Royal Mail strike: some etailers see sales fall
Two thirds of online retailers have seen a 30% fall in their revenues since the Royal Mail strike began, and a third have seen a drop of around 24% in visitors numbers.
In a IMRG survey of online retailers, 85% believe that, with no sign of a resolution to the dispute in sight, the strike will discourage people from shopping online this Christmas.
Five ways the Royal Mail strike could affect e-commerce
With a two-day strike scheduled for Thursday and Friday this week, and the possibility of further industrial action in the run up to Christmas, online retailers are justifiably concerned about the possible effects on their business.
I've outlined a few of the potential problems for online retailers below...
E-commerce delivery options - key tips
Delivery details and the different options available can be a deal-breaker for online retailers. Free delivery offers are now quite common, but very few seem to offer delivery on a specified date.
Offering to deliver items on a particular days can be a compelling prospect for customers, who may be impatient to get hold of their purchases, or who have work commitments and need a definite date.
I've been looking at some UK e-commerce websites to see if they offer this service, and how it is communicated to shoppers...
Email Marketing is the Cinderella of digital
There's so much buzz about social media, web 2.0, online PR, Twitter and Facebook at the moment that it's easy to overlook how powerful Email Marketing can be. Which is surprising when you realise that for many of your customers email is still the primary communication tool they use when online.
And judging from the record turn-out we had for the Econsultancy session I ran, I thought it would be useful to share 10 top tips for improving your email campaigns....
E-tailers need to handle returns better - report
A study into the returns processes of 100 online retailers in the UK has found that returning goods bought online is becoming more difficult for customers.
When it comes to allowing customers to return goods without hassle, some retailers have a lot to learn, with five making it virtually impossible for shoppers to return goods.
E-tailers need to work on customer service
A new survey finds that, though some of the most popular online retailers are performing well for usability of search and navigation, as well as delivery, they are often failing when it comes to effective customer service.
According to the eDigital Research survey, e-tailers scored especially poorly on providing customer service by email, something which customers increasingly want to do to save spending time on the phone. However, customers often received inadequate information, or no response at all.
How are etailers handling Christmas delivery?
With Christmas only a few days away, many online retailers have already passed their deadline for delivery before Christmas, though some are still offering the chance for last minute shoppers to buy online in time for the big day.
So how are retailers keeping customers informed of this? Those that are still offering Christmas delivery should be making it clear to customers, as this gives them a big advantage over rivals for the next few days, and should see them picking up sales from last minute shoppers.
Social media: the best and worst of 2009
Email marketing: six steps to improving customer engagement in 2010
Web 2.0
Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
