While before online selling was perceived by many entrepreneurs as a tool to expand the market, today it is an indispensable touch point on which to focus storytelling, services and investments.
In short, not an antagonist of physical outlets, but avaluable ally for the success of every business.
But the bet is no longer just about eCommerce. Selling online is not enough, we need to rethink the customer journey and the services offered in a unified and integrated way.
In this shopping revolution, there is no point in wondering whether physical stores will disappear.
If giants like Amazon are continuing to push sales even as they open offline stores, let's rather ask how they will have to change their skin to remain competitive.
Although many companies still struggle to consider the concept of omnichannelity and then organize accordingly, it makes one smile to think that many of us as consumers experience it every day.
Who hasn't happened to buy online, make a return at a store, or contact Customer Service using WhatsApp first, then email, and finally the phone?
It is not that difficult to understand why users ask companies to think of all interactions, as a single conversation, to deal with requests, information, complaints, in a smooth and continuous way, regardless of the touch points from which they are forwarded.
To do this you need to equip yourself with the right tools, which is why we will come back to tell you about Zendesk.
The help desk that simplifies your work and that of colleagues by unifying the communications you collect from all your channels (email, phone, WhatsApp, chat, social) into a single platform.
In addition, the native integration with applications that you use or would like to use on a daily basis such as a CRM (take a look at HubSpot) or a PBX (do you know the benefits of Aircall?), converts all of these tools into productivity sentinels.
This way, all calls, chats, contact forms, phone calls, emails, incoming and outgoing support tickets, and more, are not only automatically recorded, but are available to be accessed, filtered, and analyzed at any time in a single platform that you can access with your colleagues from any device (cell phone, computer, tablet), when you are in the office or smart working.
Now think about how much time you spend juggling one application with another. How much data do you lose and not collect at all?
power2Cloud has built over time a ecosystem of cloud solutions that works for you and with you, according to your needs.
Who doesn't need a switchboard or help desk? Be careful when choosing, it's not enough that they allow you to make a phone call or open a ticket, because they can do so much more!
Do you want to see them working together? Our team will be happy to show you all the workflows and benefits.
Consumers are increasingly digital, not just out of necessity. They have come to appreciate the flexibility and immediacy with which they can choose what they want online to receive it, in less than 48h -- often for free -- at home.
On the web they can consult reviews and prices more easily, to always secure the most competitive one (see also the case of Google Shopping).
Regardless of the security measures and limitations imposed by the pandemic over the past year, we are not surprised to continue to see an increase in sales for eCommerce. It has happened to the GDO sector, but also in consumer electronics, clothing, products dedicated to animals and those for personal or home care, this trend does not seem to be regressing.
Today we think online! This approach has become an integral part of our lives, so much so that we consult the web for much of our research, before confirming a purchase to see if what we are adding to the shopping cart is right for us, going into a restaurant, or turning to a professional.
Retailing continues to transform, as does the customer journey of our customerswhich is no longer "reassuring" and linear as it once was. That's why data collected from all interactions and from all business channels are important to stay listening and understand what is changing, in real time.
It is only by knowing your stakeholders that you can tailor services and undertake new strategies or correct those that are not working.
Your community is not only suggesting what your weaknesses are, what is really wrong and you should correct, but it is asking you what is the product that is missing and would like to buy.
If you pay attention you will notice that many products today also hide on the net from an Instagram survey.
We like to mention the successful case of Cristina Fogazzi, the Cynical Beautician, who has not only managed to bring products to the market that are appreciated by millions of people, but has cynically and intelligently debunked the beauty concept of perfection or miracle-working creams.
Hers is not a monologue, but a daily dialogue, in which we talk not only about aesthetics, but also about art, current events, social projects and much more. The community, that of the Pheasants, helps choose names for new products between a game, a spoiler, a double cleanse, and a walk with the mythical backer Otto.
The Customer Support team is impeccable, in addition to handling a daily volume of inquiries with punctuality and kindness, they anticipate questions and concerns with the support of FAQ and online assistance.
Even its newsletter, which otherwise remains sealed among the incoming messages, you wait for it, because in addition to always seeing the gift of a charming Ryan Gosling you get discount codes and it always brings a smile to your face.
The packaging with a ubiquitous I see you--really iconic--comes home with the signature of the person who packed it for you. Cristina has humanized what big numbers, multi-figure turnovers or misuse of technology has often made alienating. Here is the case to say, bravona! A splendid example for all.
We would also like to mention the case of the Great Minutes Movement,have you heard of it?It was born some time ago on social media "against" pasta packaging that "hides" the cooking time.
We always had a hard time coming up with it, too!
The provocation started by Maicol Palumbo creative Maicol Palumbo and HUB09 co-founder Marco Faccio, has given rise to a social tam-tam to which many brands such as Garofalo and Riso Gallo have responded, graphically revising their packaging.
The initiative gave voice to a real need for consumers, was not only particularly appreciated, but also brought a smile to their faces, soon going viral. That's what listening is all about!
Today the spotlight is mainly on the service you offer, which explains why proposals particularly popular in the retail world such as delivery, but also the Click and Collect (book online and pick up in the physical store) and video calls with the personal shopper have emerged.
To omnichannel has been added the concept of Clienteling 2.0, new forms of engagement offered by companiescombining human capabilities and data analytics.
Every day your company's touch points collect a large volume of data, structured and unstructured, from all user interactions (email, phone, chat, and social). What really matters iswhat you decide to do with this data, in fact it needs to be carefully analyzed to identify valuable information useful for making better decisions.
Managing them can become challenging as well as wasteful in terms of cost and resources, so much so that even today many companies take manual and asynchronous actions. Not to mention the fact that working in silos, thus compartmentalized, even among internal teams, does not allow you to exchange useful information to undertake the right strategies, when selling, but also when servicing.
If you automate, centralize, and digitize the collection of all interactions, and thus all your data, you can manage flows from different channels in a more informed way, immediately extracting the information you need.
With Zendesk's help desk for example, the marketing, sales, and customer care team can interface with the same caller, even for the first time and at different times, always knowing the history of their requests and needs.
This is certainly something to invest in, because the Customer Experience will continue to be at the center of every retail strategy. The new technologies are helping retailers to engage the public and entice them to buy, leading to upsell actions, we need to seize this opportunity. However, don't forget that people are not just numbers or unresolved service tickets.
In the case of an eCommerce think about back office activities and the ability to encounter real-time dati to know sales trends, stock levels, and whether orders or replenishments are needed.
Informed data management can help you profile customers to recognize your stakeholders and diversify communications. It is again through the tools we were talking about earlier that you could pursuemarketing automation initiatives.
Profiling, chatbots, FAQs, lists, and follow ups in sequence -- administered from a single platform and through its native integrations -- help you interact with your target audience while monitoring the outcome of all your initiatives and the performance of your customer service team.
While we talk about vaccines and reopenings, we know that hard-won habits acquired to date will not suddenly disappear. In the past year of uncertainties and difficulties, the pandemic has catalyzed change, even in the way we work, disproportionately accelerating a process that was already underway.
The digitalization is continuing to offer large and small retailers affordable omnichannel solutions to iintegrate physical and digital stores and offer new channels for interaction and sales.
With Shopify, for example, you can send products and services to cart on channels other than your own site, think Facebook or Instagram, intercepting customers on their favorite platforms.
You will understand well that cloud solutions, Artificial Intelligence, automation for back office and front end management have ceased to be an option and have become a real necessity for many businesses.
And yet there is a long way to go. Even today, there are many companies operating with on premise systems, which struggle to keep up with features and market updates, requiring scattered investments and actions.
The pandemic has taught us that immobility does not help, even in difficult situations; change must be anticipated and accompanied with the right tools.
The cloud solutions, like those offered by many platforms, deliver services that you use every day to work.
Telephone center, e-mail, help desk help you become a company not only with leaner processes, but able to be more efficient with your customers as well.
You know what this means? That you can quicklyimplement flexible and easy-to-use service solutions that fit your team and its needs. This is a very democratic opportunity that allows even a fledgling and growing business like a startup to use the same cloud solution chosen and valued by a multinational company.
This way you can reduce or faster resolution of support tickets, increase your team's satisfaction, and fill the expectations of customers whom you can get to know and profile by undertaking proactive, cost-effective strategies without necessarily having IT knowledge.
How unnerving is it for you to receive newsletters with cues you're not interested in or to walk into a physical store and not find what you're looking for?
Best brands leverage consumer data to personalize their content and increase their customer experience by offering more and more information and contact channels.
So it is possible to buy on the site, make returns in store, confront Customer Support even on WhatsApp (even Banks follow these new workflows). Also to be enhanced are the expectations in terms of research and shipping, unavoidable especially in a market that is increasingly competitive.
There is a significant change in the behavior of Baby Boomers who are clearly more adept at online shopping now than before the pandemic. When this ends and they are vaccinated, these shoppers, once loyal to in-store shopping, will likely continue to prefer the convenience of online shopping.
The omnichannel has become a key component in meeting the needs of consumers who have begun to shop more online not only for convenience, but also out of necessity.
Many companies have been forced to innovate and find new ways to rethink and streamline the supply chain more quickly, giving rise to new models such as manufacturer-to-consumer shipping, also known as Consumer-to-Manufacturer (C2M).
The supply chain is shortening, making it even faster for a consumer to find online what they want and at the price they expect. This will also signal the death of more mid-range brands as the market shifts to luxury or low-end.
To compete with emerging models such as C2M, some companies are thinking of new ways to bring their supply closer to demand, and be able to adapt to consumers' changing needs and expectations of the products they sell.
Many businesses, as we also explained earlier, thanks to reviews, listen to comments, suggestions and criticisms to improve their products and/or services and offer new ones. The shortcomings of failed companies will give way to new startup brands and innovative production models.
The number one rule in retail is to go where the consumer is. It used to be in the malls or walking through your downtown stores, now it's also online, on TikTok, on Facebook, or googling something on the Internet.
It is on these channels that you need to offer personalized services, whether it is presenting products they want or need, promotions and experiences that will entice them to come back.
There are no consumers willing to set aside their cell phones to go hunting for what they need in physical stores, especially with the pandemic and restrictions.
There will certainly be exceptions, but there is no denying that theworld is increasingly online, where products are customized, and it is easier to quickly compare prices and compare with other users.
Aware of this need, in the past year we have seen interesting innovations such as the integration of Google Merchants Center and Google Maps that will allow users to view in the Google My Business tab of a specific store -- near which they are located -- only the products available.
Many companies have faced, unfortunately not always made it, already the first phase of the pandemic. They did not receive the right subsidies, their businesses were already faltering, they did not have a structure ready for online sales, or they simply could not adapt it to remote work and new paradigms.
Fixed costs and leases impacted along with many other expenses on these realities as consumers were becoming increasingly accustomed to online shopping.
Clothing and footwear are on the crest of the wave. Outfits for dressing at home and doing sports activities, has experienced an incredible boom.
What people want to wear and how they prefer to shop is changing, and it is no coincidence that as early as February Armani held its fashion show during Fashion Week in Milan behind closed doors.
While employees of companies will not lose their desire to work in smart working or hybrid mode, consumers will not stop buying online, in fact, they will probably increase the products sent to cart.
Surely it will return to stores, but it will be much less than retailers expect. The key to success will be linking the two channels, online and offline, is in the omnichannel strategies to enhance all strategies.
Next to successful digital entrepreneurs like Chiara Ferragni, for example, Millennials and Gen Z are creating or consulting content on different channels, findingways to monetize this work with social media and Instagram.
Many young people have taken up micromarketing actions through storytelling and reviewing products and/or services, finding this activity profitable especially at a time when unemployment is high.
Brands that emphasize values such as sustainability, respect for the environment and attention to the origin of products, making themselves carriers of the values that animate consumers.
To meet the demands of more environmentally conscious consumers, many brands have rethought their production chain and come up with sustainable products, think of Adidas' UltraBoost DNA Loop shoe, but also H&M and other Apps like Vinted that are becoming super popular among consumers.
More online shopping does not mean fewer jobs: as online sales continue to swell, the shortage of couriers and warehouse pickers and packers is on the rise,.
The year 2021 represents a great opportunity for those who embrace change and look ahead to anticipate it, let's talk about it.