how to grow a business to be successful

Online sales in Russia still lag far behind offline sales. Rosstat provides data that as of September 2023, the share of online transactions in the entire volume of retail trade amounted to only 7.4%. At the same time, online sales have shown stable growth over the past 10 years: from 0.7% in 2014 to 6% in 2022. In this material, we will look at what will help e-commerce representatives attract and retain customers in 2024. Let's look at promising trends and explain their benefits for business.

Develop a development strategy

In 2024, the popularity of e-commerce will predictably increase, and at the same time, competition between players in the market will become fiercer. For example, on marketplaces the number of sellers is constantly growing, but at the same time the quality of product presentation, promotion and customer service is improving much more slowly. Practice shows that only those sellers who think through the strategy in advance become successful. For example, this is how the relevance of tasks was distributed according to the results of a Tinkoff eCommerce survey:

Focus on multi-platform

It is important for a seller to offer their products wherever a potential client may be present. This means you need to trade offline, launch a store on the marketplace, create a mobile application, website, communities on social networks, etc. This approach will increase the number of touches of the brand and users, and will also create a sense of choice – the client will be able to buy there, where it is more convenient for him.

Run ads on marketplaces

Each site uses its own type of advertising campaigns. For example, on Yandex Market the auction principle works. The seller with the highest bid wins – his product will be shown earlier than his competitors. To make it more convenient to advertise on Yandex Market, you can create a store through click.ru. In this case, the seller receives additional benefits in the form of priority technical support and free advertising automation tools.

Add smart solutions to offline locations

Offline stores should introduce “smart” solutions that make shopping easier and demonstrate business development to customers. For example, you can switch to electronic checks, add new payment methods (SPB looks advantageous, as it allows companies to reduce acquiring costs), and install self-service cash registers. One of the advanced solutions is smart baskets that “punch” goods and generate a receipt in advance, the buyer only has to pay for it at the checkout. At the same time, there is no need to abandon “live” interaction formats: human consultants, tastings, etc.

Grow your website

Even those companies that successfully sell products on marketplaces do not give up running their own websites. Despite the fact that reseller platforms have become the main driver of e-commerce development, there are two reasons to continue maintaining your web resource or creating one. Firstly, the site gives you independence and allows you to build your own pricing policy without looking at the requirements of marketplaces. Secondly, thanks to the site you can build a brand with a recognizable face. Thirdly, before purchasing on the marketplace, many buyers check the seller’s website to make sure that he is not selling counterfeits.

Look for an individual approach to users

Competition in the market is high, even taking into account the departure of foreign companies, so users expect an individual approach. You need to build relationships with every potential buyer in order to win their loyalty. To do this, for example, you can add a block to the site that will offer products related to those that the user previously bought or viewed. Or remind you to replenish supplies of consumable products (cat food, coffee beans).

Another way to get closer to the buyer is to learn more about him. A pet supply store may invite authorized users to fill out a questionnaire about their pet and create personalized offers based on this information.

Launch the mobile application

Even though we have already mentioned the application above, it is worth emphasizing its importance separately. Approximately 80% of Russians do purchases from mobile devices, so it is advisable to develop an application or make an adaptive layout on the site so that it is displayed correctly on different gadgets. It is also worth giving the user a reason to download the program to their smartphone. Think about more than just a loyalty card with a barcode. This could be a cashback system, the opportunity to receive promotional codes for a discount. For example, “Magnit”, “Pyaterochka”, “Globus” offer once a month to select product categories for the purchase of which additional bonuses will be awarded.

Add new payment methods

According to a study by the Baymard Institute, 9% of users refuse a purchase if they have not found a payment method that suits them. A business can provide the opportunity to pay by debit and credit cards, by SBP, electronic wallets, by current account, etc. Another important option for customers is payment before or after receiving the goods. It is advisable to give a choice, because each person has his own preferences.

Use more video content

Data Wyzowl Video Survey shows that 91% of companies use videos in sales. In most cases, it is easier for a user to watch a video than to read a product description. Also popular are 360-degree videos, which make it possible to view a position of interest from all angles. Rollers work very well in clothing sales. For example, the ELIS brand thanks to its monthly cover video increased transitions to the product card from 1755 to 2500.

Video content can look different: testimonials, tutorials, reviews, augmented or virtual reality.

More data on the state of online trading in Russia and technological insights to increase sales can be obtained Here.