ICYMI, Amazon has revamped its selection process for product detail page images. One of the major changes is that the brand owner’s images will be prioritized—a chance for you to showcase your amazing visuals to attract new customers!
But before you polish your product images, you may have to face other pressing matters with what’s going on in the ecommerce colony.
- Social media as the new online marketplace 🖥️
- The key to reaching millions of customers 🗝️
- Prevention and solution to delivery exceptions 🧠
SOCIAL PULSE
According to Walmart’s State of Adaptive Retail report, Gen Zs see social media as a shopping platform. Understandably, marketers and retailers are restructuring their strategies to target this diverse generation of spenders.
But why exactly do the young generation of shoppers prefer social media? Just Style breaks down the real reason.
🛍️ Social x Shopping
- 20% of Gen Z and nearly a quarter of early adopters view social media as a future primary shopping platform.
- 21% of people admitted to shopping online while doing daily tasks.
- 38% of Gen Z start their shopping journeys on social media.
- TikTok is a prime example of social commerce in motion.
In conclusion: shoppers want personal and seamless experiences. They believe social media will make their shopping experience more convenient and enjoyable as they won’t have to jump from one platform to another.
Note: The report also covers the rising interest in virtual try-ons (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
🧑🤝🧑 Get social
If you’re feeling a little anxious about being replaced with social commerce brands—DON’T. ICYDK, Amazon proactively taps into the social commerce sphere. Last year, the retailer partnered with Meta so users can buy from the Amazon Store without leaving their Meta apps.
Of course, you can also be proactive by setting up your social channels (if you haven’t already). Facebook and Instagram have a selling feature. Or, you can advertise on social channels and redirect users to your store.
One thing is for sure: if you don’t want to get left behind, you need to get social.
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BITES OF THE WEEK
- Buy and Browse: According to a survey, 55% of Gen Z buy while browsing socials.
- Amazon Earnings: Here are the highlights of Amazon's Q2 earnings report.
- Proactive Protection: Amazon wants to protect your account health after the CloudStrike IT outage.
ACTIONABLE ADVICE
How to prevent and solve delivery exceptions
When a package gets temporarily stalled due to an unforeseen reason, like bad weather, federal holidays, missing labels, or incorrect addresses, a delivery exception occurs. Although not intentional, it can affect your business—BIG TIME.
🧭 Knowing how to handle these hiccups is crucial to keep your customers happy. So, eCommerce Fastlane shared a quick guide to help you prevent this issue:
- Provide tracking. Provide customers with real-time tracking so they know when to be home.
- Verify addresses. Double-check delivery addresses to avoid errors.
- Enable notifications. Send updates via email or text to keep customers informed.
- Optimize logistics. Use multiple fulfillment centers to avoid regional delays.
- Use weather-resistant labels. Waterproof labels prevent damage in bad weather.
- Partner with multiple carriers. Use several reputable carriers to reduce risks and ensure they can service special addresses like PO boxes.
- Use fulfillment software. Automate processes through software to reduce human error and improve tracking.
What if there’s already a delivery exception?
If there’s a delivery exception while a package is in transit, here are the steps you can take to solve it:
- Contact the carrier to check the package’s location and the reason for the delay.
- Reach out to the customer. Inform them about the delay and apologize.
- Issue a refund or resend the item depending on the situation.
Handling delivery exceptions well not only keeps your customers smiling but also boosts your business’s reputation. So, stay sharp and proactive in turning potential problems into opportunities for great service. 🚚
