E-commerce is worth billions and is only expected to grow in 2023. With the introduction of new marketing tools, social networks, and e-commerce platforms, it is becoming harder and harder for many brands to keep up with the ever-evolving and adapting competition.
We have devised a list of some of the most important things we think need to be considered for e-commerce fashion brands, with some of our tips serving multiple other industries too…
Influencers are everything –
A social influencer is someone who affects other people’s purchasing decisions. Brands have been collaborating with influencers big and small across the globe, to increase brand awareness and sales, for years. Youtubers and TikTok creators often create hauls, or recommendation videos, if your product makes it into some of these then, you’re going to receive benefits from these influencer partners, maybe even for years.
When it comes to fashion it’s important you research the influencers you work with to ensure their audience perfectly aligns with yours. You also need to ensure your contract with the influencer stipulates your needs. If you’re a premium and sustainable fashion brand then you need to ensure the influencer doesn’t work with brands who are your direct competition for X amount of time, but also brands that may cheapen and negate yours. Did you know we can arrange collaborations with influencers via our social media management service?
Engage, engage, engage!
It sounds super obvious but managing customer relationships will help you to improve brand perception amongst current customers and build a new loyal customer base. If you don’t already do this, a great way to ensure customers are happy is to talk with them directly via social media on your brand profiles, in comments or by replying to and sharing customer stories and tweets etc.
Reviews are everything when it comes to e-commerce fashion brands, people don’t always trust the perfectly posed product image on your website and look at the comments section and on socials for alternative images and information. If someone is unhappy or providing constructive feedback make sure you are proactive with replies, apologies, and discounts.
Visuals are important
Aesthetics are super important when it comes to e-commerce fashion brands, especially because so many people are turning to online shopping. It’s important that you make sure the images used in your branding and marketing are high quality, to help buyers see the quality of your products without touching them.
You wouldn’t believe some of the blurry and low-quality images we’ve seen. Getting a professional photographer who is affordable is the tricky part, but sometimes you can’t spend less, you have to spend smart. It also pays to have a unique logo too, heads up, we’re branding specialists…
Good ethics & morals are a USP
They should be standard across the industry but unfortunately, they’re not. So, if you are doing things the correct way then you kind of need to shout about it because there are lots of fashion brands going about their business totally wrong.
If you use models of all shapes, sizes and ethnicities, photograph everyday people in your clothes, have a vegan fashion range, source your products ethically, and pay all your manufacturers and staff equally, in line with or above UK minimum wage then this needs to be proclaimed. In 2023 we’re set to see a lot more people buying into brand values before the product.
Yes, we’re still saying this… Get a website!
Post-pandemic most people shop online, so even if you own an established high-street shop, you need a website. Shopping habits are changing, if you have a website already but buyers can’t shop on it, upgrade it to an e-commerce site! Many independents initially set up their fashion shops via social media or Etsy, this is okay in the early stages but if you don’t jump on the curve and have a fully shoppable e-commerce website to shortly follow it, you’ll fall behind. Trust us, don’t narrow your audience.
Online virtual stores
Now, this one is a little crazy but go with us because we like the forward-thinking mentality behind it. With technology constantly evolving, it’s no surprise that virtual shopfronts like this one are the latest thing in e-commerce. If you’ve never seen one before, it’s a new way for consumers to see products in a store setting, online, via a virtual reality headset, or even just a screen.
It can be expensive, but it can provide your customers with an immersive experience. A lot of the ones we’ve seen really play into the ’90s revival we’ve been seeing. We’re not suggesting these are a must, but we think everyone can take creative inspiration from ideas like this, and think outside the box. If you don’t have time to explore your full creative potential, employ a third party like us to do it for you – we know our stuff.
