Tag: kartify

E-commerce Migration And Re-platforming Guide 2023

With the rapid growth of online shopping, having a platform that can keep up with customer demands is more important than ever. But what do you do when your current platform just isn’t cutting it anymore? The answer is simple: E-commerce migration and re-platforming. 

Moving your online store to a new platform may seem scary, but the benefits are worth it. A new robust platform can offer improved uptime, a better user experience, increased scalability, and the ability to make improvements with ease.

But we know you’re thinking, “Isn’t E-commerce migration just going to be a hassle?” Yes, it can be, but with the right E-commerce migration strategy in place, you can make the transition smoothly and effectively. That’s why we’re here to help. 

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about E-commerce migration and re-platforming so you can set your business up for success. Let’s get started!

What Is E-commerce Migration?

In simple terms, E-commerce migration is the process of moving your existing E-commerce store (both front-end and back-end) from one CMS to another. The goal of such a transition is to improve your online store performance by leveraging the advanced features of the new platform. The process can involve migrating product catalog, customer data, orders, and other critical information and redesigning website’s look and feel to align with brand identity. 

E-commerce migration can also involve upgrading from older versions of a platform to a newer version or switching from an in-house solution to the cloud-based one. In general, there are three main types of E-commerce migration:

  1. Platform-platform migration involves migrating your E-commerce store from one platform to another. For instance, moving it from Magento to Kartify. 
  2. Phased migration involves transitioning your store in stages rather than all at once. This approach eliminates the risk of downtime and data loss, making the transition smoother and easy to manage.
  3. Monolithic to Microservices migration involves moving from a monolithic platform to a microservices architecture by layering platforms and third-party apps on top of one another. It is done to improve scalability and make it easier to manage your E-commerce store. 

E-commerce Replatforming Success With Kartify

E-commerce re-platforming is a delicate process that requires thorough planning and execution to ensure success. While the benefits of re-platforming are significant, it also introduces various risks and challenges that, if left unaddressed, could result in a loss of sales and negatively impact your business operation. 

That’s why working with an experienced E-commerce solutions provider is essential. For example, with our E-commerce platform Kartify, we have helped over 200+ D2C brands improve their digital footprints and grow sales. 

Here are a few benefits of hosting your E-commerce store to Kartify: 

  1. Seamless Integration: Kartify has integrated with more than 50+ third-party tools and systems, including Payment Gateways, Marketing Automation tools, SMS & Email providers and Order Management Systems, making it easier to manage all aspects of your E-commerce business.
  2. Managed Support: We offer comprehensive support throughout the migration process and beyond. It includes hand-holding during the onboarding process with a dedicated account team, in-house dev-ops, and design experts making it a hassle-free migration. 
  3. Highly Customizable: Kartify is a highly customizable, fully mobile responsive platform. From user flows and layouts to menu and filter options; you have complete control over the look and feel of your store. 
  4. Data Security:  We take comprehensive measures to keep your store and customer data secure by adhering to ISO/IEC 27001:2013 security standards and performing regular security audits with vulnerability assessments and penetration testing. In addition, all data on the platform is encrypted with access control.
  5. Made for India: Kartify has been carefully designed to the tastes of the Indian audience and offers many India-specific features like login with OTP, automatic pincode & city detection, GST Invoicing, and more.
  6. Omnifriendly: By enabling the fulfillment of online orders from offline shops, Kartify provides a unified and convenient experience for customers. With Kartify, you can also conduct offline surveys and offer cash returns, further enhancing the customer experience and building loyalty.

To know more about Kartify and ANS Commerce, request a demo now.

Four Signals That Announce It’s Time To Start Replatforming

In an ideal world, replatforming and website migration projects would happen with months and years of planning, clear-cut strategies, and defined goals. But in the real world, replatforming decisions are not proactively taken. Instead, most of the time, underlying issues force online stores to migrate. 

Below we have listed the common problems driving E-commerce businesses to migrate to a better platform. So check out for yourself, and decide if it’s time to re-platform your online store.

Technical signals for upgrading platforms 

The following technical signals indicate that it may be time to switch to a more advanced platform:

  • Lack scalability: If your existing platform is not able to handle the growing number of SKUs or does not provide omnichannel integrations, it’s time to upgrade your platform. 
  • Subpar site speed & performance: Perhaps your page load speed is low, taking more than 5 seconds to load, then customers are bouncing from your site, impacting the conversion rate. It would be best to start looking at scalable and more reliable platforms. 
  • Difficult to manage: If your IT team finds it difficult to make small changes on the website, such as it takes too long to customize or it is not possible to integrate the third-party tools you wish to partner with; it’s time to look for a new advanced platform. 

Financial Signals  

Here are the cost-related signals you should look out for while analyzing your existing E-commerce platform: 

  • Escalating maintenance cost: Over time, maintaining an outdated E-commerce platform can be increasingly expensive due to security vulnerabilities and compatibility issues that require constant upgrades and patches.
  • Dependency on costly third-party plugins: If your existing platform lacks the necessary functionalities, integrating third-party plugins can increase your operating expenses.
  • High Total Cost of Ownership: A high TCO, which includes the cost of site infrastructure, design, and maintenance, can indicate that it’s time to consider a more cost-effective platform solution. 

Marketing & Sales Signals

Here are the sales and marketing signals that indicate the need for replatforming an E-commerce site 

  • Poor customer experience and low conversion rates: A low conversion rate is a strong indicator that the current platform is unable to meet your sales and marketing goals. In other words, the outdated platform with limited features can result in a poor customer experience that will keep your customers away from making a purchase. 
  • Not optimized for mobile devices: 70% of E-commerce purchases happen on mobile, and Google also has transitioned to mobile-first indexing; this means the mobile-optimized online stores will rank higher on SERP ranking. So, make sure your platform is fully mobile-optimized!

Operational Signals

We have already discussed operational issues like slow site load, difficulty with customizations, and poor customer experience, indicating time to look for re-platforming. In short, if your team is spending more time fixing platform issues, instead of focusing on business-impacting decisions; it is time to consider a better, advanced platform.  

3 E-commerce platforming options that you can choose from

When it comes to setting up an E-commerce store, you have a few options to choose from. Each platform has its own advantages and disadvantages, and it’s important to select the one that best suits your business needs. Here are the three options to choose from: 

On-Premise 

An on-premise E-commerce platform is installed and runs on your organization’s own server. This means you get increased control over your infrastructure, which includes security, data management, and customizations. However, the advantage ends there. On-premise platforming has lost its popularity because of the higher costs involved in setting up and managing it. Complex hardware and specialized technical expertise to manage significantly add to the cost. 

Cloud 

A cloud E-commerce platform is hosted and managed by a third-party provider. The platform provider is responsible for managing the end-to-end software, right from infrastructure to security. This is quite beneficial for store owners as they can focus on other areas of the business instead of being bogged down by the technicalities of the software. The best part about cloud E-commerce platforms is that it is very easy to manage and update the store, even for non-technical users. Our E-commerce platform, Kartify, is a classic example. It offers all the above benefits to its users. In return, you need to pay a small monthly subscription.

Self Hosted

With a self-hosted E-commerce platform, you purchase and manage a cloud server from the solution provider and host your website there. The solution provider is responsible for maintaining the server and its security. Unlike on-premise platforms, you don’t have to purchase hardware or set it up on your premises, which means you don’t have to make large investments in technical expertise and resources. Examples of self-hosted E-commerce platforms include Magento, Opencart, and Woocommerce.

Things to consider before switching to new E-commerce platform

Here are a few questions you should ask yourself while evaluating an E-commerce platform 

  1. How user-friendly is the new platform?
  2. Does the platform let you customize your store to match the brand voice?
  3. Does the platform integrate with other tools you use, such as payment gateways, shipping providers, order management systems and marketing automation tools?
  4. Can the platform scale along with your business and accommodate rising traffic?
  5. Does the platform have any hidden fees, transaction charges, and associated expenses?
  6. How much effort and cost is involved in migrating your existing customer, product, and order data to the new platform?
  7. How is the quality and availability of customer support for the new platform? Do they have a repository of resources available for training and troubleshooting?
  8. Is the platform optimized for mobile devices? Does it provide a seamless mobile shopping experience?
  9. Does the platform have strong SEO features? 
  10. Does the platform provide reporting and analytics to help you make informed business decisions?

Steps to create an E-commerce re-platforming strategy 

Once you have determined the need for replatforming and have chosen the type of platform, it is time to develop a plan for the migration process. Here are the steps you should follow: 

1. Identify your business needs

The first step is to identify the current and future requirements of your E-commerce store. This includes understanding your business goals and how the tech platform will help you achieve those goals. A few important goals for an E-commerce store include the following-

  • Improving sales and revenue
  • Elevating user experience
  • Building a competitive advantage
  • Streamlining data management
  • Enhancing the efficiency of staff

2. Write the RFP

The next step is to draft a comprehensive request for proposal (RFP). The RFP should clearly outline your business goals and the expected features. This will help you evaluate and compare different E-commerce platforms for your needs. Here are some essential components to include: 

  • A brief overview of the project and your business.
  • A clear definition of your business goals or the reasons for re-platforming
  • A detailed section covering technical requirements for the new platform. It must include system architecture and security requirements. 
  • Current roadblocks and barriers to success
  • A list of all the features and functionalities expected in the new platform
  • A transparent timeline and budget for the project, including milestones
  • A clear explanation of all the evaluation criteria used for evaluating the proposals.
  • A description of the format for vendor responses.

By including all the key components, you will make sure that you receive the right proposals from vendors to meet your specific needs. 

3. Estimate cost & timelines

When considering the cost of re-platforming an E-commerce site, it is vital to take into account not only the upfront purchase price of the new platform but also the additional investments required to get the site up and running. These investments can include: infrastructure, maintenance, an in-house development team, surcharges for traffic spikes, ongoing fixes and testing, hosting, security upgrades, performance testing, and custom checkout options, to name a few.

In addition to these initial costs, it is also important to consider the cost of migrating data, maintaining website design and structure, and ongoing site maintenance and security. The cost of re-platforming and ongoing maintenance will vary based on the type of E-commerce platform you choose. 

4. Understand 3rd party integrations and other must-have features

The next crucial aspect to consider in your E-commerce replatforming strategy is evaluating the must-have features and compatibility with existing third-party softwares. This is critical to ensure that the new platform supports your business operations successfully. Must-have features could include any necessary functionality like product management, order management, shipping and tax calculation, customer management, etc. The easiest way to do this is by noting down all the features you use in your current platform plus the features you missed the most in it. 

Similarly, you must also ensure that all the existing third-party tools work with the new platform. The last thing you want is to change these tools and increase the cost of replatforming. 

5. Develop a content and data migration plan

The last step is all about clearly charting out the process for transferring data from the old platform to the new one. Here are the different sub-tasks involved in this – 

  • Start by cataloging all the data that needs to be transferred, including product categories, image catalogs, product descriptions, order data, and customer data. 
  • Understand the data format of the new platform and make any necessary modifications to your existing data. This will ensure that the data can be easily transferred without any hassles. 
  • Find out what are the different transfer options available. You can either opt for fully manual data entry, use automated tools, or a combination of both. Choose one based on your budget and the time available. 
  • Before you transfer the entire data, perform a test migration of a small set of data to ensure that there are no errors.
  • Develop a detailed plan for preventing data loss during the migration. It should also involve backup procedures and other contingency measures. 
  • Create a rollback plan in case the migration doesn’t go as per your plan. 

6. Plan for SEO after E-commerce migration 

After an E-commerce platform rebranding, it’s important to pay attention to your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) to improve its visibility and ranking on SERP. Here are some steps you can take to maintain the SEO after the migration:

  1. Redirect old URLs: If you have changed the URLs of any pages on your website during the rebranding, make sure to use 301 redirects to point the old URLs to the new ones. It ensures that any incoming links to your site will still work and will not hurt your website’s ranking.
  2. Check for broken links: Broken links can negatively impact your website’s ranking and user experience. Use tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs to identify broken links on your site and fix them as soon as possible.
  3. Update your sitemap: A sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website and helps search engines index them. After rebranding, ensure your sitemap is updated and accurately reflects the new structure of your website.
  4. Re-optimize your content: Look at your website’s content and make sure it is optimized for the keywords you want to rank for. It involves updating your page titles, meta descriptions, and other on-page SEO elements to better match your target keywords.

7. Monitoring site performance after replatforming 

Even though your E-commerce site has been successfully migrated to a new platform, it’s important to stay vigilant for a couple of weeks to ensure everything is working smoothly after re-platforming. During this time, closely monitor your Google Search Console and look for indexing issues like 404 errors, excessive redirects, and 500 errors, which can negatively impact your search ranking. 

Despite thorough planning, there are chances that some minor issues may slip through, so it’s important to monitor crawl errors immediately after the migration and for about a week after that. For example, while you may see a spike in crawl activity immediately after the migration, if this activity continues at high levels, it may indicate the creation of infinite crawl spaces, which can occur when the on-site search function creates auto-generated URLs.

In addition to monitoring crawl activity, it’s also important to pay attention to load speed and response times. Online shoppers don’t want to wait for a slow-loading site, and if your pictures aren’t optimized for fast loading or your CDN isn’t handling the new site efficiently, you may lose potential customers.

E-commerce migration checklist 

You can use this, E-commerce replatforming checklist for a successful migration process:

SEO:

  • All existing SEO links are redirected correctly to the new platform
  • All important elements, such as meta titles and descriptions, header tags, and alt tags, are properly transferred 
  • The URL structure remains consistent and does not harm existing link equity
  • There is no major change in the new website’s search engine rankings and visibility

Data Migration:

  • All customer data, including names, addresses, and other details, are properly transferred
  • All product data, including descriptions, images, and pricing, are properly transferred
  • Al existing order history is properly transferred

User Experience:

  • The new website’s navigation, layout, and overall user experience are optimized
  • The new website’s pages load quickly 
  • The new website is optimized for mobile devices

Integrations:

  • The payment system is properly integrated with the new platform.
  • The shipping module is properly integrated
  • CRM is properly integrated (If available)
  • The accounting system is properly integrated (If available)

Final Thoughts

As technology and customer expectations continue to evolve, it is critical for online store owners to regularly evaluate and upgrade their E-commerce platform and remain competitive. 

To ensure your migration goes as planned, consider switching to a platform that matches your business needs and offers complete tech support throughout the process. 

As an E-commerce marketing agency and technology provider, we can walk you through the process. 

Interested?. Book a free consultation with E-commerce Experts today!

How A/B Testing can help you in upgrading your business?

Do you know which approach is the best to make your customers happy? Well, this is a question that every marketer gets confused about. The most common dilemma that businesses face these days is they think they understand customers. However, customer behaviour is quite unpredictable. You just can’t afford to rely upon gut feeling or intuition as customers’ purchasing habits are very dynamic in this era of online shopping. Well, we have an amazing solution for you which is to conduct A/B testing. 

A/B testing is a statistical way to compare the two versions such as A and B to know which versions go better for you.

A/B Testing Process

Here’s an A/B testing framework you can use to start running tests –

  • Collect data to find out where you need to improve. Start with areas attracting high volume on your website, it will enable you to gather data faster. Look for pages with low conversion or high abandonment rates
  • Identify and set objectives to find out whether or not the new variations are performing better than the original version
  • After identifying your objective, start generating A/B testing ideas and hypotheses for why you think they will perform better than the current version. Prioritize them in terms of expected impact and level of difficulty in implementation
  • Use an A/B testing software to make desired changes in an element of your website experience. It could be anything from changing the color of a button to hiding the navigation elements
  • Run experiments and wait for your visitors to participate. They will be randomly assigned to either the control or variation version of the website. Their response to each experience is measured and compared to determine how each performed
  • Start analyzing the results after the experiment is over. You’ll find out how the two visions of your page performed and whether or not there is a statistically significant difference
Quick Tip – Running a successful A/B test requires years of experience and skill, it’s quite normal to feel overwhelmed by the extensive steps involved in the experiment. At ANS Commerce, we provide our clients with complete performance marketing services and take care of all the marketing planning and campaigns for them. Request your free DEMO today!

Benefits of A/B Testing

Boost Your ROI

A/B testing can assist you in analyzing the website visitor and customer behavior before investing in major decisions. It can assist you in avoiding unwanted risks by helping you focus your efforts and resources for maximum efficiency. Ultimately increasing your ROI, conversions, long-term customer loyalty, and other relevant metrics. 

Quick tip: You must know of every single point that took you to success, we recommend you to always take an independent variable first and measure its performance.

Prevent Cart Abandonment

The final goal of every website is to sell goods and services. However, getting visitors to follow through with checkout after clicking the add to cart button is not an easy task because usually, potential customers abandon their carts before paying. A/B testing can assist businesses in finding the optimal combination of tweaks to the order pages that will motivate the users to finish the purchase. 

The customer journey between checkout and entering a delivery address is the best place to implement the A/B testing. 

Want to know about constructive Website designing tips? Just CLICK HERE

Lower Bounce Rate

It hurts when a visitor just vanishes from the website in a few seconds. A/B testing is an easy way to determine the best combination of elements that will make the visitors stay on your website for longer. The more time they spend on your website, the more chances of them discovering something of value, resulting in conversion.

Want to know some amazing tips to fix your brandstore speed? CLICK HERE

Quick tip: You must experiment while creating a new page on web design, write fresh titles while testing the variations to boost conversions.

Improved User Engagement 

Elements of a website that can be A/B tested include the headline, images, call-to-action (CTA) forms and language, layouts, fonts, and more. Testing one change at a time helps in finding out which influenced user behavior and which did not. Implementing the winner variation will improve the user experience, resulting in overall success. 

Quick tip: If you are facing problems with tracking your website, ANS Commerce is here for you. We provide an in-house tool for marketing automation and detailed analysis to enhance your CTA. Request your free DEMO now!

How Can We Help You?

Well, now you know how incredibly A/B testing works in optimizing your business. But are you worried about how you will implement it? Well, no worries we are here to help you as ANS Commerce provides the best assistance when it comes to A/B testing. As it has special features like:

  • Experiments different audience sets: It experiments with different audience sets to analyze the best approach for the brand
  • Segmenting custom audience: It segments the custom audience on the basis of behaviour on the website to know what works best for them
  • Tech & Product: ANS helps you in optimizing the load time of the website, one-page checkout for faster transactions, a data layer for better tracking, and a lot more features

Go ahead and request your free DEMO now!

We all know how dynamic e-commerce businesses are these days which is even more of a big alert for the companies that make certain decisions on gut feeling or intuition. That’s the reason  A/B testing is imperative and the most useful tool these days to drive your e-business growth. A lot of companies in the world have achieved a lot more than their goals by A/B testing and your business could be the next! What are you still thinking? Implement A/B testing now!

5 Easy Ways to Protect your E-commerce Store from Security Breach!

The pandemic has forever changed the behavior of people towards online shopping. Social distancing lets a lot of people shift towards online shopping. This also led to an increase in online transactions. Well, that’s good news for every online retailer. But, if we take a look at the other side, cybercriminals are getting wiser day by day, taking the advantage of the situation. 

The constant game of dog and thief is prevalent since digital technology has been introduced. We need innovative techniques to protect our e-business from cyberattacks.

It is already high time for you to defend your business by implementing the latest security systems. For your assistance, we have listed various steps by means you can safeguard your store from any type of security threats.

What is a Security Breach?

“A security breach occurs when a hacker is able to bypass all the protected security mechanisms and access the data without authorization.”

5 Easy Ways to Protect your E-commerce Store from Security Breach!

Let’s make data security and enforcement of data control your priority by implementing these 5 ways in your security system now!

1. Use a secure connection for check-out

Some marketers are still living in the misconception that if they use an HTTP protocol, their data is safe and secure. Do you think is it still safe if your user information is transferred directly to the server? It is obviously not, well the HTTP protocol does the same and the reason is it doesn’t have encryption. Hackers could easily use confidential information like ATM pins and bank account details.

Well, we suggest you use HTTPS Protocol as it encrypts the data sent between browser & server and has SSL (Secure Socket Layer). It doesn’t only secure your customers’ data from all ends but even protects business-critical information like intellectual property and employee data.

Do you want to set up a secure brandstore? Explore our in-depth guide on moving from offline to online store here!

2. Reduce storing customers’ Confidential Data

The first thing businesses try to do after spotting a new visitor on their brandstore is to get their hands on his/her data. However, if your website gets compromised your customers have to pay that price as it will open the doors for hackers to steal their information. Well, it’s a very wise decision not to store crucial information like bank or credit card details. In the short run, your customers will face a little problem in checking out as their cards are not saved. However, in the long run, it will save you from a lot of legal penalties.

Quick tip: You can encourage your customers to use other payment gateways that do not involve storing information for making transactions.

3. Maintain PCI compliance 

If for some reason you’ve to store customer data then we advise you to follow PCI compliances. It is a quick and simple way to check a long list of measures that need to be taken to ensure and safeguard your customers’ transactions. If you choose to miss this vital step your e-business might have to endure severe pain as it will take a lot more resources, funds, and time to rectify the data breach.

4. Conduct regular audits 

Conduct regular audits to check your security measures. External audits are an easy way to systematically review where your business currently stands with its data, network, and device security. It also assists in finding out if there are any potential security issues and how to tackle them before any damaging security breaches occur.

Quick tip: Don’t know how to conduct regular audits to ensure the security of your brandstore? Kartify ensures regular security audits, making it incredibly easy for you to manage your business operations. Request your free DEMO now!

5. Update your backend software

Is your website updated? When was the last time you updated your backend software? Your business could easily be the next target of a security breach. Updating the website regularly will act as a strong shield and will prevent cybercriminals from accessing your systems. 

Quick tip: After installing the latest version of software you are using, don’t forget to install a good ransomware blocker as it keeps your system safe from any illegitimate sources.


How can we assist you?

Are you confused about how you can safeguard your customers’ data? Well, we got you covered as your security of data and systems is paramount for us. Kartify – our brandstore tech will solve all your security-related issues with the following features:

  • Regular Security audits with VA/PT; ISO / IEC 27001:2013 (WIP)
  • Cloud Armor & regular back-up & version control; data encryption
  • Proper access control for dev, deployment

What are you still waiting for? Request your free DEMO now.

In 2021, when cybercriminals are finding new vulnerabilities to exploit, it’s the need of the hour to implement these techniques into your e-business and protect your e-commerce platform from upcoming costly attacks.  

Transition From Brick and Mortar Store To Click and Mortar Store (And Tips to Promote it)

With the brick and mortar model hitting a snag last year, multiple businesses jumped on the e-retail bandwagon. Some even transitioned to online-only stores. An e-commerce store offers certain advantages that a physical store does not, like, the ability to sell 24/7 and a wider audience to market to. However, this ease of accessibility has resulted in an influx of online merchants, dramatically increasing the competition and marketing noise across the internet. The question arises, how do you offer customers value in this highly competitive market? 

Here, your experience in running an offline store will come in handy. A brick-and-mortar store is the physical representation of the brand and you’ve already invested a good amount of time and resources into establishing its identity. Therefore, one part of the equation is complete. In this article, we have curated a list of 5 essentials for setting up a successful online store.

“Leverage your offline brand identity to drive your e-commerce business to the top.”

Consider These 5 Factors While Setting Up Your Brandstore

1. Choose a platform according to your business model

platform

The most important step while transitioning from offline to an online store is setting up a website. In the past few years, multiple web hosting and site-building platforms have sprung up. Finding the one that works for you is not easy. It is as important as finding the right location for your next offline store. Therefore, conduct thorough research before making any platform decision. 

One rule holds for both online and offline business: Moving is time-consuming. Transferring all the product details from the physical store to an online storefront can be quite tedious and expensive. Choose a scalable platform by identifying your current needs and forecasting your future requirements. Invest in accurate growth projections before making any decisions to avoid outgrowing the platform.  

Quick Tip: If you want a customizable and integration-ready platform that can be scaled easily, then Kartify is your best bet. Request your free DEMO now!

2. Select integrations based on your brandstore requirements

After finding a platform to suit your business model, it’s time to explore integrations for payment, design, and shipping that are compatible with it.  

Extensions or plugins are software additions designed to fulfill certain tasks that the platform cannot. They are either produced by the parent company or third-party vendors. A few of them are free, others require a one-time payment, and other work on a monthly subscription model. Accurately defining your needs will assist you in cost projection. 

For instance, you can not run a successful online store if the customers can’t pay for the products or services they want. Make sure your store accepts all major methods of payment. 

Quick tip: If you want to add third-party integrations without third-party sandbox apps, you must prefer Kartify. It provides you basic key integrations, making it easier for you to operate. With more than 60 integrations, all the features in Kartify are regularly updated with new versions. Request your free DEMO now!

3. Choose the right products

While it can be quite tempting to hit the ground right out the gate, we advise you to start slow and test the waters when moving to an online store. Instead of adding all the products to the site, start by offering only your best-sellers. It will facilitate gauging the popularity of the store and determining the best course of action. 

4. Consider changes in product prices 

product prices

Multiple factors determine the pricing for online products. While moving from brick-and-mortar to e-commerce, the product prices will not stay the same. The two main components are – 

  • Determine the sales tax ahead of time. In the beginning, figure out sales tax in your own country, as you start shipping worldwide, research the tax structure of other countries. 
  • The next online-specific pricing factor is the shipping cost. Figure out whether or not the product price should increase to offer a flat rate or free shipping option to shoppers. A common practice for new click and mortars that operate on a small budget is to offer free shipping over a certain amount. 

5. Choose your shipping partner wisely

One of the biggest challenges of the click-and-mortar model is shipping goods to customers. The shipping fee may be detrimental to your business and can put an end to your digital venture before it even starts. While selecting a dedicated shipping service, consider these three things:

  • Cost 

Will the shoppers pay the cost of shipping or is it too expensive? If you decide on free shipping, can you handle the overhead without making the customers pay for it?

  • Speed

How long does it take for the shipping service to deliver the products? Does it offer express delivery? Is it safe?

  • Inventory

After adding e-commerce to your services, you need to maintain a large inventory to keep up with the increased demand. Do you have the extra space necessary to store your goods? If the answer is no, search for shipping companies that offer inventory space for a fee.

 Want to know the complete process of order fulfillment? Read on!

Quick Tip: To make sure you focus time and resources on product development, ANS Commerce India’s #1 full-stack e-commerce service provider manages warehouses and supply chains across channels, including multi-category storage support and return management with JIT flexibility. Request your free DEMO now!

Now that you have launched your brandstore, it’s time to promote it. Below, we have mentioned 4 ways to get the word out about your digital venture. 

4 Proven Ways To Promote Your Online Store For Boosting Website Traffic

1. Share on social media

media

Social media is an excellent way to keep your existing and potential customers up to date on business operations, product and service offerings, sales, and more. Stories on Facebook or Instagram offer an off-the-cuff opportunity to connect with followers. Leverage it to provide regular offerings, behind-the-scenes, or create a unique experience for your audience. 

2. Spread the word with email marketing

An email marketing campaign represents an important touchpoint with existing and potential customers. These are the people who have shown an active interest in your business offerings. It means they are just a few steps away from becoming your paying customers. Now, it is your turn to convert them by offering value in one of two forms: either promotional value or engaging and useful content. 

For instance, if you sell international cosmetic and skincare products, offering makeup hygiene tips or Black Friday discount coupons is a great way to serve your customers and subtly encourage them to make a purchase.

 How to escalate your business with Email Marketing? Read on!

Quick Tip: As a physical store owner, you already have a strong customer base. Collect their email addresses to grow your biggest digital marketing asset. 

3. Curate valuable content

Content marketing is relatively new to the digital marketing domain. It has gained popularity due to the increased competition in the online marketplace. To deal with the influx of new businesses, Google has made it a priority to show the most relevant result for every search query. 

Suppose you manage a fashion and clothing brandstore. The competition in this niche is fierce. To appear in that desired featured snippet, you need to stand out; the content should be more relevant and valuable than your competitor’s. To accomplish that, you need to have a strategic long-term content plan.  

To implement content marketing successfully, identify and curate the type of content your target audience will prefer. 

Want to improve your content marketing strategy? Explore our complete guide to persona-driven content marketing for your e-commerce brandstore!

Quick tip: We advise creating a content marketing calendar and following it religiously. It makes sure that you’re regularly posting new content that is valuable and relevant to your audience. 

“Creating compelling content requires periodic analysis of user behavior and content performance.”

4. Boost website traffic with pay per click (PPC) marketing 

In layman’s terms, PPC marketing involves designing ads via an ad platform such as Google Adwords. Once created, you then bid on the amount you’re willing to pay to get it displayed when searchers use relevant keywords. 

PPC offers certain direct and indirect benefits. When a user clicks on your ad it leads to an increase in website traffic. Now, you have the opportunity to make a sale, gain a new subscriber, or provide valuable information to the visitor. 

Even if a user doesn’t click on the Google ad, he/she now knows your name. It’s called an ad impression. It could lead to a later visit or sale. 

How Can ANS Commerce Assist You? 

If you are worried about your transition from brick and mortar store to e-commerce, we are here to assist. We provide full-stack e-commerce solutions for businesses to scale brandstore and leverage marketplaces. Our in-house tech, Kartify, delivers an exceptional e-commerce experience and is fully customizable. Request your free DEMO now!

What can you expect from ANS Commerce? 

  1. Account Hygiene: We regularly check the brand logo and guidelines for creatives. Our dedicated team creates and presents periodic account progress reports 
  2. Tech & Product: We conduct website load time optimization to reduce site abandonment and provide one-page checkout to facilitate faster transactions
  3. Operational Execution: We assist in onboarding, listing products, price management, inventory, and promotions to drive topline and bottom-line

Success in the e-commerce domain is not instant, but it’s still quite formulaic. Leverage your brick and mortar assets wisely, pay attention to detail, understand your target audience, plan diligently, and execute timely. Most importantly, remember that long-term success requires a consistent investment of time and resources. 

E-commerce Blogging Tips: 7 Brilliant Suggestions to Boost your Brandstore Sales!

E-commerce businesses put constant efforts into marketing and branding strategies. Be it their brandstore, or social media channels, you will find aesthetically pleasing visuals with short-crisp content. 

Now, visit your favorite brand’s website and check their blog segment. You will hardly find any blog. This is one of the biggest mistakes businesses commit. What they don’t understand is, to communicate their offerings with the users, social media and brandstore are not enough, especially if you are a B2C business. 

Blogging not only helps your customers understand your brand better but also increases your inbound traffic.

“While your blog must add value to the reader’s knowledge, it must harness the power of persuading them a step further.”

7 Incredible Blogging Tips to Rev Up your E-Commerce website! 

1. Focus on value-added content

Marketers focus on quantity than quality when it comes to writing blogs. The trick might stand true for social media, but for blogs, create content to entertain, educate and empower your audience. If your write-up is not adding value to your reader’s lifestyle, it’s of no use. To make it winsome, study the needs of your audience first, then make the content accordingly. 

Quick tip: Data and stats add a context and support your statement. Try to use numbers as often as possible. For example, you are a business dealing in alcohol-free fragrances. To sell your offerings, tell people about the disadvantages of alcoholic perfumes in numbers, supporting your statement. Additionally, you can also mention the benefits of using alcohol-free fragrances while featuring your product portfolio. 

2. Don’t lose the consistency

Focusing on quality doesn’t mean you will be inconsistent and post once every six months. Consistency is a must to attain traffic. Post at least twice every week to notify your customers. Keeping your posting schedule consistent makes it easier for the readers to expect new content from you. If you can’t manage, you can even hire people on a freelance basis. Seeking help from a professional would only strengthen your content marketing strategy. Be consistent, you will see the results automatically. 

3. Tie your blogs to the product pages 

For all SEO professionals, this is one of the best techniques to increase your website’s ranking organically. Curate content for the blog while linking your offerings. For example, you are writing a blog on “10 bootcut jeans you can’t afford to ignore in 2021.” Here, you can add your brand’s products to the blog with a ‘BUY NOW’ button. Also, remember not to add too many links as this can create clutter in the minds of the users. 

Quick tip: Can’t boost your website’s traffic organically? Well, invest in our performance marketing solution, made with a special focus on lead generation and ROAS. To know more, request your free DEMO now! 

4. Put your emphasis on meta descriptions 

Adding a meta description in your blog is similar to adding ad copy in your google ads. Without a meta description, it’s impossible for the blog to rank. Moreover, it’s one of the first things people read when your blog comes in the search results. Many e-commerce websites, either don’t use meta description or use the same content for all the blogs. If you want people to read your blogs, you need to create fresh meta descriptions for each blog. 

5. Don’t forget to optimize your images

Images act as proof of your written content. If they are pixelated and don’t resonate with your text, they are of no use. To optimize your images for the blogs, it’s important to use high-quality images. But, don’t forget to compress so that they don’t take time to load. Secondly, use the ALT tag in your image code. It helps your images to appear in the google image search. 

Want to design your e-commerce website from scratch, but don’t know how to? Read on!

6. Talk less about your products and more about people

Times have changed and so have people. There’s no room for fancy content with persuasive promotions. People read blogs to either gain knowledge or get entertained. They don’t want to read your sales pitch in the shape of a blog. Understand your audiences’ needs first and then make your content accordingly. In short, don’t surround your blog with the offerings, rather give people the solutions for their problems. Once they start trusting you, they’ll definitely buy from you. 

7. Simplify your URLs 

Your blog’s ranking is directly dependent on its URL. If you use complicated URLs with too many conjunctions and articles, your sites’ ranking will immediately dip as it’s hard for search engines to read. Try to use simple plain English. Also, don’t forget to include the primary and secondary keywords in the URL. 

How can we help you?

Are you still confused as to how you can market your offerings and fuel your e-commerce business? Consult us for all your e-commerce needs and we will help you scale your business. From performance marketing to warehousing & order fulfillment to marketplace management to brandstore tech, leave everything e-commerce to ANS Commerce. To know more about us and our offerings, request your free DEMO now! 

Quick tip: Still couldn’t understand how can you make the most out of blogging? Below are the links to the blog segments of some of our partner brands’ websites. Check it out and ace the knack of blogging! 
https://www.mystereparis.com/blog
https://www.kayayouth.com/blog
https://blog.ruosh.com/
https://blog.khadims.com/
https://blog.rossobrunello.com/

Many brands don’t understand the importance of blogging, but we hope you will follow the above-mentioned tips to get increased visibility and brand awareness. Also, don’t forget to share your blogs on social media channels as they help you create backlinks, increasing the engagement of your content.

7 Tips to Escalate Your Business by Using Email Marketing

Email Marketing is used by almost all businesses across the globe. We have known this marketing strategy even before the hype of online marketing started. But with the changing landscape, people have become busier than ever and they don’t have time to follow bulk email messages. That’s when your email marketing strategy fails your strategic marketing campaign.

Well, fret not! Do you want to convert your customers in the most direct and effective way while nurturing them with occasional updates? Email marketing is your only saviour. But before you start the campaign, let us walk you through the tips and tricks, making your email marketing a win-win!

7 Tips to Use Email Marketing in the right way

1. Select an eye-catching subject line 

A subject line can either attract a customer or deter them from reading further. Not only does a subject line form the base of your message, but also acts as a parameter, deciding whether your email will gain traction or not. No matter how enticing your promotional mail was, if the subject line is not attractive, nobody will give it a read. 

Quick tip: Want to make an eye-catching subject line? Following are a few examples of some impressive subject lines!

1. Tonight only: A denim lover’s dream can be fulfilled
2. Is this the hottest career in marketing?
3. Hey Rahul, this is what you have been missing!

2. Curate short-crisp content 

An email is generally read when a person is either riding a cab to reach their office, or sitting in a metro, waiting for their station. Your email goes to waste the moment you start using complex tones with hard-to-understand language. Thus, the content should be short and precise, letting the recipient understand your message in a single go.

“As every word counts and explains its significance, it is crucial to use the right set of words!”

Quick tip: It’s important not to use high-mounted and fancy words in your email content as every customer has a different level of understanding. The usage of trendy slang with short copy is what catches the attention!

3. Avoid shouting loud

There is a misconception that using ‘upper-case’ & ‘exclamation marks multiple times could drive the attention of the customer. This is not at all true, as it might look like the brand is shouting out loud. There are even chances that a spam filter could flag your message, ultimately affecting the email open rate. Just stop using capitals and exclamation marks in the subject line as well as the body of the Email as it is a big turn-off for readers.

Want to know how to make a persuasive email newsletter? Read on to find the best tips!

4. Use mobile-friendly UI/UX

Today, a large number of people prefer opening mail on their smartphones as it is quite fast and easy to access. But, there is a huge difference in the presentation when mobile devices are compared to computer screens. Thus, you must optimize and personalize your users’ experience by making it easier for them to read emails on mobile devices. 

Quick tip: Following are some easy tips you must follow to make your emailer mobile-friendly:

1. Put your call to action at the top so your customer don’t have to scroll
2. Do not rely on large-sized images as sometimes they don’t load on mobile phones
3. Keep the email copy neat (Don’t write long paragraphs)

5. Pay attention to the metrics

It takes a lot of effort to create interesting, beautiful, and engaging emails. But these efforts can go in vain if your customers never get to see them. You should never take the delivery process lightly. If you are assigning it to your email service provider, don’t think your work has ended there. You must give priority to analysing the open rate, bounce rate, and unsubscribe rate. After this, you can actually check your performance and learn what worked well and what didn’t, helping you make corrections. 

6. Clean your Email list

Cleaning your Email list is the process of deleting obsolete domains! Sending emails to domains that don’t exist anymore will only affect your email open rates. By cleaning your email list you are not only enhancing the open and bounce rate but also minimizing the risk of being spammed.

Quick tip: To improve your email open rate, and reduce the bounce rates, try cleaning your list after every 6 months!

7. Make the most out of the A/B Testing

Getting everything right in a single try is not possible every time. Sometimes, you can check the effectiveness of your campaign by running two different campaigns together with minor changes. This is called A/B testing.
For example, to check the efficacy of your email subject line, you can run two different emailers with the same content, but different subject lines. This will help you check which subject works the best. 

How can we help you? 

If you want to improve the online marketing strategy of your brand, then fret not and invest in our performance marketing solutions. From checking your brand logo to creating account progress reports to optimizing the load time of the website, ANS Commerce provides you with performance marketing solutions across various channels with a special focus on sales and ROAS. Request your free DEMO now!

A well-done email marketing strategy can help you drop your customers in the sales funnel in no time. Don’t forget to keep track of the time your users read your emails the most. Also, keep the tone of your content the same for all emailers as it’s the voice of your brand. Follow our tips and promote your brand effectively. 

Gamification Marketing: Fuel your Business by Incorporating these Tips in your Brand Strategy

In a world where people are overloaded with advertisements, they have an infinite number of options to choose from. Not only has it become difficult but also very important to pull off their undivided attention. But the question is how? Gamification is the answer to this problem as it encourages people to engage actively.

We all love playing games as it challenges and rewards us. It is not just a source of entertainment, but also engages customers and can be a powerful tool.

What is Gamification Marketing?

“Gamification is the process of incorporating the game mechanism into an already existing system to entice the customers.”

marketing

Gamification is a marketing tool to pull off the customer’s attention. In the language of marketing, gamification strategy begins when a business uses a popular game to promote its brand while offering rewards and incentives to people. People are more likely to engage when they have a chance of achieving something. This way you can indulge your customers while using gamification as a powerful marketing asset! 

6 tips to enhance your brand strategy with Gamification Marketing

1. Enhance your strategy by introducing creative rewards 

To ensure the ultimate customer interaction and engagement, you must come up with creative rewards. No, we are not talking about expensive gifts, rather social recognition resonating with your business. 

For instance, if you are a Jewelry brand, making customized jewelry. To increase your social media presence, you can launch a campaign during the festival season, encouraging people to post a video wearing your jewelry. Ask them to use your brand’s hashtags as they tag you. This will increase your engagement and as a reward, you can feature the best participant on your official social media page. Micro influencers love to participate in such community building activities. 

2. Celebrate and appreciate all the users

users

The best rewards are for the ones who possess proficient skills and give the best performance. But, will you forget the ones who tried and were not able to do well? We can’t afford that. Our ultimate goal is to engage customers and it is imperative to keep in mind all the participants as essentially they are your actual customers. Sometimes even a “thanks for participating, we value you” is more than enough to motivate them to engage in the future.

3. Monitor the process

Tracking the process has two-fold benefits. Firstly, it’s beneficial for your users. Customers are very keen to know where they stand to win rewards and gifts.

Secondly, tracking the process is not only beneficial for customers but is of vital importance for the brand itself. Brands get to know whether the strategy is driving their business goals or not. Tracking makes it possible to get a quantitative measure of their progressions and to know about where they are lagging. 

Quick tip: Want to monitor your performance? Having captured all data and user logs for analytics and insights, Kartify – our brand store tech – lets you create custom reports. To know more, request your free DEMO now! 

4. Incorporate real games

If you choose to integrate gamification marketing into your platform, you have to play smart. Incorporate real games for your customers and see how they welcome it. If they like your game, they will be curious to interact with your brand. Moreover, this will also show the authenticity of your brand.

Quick tip: Incorporating games such as Spin a Wheel, Chess, etc. are the ones people love to play, helping your brand to generate more leads. 

5. Keep the gamification process simple

Since the main objective of the gamification process is to generate leads and boost sales through a prescribed path, it is important to keep the mechanism simple. If it requires multiple pages to participate in a contest, people will pull-out, leading to high bounce rates and low engagement rates.

6. Understand your Target Generation

generation

Before you set any marketing strategy, always remember the type of audience you are thinking to target and then analyze what are their expectations and what drives them. For instance, Gen Z & Y may like your game. But Gen X might not like them as much. You need to keep in mind the type of products, rewards you are offering to the type of audience you are targeting, so you could engage them accordingly. 

Gamification is quite a competitive strategy as there could be many errors, but you can eventually learn from them, making it a perfect method to engage with your consumers. It is all about how well you take the opportunity to increase your brand visibility. 

Selling Comfort: How Secret Wish – A Lingerie & Sleepwear Brand Made Women Feel Comfortable All Day Long!

Among other necessities for a woman to live a confident life, there are certain things we can’t afford to miss on. At the top of the list is ‘What we wear”. Apparels are indeed an important part of our lives, making us feel comfortable and confident, particularly lingerie and sleepwear. While the former boosts your confidence, the latter gives you a goodnight’s sleep, balancing the various aspects of life. 

Initially, when e-commerce in itself was a new term, there was no lingerie and sleepwear brand online. Not only women had to visit offline stores but also had to compromise on hygiene. What was the solution to all this? Enters the Secret Wish. 

About the brand: Secret Wish

Secret Wish is India’s leading lingerie and sleepwear brand, providing solutions to fashion fit issues while helping women feel confident and comfortable throughout the day.

With an aim to sell chic & girly lingerie in the finest quality for women across the nation, Secret Wish was founded by Sushant Puri in 2014. The founding team of the brand includes Chandan Singh and Roopkiran Kaur Sandhu who helped Sushant build the brand from scratch. Later on, Sushant’s elder brother, Prashant Puri, came into the business as co-founder and started managing Secret Wish.

Secret Wish provides a seamless and hassle-free shopping experience with their direct-to-customer business approach, making it affordable and feasible for people to purchase. They have multiple categories including, nightwear, bathrobe, swimwear, and lingerie, under the convenience of a single roof. 

Bridging the gap between online and offline shopping

Female hygiene has always been a concern – given the fact many female-related issues are still not communicated openly. In the early era of the 2010s, buying lingerie openly was taboo. Not to mention, people were not much aware of female hygiene issues and didn’t understand the importance of supreme quality intimate wear. In fact for lingerie and sleepwear, there was a common notion of buying cheaper options. 

Not only women used to compromise on the quality, but also the whole process of going to a local market and buying sleepwear and lingerie was hectic. “We realized this social issue in the year 2014 and noticed that there are no nightwear brands on online marketplaces. Moreover, women were buying from local markets. But we were determined to bridge that gap between offline and online, resulting in the inception of ‘Secret Wish’” said Prashant Puri.

“Cotton and hosiery comfort wear were being sold in the nooks of Gandhi Nagar – a small district in Delhi. I thought to take the whole idea online as there was not a single lingerie and sleepwear brand on marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, etc.” said Prashant. 

Overcoming the D2C challenges

Direct-to-consumer is an approach in which a  business doesn’t rely on the middlemen and sells directly to the consumers. The D2C model is beneficial for consumers and manufacturers as it cut down the cost of an intermediary

Secret Wish was one of the first few brands who adopted this – now highly hyped – approach of selling products. But before any brand begins with this approach, it’s important to understand the relevance of online. 

For a D2C brand, everything has to happen online. From managing accounts on marketplaces to managing traffic on the individual brandstore, a D2C brand has to keep a hawk’s eye to fuel the business. “Be it following the right standards to checking if the order dispatch is happening on time, it’s important to observe each and every detail keenly. So we had to go figure out these things while keeping a look at whether the proper quality is maintained or not,” he added. “Moreover, for a fashion brand especially in the sleepwear category, it’s essential to have a large assortment of collections. Mere 4-5 options don’t do the job, you have to maintain 40-50 different varieties in a single product category. But with growing demands, we became determined to improve our customers’ experience with valued services.”

Scaling business amid the Pandemic

The new normal times had been considered good for e-commerce businesses across the nation. To practice the mandatory guidelines issued by the government of India, people became more conscious and switched the traditional buying methods to online shopping. For Secret Wish, the unprecedented times have actually proven to be good – given the fact, people were forced to stay at home, increasing the need to wear comfortable clothes such as shorts, nightgowns, etc.

Talking about the trends amid the pandemic, Prashant highlighted the fact that people from both tier 1 and tier 2 cities came online, leading to a boost in their sales numbers. “More than 40% orders came from non-metro cities. Women who were initially dependent on offline stores, switched to online websites and marketplaces such as Myntra and Amazon, leading to an increase in online penetration.”

Finding expertise in ANS Commerce

Started their journey with ANS Commerce in 2017, Secret Wish became its full-stack partner. “Ever since we started with ANS Commerce we have seen an impressive boost in the sales. The rising penetration of online shopping and digital adoption post pandemic has increased our order volumes more than 200%, Prashant said.”

“Highlighting their warehousing and fulfilment solution, I would like to say that we have definitely saved the cost of warehousing and distribution channels. This money was used in brand visibility and marketing,” he said.

“Right from the moment we got associated with the team of ANS Commerce, we experienced incredible services. Be it their performance marketing solution or marketplace management or warehousing & fulfilment, I would definitely like to appreciate the entire team for their constant support,” Prashant said. 

Since the website of Secret Wish is fully-designed and managed by ANS Commerce, to explain the experience of the brand in brandstore tech, he added, “Not to mention our website is fully-powered by Kartify – their brandstore tech. Kartify has optimized the performance of our online store as it loads faster and has actually helped us reduce the cart abandonment rate. Talking about their refund manager – an in-built feature of Kartify – it has helped us process refunds faster with more ease.” 

“Moreover, we have efficiently overcome the challenge of account management and reconciliation on marketplaces with the help of ANS Commerce.”

“We look forward to continuing ANS Commerce’s e-commerce solutions and would recommend other D2C brands to seek their assistance as well.”

About ANS Commerce

ANS Commerce is India’s #1 full-stack e-commerce enabler helping brands sell online. We offer brandstore tech, performance marketing, marketplace management, and e-commerce warehousing & fulfilment.

We want our brand partners to focus on their brand and product and leave ‘all-things-e-commerce’ to us. We help brands acquire consumers, power brandstore, and jumpstart marketplace operations in no time. With us, brands can offer fast & reliable order fulfilment to your marketplace & brandstore consumers. Our extensive experience across product, e-commerce, retail, and marketing helps the brand achieve higher sales and stronger brand differentiation.

Having worked with 90+ established and challenger brands, we aim to help them sell on their brandstores along with 15+ marketplaces. ANS Commerce enumerates Jack & Jones, Vero Moda, Portico, Piramal, CEAT, Marico, Bath & Body Works, and ITC amongst its client partners. It is integrated with 60+ partners such as Fynd, Unicommerce, Netcore, Arvind, Delhivery, Increff, Razorpay, and many more to simplify e-commerce in India.

Bid Adieu To 2020 With Top 20 E-commerce Trends!

Did we ever think classroom sessions will be replaced by video call applications? Did we ever think sanitizer will be given more priority over a bottle of water? 

Whatever they say, 2020 has been quite a momentous year! 

With a pocket full of technology and free time, we have faced many challenges. Not to mention FOMO has finally become our best buddy! But still, it would be a shame to say that the year was boring. There was a time when we were a bit skeptical to shop online. But, this year, has clearly changed that too, as we were left with no choice but to buy everything we had abandoned for months. 

So, can it be any better than 2020? Well, to kick off your year-end blues, we have curated a list of 20 e-commerce trends to wave our goodbyes. Also, if you are planning to start your online business, or you already have an established e-commerce business, you must capture the recap of this beloved year!

Top 20 E-commerce Trends of 2020! 

1. Spike in the contactless payment options

The pandemic has surely seen a decrease in the percentage of cash on delivery orders! According to our data, the contribution of the COD payment options has decreased from 47% in 2019 to 27% and the share of online payment modes has increased to 73% this year. Seeing this trend, e-commerce businesses have included a plethora of social payment options such as Apple pay, Google wallet, Facebook payments, Twitter Buy, etc., to let customers make seamless payments. 

2. The increasing demand for Mom & Babycare products

There is no doubt in saying that health has been a major concern this year, especially for new mothers and infants. This need has surely upsurged the demand for the Mom & Babycare products. If we talk in numbers, there has been an 8X increase in the sales contribution from this segment in 2020!

3. Devouring healthy snacks and counting their nutritional value is the new norm

The outbreak of pandemic has increased the importance of food and nutrition in our lives. But now, people have become more conscious about their health. Soy milk, whey ice cream, protein bars, dried berries, roasted seeds, etc, have become their go-to snacks. Marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, etc. have been flooded with nutritional products.  

4. Increase in the sales contribution from non-metro cities

According to ANS Commerce partner brands data, the sales contribution of tier-2 cities has increased from 44% in 2019 to 65% this year. Buying patterns of consumers all around the nation seem to have changed significantly with categories such as health & nutrition and FMCG & agriculture making a surge. Further, with an increase in the number of mobile users, tier-2 city users seemed to become more confident and aware of online shopping. 

5. The importance of the user-generated content

With the emergence of social media, the pandemic has failed to keep people distant mentally. They have been using social media sites more than ever. Taking the advantage of this trend, brands have been using engagement marketing tactics such as contests and giveaways by motivating users to generate content. 

6. The rise of independent local businesses in shaping customers’ journey

Local businesses, on one hand, are the backbone of our nation’s economy, while on the other hand, they serve with a plethora of inexpensive options, not to mention the fact that they keep us close to our culture. People’s preferences for local and small brands have increased in the year 2020. Not to mention how our social media news feeds are flooded with users giving shoutouts to their favorite brands.

7. An increase in the service-based subscription model

The subscription model has been preferred by almost all e-commerce businesses, given the fact it has the leverage to boost sales. Coming over to the specific type in the e-commerce business, the service-based subscription model seemed to hold a great value. This business model generally controls pricing based on the value, giving users flexibility. Extra benefits such as free delivery, quick delivery, etc, add more value to the customers’ lives. Almost all the platforms are indulged to position their brand through these tactics.

8. Loyalty programs to establish long-term relationships

In entrepreneurs’ marketing toolbox, loyalty programs hold a certain value to enhance long-term relationships with customers. With deeply personalized offers, brands try to make sure their customers are rewarded.

9. A surge in the sales of Sustainable products

People all around the nation have seen to pay more attention to their purchasing decisions. More sustainable ways of production are fabricating ways into shopper’s marketing strategies. Some of the popular sustainability trends include the production of homegrown food items, cruelty-free makeup products, sustainable & slow fashion apparel, etc.

10. Influencer marketing is the new sales model

With an increase in the consumption of social media, influencers have attained enormous power to guide their audience. Through influencer marketing campaigns brands are trying to make use of the creativity and control that the influencers have made over time with their audience.

11. New ways of gifting loved ones

The idea behind giving e-gift cards to loved ones has become popular these days. And e-commerce players are well acquainted with it. So, if you want to grab the notice of your prospects, invest in e-gift cards to give your customers flexibility! ANS Commerce has been in close contact with their partner brands and decided to expedite a module in our product roadmap given its increased relevance. We had enabled the gift cards feature on Kartify this year – it’s an easier way to boost a brand’s sales.

12. Chatbots have become a new way to communicate

Be it tracking your product, or asking queries regarding product exchange, communicating with chatbots have increased more than ever! Chatbots have been there forever, but with the surge in online sales, their usage has also increased. 

13. ROPO (research online purchase offline)

Forecasters and marketers have forecasted last year that ROPO (research online purchase offline will continue to rise. But looking at the current scenario, the trend seems to have disappeared in the year 2021.

14. Mobile commerce in 2021

To let people enjoy the perks of quick shopping, businesses are engaging in mobile/ social commerce. Also, brands have looked to integrate WhatsApp & social commerce as another online sub-channel. Due to a tremendous increase in online shopping, Instagram has come up with a new option to sell. It has expanded its shopping services across IGTV. You can sell and merchandise your products by showcasing your range of products via IGTV. 

15. An increase in the Omni-channels tactics

Customers are present everywhere. Be it website, mobile applications, social media platforms, you won’t see a single platform that doesn’t have a social presence. Omni-channel is an approach that provides a fully-integrated experience to the customers. Warehousing and fulfillment also play an eminent role when it comes to e-commerce sales. Not to mention how omni-channel tactics can improve inventory depth! Along with the drift, the preference of brands has also seemed to change with the rising number of stock-keeping. To enable simple, fast, and reliable delivery, brands are seen to get fascinated by multi-city warehouses and omnichannel delivery options.

16. The rise of AR and VR

Virtual reality has been there before this year, but it has continued to pick up speed in 2020.  Virtual reality and augmented reality have increased to enhance the e-commerce experience for customers with online assistance/ recommendations, virtual trial rooms, etc. 

17. Most preferred product segments of 2020

Fashion & Lifestyle was always a major contributor to e-commerce sales. But this year, the festive season in the wake of coronavirus has upsurge the demand for other segments as well. Beauty & personal care segment contribution has also increased. In the current scenario of washing and sanitizing each item, there is a surge in the hygiene and germ control category too.  

18. Unstoppable growth of B2B e-commerce

In the age of digital technology, B2B e-commerce is growing with an accelerated speed. The days of supplies needing to be ordered via fax order forms or other offline methods are seen to be shrinking. Both new and established brands have started to value their customers online.
By automating B2B through their e-commerce site, the businesses also seem to reduce their operating costs. 


19. Country of origin norm

100% of brands around the nation have this information on the mandatory guidelines of using ‘Made in India’ as a product attribute. This has risen in both the production and consumption of Indian goods. Kartify – our brandstore tech – is made in India to deliver exceptional e-commerce experience to Indian brands. We are striving to increase India’s e-commerce presence by assisting brands! Request your free DEMO now!

20. Voice Commerce has introduced us to voice search

With Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, or Amazon’s Alexa, shopper’s reliance on voice assistants has increased. Simply commanding a voice assistant while indulging in the routine chores helps you save time. People have seen to use voice search more rapidly in 2020. 

While these are some of the biggest trends of the year 2020, we can see many other trends impacting the industry. We are super excited to see what next year brings in, are you?

7 Reasons Why Your Brandstore Is Loading Slow! (And Tips To Fix It)

If one thing is true about your website sales, it’s that loading time makes a difference. A slow website not only affects your sales but also makes your brandstore rank lower, leading to stern consequences. We know how you feel when you do months of hard work, but it gets blown with high bounce and low conversion rates. 

With an increasing rate in the number of e-commerce stores, users’ expectations have also increased. They don’t want to waste minutes on the loading time. So if you have popped up in the market of online trade to strike it rich rather than just having a fancy website, you should lend an ear to your website speed. 

Optimizing your website’s speed is a crucial necessity to be achieved, but its execution can be a little tricky. Luckily, there are several ways you can initiate to check the performance of your website. 

Want to increase traffic on your e-commerce website, but don’t know just how to? Read on to find out how!

In order to keep your brandstore in check, we will have you dive deeper into your website. You will get to know why your website is running slow along with the tips to resolve them. 

7 Reasons why your Brandstore is running slow & tips to resolve them!

1. Your site’s images are not optimized

Image file size can be a reason for your website’s slow speed. Remember that images are a very significant part of improving the look and feel of your brandstore. High-resolution images consume major bandwidth – leading your website to work slowly. So pay attention to the image format. JPEG images are smaller as compared to the PNG type. Inserting the JPEG format will help you load your web page faster. 

Quick tip: Check the size of your image file. In case it exceeds 1MB, either change the image or reduce its size. 

2. You are not using Caching 

When a person visits your website, certain attributes of your brandstore are stored in a cache, letting the website load faster when you next visit the website. So, if you are not caching then you are missing out. By executing browser/HTTP caching or server-side web caching, you will experience a gigantic difference in the conduct of your website. 

Quick tip: Do the cache of elements such as HTTP, database queries, images, etc. Don’t go overboard with caching as it can create fuss on your website. 

3. Your site is integrated with unnecessary redirects

Imagine this, you have planned a trip to a nearby amusement park with your family. You have just now reached the destination and realize the park is shifted to some other place. Now you have to walk all the way to the other side of the city. This won’t just make you furious but also take double time to reach the final destination. 

The same thing happens when you add too many redirects to your brandstore. It takes twice or thrice the time to load a page. So don’t trouble your audience with that unless you have a striking reason to do so. 

Quick tip: Why should you choose Kartify to manage your e-commerce website? One of the added advantages of using Kartify is that it gives a single Google Tag Manager (GTM) for pixels, making your website quicker and faster. Not only that, but the platform is also load-tested for more than 1 million concurrent users, making sure that traffic does not hinder the smooth running of the website. Request your free DEMO now!

4. Your site’s code is either unclean or bulky

Another cause could be a heavy code on your website. If your website’s coding includes too many unnecessary characters or bulky line breaks, the site may become slower. Your site’s comments, inline stylings, etc, are some of the components that make it slow. To overcome this problem, you can minify or compress the code, or file size, improving the load time of your website. 

Quick tip: Try to create a few CSS stylesheets, helping you to minify the code of your brandstore. 

5. You are running plenty of Ads on your Brandstore

As beneficial as they are in monetizing your site’s traffic, adverts can also mess around with your site’s performance. Advertisements such as interstitials, pop-unders, etc. can create hundreds of HTTP requests, resulting in a slow loading website. So don’t let the ads trouble your brandstore’s rich content and limit them to an extent that won’t bother both your site’s user experience and your ad revenue.

Quick tip: To optimize your brandstore with high speed, choose Kartify – our brand tech store – to scale your e-commerce website. With Kartify you get real-time image optimization, including cache & DB replication. Request your free DEMO now!

6. Your website is hoarded with Plugins

With hundreds or rather thousands of plugins, you have made your brandstore phenomenal. It looks appealing, leading to more traffic. But then there comes a time when your plugins overrule your website, causing it to slow down the performance. Do you know how much space a site plus-in can take? Sure, it helps to optimize your site, giving various features. But it shouldn’t come at the cost of awful performance or bad user experience. There are so many unnecessary plugins that you don’t use regularly and they rather serve as a liability than an asset. 

Quick tip: Instead of deploying a number of plugins for a particular attribute, go for a single plugin that features all-in-one solutions. For an instance, if you’re putting in four to five plugins for SEO, you must opt for one plugin that features different attributes you are looking for. 


7. You have not enabled Content Delivery System (CDN) 

Your website’s loading speed is affected by the physical distance of the user to the server in which your content is stored. The more distant they are, the slower your site’s content will load for them. To put a halt to this issue, the Content Delivery System is all you need. Having deployed in several geographic locations, CDN is a server that offers web content to people living in different locations. It distributes your site’s content to a global server, and that way your audiences can enjoy your content. 

How to do it? 

Kartify – our brand tech store made with love – drop-ships exceptional e-commerce website performance. Start your fully-functional store with continuous bug fixes and feature development. It’s fully optimized, scalable, and secure to use. Request your free DEMO now!

What do you get? 

You get a brandstore that’s complete, secure, scalable, feature-rich, and Omni-friendly. 

  • Automatic deployment & scaling (Google Cloud + Kubernetes)  
  • Real-time image optimization with cache & DB replication; 99.8% uptime  
  • Load-tested for >one Mn concurrent users 

Website page load speed is driven by various factors. It’s sometimes hard to check what’s causing the issue. No matter what’s the reason, you should implement all the above factors to make your website performance power-packed!