eCommerce Best Practices for CPG Brands

Katie Huston Picture

by Katie Huston | Last Updated: Mar 2, 2018

There’s nothing more annoying than looking down mid-shower karaoke session to find that you’re out of shampoo. Odds are, the first thing you’d do after getting out of the shower is hop on Amazon (after drying off, of course!), order the shampoo, and have it sitting on your doorstep the next day. The days of running to the grocery store for every little item are coming to a grinding halt. Today’s consumers aren’t wasting their time driving across town to Walmart or Target to pick up a few items–they’d much rather order online through Amazon or Google Express and have it delivered in two days (or even two hours in some cases!). Because 81 percent of brand purchase decisions are made from home, how can CPG companies stay involved with the consumer journey when the process is so focused on the online retailer–and less on your brand? Check out our best practices below: Keep it Short and Simple CPG brands have a notoriously extended customer journey–one that takes the shopper from ad to social media to coupon books to the store and finally, to the purchase. Instead of asking your customers to clip virtual coupons or go through rebate apps, expedite the process by using targeted and creative digital content. Customers want a simple way to see the product, add it to their cart, and check out in less than 10 clicks...in fact, five clicks is the magic number in order to ensure that your item ends up in their virtual cart. Showing a targeted ad on Facebook that directly links to the product and makes it easy to see reviews, add the item to cart, and check out can create higher conversions ultimately more sales. Creativity in Customization We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again–creating custom, unique buying experiences wins customers over in the long run. A great example is Bear Naked granola. The brand is sold in Target and Walmart, but offers an extension online through their website where customers can create their own recipe from 50+ ingredients available. Not to mention, shipping is free! Their creative, customer-first offerings paid off, with the campaign garnering a 230 percent increase in conversions and a time-on-site increase of 40 percent. Clearly, the custom route was a great way to encourage brand loyalty, foster excitement, and keep their customers happily snacking away. High Quality Mobile Experiences Since so many customers are turning to the web to check off their shopping lists, it’s imperative that CPG brands are putting their best virtual foot forward. High-quality imaging and multiple views of the product can help your product stand out from the competitors, especially in the online space where shoppers don’t have the luxury of getting the full effect of your product packaging and displays. Video footage, 360 degree imaging, and even augmented reality can help your product make it into the hands (and homes) of customers everywhere. If you can’t integrate these mobile-friendly features into your pages on big-box store websites, then consider creating a mobile experience that links from the product description to further engage online shoppers with your brand and messaging. A great way to do this without asking your on-the-go shoppers to download an app is by providing a cloud-based mobile app–a mobile experience that looks, feels, and functions like a native app, but doesn’t require a download! Bottom line: It’s no secret that shoppers are turning to the internet more than ever, and in order for CPG brands to win in the online space, it’s absolutely essential to provide interactive, digitally-driven experiences that will compel shoppers to add to their virtual cart. It can be difficult to grasp just how far digital will impact growth in the coming years but luckily, our tips for simplicity, creativity, and mobile-first online display tactics can help you continue to sell out shelves in-store and online.

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