E-commerce’s exponential growth in recent years confirms its significance as a market force. Study shows that the Indian eCommerce market is expected to grow to US$200 billion by 2026, In India, the D2C approach had been experiencing a rapid rise due to its ability to quickly reach customers and provide them with better services.
Any eCommerce business faces several challenges. Shouldn’t SEO be a top priority for the business? What’s the point of building a website if no one visits it? We can help you here.
With the rise of e-commerce, there is now a race amongst competitors from every corner of the planet. Today, it is difficult to keep customers engaged, build long-term relationships, and reward loyalty. Having an eCommerce website is not the only part of D2C. An array of behaviors and tactics must be understood and implemented by your business. To achieve this, you must choose the right eCommerce integration partner and make every effort to reach end-users effectively. Blaash.io has the solution for you.
In the meantime, let’s review the Top 5 Challenges you are facing right now and get punched by them from time to time in D2C E-commerce Marketing.
- Most Competitive Environment – Everyone has an equal opportunity thanks to the internet. The competition is therefore fierce
- 85% of females and 86% of males said they planned on continuing to purchase online.
- 27% of Indian SMEs are currently online and use eCommerce.
- 78% of D2C brands have increased their marketing budget.
- More than 50% of consumers opt to visit brand’s websites rather than retailers’ websites
Online research is the first step for nearly 80% of shoppers. Moreover, the majority said convenience, responsiveness, and security are essential elements to an online shopping experience.
However, with increased competition, the cost per impression on social platforms such as Facebook has gone up dramatically. Many companies have moved their operations online due to necessity after the covid outbreak, competition in the digital sphere is likely to pose the greatest challenge. Therefore, brands are increasingly relying on D2C marketing strategies.
- Changing consumer behavior-
In the past, the idea of purchasing directly from a social media platform was not that trending, but now it has become more popular for consumers. As online shopping becomes more common, 75% of consumers value convenience more than they did before. As growing in this modern era with millennials and Gen Z, Gen X shoppers also shifted their shopping behaviors drastically in past years.
The Internet has taken over customers’ desktops and laptops, and they no longer just access websites. Now the trend is Multiple platforms are being utilized, such as mobile websites and apps, tablets, and more. Thus, your website will be accessible from any device with ease.
By analyzing how potential customers interacted with their brands, D2C companies can develop marketing content that demonstrates their product’s value more quickly and effectively. However, developing consistent and seamless customer experiences requires understanding and analyzing customer interactions across all touchpoints. (Learn more about this with us)
- Combining all the pieces –
“Acquiring customers at market- places is a great way to have growth, but long-term growth can only come if you constantly engage with their customers and understand their likes and dislikes – Dhruv Madhok”
Markets and marketing techniques for the digital era have changed dramatically over the last few years. Developing your unique selling proposition by considering the products and services your business offers and the types of problems it could solve,
It can be difficult for any brand dealing with D2C marketing to cope with the increased competition, customization demands, and shifting customer preferences. But the most difficult part is constantly investing in marketing and integrating technologies and tactics that will help overcome obstacles. In the aftermath of the pandemic, consumers adopted different channels. Consequently, advertisers had to follow suit.
- Product Differentiation –
DTC products are becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish. In an increasingly crowded market, packaging, brand messaging, and target markets are becoming increasingly similar, making it more difficult for brands to stand out.
In a sector with so many similar brands, it is imperative to provide customers with an engaging experience and focus on their emotions. To grow and maintain your direct-to-consumer brand, you must continue to attract new and old customers to your online store.
In order to win this challenge, DTCs must identify the unique selling point and think of how to effectively reach customers and stand out from competitors.
- Customer Loyalty (Retention) –
It is difficult for even some of the most significant players in the e-commerce field to keep their customers. Many D2C brands rely on customer loyalty to survive. But these relationships are at risk due to several factors. Customers are also becoming increasingly demanding, and companies need to ensure that they get exactly the products and services they need at precisely the point when they need them.
“We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.” – Jeff Bezos.
To accomplish this, brands must become more focused on ensuring a personalized customer experience.
And the key to this challenge is
- Focus more on retaining the consumers than getting new consumers
- Give daily deals and rewards to them for their visit and shopping
- Segmenting your customer base will help you provide them with more personalized services and offers.
- Neglecting Customer Service pushes you into a deep trench, so giving quality service will help consumers to be loyal to you for the long term.
- It is important to appreciate your customers and to be grateful for their business more frequently to retain them.
Conclusion –
To conclude our topic on the challenges faced by e-commerce companies in a D2C environment, all aspects come down to Customer Experience and retention.
To achieve the latter, companies need a marketing professional that can drive consumers to their destination by using various strategies to Engage, Entertain, and Retain them.
Blaash.io can help you with all these challenges in a seamless manner. Join us and stay connected to learn more about your business needs in this eCommerce era.