I believe many of us know you cannot ignore digital commerce and still be relevant and survive for long. But the question remains: What does an organization need to do to succeed with their digital commerce initiative beyond putting up a pretty web storefront and selling the same old set of products?
As an observer of this, as well as a consumer, I believe succeeding boils down to answering three questions about your digital experience:
Let me elaborate.
The first question is really about why the change is needed, and what’s in it for your customers. Many organizations sometimes forget that the primary reason for any digital transformation is really for the customers.
Some of the criteria to check are:
Answering these questions will help you focus on impactful changes that yield results. They help you prioritize how to invest your resources and achieve early successes.
Digital commerce encompasses all of the touchpoints and processes in the consumer journey. This means that all of the tools, processes, and technologies used to create the online offer are critical to the overall definition.
The second question drill into what makes your digital commerce differentiated and engaging vis-à-vis your competition.
One of the attributes of digital commerce is price transparency. So, to be successful, you have to move beyond price as your primary differentiation. And that sustainable differentiation is the experience.
This differentiation is beyond what I discussed earlier about making your digital commerce better. The differentiated experience needs to be something special, something that only you can deliver and that is difficult to imitate.
This could be how you personalize the storefront and the way your customer finds and sees your products. Or it can even be the value you provided to them based on the information they have shared with you.
For example, if you keep track of clothing and accessories a customer has bought and then use that information to offer suggestions or advice about what new items might go well with them, that would be an experience that is valuable and sticky.
With the third question, I raise the point that digital commerce should not be implemented in isolation. It needs to be deployed in the context of the larger vision, that of delivering better customer experience. Unless your organization is a digital native, chances are you have existing physical channels that your customers have been using.
So, your digital commerce should complement these existing channels. In a recently published research by Ecommerce Foundation, they find that globally, majority of customers still like to visit and buy in stores.
This is true across many categories such as consumer electronics, computers, sport and outdoor equipment, health and beauty, clothing and footwear, jewelry and watches, home appliances, DIY home improvement, furniture and homeware, and grocery.
The only two categories in which digital is more or have the same preferences are digital content like books, music, video games, and toys.
And stores are not the only channels: Don’t forget your contact centers, your resellers and distributors, and even your sales reps. They need to be part of the equation. Integrate your digital commerce with your physical ones to offer a complete experience, one that cannot be replicated easily by your competition, whether they are the age-old competitor or the new digital natives.
Going digital can be challenging and complex. To be successful, you need to focus on the reason for undertaking this journey. That reason is the customer. If you really understand them and know them, then you can find the answers to those three questions above. Answering them honestly will give you the insights to be successful with your digital initiative.
