Why is online retail more popular?
- The practicality of online shopping is a huge factor as consumers can purchase goods from the comfort of their own home, or on their devices on the go.
- Online stores have a much wider range of products to choose from, so unlike high street stores, the options are (almost) endless.
- Prices can often be more competitive on online stores, as well as having regular sales, so consumers see it as a cheaper alternative.
- Many online retailers offer free delivery, making it worth choosing this option.
- Online shopping means consumers have access to products worldwide, once again, meaning more options for shoppers.
- The impact of the current coronavirus pandemic has led to many people avoiding potentially busy public spaces and sticking to online shopping to feel safer.
The impact of the pandemic
It comes as no surprise that the pandemic along with the national UK lockdowns has increased the popularity of online shopping. Whether it be to feel safer or because the stores are literally closed, shoppers have ditched the high street for their laptops and living rooms.
Some high street stores have unfortunately had to permanently close their doors due to the damaging effects of the pandemic, which has resulted in their stores being online only. The Arcadia group is a perfect example: popular high street stores such as Topshop and Miss Selfridge have closed their doors, but their brands still remain available via online retailer ASOS.
Despite the popularity of online retail and a popular store’s likelihood to succeed online, some retailers choose to opt out of this avenue. During the pandemic, Primark were expected to suffer a £1.05bn loss of sales due to the closure of stores in lockdown.
Customers speculated why Primark didn’t want to shift to ecommerce and claimed that they would happily accept an online store. But Primark refused due to costs involved in ecommerce which would cause them to have to increase their prices: in effect, damaging their ‘low prices’ reputation.
The return back to ‘normality’ mid 2021 meant that Primark could permanently reopen their high street stores, but with the popularity of online retail still booming, and demanding customers expecting a move to ecommerce, there’s still uncertainty over their future.
How to optimise your online store
With an online store, you have access to analytics providing useful customer data and statistics that can be used to optimise websites and product information to what the customer wants - so use this to your advantage!
For instance, ensuring your page load time is low is important so your conversion rate doesn’t drop. A few other tips to improve the user experience for shoppers are as follows:
- Include relevant keywords to maximise your SEO and attract the right customers.
- Ensure the payment page is quick and easy to use.
- Provide frequent discounts and promotions.
- Make products easy to navigate on the site.
You can learn more about conversion rate optimisation by downloading our exclusive guide here.
Why Google Shopping?
Google Shopping is a great way to get your products noticed online and increase your website traffic. Unlike text ads, it provides a visual experience for the shopper which will increase clicks and conversions.
Also, since Google remains the favourite search engine, displaying your products on Google’s SERPs enables retailers to reach a huge audience. Read more about Google Shopping here.
