It has been rightly observed that the unprecedented e-commerce growth we’ve seen since March 2020 would’ve taken years to achieve if COVID-19, the global pandemic forcing people around the world to stay home, had not accelerated the online shopping trend.
In fact, the events of the second quarter of the year have changed e-commerce dramatically and forever, leading to a growing need to hire the best Magento developers in India.
While traditional retail sales have declined, e-commerce stores have seen a 129% year on year growth in India. E-commerce sales are now projected to generate more revenue than traditional retail sales in the country. The pandemic has accelerated the e-commerce industry’s growth and more businesses are joining the e-commerce business revolution than ever before.
Companies that previously embraced the e-commerce trend have already planned expansion to cater to the large influx of traffic on their websites. By the end of 2020, global e-commerce sales are expected to reach $4.2 trillion. This has been the biggest jump in e-commerce share of total sales in a single year.
The Changing Trends of E-commerce
E-commerce stores are emerging as the preferred medium of shopping for people from every demographic and age group. Across the world, people are shifting buying habits and the lockdown has even hit boomers by forcing them to shop online – some for the first time.
It is time for online stores to ramp up their game as well as make sure their store is ready for the increased volume of online shoppers. Small business retailers who are considering building a robust e-commerce site and making a switch to selling online should start with similar fundamentals that they established when opening their retail store.
They should hire the best Magento developers in India and brief them to build a store that resonates with the personality of the business and advocates the ideals that their business follows.
Business owners need to keep in mind that the most important goal of their store is to sell products. There is no point in making a good looking store which is functionally lacking and is unable to make a customer complete the purchase.
India-based business owners are waking up to the need of creating storefronts that convert. Often, an online store in India offers too many technical distractions for the potential customer. It leads to the audience getting entangled in the shopping process, which is why they tend to abandon a purchase mid-way.
The online store owner must engage a dedicated Magento developer in India to make sure that the site is technically sound, intuitive, and most importantly – inspires a purchase. There is absolutely no need for a complex sign-up process to purchase. There is, however, a great need for high-quality images of products in the store that can ideally be zoomed in by the user.
The Power of a high-performing Website
If the hired Magento developer from India fails to create a website which is easy to use and navigate, or uses sub-standard images that do not have crystal clarity, the business owner will fail to convert a large percentage of the website’s visitors.
Business owners that already have a web presence need to take score of their current website by analysing it without prejudice. If the website does not match the modern website standards, it needs to be redesigned.
For instance, if the website is not responsive or there are major site errors, then they should hire a Magento developer in India to rebuild it. At the same time, if users are giving the business owner a feedback that their website is cumbersome to use, then he/she should redesign it.
Lastly, if the sales on the store are decent but not increasing, the business owner must consider a redesign in that case too. A new look and feel to the website is a great excuse to invite back all the past customers to visit the store and can also help land some new customers.
As more people move online, retailers and brands need to strategize about how they can leverage their infrastructure. When scouting for talent, make sure you hire the best Magento developer in India who understands the finer points of online retail.
The Visible Traits of a Good Website
- Mobile-friendly website. Mobile shopping accounts for 50% of online transactions. By creating a mobile-friendly experience for the visitors, the business will improve time invested onsite, conversion rate, and SEO performance.
- Robust security compliance. Security of information, data, and customer privacy are extremely important considerations. When these are ensured, the store is less susceptible to threats and attacks.
- Streamlined and secure checkout process. Hire a Magento developer in India who can focus on balancing usability with aesthetics, and building trust. A good measure of this is if the checkout process is so simple that a five-year-old or 95-year-old can successfully make a purchase.
- Product ratings and reviews. The dedicated Magento developer from India must create a section where customers do the selling for the business through user-generated reviews.
- Social proof. In a world which is increasingly becoming more social, it is important for the business owner to create trust and authenticity by allowing visitors to connect with the business’s social profiles (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.).
- A variety of payment options. The audience and prospective customers for any business in India are from a varied base. It is natural for them to prefer a variety of payment methods as well. This is why the website owner should introduce at least three alternative payment methods to improve conversion rate beyond Visa, Mastercard, etc.
- Personalization. Delivering personal experiences on e-commerce sites is achieved by dynamically showing content, product recommendations, and specific offers based on browsing behaviour, previous actions, prior purchase history, customer demographics, and other enriched personal data. As compared to traditional retail, e-commerce doesn’t include a retail salesperson to recommend products based on interest, preferences, or taste. Human touch-points provide many opportunities to beat out the competition. However, in case of an online retail store, the business owner needs to rely on the magic of personalization – mimicking what a consumer’s in-store experience would be, through a personalized customer journey online.
Once you’ve established the requirements or must-haves for a minimally viable e-commerce store, you can identify options in the marketplace that fit your needs based on your budget. It is crucial for a small business to make their online stores inviting and trustworthy.
With an increasing population preferring online shopping, this is the perfect time for business owners to jump into e-commerce (if they haven’t done so already) or improve their stores to receive a growing traffic of shoppers. This opportunity must not be missed and every effort should be put into maximizing sales.
Retailers that can stay nimble and react quickly to changing needs amid the challenges of COVID-19, will likely be the ones that will have an opportunity to appeal shoppers this season.
Summary: If you’re witnessing the surge in e-commerce and want to follow suit, Magento can be the best platform for you. Start it right with the right professionals. Learn how.