New week, new me stories.
We’re also bringing you the freshest news that you need to keep in mind as you head on to this week.
- 2 dark web scams that are plaguing ecommerce 💀
- Get a FREE template for briefing TikTok Shop campaigns 📅
- Walmart+ week will be earlier than Amazon Prime Day 🛒
- Actionable ways to increase sales this 2024
POST OF THE WEEK
BLACK MARKET
There’s always the good and bad side of things—e-commerce included.
All sellers have the same goal: to make a profit out of their business. Some people are trying their best to learn the ins and outs of selling on Amazon regardless of how hard it is but some choose to take the short (not to mention) dark way.
According to Total Retail, there are fraudsters on the dark web who share guides on how these unusual practices work.
But wait, where’s the dark web, exactly?
The dark web isn’t as accessible as you think.
The dark web isn’t open to the public nor can it be indexed by search engines. You need to download a dark web browser to access it. And, fair warning, it’s been called a hotbed for criminal activity.
What are they sharing on the dark web?
They share which products to target, DIY fraud toolkits to purchase, and advice on how to trick returns processes and then file a fraudulent chargeback.
Aside from this, they abuse Amazon’s main policies. Two of the most common scams discussed on the dark web are Item Not Received (INR) and Fake Tracking ID (FTID).
- Item Not Received (INR) or returns abuse
- A false claim that the order never arrived OR it was stolen upon delivery (ex. Porch pirates)
- A full refund is then requested
- Fake Tracking ID (FTID)
- Alters return postage labels
- Returning an empty or junk-filled package instead of the actual order
- Scammers ensure the weight of the returns matches the original order
- The return center can’t trace the package back to the scammer
How to protect yourself
The bad news is abusers will always continue to find ways as long as there are places like the dark web to thrive on. There’s only one way to defend your business: keep up with their activities.
- Monitor news and online discussions.
- Track and detect shady or suspicious transactions.
- Run real-time risk assessmentsbased on your ecommerce data.
You have to be proactive in protecting your business and stay informed about the latest retail scams.
TOGETHER WITH INSENSE
FREE Template: How to Brief for Viral TikTok Shop Campaigns
The #1 TikTok pain point for Amazon sellers is effectively briefing TikTok Shop affiliates to produce high-quality videos that drive sales. Insense, an official TikTok Shop Partner, can help with that.
Insense and its team of TikTok Shop experts will help…
- Produce effective creative briefs for flawless content delivery
- Match you with vetted creators FAST within 2 days
- Deliver killer shoppable videos in 10 days or less
And they’ve published a FREE Creative Brief Template!
You can use the free template to:
- Accelerate your TikTok Shop video content creation
- Receive flawless content deliverables the first time
- Effectively explain your brand and product for high-impact shoppable TikTok videos
BITES OF THE WEEK
- On and Off: eCommerce alone is not enough - omnichannel strategies for the win.
- Approved Expansion: The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the expansion of Amazon drone deliveries.
- Prep for Prime: Amazon Ads Summit Prep for Prime Day is scheduled for June 4-5.
ECOMMERCE NEWS
Walmart+ Week will run from June 17 to 23, ahead of Prime Day in July 2024
Walmart throws another jab at Amazon by scheduling Walmart+ Week ahead of Prime Day 2024. According to Axios, this member-only sale event will run from June 17 to 23, outdoing last year's 4-day event that coincided with Prime Day. This bold move aims to draw shoppers in early and give them a head start on summer savings.
🛒 What to expect during Walmart+ Week
This year, Walmart is not stopping at product discounts. Members can also expect Walmart's first-ever mystery offer, to be unveiled on June 20. They'll also indulge members with:
- Gas discounts of 20 cents off per gallon at Exxon and Mobil stations across the country.
- Travel perks of up to 20% back in Walmart Cash on vacations booked through Walmart+ Travel.
- One free Express Delivery (usually a $10 fee) to get orders in under two hours.
🗂️ Membership-exclusive wars
Seems like Walmart is also striving for membership supremacy. Here's a breakdown of what each of these giants offers:
- Price
- Walmart+: $98 per year or $12.95 per month
- Amazon Prime: $139 per year or $14.99 per month
- Benefits:
- Walmart+: Free same-day delivery on orders $35 or more, free Paramount Plus, and gas discounts.
- Amazon Prime: Free delivery, streaming services, music, and more. Amazon also added a $9.99 monthly grocery delivery subscription for unlimited same-day delivery orders.
Why it matters
Historically, other retailers have timed their own sales events to coincide with Prime Day. But this year, Walmart is taking an early initiative to raise the stakes. This underscores the importance of having a presence on various platforms to turn these wars to your advantage.
🧠 What do you think is the better strategy? Holding a sales event ahead of Prime Day, during Prime Day, or after?
ACTIONABLE ADVICE
10 easy-to-do ways to increase your sales this 2024
With ecommerce getting more competitive every day, it’s important to step up your game. Yes, there are a lot of tips and hacks online—but you can’t do them all, can you?
🎯 Fortunately, eCommerce Fastlane dropped simple and effective tips to boost your sales in 2024:
- Speed up your website. Make sure the images and videos load quickly. Test your website on different devices to ensure it works well everywhere.
- Add trade-in options. Attract more buyers by allowing them to trade in old items for discounts on new purchases.
- Show reviews and testimonials on your product pages. Customers are highly influenced by other people’s reviews. Don’t forget to encourage them to share their experiences too (and make it easy for them to leave reviews).
- Use high-quality images and videos. Show your products from different angles to help your customers see what they’re buying and avoid returns.
- Offer time-limited discounts. Create a sense of urgency by using countdown timers for special deals. Share these offers on social media and through emails to attract more customers.
- Try up-selling and cross-selling. Suggest better or additional products to customers. For example, if someone buys a phone, suggest a phone case or a charger to increase customer spending.
- Optimize your site for mobile shopping. Since many people shop on their phones, make sure your website also works well on mobile devices. Make the checkout process easy and add options like “one-click buy.”
- Engage on social media. Stay active on social media by regularly posting quality content and replying to comments. Use social media ads to reach more people and boost your sales.
- Offer multiple payment options, including credit cards, digital wallets, and other payment methods to make it easier to shop on your site.
- Use data analytics. Track how customers use your site with tools like Google Analytics to understand what they like. This way, you can improve your marketing and product placement.
💡 The most important tip is…
Adapt to make your business thrive! Keep rollin' with the punches— that's how you'll crush it in 2024.
