As the world of e-commerce continues to grow and evolve, so do the challenges that e-commerce businesses face. Staying ahead of the curve is essential for any e-commerce business that wants to stay afloat and be successful. However, failure to overcome certain challenges will make your business slowly sink into obscurity.
Here are the three top eCommerce challenges and solutions to help you overcome them:
Embracing Eco-Friendly Packaging Solutions
One challenge eCommerce brands face is the rising demand for eco-friendly packaging. Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the environment and their impact on it. As a result, they’re gravitating towards brands that offer eco-friendly packaging options.
To stay ahead of the curve and appeal to eco-conscious consumers, you need to start offering eco-friendly packaging options. This could include using recycled materials, biodegradable materials, or even just using less packaging overall.
The key is to find a balance between being eco-friendly and ensuring that your products arrive safely. You don’t want to sacrifice the safety of your products just to be eco-friendly. But, if you can find a way to strike a balance, you’ll be able to appeal to a broader range of consumers.
One way to do this is by investing in custom cardboard boxes. These days, there now exist custom packaging solutions with a corrugated box-making machine. This allows you to use corrugated cardboard, which is recyclable, biodegradable, and eco-friendly. Plus, it’s also sturdy enough to protect your products during shipping.
A corrugated box-making machine allows you to create suitable sizes of boxes per order, ultimately reducing your packaging waste. This is a great way to save money and be eco-friendly at the same time. The good news is that many reliable suppliers now offer quality custom packaging solutions to match your e-commerce needs. You only need to find one with a good reputation and who offers quality products in exchange for an affordable rate to get started.
Cart Abandonment
Many e-commerce brands face cart abandonment rates. Cart abandonment occurs when a customer puts items in their shopping cart but fails to complete the purchase for whatever reason. The average cart abandonment rate is 69.57%. That means nearly 7 out of 10 customers who add items to their cart end up not buying them.
There are several reasons why customers abandon their carts. The most common cause is that the customer was just browsing and not intending to make a purchase. Other causes include unexpected shipping costs, a complicated checkout process, and insufficient payment options.
There are a few things that you can do to reduce cart abandonment rates. The following are examples of how you can encourage customers to complete their purchases:
- Make sure your website works well on all devices. In today’s world, it’s essential that your website is responsive and works well on all devices, from desktop computers to laptops to smartphones.
- Offer free shipping. Customers are more likely to complete their purchase if they don’t have to pay for shipping. Free shipping is especially vital for big-ticket items like furniture and electronics.
- Make the checkout process as simple as possible. The fewer steps there are in the checkout process, the more likely customers are to complete their purchase.
- Offer a variety of payment options. Customers should be able to pay with their preferred method, whether it’s a credit card, PayPal, or another form of payment.
- Display trust seals. These badges from third-party organizations show that your site is safe and secure. Displaying these seals can help ease customers’ concerns about inputting their personal information.
- Send abandoned cart emails reminding customers of the items they left behind in their cart if they forget about them or need a little nudge to complete their purchase.
Lack of Personalization
One of the ways that brick-and-mortar stores have always been able to stay ahead of online retailers is by offering a more personalized shopping experience. In a physical store, customers can get help from sales associates who can recommend products based on their needs and preferences. Online, however, customers are often left to fend for themselves when finding the right product.
Online consumers need to feel like they are getting the same level of personalized service that they would receive in a brick-and-mortar store. One way to personalize the shopping experience for your customers is by using live chat. This allows you to engage with customers in real-time and assist them with their purchases.
More brands use artificial intelligence (AI) to provide a personalized experience for their customers. You can use AI to recommend products to customers based on their past purchase history and browsing behavior. Additionally, AI can provide a more personalized customer service experience by automating responses to common questions. This makes it easier for online consumers to find the products they need and get the answers to their questions without waiting for a human customer service representative.
Some examples of how e-commerce brands can use AI to their advantage include ASOS and Sephora. ASOS uses AI to create a virtual styling assistant, while Sephora utilizes AI to power its Beauty Insider loyalty program. These technologies allow brands to offer a more personalized experience for their customers, which is essential for building long-term customer relationships.
E-commerce businesses today have to work hard to stay ahead of the curve and stay competitive in an ever-changing market landscape. By being aware of some common challenges they face and taking steps to overcome them, you can set your e-commerce business up for success now and in the future.
