Category: eCommerce

Sustainable Packaging: A Quick Guide for Small Businesses

Post author By Brendan Heegan
Post date 05/02/2022

Today’s consumer is more conscious of their impact on the environment.

According to the Global Buying Green Report by Trivium Packaging, 83% of young consumers would pay more for eco-friendly packaging options. Interestingly, this increased from the percentage (70%) before the pandemic.

Consumers now expect more eco-friendliness from businesses. Therefore, most business owners must be familiar with sustainable packaging and how they can maximize its benefits for the company, customers, and the environment.

What is sustainable packaging?

Sustainable packaging refers to packaging methods that have a reduced negative impact on the environment. Sustainability is a broad term that’s usually narrowed down to eco-friendliness. Sustainability expands into social and economic benefits as well. However, there is more focus on the environmental impact of subjects like packaging.

There are some factors to consider when introducing sustainable packaging to your business. Every business owner or decision-maker wants to reduce costs whenever possible. Hence, any new business initiative will go through budgetary scrutiny. If a specific packaging method is more environmentally friendly but costly, customers may become less interested in buying.

Recently, more consumers have shown a willingness to pay more for eco-friendly product options. So, if the cost of sustainable packaging will add to the price of a product, you may consider informing your customers at the point of purchase. There is an increasing proportion of environmentally conscious consumers who understand and will support sustainable lifestyles.

Another essential consideration in eco-friendly packaging is the process of achieving sustainability. Some packaging materials need to be sorted at designated sorting facilities, while others are naturally biodegradable. For sustainability to be practical, packaging materials that require specialized processes should only be used when such facilities are accessible.

Why should your business care about sustainable packaging?

Improves customer satisfaction

Environmental consciousness is gaining popularity quickly among consumers. Your customers may not place sustainability demands yet, but most of them know that the environment needs saving.

Switching to a more sustainable packaging method demonstrates that you align with your target customers’ values. More consumers now say that they would patronize and even pay more to businesses that are concerned about the environment. While making the switch to sustainable packaging, communicate these changes and the reasons to your customers. It reduces the barrier to acceptance in case there’s a price increase. Another benefit of communicating with your customers is that it motivates them to do their part in the proper disposal of the package.

Improves brand image

Consumers are now more interested in brand values, not just those listed on your business website, but the visible core values as demonstrated in practice. Your customer base could be passionate about various causes, but the majority of them will be interested in sustainability, climate change, and carbon footprint reduction.

Today’s market is incredibly consumer-driven. Testimonials from your customers can persuade or discourage potential buyers. Because of the fast-paced nature of communication, it is challenging to stay neutral. Consumers passionate about an issue may assume that your business does not care and perceive your brand as nonchalant.

Additionally, there’s no downside to sustainable packaging effects on brand image. Caring for the environment is highly unlikely to be why you will lose a customer.

Business responsibility

There is overwhelming evidence that supports the fact that individuals and businesses must adjust their practices to protect the environment. Companies can only function properly in a conducive environment. Hence, beyond the marketing and financial benefits of sustainable packaging, every business owner is responsible for the environment and ensuring that businesses can operate in the future.

Practical, sustainable packaging strategies for your business

Use secure packaging

The primary purpose of packaging is to protect your product and ensure it reaches the consumer in good shape. If you run an eCommerce business and need to make deliveries, transportation is a factor you must consider. If the product reaches the customer in a damaged condition, they will return it. That’s twice the carbon footprint for transportation. Secure packaging ensures that your goods only make one trip – from you to the customer.

Manage space

Reduce the air space in your packaging as much as possible. The excess space takes up more packaging material and increases the carbon footprint. Some products are fragile and may need air-filled cushioning to prevent damage. However, many suppliers use similar-sized packaging for a wide range of products to avoid extra work for size-optimized packaging. If every business uses size-optimized packaging, carbon emissions can be reduced by millions.

Prioritize recycled material

When sourcing eco-friendly packaging products, consider recycled options first. This covers materials like paper and plastic. For plastic specifically, only go for non-recycled options as a last resort. Unlike paper, plastic is usually non-biodegradable. Hence, using recycled plastic would help reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills.

Some sources suggest biodegradable plastic as an option. If such plastic material is littered, it takes much longer to biodegrade and contributes to environmental pollution.

Communicate your sustainability values

To fully achieve the goal of eco-friendly packaging, the consumers must be aware of their responsibility in the whole process. Recyclable packaging must be properly disposed of. While communicating with your buyers, you can also encourage them to reuse some packaging when necessary. If possible, introduce reward systems to motivate consumers to reuse packaging material. This applies primarily to consumers who walk into the physical business location.

To ensure that your customers respond positively to the switch to sustainable packaging, you may provide options initially. This allows customers to control their switch to sustainable packaging.

By Brendan Heegan

How To Craft A Memorable Brand Experience With 3PL

Post author By Brendan Heegan
Post date 04/21/2022

What is the best strategy to fulfill e-commerce orders?

Multinational billion-dollar companies can afford internal logistics departments to handle their deliveries and other related operations. Unfortunately, small and medium businesses cannot afford the capital and time investment required. Product delivery logistics could limit the business expansion scope for individuals looking to start their businesses. Issues like long-distance delivery, cross-border processing, and warehouse management are often too complex to be handled alongside core business operations.

What is 3PL?

A third-party logistics service (3PL) is a company that handles supply chain activities on behalf of businesses. With a 3PL, you can focus on your core competencies while your customers enjoy top-notch delivery.

3PLs help to ensure that product delivery logistics are not a limitation while planning your business scope.

Why should your business partner with a 3PL?

Outsourcing your delivery and fulfillment is one of the most efficient strategies to run a business. While the 3PL handles logistics, you can focus on your core competencies. Here are some ways that companies are benefiting from 3PLs.

1. Reduce incurred costs

When you partner with a 3PL, you leverage their expertise, workforce, and technology to improve customer experience. Businesses that handle their deliveries and warehouse fulfillment must have a dedicated staff. If such companies covered the last mile of the delivery, they would have substantial cost challenges.

Most businesses in this category limit their service area so that their prices can remain competitive. For e-commerce businesses, competitive pricing is crucial – customers are only one Google search away from buying from the next vendor. After spending so much on last-mile delivery, business owners without a 3PL still worry about warehouse management. There is not enough time, financial, and human capital for small to medium businesses to address these challenges satisfactorily.

Partnering with a 3PL shifts this responsibility to a company with the required experience, staffing, and technology. Aside from the immediate financial cost of handling your warehouse delivery fulfillment, there is a risk of failure because of a lack of experience. Even with quality products, customers will explore other options if your delivery and order fulfillment system is inadequate. For businesses with high customer lifetime value, delivery irregularities may cause incalculable losses.

2. Leverage the latest technology

Several delivery fulfillment technology solutions help businesses to improve customer satisfaction. However, business owners will lose their competitive edge without the required expertise. Consumers’ expectations of delivery and fulfillment are steadily increasing. Since they buy products from different vendors, they will undoubtedly compare their purchase experiences. If customers feel less satisfied with your brand’s delivery system than others, they may be tempted to switch.

Partnering with a 3PL service provider with the latest delivery technology will keep your business competitive without the added cost of developing a delivery service in-house.

3. Protect your business from disruptions

Even with the best delivery systems, interruptions and delays occur. Sometimes, they can be so challenging that customers do not get their deliveries for weeks. Under normal circumstances, these disruptions only happen occasionally. However, since the beginning of the pandemic, the ever-changing government policies have made logistics more complex. Restrictions and regulations change more frequently across national borders and between territories within a country.

3PLs keep your business ahead of the curve, preventing such unpleasant surprises from disrupting your operations. Even though more countries are opening up, experts still expect some changes in the future. Outsourcing your warehouse fulfillment to a dedicated 3PL will ensure that your customers get their purchases delivered regardless.

4. Easier expansion into international markets

For sellers that wish to expand internationally, logistics is one major hurdle they have to cross. After ensuring that the product fits the international market, they must figure out storage, transportation, and last-mile delivery concerns. Logistics concerns alone can discourage business owners from expanding as much as possible. With a 3PL, the whole process becomes much more manageable.

After partnering with a trusted 3PL, your foreign customers only have to complete the order on your website or any other e-commerce platform. Also, the customer experience is smooth since pricing is transparent. Both the goods and delivery can be paid for at once, while the business incurs no hidden or unexpected costs while crossing the borders.

How do you select a reliable 3PL partner?

Even though there are several 3PL services, not all will suit your business. Here are some pointers to look for while choosing a third-party logistics company.

Serviceable Locations

When choosing a 3PL partner, ensure that they can fulfill your deliveries in all your customers’ locations. For international deliveries, ensure that all the destination countries are covered. If you plan to expand internationally, you should consider your planned international expansion locations.

2. Support

Aside from e-commerce warehouse order fulfillment, an effective 3PL service should provide the necessary support for your inventory and other aspects of logistics. The system should give you up-to-date data, business intelligence, and cloud support.

3. Value-added Services

Your business needs a 3PL that puts your brand image first for maximum customer satisfaction. Aside from making the order from your website, the packaging and delivery are the physical connection customers have with your brand. The wrong 3PL service may create an incorrect brand perception in the minds of your consumers.

Stand out from the competition with Boxzooka

Craft a memorable brand experience with us at Boxzooka. With an extensive distribution location in the US and China, Boxzooka can help you expand your brand domestically and internationally. In addition, Boxzooka’s proprietary warehouse management software provides you control of your inventory from the comfort of your handheld devices. Finally, Boxzooka puts your company’s reputation first with customizable packaging that accurately represents your brand to your customers.

By Brendan Heegan

eCommerce

Why the Unboxing Experience Matters for Your Brand

Post author By Brendan Heegan
Post date 03/31/2022

In an age of rapid growth for e-commerce and digital shopping, your packaging can be one of your most powerful marketing tools. With around 20% of retail sales happening online, product packaging has become an increasingly important part of the customer experience. Here’s why a product unboxing strategy is a crucial element of marketing and how you can take advantage of the unboxing experience to build your brand, connect with customers, and drive sales.

What is Unboxing?

In simple terms, unboxing is the process of opening a boxed consumer product. But today, unboxing has become about much more than merely opening a box and taking out the product.

With the popularity of YouTube and the social media influencer boom, unboxing has turned into a key part of the customer experience and has become an important avenue for brand marketing. People increasingly look to Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube for product recommendations, with social media influencers using long-form videos on the platforms to unbox and showcase products that fit in their niche.

There are even entire YouTube accounts dedicated to the unboxing experience—the channel Unbox Therapy, which focuses mostly on unboxing technology products, has 18.2 million subscribers and generates millions of views on each video. And the massive kid’s channel Ryan’s World, which has more than 48 billion total views and 30 million subscribers, started with toy unboxing videos and reviews.

The popularity of unboxing videos provides an opportunity for brands to get in front of potentially millions of new customers through paid partnerships with influencers or organic means. But unboxing isn’t just for the tech or toy industries, and it’s not just the responsibility of your influencer marketing team. No matter what industry or niche your products occupy, you should be designing an unboxing experience that draws customers in and helps them connect with your brand.

Why is the Unboxing Experience Important?

Product packaging is a key part of the customer experience and offers an opportunity to connect with your audience while building your brand.

No matter what your brand identity is, your packaging should reflect it. Whether your brand voice is whimsical and cheerful or sleek and luxurious, your product packaging is a chance to further develop your brand personality and tell your story. You should approach the unboxing experience as an important element of your brand building and marketing, creating an experience that elevates and reflects who you are.

The unboxing experience adds an element of excitement to your customers’ interactions with your products and brand, drawing them in and creating an emotional experience. This helps customers better understand who you are, develop a deep and meaningful connection with your brand, and increases the chance that they’ll turn into long-term, loyal customers.

While getting featured on an influencer’s social media accounts shouldn’t be your primary motivation for designing an unboxing experience, it does provide a potential unique marketing opportunity. With influencers in every market niche across social media channels, your brand has the potential to go viral in unboxing videos. You have the option to target influencers with paid branding opportunities and sponsored posts, or you can hope that influencers come across your product on their own and share it with their followers. Whether or not you have an established influencer marketing strategy, the popularity of social media unboxing videos gives you the potential to reach a much larger audience.

How to Design an Innovative Unboxing Experience

Designing the unboxing experience should be a key part of your e-commerce warehouse fulfillment strategy. It’s important that you take the time to thoughtfully create an unboxing experience that aligns with your brand messaging, tells your story, and allows customers to connect with your brand products in a meaningful way.

As you design your product packaging, try to think of the unboxing experience from your customer’s point of view. What designs or features would catch their eye? What would get them excited to open the box? Is there anything about the current packaging that might inconvenience them or get in the way of the unboxing experience?

Start with the box that your products arrive in. Using a box that’s branded with your company colors, font, logo, and any brand tagline creates an instant connection and helps build brand recognition. You should also consider what the products will look like when the customer opens the box—securing them in place with unique packaging material or dividers that match your branding can help ensure that your product is well-presented.

While clever packaging designs might catch the customer’s eye, unboxing doesn’t have to be all about the trendiest way to show your product. Design choices as simple as adding a small freebie or a note of appreciation can go a long way in making your customers feel valued, helping to create a positive unboxing experience that builds a connection and turns one-time customers into loyal brand advocates.

Create an Unforgettable Unboxing Experience With Boxzooka

Designing your brand’s unboxing experience can be a daunting task, especially if you are new to your industry. Wondering how to start? Boxzooka is here to help. Our team of account managers can help you create and individualize every aspect of your unboxing experience tailor-fit to your budget. Led by our account management director’s more than a decade’s worth of experience in luxury retail, we can ensure that your product packaging can provide an unforgettable unboxing experience to your customers.

By Brendan Heegan

eCommerce Guides

E-Commerce Business Guide to Flourishing Post COVID-19

Post author By Brendan Heegan
Post date 04/02/2021

In early 2020, e-commerce retailers were struggling to adapt to the frightening changes in consumer behavior. In late 2020, they were reaping the benefits of an influx of online buyers with a slowly recovering purchasing power. In 2021, the entire world is bracing for post-pandemic changes, and e-commerce businesses are no exception.

Whether e-commerce businesses reinvented themselves during the pandemic or capitalized on the changes, many of them survived. Now, as the pandemic is coming to an end, they need to prepare for yet another new normal.

COVID-19 hit so suddenly that many retailers simply didn’t have enough time to react without experiencing losses. Now is the time to make preparations for the post-COVID reality.

How E-Commerce Businesses Can Prepare for Post-Pandemic Reality

What Changed During the Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to digital shopping by five years. Here are a few statistics to show what has changed in the e-commerce retail sector during the pandemic.

- 40% of consumers changed brands during the pandemic (McKinsey).

- Between January and September 2020, 29 big retailers filed for bankruptcy protection ( Marketplace).

- Between January 2020 and February 2021, total retail sales in the United States have been steadily declining (Statista).

- Retail-oriented credit card and debit card spending increased by 35% between January 2020 and January 2021 (McKinsey)

- Consumers actively invested in their home lives during the pandemic, with 28% renovating homes and 19% changing their living situation. (McKinsey)

- Compared to 2019, dollar sales of small appliances and housewares grew by 46% and 38%, respectively (NDP)

Even though the pandemic may have benefited some e-commerce retailers, others have seen sales plummet. The main reasons were the decline of purchasing power and the shifted focus to essential items.

The Recovery Trend

Consumers are slowly recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Some adapted to the new normal. Others are already planning for restriction relaxation. According to McKinsey’s survey:

- Economic optimism is on the rise. About 40% of U.S. consumers are consistently optimistic, while only 15% are pessimistic.

- Over the past six months, the credit card spending was equal to the year before the pandemic.

- More than 50% of U.S. consumers plan to spend extra by treating themselves.

- 30% of consumers plan to splurge on products for their homes in 2021.

According to The NPD Group, compared to March 2020, dollar sales at discretionary retail increased by 65%. Compared to March 2019, they increased by 39%. The sharp rise is currently attributed to the stimulus check distribution. However, considering pandemic fatigue, the trend to spend money on non-essential items is likely to continue.

Overall, as the pandemic is subsiding, many e-commerce retailers seem to be looking at a target audience with a high buying potential. How should they prepare for business after COVID-19?

Reinvent Brick-and-Mortar Locations

More than 62% of U.S. consumers say that they shop more online than they did before the pandemic. However, 91% of shoppers say that they miss the in-store shopping experience.

If an e-commerce business has brick-and-mortar locations, the post-pandemic world may be the opportunity to reinvent them. For example, Target reinvented its offline locations by fulfilling online orders through them. Consumers could make purchases online and pick them up at a physical location.

Once social distancing and other limits are no longer an issue, e-commerce retailers can turn their brick-and-mortar stores into hybrid shopping areas.

Fashion retailers can allow customers to try on the clothing they ordered online before taking it home. This would cut the return shipping costs and bring back the in-store shopping experience. Meanwhile, brick-and-mortar locations could become warehouses with small order pick-up and try-on areas.

Focusing on Data

The shift to digital shopping generated a huge amount of customer data. From shopping trends and demographics to preferences and buying behavior, e-commerce retailers now have much more information to work with.

In 2021, the key to converting a potential customer is personalization. With all the data at their fingertips, e-commerce retailers can now accompany each consumer down the sales funnel and present highly personalized offers every step of the way while:

- Predicting product trends.

- Analyzing buying and customer behavior.

- Improving e-commerce warehouse fulfillment tactics.

- Optimizing product selection.

- Optimizing product prices.

With more than half of American shoppers planning to continue buying online after the pandemic, right now is an excellent time to learn how to manage and analyze this data.

Surprisingly, 77% of small e-commerce companies don’t have a solid data analytics strategy. By taking full advantage of this approach, it’s possible to stay ahead of the competition after the pandemic.

Even when brick-and-mortar stores make a comeback, data analytics can offer tremendous assistance in converting and retaining target audiences both online and offline.

Adopting an Omnichannel Marketing and Sales Strategy

With e-commerce accounting for almost 20% of U.S. retail sales in 2020, many e-commerce retailers focused their entire attention on digital sales and marketing. As the consumer is emerging into the “real world” after the pandemic, such an approach may not be sufficient.

Besides trying to target a shopper from all angles at digital levels, e-commerce businesses need to consider offline marketing options as well. The 21st-century consumer expects a seamless omnichannel experience. So, allowing them to interact with a brand offline is an integral part of a solid post-COVID marketing and sales strategy.

The omnichannel approach may include such elements as:

- Buying online and returning in-store.

- Checking inventory online and proceeding to a brick-and-mortar stop to pick the right product up.

- Taking advantage of catalogs and direct mailing campaigns.

- Arranging offline or hybrid events to reel in the target audience

- Implementing guerilla marketing activities

- Streamlining e-commerce warehouse fulfillment technology

For consumers who are suffering from pandemic fatigue while still feeling loyal to online shopping, the omnichannel strategy can become an appealing solution.

Focusing on Health and Safety

The COVID-19 pandemic forced consumers to rethink their approach to health and safety. The habits they acquired in 2020 aren’t likely to simply disappear once the government declares the pandemic to be over.

That’s why it’s imperative to continue promoting health and safety issues in relation to products and e-commerce operations. Besides being an excellent way to keep clients happy, this approach shows consistency and builds consumer loyalty.

E-commerce retailers can continue capitalizing on care, showing consumers how important their health and safety are to their business. With many experts predicting virus mutations and the need for regular vaccination, the focus on health and safety is here to stay.

From improving e-commerce fulfillment efforts with safety in mind to limiting the number of people in brick-and-mortar stores and curbside delivery, these tactics demand attention even after the pandemic.

Providing Real-Time 100% Inventory Transparency

While staying at home during the pandemic, many consumers perfected their pre-shopping activities. From meal planning to price comparisons, they are doing extensive research online before picking a brand. That’s one of the reasons why, as mentioned above, 40% of them changed brands in the past year.

Consumers expect 100% inventory transparency to help them make a decision. Giving them full visibility is also becoming increasingly important for e-commerce retailers when they establish e-commerce fulfillment strategies.

Besides creating a seamless online shopping experience on their websites, e-commerce retailers can consider providing full access to the inventory in real-time.

Speeding Up Revenge Spending

While many e-commerce retailers are expecting consumers to splurge on non-essential items once the pandemic is over, customers aren’t rushing to make purchases just yet.

For example, Chinese stores re-opened on March 13, 2020. However, the spending is far from being formidable. Many consumers are still wary of the virus and turn to online shopping.

E-commerce retailers can take full advantage of this situation when stores re-open in the USA. As soon as the purchasing power starts rebounding, online stores can capitalize on revenge spending by creating appealing promotions. Such a move is likely to keep the majority of the audience online even when restrictions are lifted.

The Takeaway

Even though many consumers see the light at the end of the tunnel, pandemic-related shopping habits are here to stay. When stores re-open after the pandemic, customers won’t be rushing to abandon digital shopping habits.

To survive in the past-pandemic world, e-commerce retailers should beef up their omnichannel strategies, revive their offline offerings, improve the hybrid experience for their customers, and continue focusing on health and safety.

Lastly, to be prepared for the next shift in the e-commerce retail landscape, it’s imperative to take advantage of the available e-commerce warehouse fulfillment technology. To capitalize on innovations and ensure success in 2021 and beyond, partner with Boxzooka and let us help you flourish in the post-COVID environment.

By Brendan Heegan

eCommerce Fulfillment

Outsourcing Fulfillment Services to Enhance Customer Experience

Post author By Brendan Heegan
Post date 02/22/2021

When daily processing of orders becomes a burden on staff, facilities, and customers, the decision to outsource can be the answer.

As a business leader with a growing e-commerce business, the cost of expanding operations to fuel growth is expensive, time-consuming, and contains risk. The organization is expanding, and it’s at the point when a pivot in operational logistics can be the answer to successfully building upon that growth or hitting a stalemate with inefficiencies. Every organization understands that customer engagement is essential to continued success through repeat business, referrals, and five-star reviews.

Here are four ways outsourcing order warehouse fulfillment can positively impact customers’ shopping experience and improve the bottom line.

Create Efficiencies

The product-market fit has been achieved, sales are growing, and online website engagement is increasing monthly. The next step to continued growth is to audit internal operational processes to find and fix inefficiencies. An excellent place to start is fulfillment. When a business first begins, fulfilling orders in-house is financially sound. When it reaches a distinct size, though, the organization should consider a third-party fulfillment service, or what’s commonly referred to as 3PL. As a business leader with a growing e-commerce business, the cost of expanding operations to fuel growth is expensive, time-consuming, and contains risk. Given the risk, conduct a cost-benefit analysis. Once completed, if it shows the ROI is worth the investment, adjust internal priorities to focus on customer retention and other core business needs, allowing the third-party fulfillment partner to do what they do best.

Successfully Manage Returns

According to this study from RMIT University in Australia, a good e-commerce return management process “supports customer relationship management” and gives the organization a chance to recapture value from products. Creating an internal process is a large undertaking that adds another business vertical to any organization. Using a third-party partner specializing in fulfillment and return management can save on expenses and keep customers who might otherwise be lost to the competition. Hassle-free returns are paramount to the customers’ positive shopping experience.

Improve Margins by Outsourcing

As this McKinsey article states, “the total cost of handling a product is determined by considering cost at each step of the value chain.” A crucial vertical to consider reducing margins in is procurement and distribution operations. With fulfillment warehousing specifically, lowering the cost of this operational expense will save the company money in labor, facilities, and the headaches involved in issue resolution. The money saved can be invested in other areas of the business that need financial attention. By reducing the company’s costs, the organization can focus on the areas that propel the business forward.

Boost Order Accuracy and Maximize Inventory Visibility

Bazooka uses a best-in-class inventory management system to ensure the warehouse fulfillment process is streamlined from start to finish. When running an e-commerce shop, it’s crucial to ensure inventory availability in real-time.

Enhanced Customer Loyalty

By addressing inefficiencies, implementing a successful return management process, and improving margins and order accuracy, customer satisfaction will naturally increase. To do all of this in-house is an ineffective use of financial capital when having the option of using a third-party fulfillment partner that already has a successful value chain. Outsourcing to a fulfillment center helps decrease delivery delays and offers convenience to customers, both of which are instrumental in providing a positive online shopping experience.

By Brendan Heegan

eCommerce News

E-commerce Trends to Watch in 2021

Post author By Brendan Heegan
Post date 02/16/2021

The pandemic has catapulted the demand for e-commerce — and it’s not slowing down anytime soon.

E-commerce sales jumped by more than 30% in 2020 due to stay-at-home home orders in place, prompting many Americans to shift their shopping experiences exclusively online. What’s more, US e-commerce sales are expected to reach $794.5 billion this year, which is up 32.4% year-over-year.

Here are some top trends in the e-commerce industry for 2021:

Customers shopping marketplaces versus e-commerce stores

Convenience is king. Consumers increasingly want a one-stop shop to satisfy all of their buying needs (think Amazon and Etsy) rather than having to browse through multiple online stores. Customers are also on the hunt for two to three-day shipping and free returns on most items. E-commerce entrepreneurs can do this by implementing a low barrier to entry for brands to sell through their platform online and also consider diversifying their brand by listing goods on multiple marketplace platforms or creating their own.

Be mindful, however, that the goal is to drive traffic and customers to your main website. One way to do this is by offering limited-edition products that customers can only get at your store.

Soundbite video ads on social media

In the age of TikTok, consumers are inundated with thousands of short videos. One way to command attention is to sell your brand in a sound bite. Think of a content strategy that says precisely what you’re promoting, where, and when, and have a video pop up on social media channels, Core DNA.com , suggests.

This is a great way to capture a Gen-Z audience of consumers who often make buying decisions while scrolling through social media.

Under the influence

Speaking of commanding an audience via social media, e-commerce companies are continuing to rely on influencer marketing to build an audience and showcase products through creative content. Think unboxing videos, lifestyle tutorials of a brand ambassador showcasing how to use or style a product, or testimonials of why it’s so great. Influencer marketing can help create content scale and audience.

Augmented reality in the online shopping experience

Invest in bringing your products or services to life by letting consumers visualize exactly how something can look — whether it’s clothing, furniture, makeup, or other tangible items — without stepping foot inside a store. This will also potentially lead to fewer returns. One direct-to-consumer brand that does a good job using AR to help customers see products come to life is furniture retailer Burrow. It features models of 3D couches so users can see if measurements line up with home spaces. Makeup retailer Sephora has also been using AR to help consumers see which beauty products match their specific skin tone.

Lean into trends in home goods and work-life balance

Consumers are spending a lot more time at home during the pandemic — with remote work capabilities and virtual learning in full swing. This is a major space for disruption in the market, particularly among household items like cleaning supplies and sanitation products, furniture like desks and office chairs for remote learning, appliances, cookware, storage bins, organizational products, and more.

By Brendan Heegan

eCommerce

Valentine’s Day marketing ideas to boost sales for your E-Commerce store

Post author By Brendan Heegan
Post date 02/08/2021

There’s a lot to love about Valentine’s Day for your e-commerce business.

The Hallmark holiday is one of the biggest days to shop for consumers, whether buying for a loved one, family member, or themselves.

Indeed, Valentine’s Day sales reached a whopping $19.5 billion in the U.S. last year, with one in four Americans shopping for gifts online, according to data from Statista.com.

But it’s not all just flowers and chocolate. With innovative promotions, email marketing, and engagement, any item in your store is fair game.

Here are ways to market your e-commerce services to get customers to love your brand even more.

Offer time-sensitive deals

Like any holiday promotion, offering up sales on your products or merchandise for a limited time is one way to drive consumer traffic because customers will know they have to act fast. Create this sense of urgency with Valentine’s Day-themed promotions that come with shopping incentives like a countdown clock or flash sale.

Another way to engage with consumers is by offering daily deals surrounding a particular product or theme with discounts like 20% off. Update your website with a new banner that displays daily offerings.

Promote free gift-wrapping services or delivery

Offering customers gift delivery and gift wrapping is another incentive to get consumers to shop with your eCommerce store and raise your customer engagement around Valentine’s Day.

Implement the promotional service at checkout, allowing shoppers to select the service with the option to leave a sweet love note with their gift packaging.

Tap into your previous network of holiday shoppers

Once you have your promotions in check, it’s time to tap into your network for email marketing. Re-work your company newsletter or email copy to say exactly what sales are going on and when. Email automation apps like Mailbot make it easy to upload customer email addresses and send out hundreds of promotions.

Once the promo starts, blast out an attention-grabbing email introducing the sale with a promo code included. Be sure to highlight the date, discount, and when the promotion ends. Then, on the day before the promotion ends, send a reminder email to your network to incentivize them to shop with a copy that reads something like “Last day to shop 50% off).

Be playful with promos and bundle best-selling products

Tap into SEO by branding your product copy with keywords consumers are searching for. For example, this Valentine’s Day, marketing products with tag lines like “Gifts for Her” or “Gifts for Him” can help shoppers weed through exactly what they’re looking for. Also, consider making bundle packages of some of your best-selling products and promote them under a Valentine’s Day-inspired category.

By Brendan Heegan

eCommerce Guides

Optimize Your E-Commerce Fulfillment Process with Real-Time Data

Post author By Brendan Heegan
Post date 12/02/2020

Gaining complete control over your warehouse operations is essential to your business’s health and continued growth. Customers expect and demand a transparent, accurate, and fast order fulfillment warehouse experience. Choosing the right Warehouse Management System (WMS) can make the difference between a well-run warehouse that can exceed customer delivery expectations and dissatisfied end-users who might take their business elsewhere.

So, how do you optimize the e-commerce fulfillment process? The name of the game is data, data, and more data. According to a study by the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, 93% of shippers and 98% of third-party logistics firms feel that data-driven decision-making is crucial to supply chain activities.

Why is it essential for your WMS to provide real-time data to your business?

You need current and actionable information to help you make the right decisions regarding your inventory and real-time updates regarding your entire supply chain. In essence, you need accurate and timely data to determine what products you have received, where they are stored, and pinpoint activity in the delivery process. Your customers expect you to be able to answer questions about their order; real-time data analytics will help you accurately address customer service and raise customer satisfaction. Real-time data will provide insight into where the bottlenecks are in your processes and how to improve them. Real-time visibility into demand patterns is key to understanding and predicting trends – not all future inventory levels can be based on past requirements. You need to be agile and make decisions quickly to survive in today’s challenging business environment.

There are plenty of e-commerce platforms to choose from. But when an out-of-the-box WMS does not meet your needs, that’s where Boxzooka’s proprietary WMS comes in!

Why choose Boxzooka’s WMS?

Boxzooka goes the extra mile to ensure that you can take your business to the next level. It will provide the data necessary to make quicker and better-informed decisions in your supply chain management.

The benefits of Boxzooka’s WMS go far beyond the four walls of the warehouse; it will also improve efficiency and productivity across your entire organization.

What can Boxzooka’s WMS do for you?

Boxzooka’s WMS provides the data necessary to make informed decisions as part of your supply chain management.

Boxzooka’s WMS provides:

- Total inventory management control

- Full visibility of the supply chain management process, tracking product from intake at the warehouse to the store shelf

- Real-time analytics

- Full sales monitoring metrics

- Tracking and high visibility into order activity: receiving, storage, picking, and delivery processes

- Detailed reporting on receiving, storage, inventory, and shipping time-in-transit

Boxzooka’s WMS provides data to help you determine what stock you currently have, what you will need in the future, and appropriate stock safety levels to avoid stockouts and reduce storage costs. It would help if you make informed predictions about what product you might need in the future and at what levels; the data provided by Boxzooka’s WMS lends itself to predictive analytics that will assist in management decisions. Predictive analytics will give insight into supply and demand miscalculations and help address issues such as damaged inventory. Replenishment planning analytics will help you determine product availability. Intelligent dashboards enable you to see a high-level summary of metrics key to the warehouse’s efficient running. It also provides insights into opportunities and risks.

By Brendan Heegan

eCommerce

Top Ways to Prepare Your E-Commerce Store For Black Friday

Post author By Brendan Heegan
Post date 10/19/2020

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for your e-commerce business — Black Friday.

The unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season is upon us, and planning ahead now will help maximize your e-commerce store’s full potential for retail sales.

Analyzing inventory, selecting a big-ticket deal item, marketing, and streamlining logistics for shipping are some ways to prepare for one of the biggest shopping days of the year. Here are five simple ways to get started:

Select Sales

The first order of business is determining what sales you can afford to have. Whether you have a small or extensive product line, the best rule of thumb for highlighting Black Friday deals is to pick one high-priced ticket item at a reasonable discount to attract consumer attention to other products as well. One example is if you’re selling beauty products, you could consider marking up an anti-aging serum 20% off and feature other offers like 10% off face masks. Another sales tactic could be buy one get one half off or having a flash sale with a time limit so consumers feel the urgency to buy and feel like they’re not missing out on a one-time sale.

Prepare Inventory

Anticipate your sales demand by ensuring you have ample inventory in stock ready to be shipped when deals start. Prepare by looking back at high-demand holiday season sales from last year or the year before to identify how many items of current sale items were sold. Ensure orders are made with manufacturers for an ample amount of time to ship to your storage facility.

Reserve your top-selling items for a release on and not before Black Friday so you don’t deplete inventory for hot products too early.

Troubleshoot Tech Early

The last thing you want to happen on one of the biggest retail sales days of the year is for your website or app to crash or find that there’s an issue with online payment methods. Get in front of these potentially pricey glitches early on by checking web page and mobile app usability. Like a brick-and-mortar retail store, make sure your website and mobile app are optimized with signs and language to direct customers so they know what’s for sale and how they can buy it now for easy navigation. Next, anticipate a flood of traffic to your website and app ahead of the big sales day by checking website load capacity to prevent unwanted crashes.

Execute Order Fulfillment

Gear up for the finish line to your sales transactions by streamlining warehouse order fulfillment. Sales volume can easily overwhelm a small e-commerce business and delay orders. To prevent this, consider outsourcing logistics to a fulfillment company to handle seasonal sales, so all you have to do is focus on growing and scaling your business. This will also ensure that your customers get their orders on time and prevent future shipping delays when demand heightens. Enlisting a third-party logistics service can also help e-commerce businesses by providing a warehouse for storage, managing inventory during chaotic holiday sales demand, cutting down on labor, and providing customized marketing materials to promote your business with a unique consumer unboxing experience.

By Brendan Heegan

eCommerce Guides

5 Ways to Pivot your Business to E-commerce

Post author By Brendan Heegan
Post date 08/14/2020

The future of retail is digital.

E-commerce orders surged between March and April as demand for everything from essential items to luxury clothing skyrocketed as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

With nationwide closings, many business owners are rethinking sales strategies to capture revenue online.

Whether you’re navigating how to transform your brick-and-mortar business into an online marketplace, scaling sales volume, or capturing a new digital demographic, here are the best ways to pivot your traditional business to a competitive e-commerce enterprise.

Narrow down a product category

Most retail businesses sell a combination of two sales categories: commoditized products that are in high demand and essential to all customers and niche items that cater to a specific customer base — like shapewear or cruelty-free skincare products. Assess which items or services will be most valuable to customers online now to claim a competitive edge in the saturated market.

Pick your marketplace

Once you know the products you’re going to sell, decide where you’re going to sell them — direct-to-consumer on your own website or social media channels, e-commerce platforms like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, or multiple.

Do market research to ensure you’re selling products on the platform that will bring in the most customers and the biggest number of sales.

Create content that sells

Bring the experience of brick-and-mortar window shopping to life through high-quality product content like eye-catching product images and virtual tutorials that show exactly how to use them. Leverage social media platforms to build and grow your customer base.

Outsource shipping

One of the biggest hurdles to scaling an e-commerce business is handling shipping in-house. Dealing with logistics to get products to customers can be time-consuming and costly when bandwidth can be better used to source new inventory, market and advertise products, and boost engagement with customers. Outsourcing shipping to a third-party logistics warehouse fulfillment center can also cut costs so businesses can avoid paying retail rates for shipping carrier services.

If you’re brand new to e-commerce, a third-party shipping or fulfillment warehouse company can help store inventory, distribute customer orders, and help scale your business.

Optimize your sales success

If you’re selling a bundle of niche products and you can identify top-sellers based on demand that consumers will rely on weekly or monthly — whether it’s cosmetics, grooming products, or clothing — consider a subscription box service to package your products and retain a customer base long term.

About Brendan Heegan

Brendan Heegan is the Founder of Boxzooka Fulfillment & Global Ecommerce. Headquartered in New Jersey with satellite operations around the country, Boxzooka is a warehouse fulfillment center with international landed-cost technology and proprietary warehouse management systems it also licenses, focusing on servicing the logistics needs of online retailers. Brendan has nearly 20 years of experience in transportation, fulfillment, and distribution, both domestically and Internationally. He started Boxzooka because he saw consolidation happening in the marketplace, creating a need for more competition and more customizable solutions for best-in-class fulfillment management and technology solutions.

By Brendan Heegan