Digital Marketing
Analysis finds social media used by less than 4% of people, while mobile phone connections are equivalent to less than 60% of Malawians.
E-COMMERCE
How to stay ahead by improving your customers’ online experience
By our News Team | 2023
Build stronger brands and customer resilience with experience-driven loyalty programmes, and collect first-party data instead of cookies.
As e-commerce continues to grow in South Africa, there are three opportunities for businesses to improve their customer experience and stay ahead of the competition.
In a recent article for the ecommerce.co.za website for online retailers and entrepreneurs, Mark Molenaar, Customer Experience Director for the Insights Division at Kantar SA, lists the three that emerged from the Kantar SA ecommerce survey 2022:
Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels
- Collect first-party data rather than cookies
A total of 78% of South African internet users think brands should understand their life stage and offer appropriate products and services, while 68% want brands to use their personal information to better tailor products and services to suit their needs.
Businesses can use data from customer interactions, such as browsing and purchase history, to create more targeted marketing campaigns with personalised discounts and offers that improve the overall customer experience.
With this, we are likely to see increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in e-commerce to enhance the shopping experience and improve overall brand engagement with optimised inventory management and improving supply chain efficiency. Key choice motivators include items being in stock and quick, free delivery.
- Ramp up your mobile and social commerce offering
In SA, two-thirds of internet users have made purchases online using their mobile phone, and 56% of Gen Z and Millennial internet users prefer buying products online rather than in physical stores, with younger shoppers gravitating towards online.
As more consumers turn to mobile devices to shop online, businesses need to ensure that their websites and apps are mobile-friendly and easy to use.
Aligned to this is the growing use of social media for customer engagement and sales. Facebook and Instagram are becoming increasingly popular for e-commerce businesses to promote their products and engage with customers.
For example, 62% of SA Gen Zeders online want to find and buy products directly on social media apps, and 31% of Gen Z and Millennials have already done so. People also want to control the channels they use to interact with brands, with 30% of Millennials having used social media to complain about a brand.
Although the mobile e-commerce growth opportunity is undeniable, limited mobile data remains an obstacle to online shopping adoption. Overcome this by providing data as a loyalty reward.
- Build stronger brands and customer resilience with experience-driven loyalty programmes
As inflation and economic headwinds challenge merchants and consumers alike, local businesses must provide excellent, seamless customer service in 2023 to retain customers and generate repeat business. Two thirds of SA internet users want special offers and discounts based on their social media and online activities, as well as fast, efficient delivery and convenient returns and exchanges.
Stay ahead of the competition by embracing new technologies and trends like AI and machine learning, social media, mobile commerce, data-driven marketing and memorable customer service to succeed in the South African e-commerce market in 2023 and beyond.
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