayPlug for sales

Christmas shopping and E-commerce: PayPlug reveals to companies how to increase sales and improve customer relations

In Italy, online competition has increased significantly in recent years. Suffice it to say that between 2019 and 2020, the number of companies that have registered for e-commerce has grown by 50%, making it difficult for businesses to stand out and acquire new customers. On this topic, PayPlug, an online payments solution for small and medium-sized businesses, suggests techniques to increase the average visitor cart, maximizing revenue during the Christmas season.

Cross-selling and Up-selling

The wide range of products available on e-commerce channels leads site owners to sharpen their conversion-focused strategies more. Among the most popular techniques in both B2B and B2C are cross-selling and up-selling, which aim to get users to buy additional services or products. Cross-selling, in particular, consists in suggesting to the user products that are complementary to the one he is viewing. Up-selling, on the other hand, is based on proposing to the customer products similar to the one he has shown interest in, but with higher amounts.

Social Commerce 

One of the fundamental aspects to consider in order to increase sales and consolidate the relationship between customer and brand, is the User Experience. So much so that 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a better experience. That's why it's better to provide the user with a personalized online experience, such as differentiated recommendations based on navigation or previous purchases. Fra le strategie più efficaci troviamo inoltre coupon e sconti usati dai retailer per incentivare gli utenti all’acquisto. Questi strumenti consentono ai brand di individuare gli utenti che ne usufruiscono, in modo da aumentare il database contatti a cui destinare newsletter, scontistiche dedicate, attività di remarketing oppure contenuti personalizzati. Infine incoraggiare i clienti a condividere la propria esperienza di shopping online, promuovendo l’attività e ricompensandoli con dei reward.

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Pagamento rateale

L’opzione del pagamento rateale rappresenta un vero e proprio vantaggio competitivo per le imprese e-commerce, poiché viene apprezzata da 4 italiani su 10. Si tratta di un’ottima leva per aumentare il tasso di conversione e il carrello medio, in particolare se quest’ultimo è superiore a 100 euro. It is useful to distinguish, however, between two types of installment payments: the guaranteed one, which allows the merchant to collect the full amount from the first payment, protecting him from the risk of fraud and insolvency, and the non-guaranteed one, which involves charging the credit card at each due date.

Shipments

With the health emergency, consumers have favored e-commerce as a sales channel. In fact, from 2019 to 2020, the revenue of the Italian shipping market grew by 33%. For this reason, a good delivery policy plays a key role in increasing sales and the average cart. Shipping costs have a great influence on the finalisation of the purchase: 36% of consumers assert that the reason for abandoning the cart is caused by the presence of shipping costs. Among the most useful strategies is to offer free shipping reached a certain amount, in this way the customer is pushed to increase the items to save on the cost of shipping. Shipping timelines are also a crucial element. Offering guaranteed delivery services such as Next day, Same day and Saturday Delivery, helps to increase the number of products ordered, in fact the service is perceived as accurate and regular, with a certain delivery.

Social proof

A survey by London Research showed that 86% of consumers consider word of mouth and online reviews the most reliable sources of information to choose where and what to buy. Highlighting reviews of products or services can therefore help business grow.

Marketing Automation

When it comes to online shopping among the most common occurrences is dropping products into the digital shopping cart. According to research conducted by Google, seven out of ten consumers do not complete a purchase from a mobile device. The reasons? Choices at the UX level and in strategic commercial actions. Among the main mistakes we find the layout design, the high number of banners and pop-ups, the not always exhaustive product descriptions and the tactics of hidden costs. As well as the presence of extra costs and the lack of a targeted strategy for the recovery of cart abandonment. Email marketing is a powerful ally in recovering shopping cart abandonment.

To help merchants adapt to market demands, PayPlug has compiled a white paper that discusses strategies and technology solutions used successfully by several brands. Five other experts in the field are also participating: Hostinato, which supports companies in the development and management of online business, Worldz, a software that integrates the functions of social networks in e-commerce, Sendabox, a company that provides comparison service and logistics solutions for individuals and companies. The list is completed by Trustpilot, a free platform with reviews of companies around the world, and Magnews, a modular solution for integrated communication and business processes.

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