How Does Voice Search Work for Ecommerce Stores?

One of the most familiar elements in online retail is a search bar with a magnifying icon next to it. Voice search may find up making the microphone icon almost as popular as consumers switch from typing the names of products they want to simply saying them aloud.

Using voice recognition technology, eCommerce sites that have voice search optimization enabled provides consumers a natural and intuitive way to find everything from luxury fashion to bags, accessories and more.

Google Voice Search: What it is and How it Works

Many of us have already experienced voice recognition applications on our smartphones or via smart speakers in our homes. Google Voice Search is just one example, where clicking on the mic icon in the search field or Google app lets consumers look up queries as though they were chatting with a friend.

Quick Guide to Google Voice Search

Google Voice Search is powered by Google Assistant, which needs to be activated on your digital device in order to operate. If you want to get a sense of how your customers might experience this kind of technology for shopping purposes, it’s worth trying it out yourself. Here’s how:

How to Set Up Google Voice Search

Setting up Google Voice Search is easy. Either open a tab in your browser and visit Google’s website or open the Google app on your smartphone. You’ll need a Google account and be logged in.

Then, move to the Settings area and tun on Google Assistant. Next, look for settings related to Search. Under the “Search,” select “Voice.” If you’re asked to let Google use your microphone, click “Allow.”  Also agree to let Google access your voice and speech activity, which allows the technology to continuously learn and improve.

What to Do If Google Voice Search Isn’t Working

If Google doesn’t seem to be responding to your voice, double-check you’ve allowed the application to access your microphone. You may also want to select an area called Continued Conversation in settings, which will allow you to ask questions without starting with “Hey Google.”

How to Disable Google Voice Search

If you don’t want to continue using Google Voice Search once you’ve tested it, just turn it off in the same area within Settings.

Where to Find Google Voice Search History

If you’re using Google via a browser, visit a URL called myactivity.google.com and you’ll see everything you’ve looked up. Look for a filter for Google Assistant to isolate this to your voice searches.

The importance of voice search optimization in eCommerce

Given how easy and quick it is to use, retailers that prioritize voice search optimization are in an ideal position to take advantage of an emerging digital channel. This could translate into higher sales volumes, repeat business and improved customer satisfaction.

Why do you need a voice search optimization strategy?

Few websites and landing pages were designed with voice search optimization in mind. Fortunately, many of the same search engine optimization (SEO) principals apply. Voice search SEO means you’re essentially trying to develop and structure your content in a way that will make it more likely to be picked up by Google, just in a different mode.

3 Tips to Optimize Voice Search for your eCommerce

1. Rewrite copy as responses to questions. In your product description for a designer dress, for instance, think of how customers might use voice searches like “Where’s the best selection for designer dresses by XYZ brand?” Your description could then begin with “(Your store) offers the best selection for XYZ brand designer dresses.” Use long-tail keywords in voice search SEO wherever possible.
2. Use a conversational tone to drive conversions. Edit out jargon and formal phrases on your product and landing pages. Instead, imagine you’re face-to-face with a customer and use conjunctions like “Here’s and “It’s.” Instead of referring to “customers,” use “you.”
3. Ensure product feed management is in place. As with any other channel, voice search should take customers to accurate, up-to-date product data.  Automating product feed management makes this a lot easier.

Voice search optimization could be the beginning of a new whole conversation with your customers. Connect with Suvae.org for more insight into growing your eCommerce business.

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No one wants to miss a popular video on TikTok. Everyone wants to see what others are saying about a hot topic in the news. If they’re in a shopping mood, “trending” could indicate their next must-have purchase.

Brands need to keep an eye on what’s trending too, but from a different perspective. What you’re watching for are the retail marketing trends that show how consumer expectations are evolving when they shop on eCommerce sites.

When you know the trends in eCommerce, you’re in a better position to offer the right products at the right time. You’re able to deliver a customer experience with minimal friction. Most importantly, you’re able to drive better results in terms of revenue, repeat purchases and positive word of mouth.

Key eCommerce Trends for 2024

Keeping up with eCommerce trends can feel like a full-time job in itself. To that end, we’ve compiled some of the most critical research to fine-tune your strategy over the next year and beyond:

1. AI is already transforming online shopping for the better

Whether brands use AI to recommend products or power chatbots that troubleshoot customer service issues, artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic nice-to-have. In fact, 72% of retailers believe an AI-enhanced shopping experience is giving them a competitive advantage, and two-thirds (69%) expect it will boost customer loyalty (70%).

AI can take many forms, from generative AI to machine learning (ML). The one common denominator is that the technology needs to be trained on quality data. That means you should be looking at solutions that allow you to easily manage product catalogs and inventory data. The more accurate and up to date your keep pricing, quantities and other information, the more ROI you’ll get from tools like AI.

2. eCommerce growth opportunities abound outside the holiday season

The conventional wisdom is that retail marketing efforts should focus on peak periods such as the days leading up to U.S. Thanksgiving or Christmas. Based on market research, however, only 9% of consumers plan to spend more during the holidays. Instead, 19% have been shopping year-round, a figure that increased from 16% the year before.

This speaks to the value of taking a consistent approach to feeding product data across relevant channels at all times, and using personalization to entice shoppers. That’s a lot better than relying on only a few days on the calendar to grow your business.

3. Costs are the No. 1 cause of cart abandonment

If consumers are giving up before completing their online order, it’s difficult to get them back. Not surprisingly, nearly 20% of consumers say they abandon digital shopping carts do to shipping costs, while nearly the same percentage believe they might find a product cheaper elsewhere.

The lesson? Use product listings on search engines and other retail marketing channels to convey that you have the best price, and save consumers from looking around for a better deal. If you offer free shipping (or free shipping based on an amount spent) make that clear in your advertising too.

4. Mobile web is preferable to apps

Retailers may wonder if they should be allocating more to their own site or encourage consumers to download and install a branded app on their phone. However, 84% of consumers said they be willing to install and shop through a retailer’s mobile app if it gave them access to better sales or pricing.

Unless you want to create a unique experience through an app, investing in your web site and online marketplaces where consumers are more likely to shop is a better idea.

5. Creators become a critical retail marketing partner

Traditional online advertising and marketing isn’t going away, but brands are also recognizing there are influencers with followings far larger and more engaged than their own. That’s why 92% of Brands Report Creator Marketing Budgets will Increase in 2024. That means, beyond promoting products through campaigns on ad networks and through the social media accounts they manage, brands work with creators to develop authentic stories that reflect the interests and needs of their customers too.

Remember that no matter what kind of content they create, creators are just as reliant on providing their product data their followers can trust. Think of this as yet another component of an omnichannel marketing effort, where the right solutions will allow to distribute data in a streamlined manner.

Total sales and marketplace revenue

Despite periods of high inflation and other economic challenges, there’s ample reason to believe that capitalizing on eCommerce trends will help retail marketing efforts pay off handsomely over the next 12 months.

Globally, eCommerce revenue is forecast to grow 9% in 2024, with worldwide sales topping $5.8 trillion.

The opportunity isn’t limited to selling products through your own brand’s web site. The long-term outlook for online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay and Walmart is pegged to grow to $600 billion in U.S. sales alone. Capitalizing on the potential of selling through third parties depends on having the ability to manage marketplace integration with speed and agility. Make this a top priority in 2024.

Retail marketing tips to act on eCommerce trends

Trends in eCommerce only matter if you can use them to turn more browsers into buyers. Here’s how:

• Conduct a data-driven eCommerce audit: You’re sitting on more data than you might realize. There’s never a bad time to take a step back and study which channels drove the greatest performance, which didn’t and to refocus your efforts accordingly.
• Capture the voice of the customer: If you don’t already, look at touchpoints where you’re already engaging with customers, such as e-mail. Use surveys and polls to gather feedback about their key shopping preferences to ensure your retail marketing tactics align with them.
• Consult with experts about building a better tech stack: When you’re heads-down in your daily work, it’s difficult to keep track of emerging technologies that could help you accomplish your goals. Set aside time for discussions with vendors you trust about the latest innovations and how you could apply them.

You don’t just learn a lot from studying eCommerce trends. You can also benefit from adopting the best practices of other retail marketing leaders. Suvae.org is privileged to work with many of them. Connect with our team to let us share our top recommendations for retail marketing success.

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As omnichannel marketing and selling become more sophisticated, however, many of us will soon be keeping our eyes open for brands that offer another option: visual search.

What is Visual Search?

Rather than typing in text to a search engine or using a voice assistant to make a query, visual search involves uploading or somehow adding an image to browse for answers online.

The formats for visual searches could include a photo that shoppers have taken while browsing the aisles or racks of a physical store or a screenshot they’ve taken from a website, among others. Once they’ve done so, the experience is much like that of a traditional Google search, where they see similar items to whatever appears in the image and links back to the source of the content.

Launching a visual search eCommerce strategy

Though your use of visual search will depend in part on the products you’re selling and the needs of your customer base, the following steps are a great way to get started:

1. Identify visual search examples that align with your brand

Though it may be less familiar than other forms of browsing the Web, several visual search tools are already widely available to consumers. Google Lens, for instance, uses artificial intelligence such as machine learning to identify objects, translate text, and look for information by pointing your smartphone camera at an object like a dress or piece of furniture.

Depending on the image it’s scanning, Google Lens can take shoppers directly to a brand’s eCommerce website or a third-party online marketplace that contains inventory matching what’s being shown.

Microsoft has also moved into the visual search arena by adding features to Bing Chat. This means that when customers land on a site that uses it, a Bing visual search feature will allow people to upload images as part of the “dialogue” they have with the chatbot to streamline the process of getting the response they want.

There is a Pinterest visual search option as well. Pinterest Lens works by simply tapping the camera icon on its app, pinching or zooming in to an object, pressing a button, and then exploring anything similar that’s been published on other boards.

Even Apple has made sure to incorporate visual search tools into its Vision Pro headset, which complements similar capabilities on the iPhone and iPad.

2. Make a business case for visual search tools based on human behavior

The connection between online search and visual data is nothing new. Consider the fact that since launching more than 20 years ago, Google Images now accounts for 10% of the company’s daily search traffic.

Research has found that visual information makes up 90% of what’s transmitted in the brain, perhaps because 40% of nerve fibers are linked to our eyes’ retinas. That could explain why we can get a sense of what’s going on in an image in less than 1/10 of a second.

You only have to scroll through TikTok or Instagram to see how emphasizing visuals has transformed social media, which are among the top channels for trying to reach younger demographics. No wonder eMarketer published data in 2022 showing that 30% of U.S. adults aged 34 and younger have used visual search for shopping, and 12% were already using it regularly.

3. Study the brands that are already using visual search

If you’re still not sure that providing customers with visual search tools is a priority, just look at some of the leading brands that have already moved forward.

IKEA, for instance, has integrated visual search into its app, enhancing the augmented reality experience that allows consumers to create interior designs from wherever they are. Glasses USA has done something similar with a tool called “Pic and Pair” to help consumers find the best designer frames for their faces.

Nordstrom, meanwhile, has been offering visual search eCommerce for several years, and Wayfair makes it easy to use images as part of its search experience as well.

4. Check which online marketplaces are offering visual search eCommerce

Shoppers are not only depending on using images when they land on a brand’s eCommerce site but when they’re looking to promote products on third-party online marketplaces as well.

Asos, for instance, has made it easy for online shoppers to upload an image of a piece of clothing they like to its marketplace app and serve up recommended items directly from its product catalog. Amazon is also at the forefront with its Shop The Look software to shop for clothes and accessories.

5. Craft compelling images to make the most of visual search tools

Once you’ve understood the technology and recognized where your products can be found using visual search, you’ll need to ensure you have the right content to make the most of it. The art of developing product visuals that will work well with emerging search technologies isn’t rocket science. It follows many of the same best practices that brands may already have adopted when they learned about image optimization as part of creating Google Shopping Ads.

To drive more conversions, for example, you’ll want to stick with clutter-free images in common formats like JPEG or TIFF. You should also pay attention to the structure of URLs, and sizing and ensure you’re showing products in use.

Building an effective and successfull Social Commerce Strategy

Using visuals to drive sales is all part of turning your social channels into a shoppable storefront. This can be a powerful strategy whether your brand is promoting products on Snapchat or similar platforms. The important thing is to ensure you have a technology partner who can help customize your product feed data to each channel, manage your catalogs and inventory data, and monitor product performance.

This is where Suvae.org can help – social commerce is just part of the solutions we offer to some of the world’s most successful fashion and luxury brands. Another example of meeting customers where they are is being present on the most relevant online marketplaces. That’s why it’s critical to have partner experiences in integrating products across multiple marketplaces while ensuring accurate and up-to-date inventory.

Connect with our team to learn how we can help you see the big picture around visual search commerce to grow your business.

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Your customers aren’t opponents, but you still need to stay aware of their shopping habits and adjust accordingly.

When you consider the global eCommerce market is projected to reach US$8.1 trillion by 2026, up from $5.2 trillion in 2021, it’s clear the way consumers buy products online is evolving. It’s no longer all about going for the sale with your online store.

Webrooming and showrooming are now integral to the modern shopping experience for all retail stores, including eCommerce sites and traditional brick-and-mortar stores. Each describes the modern evolution of the retail experience:

Webrooming is when a customer looks at a product online but buys it in-store.

Showrooming is the opposite. It’s when a customer looks at a product in the store and then buys it online.

Both of these shopping methods are already happening. Ignoring them might mean the second half of the journey (making a purchase) happens with your competitor.

You must have a strong understanding of webrooming and showrooming, then enhance your overall retail experience for shoppers optimizing for both customer journeys.

Keep reading to learn more about these terms and how to update your approach to retain customers and grow your business.

The Psychology Behind Webrooming vs Showrooming

Consumers want to know as much as possible about almost every purchase. Shopping in a physical store gives them the benefit of touching, feeling, trying on, or even smelling a product before making the final decision.

Yet, shopping online gives consumers the benefit of price comparison, reading customer reviews, exploring in-depth expert reviews, and knowing much more about the product than has been traditionally available.

The purpose of offering webrooming and showrooming to your customers is to provide them with what they want when they want it. This includes helping them to make a well-informed decision, get the best price, and be happy with the products they purchase.

Let’s dive deeper into webrooming and showrooming to understand the concepts in more detail, then explore how to optimize both to generate more sales and create loyal customers.

What is Webrooming

Webrooming is researching a product online and visiting a retail store to make a purchase. Consumers often go this route to get the best of both worlds — make an informed decision and shop online, but still get the product the same day.

One common type of webrooming is the ‘local pickup’ option, that’s become exceedingly popular in recent years. Consumers checkout online, park in front of the store, receive their purchases, and go home.

However, webrooming can also include deciding to buy a specific product, then visiting a few different stores before making the final purchase. You can miss out on sales when consumers go this route, so it’s vital to keep this in mind.

What is Showrooming

Showrooming is the exact opposite of webrooming. Showrooming is when a customer starts the buyer’s journey in a brick-and-mortar store but then decides to make their purchase online.

Similar to webrooming, consumers go this route to get the best of both worlds — but they’re getting different benefits from each world.

Since the consumer already knows they like the product’s look and feel, they want to get the best price while also seeing what other customers and experts say. As a result, they’ll purchase online and are less concerned about getting the product on the same day.

Webrooming vs Showrooming: Optimization Tips For a Unified Marketing Strategy

Now you have a strong grasp of how the modern consumer can take several relatively new routes, from discovering a product to purchasing. The next step is learning key marketing optimization tips to cater to both of these behaviors:

• Utilize and Optimize Google’s Local Inventory Ads (LIA): This search engine marketing program allows approved retailers to submit a local inventory product feed to Google for shoppers to easily find in-stock products at a store in their local area.
• Update Google My Business (GMB) Listings with In-Store Products: Ensure that your GMB profile displays correct in-store product information directly from your LIA feeds. Doing this will help showrooming and webrooming customers by providing them with all the information they need to create a seamless customer experience.
• Have Google Shopping and Google Ads Campaigns for In-Store Products: A showrooming customer may try on a product at your store, then head home to find the best price. When they search for it, make sure you have campaigns running so they find your store first.

It’s essential to optimize for both showrooming and webrooming, to prevent your customers from switching to brands that offer them the most convenient process to do research and make a purchase.

5 Tips to Enhance Your Webrooming and Showrooming Strategy

Webrooming and showrooming might seem at odds with each other, but they’re two sides of the same coin. Consider the path-to-purchase routes your customers may take and how to get the best results like:

1. Retaining customers by displaying accurate data: All your product pages, feeds, and publicly available product information must be accurate. You risk losing a customer for life if you show a product as in stock, but when they arrive, it’s out of stock.
2. Creating urgency by providing the most recent promotion: Are you running a sale on winter wear? Whether a customer is showrooming, webrooming, or opting for the more traditional approaches — they should always be aware of the latest promos. This creates an urgency to purchase now to get the best price.
3. Building loyalty with consistency: All consumers appreciate a consistent experience when they interact with a brand. Understand why customers choose your store to begin with, then consistently deliver it online and offline. You’ll build loyal customers who expect and receive the same experience every time.
4. Earning more customers with always-accurate data with a feed management platform: Product feeds are necessary for GMB, Google’s LIA, Google Shopping, and many other platforms you may use. In addition, a feed management platform like Highstreet allows for greater product feed optimization to help you achieve all three of the above tips.
5. Generating more sales by evaluating and improving product listing pages: Your product listing pages are involved in both showrooming and webrooming. Provide easy-to-read bulleted benefit/feature lists, make necessary details easy to find, and take high-end product photos.

There are more strategies to consider, but the above suggestions will help get you started. From there, evaluate consumer behavior and keep enhancing your online presence to motivate customers to purchase.

Use All Available Tools for Both Webrooming & Showrooming

Now that you know how to use available tools and enhanced product feeds to cater to all customer behaviors, equip your business with the power to drive sales through their preferred purchasing channels. Suvae.org offers a cutting-edge platform that optimizes product feeds seamlessly, empowering you to adapt to evolving consumer behaviors and stay ahead of the competition.

Our team is dedicated to providing exceptional support and guidance, so you can make the most of our platform and achieve your business goals. With Suvae.org, you can maximize customer satisfaction and retention by harnessing the full potential of available platforms and enhanced product feeds. Discover how our platform can elevate your business by contacting our team today.

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This isn’t based on intuition. Organizations like Nielsen have been researching and quantifying the connection between emotions and ad campaigns for years. In one study, for instance, Nielsen found that ads with the best emotional response can drive a 23% lift in sales volume. That can make a huge difference, particularly as brands compete for consumer attention in a challenging economic climate.

The Power of Emotion In Advertising

Another way to think about the power of emotions in advertising could be described as emotional intelligence (EQ): in other words, the ability of a brand to understand and recognize how their marketing assets will make people feel before they appear.

In a 2022 study by Carot that assessed more than 50 advertisers across 15 markets, the top 20 brands that showed high EQ grew their revenues so much that they outperformed major stock market indices. The research found that high EQ is based upon acting with empathy, being purposeful of where a brand can add value and having a clear story, among other factors.

How Brands Use Emotion To Drive Connection

Advancements in technology are making it easier to further analyze the use of emotions in marketing. A recent report from market research firm Kantar, for instance, described techniques such as facial coding to understand how feelings influence consumer behavior.

Kantar noted that the use of humor can be a way to take challenging subject matter – such as advertising products focused on improving sustainability – and make it more accessible to those considering a purchase. When some consumers didn’t find a particular ad funny, however, the data could be used to inform revisions to a campaign.

Computer vision, audio inputs, and sensors can all be combined to develop what is sometimes called affective marketing, which aims to develop advertising that aligns with a representative customer’s mood. This data can be refined through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to make strategic use of emotional advertising at scale.

Gartner Inc. recently forecast that emotion AI is an emerging digital advertising technology, but may take a decade to become more fully established. In the meantime, there are plenty of other ways to use emotion in ads effectively.

Emotional Advertising Examples

It’s important to recognize that consumers may already be processing all kinds of feelings before they encounter an ad. This was reflected in research published last year by the Kellogg School of Management. Its experts found that a bad mood, not surprisingly, makes us less likely to book a vacation or indulging in a luxury item.

There are sometimes occasions when negative emotions work well, though. Eliciting anger can focus consumers’ attention, for example, while fear may drive them towards a more familiar choice.

For most of us, the most memorable and convincing ads got us into a more positive mindset. This stretches back to the famous “Share a Coke” TV spot that focused on the joys of generosity. More recently brands like Nike have celebrated everyday athletes to inspire running shoe purchases, while Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign centered around body positivity.

These emotional ads worked because they made customers feel the brand shared their interests, values and, in many cases, told a story in which they could see themselves as the heroes.

Emotionally Engage Customers With Enriched Product Ads

Connecting via emotions is a way of building trust with your customers. This was validated by a 2022 study that found “emotional attachment” was the biggest driver of value across 59% of customer groups.

You don’t have to try and harness the power of emotions through guesswork or instinct. Many brands are already sitting on data that’s just waiting to be used. Part of Highstreet’s product feed management solutions, for example, includes taking data from users’ searches, which allows for an informed approach to developing customized, enriched ads that are aligned with what your customers care about.

Connect with us to learn more about product feed enrichment and how it can transform your marketing strategy.

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Many consumers are increasingly aware, for instance, that keying in their data could leave them open to a barrage of marketing tactics from brands that share it with third parties without their consent. In other cases, a failure to protect customers’ private information could mean they are targeted with phishing schemes to steal more data or even ransomware attacks that cause them financial harm.

Privacy by design is a framework that allows brands to deliver on the expectation they can be trusted with customer data. In doing so, they can avoid significant privacy risks while building confidence and loyalty at the same time.

What Is Privacy By Design?

Privacy By Design offers a consistent set of principles that allow any organization to approach information protection, personal consent, and other issues surrounding the collection, storage, and management of data.

Though it might seem obvious why we need these principles now, it took foresight to develop them before e-commerce had become as common as it is today. It was former Information and Privacy Commissioner for the Government of Ontario Ann Cavoukian who recognized an emerging need and acted accordingly.

“With the shift from industrial manufacturing to knowledge creation and service delivery, the value of information and the need to manage it responsibly have grown dramatically,” she wrote in a white paper first published in 1995. “While we would like to enjoy the benefits of innovation − new conveniences and efficiencies − we must also preserve our freedom of choice and personal control over our data flows.”

The problem, Cavoukian noted, was that technology tends to evolve at such a rapid pace that safeguards to protect personally identifiable information (PII) have sometimes failed to keep up. This means that both brands and their customers can be caught off-guard by how private data is exposed.

Though it had its origins in Canada, Privacy By Design became an international standard in 20210 following a resolution by the Global Privacy Assembly, which represents privacy commissioners from around the world.

Why Is Privacy By Design Important?

If e-commerce is to become more than a simple series of transactions, brands need to be able to gather customer data and use it to personalize the experiences they offer. This could include recommending additional or complimentary items when a customer is making a purchase, for instance, or approaching them with a special promotion or discount offer at a time when they’re most likely to be interested.

Personalization is only possible, however, when customers aren’t worried that their privacy will be compromised as a result. Unfortunately, privacy violations that have made headline news, coupled with incidents they may have experienced personally, have created greater suspicion about privacy risks by a growing segment of the public.

Earlier this year, for instance, the Boston Consulting Group released the results of a research project it undertook in partnership with Google that focused on consumers’ privacy perceptions.

Based on a survey of more than 1,000 people across the U.S. and Canada, the study found that 57 percent of consumers suspect brands are actively selling their data, even when this is not the case. There was also concern about what kind of information brands are collecting. Only 20 percent were comfortable with brands monitoring their activity on the company’s website, and even fewer (11 percent) were willing to share their activity on other brands’ websites.
On the other hand, people were open to sharing specific information with a company if they felt confident their privacy would be respected. This includes their gender, age, zip code, and email addresses.

Privacy By Design is not only a way to strike the balance between information collection and use that the public wants. It’s also an approach that helps achieve compliance with an ever-growing number of regulations and laws intended to mitigate privacy risks.

In the European Union, for example, the arrival of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 introduced new rules around how firms handle personally identifiable information (PII), notify customers about breaches, and transfer data. GDPR not only applies to brands based in the E.U. but those who do business there.

The California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), meanwhile, will expand the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) beyond consumer protection by granting employees additional rights over their personal information. Canada has similar rules in place, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).
Failure to adhere to these rules can lead to significant penalties, which is all the more reason to explore Privacy By Design’s seven principles today.

Privacy By Design Principles

In some respects, the principles in Privacy By Design are based on common sense and provide an early example of truly customer-centric thinking. They are freely available to read online, but here’s a summary of each one, with an eCommerce context in mind:

1. Privacy Should be Proactive, Not Reactive; Preventative, and Not Remedial

If you only discover you’ve set up an eCommerce customer journey that puts privacy at risk after an incident has occurred, you’re too late. Privacy should be thought through at the outset of any project where a customer experience is being designed.

2. Privacy As The Default Setting

When you buy a smartphone or tablet, you’ll find areas like the brightness of the screen and the notification, sounds have already been set for you. Similarly, privacy controls should be in place without customers having to make adjustments on their own to protect their data.

3. Privacy Embedded Into The Design

Ecommerce experiences will continue to evolve, whether it’s offering goods through additional channels or the way customers can learn more about each product.
That may involve using their data in new ways or asking them to provide more of it. Either way, privacy can’t be something that is bolted on or added after the fact. You should be able to build upon the privacy protection you’ve already included in the design of your experience, even as it changes.

4. Full functionality — Positive-Sum, Not Zero-Sum

Consumers should never have to feel like they’re giving up their data as a trade-off for getting access to the best features of your service.
Similarly, you should be aiming to offer digital experiences that are both private and secure, not suggesting that these things are somehow opposing goals.

5. End To End Security — Full Lifecycle Protection

Consumers may have privacy top of mind when they are keying in data, but the same level of protection needs to be in place throughout their journey. This includes ensuring that data that doesn’t need to be stored is securely discarded. There should never be lingering questions among your customers about what happens to their data at any stage of their relationship with a brand.

6. Visibility And Transparency — Keep It Open

GDPR offers a good example of this principle: Shortly after it was introduced most websites introduced a banner on their homepage which makes it clear that a brand will use “cookies” to collect third-party data, and ask visitors to agree or not. Never assume customers will fully understand all the ways their private data might be used. Better to over-communicate, and to verify that consumers understand.

7. Respect For User Privacy — Keep It User-Centric

Do you have a preference center that allows people to choose whether they want to receive e-mail, text notifications, or other outreach? Do your efforts at personalization truly aim to enrich the experience of your customers, or simply serve your business objectives?
Acting in a user-centric way means you’ll walk a mile in your customers’ shoes, which makes it easier to identify where privacy could be improved.

Benefits Of A Privacy By Design Approach

In its most recent Global Consumer Privacy Survey, consulting firm EY found 54% of consumers are more conscious of the personal data shared through digital communication than they were before the start of COVID-19. They also know they have a choice of whom they want to share that data — and which organizations they’ll avoid altogether. Besides secure collection and storage of their data, which was cited by 63%, having control over what data they share is one of the most critical factors in consumers’ minds.

Privacy By Design solves these issues with principles that keep customer interests at the heart of digital experiences. It offers added benefits by being broad enough to be applied in a wide variety of contexts.
Whether the future of eCommerce happens through websites, mobile apps, or even the metaverse, the seven Privacy by Design principles can inform a privacy-first approach to experience design.

Finally, Privacy By Design’s endorsement from the international privacy officer community means it will provide an onramp to complying with both existing and future regulations.
The current explosion of eCommerce growth makes this an opportune moment to embrace Privacy By Design — not simply behind the scenes, but in a public way that serves as an example for others to follow.

When shopping for marketing or marketplace integration solutions, therefore, always evaluate the way vendors approach privacy and compliance in addition to the actual functionality and capabilities of the platforms. Feed management solutions are inevitably intertwined with customers’ personal information, be it order data and/or pixel information. Hence, always make sure customer data is processed according to channel privacy requirements.
Contact Suvae.org for more information.

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In a report released this past November, for example, market research firm eMarker described retail media as advertising’s “third wave.”
Whereas in other words, search engine marketing defined the early days of eCommerce, followed by marketing via social media platforms, many retailers spent the past year advertising through websites, apps, displays and videos more than ever before.

Overall, eMarketer estimated retail media ad spending to have reached $31.49 billion in 2021, an increase of more than 50% over 2020.
Here are some of the marketing and digital advertising trends we’ve learned over the past 12 months:

1. Success Means Getting Ahead Of The Third-Party Cookie’s Crumble

Google’s intention to end the use of third-party data via cookies unleashed widespread fears of how marketers could shift their tactics and remain connected to their target audiences.

While the company recently announced a new system, Topics, that will allow web advertisers to target broad categories of users, retailers and other brands have learned their lesson. Being dependent on the search giant is unlikely to be a good long-term plan.

As Deloitte noted in a report called “Meeting Customers In A Cookieless World,” 61% of high-growth companies are shifting to a first-party data strategy, while only 40% of negative-growth companies say the same. The key tactics to harness first-party data include delivering personalized content via dynamic creative optimization and using data to serve programmatic ads.

Regardless of what Google does with Topics, brands developing their advertising strategies will likely seek greater control over their digital destiny from here on.

2. The Holiday Shopping Timeline Has Changed — And Online Advertising Strategies Must Follow

For years, fashion and luxury brands have marked their calendars for special occasions like Black Friday and Cyber Monday as the focal point for their digital advertising campaigns. In 2021, however, the holiday season played out a little differently from an eCommerce strategy perspective.

While for instance, Cyber Monday continued to be the top online shopping day of the year, data collected by Adobe showed that overall spending was about $100 million lower than in 2020. This could be due to customers who sought out deals earlier in the season, or who were more active online while they continued to spend more time at home amid pandemic restrictions.

As consumers get savvier in navigating eCommerce sites, they may be seeking deeper discounts and will be gravitating to brands that won’t run out of stock or that offer buy now, pay later (BNPL) options. Advertisers fine-tuning their eCommerce strategy will not only need to think about getting in front of their target audience sooner and more often but providing more compelling reasons to remain loyal.

3. The Bar For Ad Relevance And Value Has Never Been Higher

Reach is still important, but brands have to ensure that when they meet customers online, their digital advertising strategies ensure they present themselves as credible, relevant, helpful, and trustworthy.

Consulting firm PwC and the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) made this clear in a survey they conducted with consumers, 59% of whom said they would stop doing business with a brand after one bad experience.

In this case, “bad” doesn’t simply mean providing poor customer service. Advertisers are expected to be more personalized and contextual in how they position themselves. Even as retailers turn to more performance-based outcomes, the report said, they must ensure that ads show real value rather than detract from the customer experience.

4. Brands Must Advertise Their Values As Well As Their Products

COVID-19 was far from the only force that has influenced the outlook of consumers around the world. Events such as the recent COP26 summit hosted by the United Nations have increased the public’s awareness of urgent environmental challenges facing the entire planet.

Consumers are not only looking to their governments but to brands too to take action to help protect our natural resources. According to consulting firm EY’s 2021 Future Consumer Index, 68% of global consumers expect companies to solve sustainability issues. This includes reducing carbon emissions, shifting to the ethical sourcing of raw materials, and demonstrating social responsibility around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Price, convenience, and quality are all still important parts of an online advertising message, in other words, but they’re not the only parts retailers need to include.

5. Advertising And Marketing Content Is Evolving Into ‘Shoppable Media’

Lots of campaigns continue to drive a link on a brand’s eCommerce site, but new technologies are allowing retailers to connect with consumers more directly within apps or other digital environments.

Gartner Inc. predicted this “shoppable media” will include everything from “buy” buttons on social media services to clickable elements within videos. The shoppable ads from Instacart released in January and Walmart’s shoppable recipes are just two examples of how this can work.

All these trends suggest digital advertising will continue to change significantly in 2022 and beyond. For retailers who work with the right partner, those changes can only lead to opportunities for further growth.

The post 5 Digital Advertising Trends to Improve Your 2022 Strategy appeared first on Suvae.org.

Even before we delve deeper into those issues, though, perhaps the first challenge is simply understanding what we mean by an omnichannel customer experience. Let’s start by giving it a proper definition.

What is omnichannel customer experience?

Customers were once limited to a single channel – a physical store – to buy the products they wanted. As more digital options emerged, many retailers began taking what was called a multi-channel approach, where they offered several ways to browse and purchase items. In many cases, however, physical stores and digital channels operated in silos.

An omnichannel customer experience works far more cohesively, recognizing that customers may use some channels to research their purchase and another to actually make an eCommerce transaction. Exploring this kind of journey using the what/when/where framework may help show what this should look like.

The ‘what’ every omnichannel experience needs

Let’s start with the what: Consumers shopping for luxury goods want to easily find their way to their favorite brands. They likely have a specific size and color in mind. They don’t want to waste time sorting through the wrong items, whether they’re online or in a store.

The ‘when’ that meets customer expectations

Next comes the when: You build customer satisfaction as a brand by only showing what’s currently in stock, with the prices that reflect current promotions or discounts. Tracking e-commerce orders and ensuring items will be ready to pick up in-store on time is essential.

The ‘where’ that defines an omnichannel shopping experience

Then there is the where factor: While shopping in person is slowly coming back, customers are proving highly adept at finding inspiration across a variety of digital touchpoints. They might spot the skirt on an Instagram influencer and want to add it to their own wardrobe. They might see a search ad and think, “Yes!”

The most successful retailers develop an omnichannel customer experience that leaves no stone unturned – and in this case, the stones are all the places a customer might be ready to engage with a brand.
Enhanced product data feeds can help address all of these areas. According to Gartner Inc., time is of the essence: the market research firm has predicted that 50% of brands will fail to unify customer engagement channels in 2022.

Get ahead of the pack by addressing the following common omnichannel eCommerce challenges and making the most of your technology investments:

Reimagine what a ‘shopping trip’ looks like

Before eCommerce options became widely available, consumers might have visited their favorite stores on the weekends, during their lunch hour, or whenever they had a few minutes to spare in their schedules.

This notion of a “shopping trip” has been completely transformed thanks to digital channels. Research from Radial shows that 54% of consumers are shopping more online than in 2020, with one-third saying they are looking for items multiple times a week.
That means they might click on an ad one day, come back to the brand’s site via social media a few days later but only hit the “order” button when they’re on a marketplace the following evening.

Synching your products via enhanced product feeds streamlines the process of creating omnichannel experiences by being visible across multiple shopping destinations at once.
As you do so, develop marketing campaigns that recognize shoppers’ changing online behaviors, using personalized offers or expert recommendations for complementary products to nurture them to make a purchase.

Provide details and support across the full customer journey

Product feed management technology provides retailers a single view into their orders, which makes traditional inventory management challenges less of a hassle. Your customers deserve the same ease and convenience in how they do business with you.

According to research from insights firm Incisv, for instance, only 16% of retailers allow shoppers to modify their eCommerce orders before they’re completed, even though 60% offer the option to cancel the order.
The same report notes a dearth of digital support mechanisms to assist with returns.

Beyond ensuring product listings are accurate and accessible, assess your policies and tools to ensure delight from the moment a customer clicks “buy” onwards.

Build buyer confidence by providing comprehensive product data

A picture may tell 1,000 words, but sometimes shoppers aren’t getting nearly enough information about what they see online to go through with a purchase.

A brand may have an optimized title and description for every item listed on its website, for instance, but fails to tell as rich a story on popular marketplaces. This leaves customers having to fill in the blanks on their own, and they’re more likely to simply look for a retailer with more detailed listings.

In-store associates often become very good at knowing the most common questions customers will have when they’re browsing the aisles. Your omnichannel experience needs to be just as thought-through.

Product feed management technology will simplify the process of optimizing product listings based on the needs of different marketplaces, but you can also improve your odds of conversion by including all the features and details that differentiate your products from competitors.

Create a consistent look and feel the entire world can recognize

Even if you’ve developed a loyal customer base in your local market, ignoring the growth opportunities in other geographies means you’re leaving money on the table.

Just look at a forecast from eMarketer that showed how rising players in terms of global eCommerce sales are emerging in areas such as Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Retailers might have delayed plans to expand due to concerns over how to ensure a quality experience, but that’s not necessary.

Product data feed management can not only allow retailers to show up in new markets but to tap into the power of local inventory ads.

Create a more fulfilling employee experience that puts customers first

Brands have gone through unprecedented disruption over the past few years, and the impact is being felt on the frontlines. Retail Touchpoints reported on data that overall internal employee satisfaction with employers has dropped by a staggering 44 points over the last year and a half.

You’ll be taking away a lot of manual and time-consuming chores by moving to product data feed management. At the same time, conduct an internal survey to reevaluate employee expectations and how you can position them for greater success through additional training, mentoring programs, or remote work policies.

Partner for a seamless omnichannel experiences

Tackling all of these challenges at once might seem like a tall order for retailers, but you don’t have to develop an omnichannel customer experience alone.

Highstreet experts can not only help your team adopt enhanced product data feeds but offer insights and best practices based on working with some of the biggest luxury and fashion brands in the world. To get started, book a free consultation with Suvae.org.

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The challenge though is finding or creating missing GTINs for a large number of items.
Let’s take a look at what is a GTIN code, why is important,  and what optimized product feeds can do for you when advertising your products on Google, Amazon, and eBay.

What is a GTIN

GTIN stands for Global Trade Item Number created by GS1. GSI manages the barcode standard used by retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers. It’s a globally unique number that is used to identify products. It has 8, 12, 13, or 14 digits depending on the region.

In the case of online marketing, digital channels use these unique identifiers to establish a product’s uniqueness and help you meet important criteria to better advertise your products online.

How is a GTIN structured?

GTINs combine a company prefix, item reference, and a calculated check digit.

• • • UPC (in North America / GTIN-12): 12-digit number like 323456789012; 8-digit UPC-E codes should be converted to 12-digit codes
    • EAN (in Europe / GTIN-13): 13-digit number like 3001234567892
    • JAN (in Japan / GTIN-13): 8 or 13-digit numbers like 49123456 or 4901234567894
    • ISBN (for books): 10 or 13-digit numbers like 1455582344 or 978-1455582341. If you have both, only include the 13-digit number. ISBN-10 is deprecated and should be converted to ISBN-13.
    • UPC ITF-14 (for multipacks / GTIN-14): 14-digit number like 10856435001702.

Why use GTIN codes

Proving the correct Gtin numbers helps Google to properly classify all of your products in their catalog. The more relevant information in your product ads, the closer you get to relevant search queries and ultimately reach potential buyers to purchase your products.

GTINs are also important as they help you list more effectively on Google Shopping and other marketplace giants such as Amazon and eBay Let’s take a closer look at the requirements needed.

Online channels requiring GTINs for products advertising

Google Shopping

In rare cases where a brand name product has no unique product identifier (e.g., replacement parts), provide this information explicitly in your feed by specifying the ‘identifier exists’ attribute for that item with a value of ‘FALSE’. If an identifier exists for the item but you don’t have it, it’s important to add the correct identifier to your feed instead of using the ‘identifier exists’ attribute. In some cases, GTINs are not required. Used items including custom, vintage, and handmade items do not need a GTIN.

eBay

eBay is following Google’s lead about GTIN codes and has said that new listings of branded items in new condition are required to include GTINs.

It’s possible to get around the requirement by typing in “does not apply” in the product identifier field but eBay warns that this should be done only for products that don’t have a GTIN.
If you do this for a product that does have one, then you will lose visibility within the search results.

On their website, eBay states:  “We strongly recommend sellers use “Does not apply” only when product identifiers truly do not exist to maintain visibility and remain competitive.

Amazon

Amazon requires GTINs for the entire fashion category including clothing, accessories, and footwear.
This is what they state on their website:

“The basis for accurate product page creation and product matching is product identifiers outside of the Amazon.com system. For most product categories, sellers are required to use an industry-standard product identifier when creating new pages in the Amazon.com catalog. These product identifiers are part of a system called GTINs, or Global Trade Item Numbers.

The most common GTIN code used to create Amazon.com catalog pages is UPCs, ISBNs, and EANs. Universal Product Codes (UPCs), International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs), and European Article Numbers (EANs) are unique codes used to identify a particular item. Amazon uses these codes and numbers to identify the exact item you wish to sell.”

How to resolve invalid GTIN codes

To resolve invalid GTINs, Google Shopping recommends the following advice on their website: “Validate your product identifier and check digit at GS1.
For more information about the validation of GTINs, refer to the GTIN Validation Guide edited by GS1.”

Where to find Gtin Number

There is no global database of GTINs for all products. Here are some ways to find GTIN codes for your products:

• • • •   Find the GTIN barcode on the manufacturer’s packaging
      •   Ask your supplier for them
      •   Work with your manufacturer to source your product’s GTINs or      create them
      •   Go to Google Shopping:
        1. Search for your product in Google Shopping.
        2. If there is already more than one seller for your item you can find the GTIN by clicking on the “compare prices” button on the product detail page.   
        3. Click on “compare prices from [n] stores” and scroll down below the reviews to “Product Details”. The GTIN is listed under the product details.
      • Hire an outside company to source GTINs for you.
        1. This is a good option if you already have other identifiers like MPN codes. Most companies that offer this service will not guarantee they can deliver all product GTINs but they can expedite the process of sourcing your GTINs

If you are looking for other GTIN code resources, here is a helpful list:

• General GTIN Info
• US Companies that require UPC numbers
• GS1 Databar
• Find your product’s GTIN
• Database to find missing GTINs
• Verify UPC Codes
• Look up UPCs or EANs
• Google GTIN guidance
• eBay GTIN guidance
• Amazon GTIN guidance

Getting your GTINs in order is an important part of optimizing your product feed for better listing.  Discover how to list your products effectively with Suvae.org.  Get in touch to have your product feeds optimized and set up your marketing campaigns for success

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