It’s tea time Tuesday! Today, we’ll be spilling some hot and trending updates in the ecommerce arena:
- USPS’ months-long postal delays 🚚
- Product listing problems you’re unaware of 🔨
- Ecommerce trends to watch out for this year 👀
- Collaborating with influencers and content creators 🤳
HOT TOPIC
EcommerceBytes reported a postal delay at a USPS facility in Houston, Texas that's been dragging on for months now. Customers' packages take an eternity to arrive. Meanwhile, sellers are stressing over two things:
- First, the impact of these delays on their reputation with first-time buyers.
- Second, their stocks are stuck. To make matters worse, one seller hasn't even received their Christmas-themed inventory yet!
🚚 The USPS side of the story
The issue already caught the attention of Congress members, and they're stepping in to make sure the USPS gets its act together.
Turns out, the USPS' Delivering for America (DFA) plan is causing the delay. The postal service is defending itself, saying it's all part of its grand plan to modernize its system. But as they say, Rome wasn't built in a day, so expect bumps on the road to modernization.
Amid this delivery debacle, there's no sign the USPS is pumping the brakes. Instead, there are plans to consolidate 30 more processing and distribution centers as part of the DFA initiative.
Beware, online sellers
Despite the Houston hiccup, the Postal Service is sticking to its twice-a-year rate hikes. The packages might be delayed, but the rates sure aren't. 📈
Aside from that, it's still a bit unclear if online marketplaces are aware of this Houston-sized hiccup. This is something you'll want to keep an eye on, especially because Amazon closely monitors delivery times and ties your performance to those numbers.
Let's hope they cut some slack during these turbulent times.
TOGETHER WITH PERCI
3 product listing problems you're unaware of
Many Amazon sellers overlook critical mistakes in their product listings, whether they are beginners or seasoned retailers.
Are you unintentionally making these errors too? Explore the issues and discover solutions:
- Inadequate keyword targeting: You may be missing out on sales due to neglecting high-search-volume keywords or using them incorrectly.
- Solution: Utilize Perci to identify optimal keywords, offering 1-click SEO strategies and filtering out undesirable keywords.
- Non-compliance with Amazon's listing guidelines: Amazon maintains strict listing guidelines, catching new sellers off guard as they unknowingly violate them.
- Solution: Rely on Perci to generate compliant and compelling titles and bullet points, avoiding keyword variations that could lead to non-compliance.
- Inefficient scaling: As sellers expand their product lines, some still employ time-consuming manual listing uploads.
- Solution: Opt for Perci to bulk upload listings via APIs or spreadsheets, reducing errors and saving time in creating numerous listings swiftly.
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BITES OF THE WEEK
- “About” Insights: Leverage what Google says about your site to improve your E-E-A-T signals.
- MIA Competitors: Some Chinese manufacturers and sellers may have gone on holiday.
- TikTok’s New Partner: Foshpa will provide a way to measure top-of-funnel metrics for TikTok Ads.
- Sell These: Read this if you're wondering what to sell in 2024.
- Photo Sharing: Product pages will display images from multiple selling partners starting Jan. 31.
TRENDING TOPIC
7 ecommerce trends to watch out for this 2024
The ecommerce industry is currently valued at $3.56 billion and is expected to grow more than $5 billion by 2028. No doubt every seller dreams of staying ahead of the curve!
📣 According to Tech Funding News, here are the promising trends you can look forward to this year:
- Retail point-of-sale (POS) systems. A POS is a cash register mechanism that helps you easily monitor transactions. Integrating this into your business can improve customer experience, as you can offer different payment methods or loyalty programs.
- Augmented reality (AR). AR helps customers visualize or try on products virtually to make informed buying decisions. According to a survey, 61% of shoppers prefer stores with AR and 40% are willing to pay extra for products with AR experiences.
- Spare parts inventory. With the increasing number of vehicles on roads and fleets, parts inventory is now a rising ecommerce trend. It’s best to use fleet management software to optimize your spare parts inventory.
- Chatbots. Chatbots provide 24/7 assistance to shoppers. If customers encounter a problem while buying your product, they can get customer support immediately.
- Voice search. Voice search lets your customers search for products within your store without typing using the keyboard. Statistics revealed that 71% of consumers prefer voice search to typing.
- On-site personalization. As shoppers are increasingly attracted to personalized buying experiences, personalization is key for B2B and B2C brands. It’s probably why 46% of businesses are investing in data for personalization! 💰
- Data privacy. Ensuring customers consent to data collection is crucial because it shows your commitment to data privacy and helps maintain customer trust. Losing your customers’ trust is costly; once it’s gone, it’s hard to regain.
🫵 Should you jump on these trends?
Well, it depends on what your customers need and want. Using these trends in your business can help you improve the customer experience. But—understanding and meeting customer needs remain at the heart of a thriving business.
ACTIONABLE ADVICE
Why should you collaborate with influencers and content creators?
While the terms influencer and content creator are related, they aren’t the same. HubSpot breaks down their differences to help you decide which to choose and invest in.
🤳 Creating influence
All influencers are content creators. But—not all content creators are influencers.
- Content creators craft media for entertainment and/or educational purposes, forming the Creator Economy. Fun fact: content creation can be done as a hobby or employment.
- Influencers are creators who have amassed a sizable following. They can have a significant influence on making a sale.
🤝 When to partner up
There is no perfect time for influencer marketing. But here are some sample scenarios of when you might need it:
- Connecting with GenZ. 99% of Gen Z skip an ad and crave authenticity rather than publicity. Social media is one way to reach them, but content creators who are also verified reviewers are your best bet in winning their hearts.
- Promoting for less. Brands that can’t afford mega-influencers can take advantage of micro-influencers. Despite being smaller, the latter has higher ROI and stronger conversion potential, especially among small niche communities.
- Reaching tough channels. Some social media platforms may not be your cup of tea. If you don’t want to miss potential customers, try partnering with influencers who know these platforms to save you effort and time.
- Creating engaging originals. Content creators can be bloggers, videographers, graphic designers, and the like. For standout original content, you’re better off collaborating with niche creators instead of influencers.
Influencers or content creators?
Well, why not both? If you have the budget, it’ll surely make for a strong social media marketing strategy! 💪
