The quick and easy access to websites, along with better technology, has helped the industry of ecommerce thrive significantly over the last few years. This is all thanks to the extensive database of products, competitive prices, and testimonials – basically every information to make a purchasing decision – that’s readily available to buyers anywhere they are.
The industry has thrived so much that global retail ecommerce sales have risen 23.2% in 2017, amounting to $2.290 trillion. But having online shops can also be favourable to businesses, as it gives them a chance to be recognized by the global community created by the internet. If you’re looking to take advantage of ecommerce for your business, here are the pages and elements you should have.
Homepage
The first page that your customers will see represents the traditional physical storefront. Therefore, it should welcome them in and give an idea about what kind of products they can find here. Search bar and product category navigation will help them find their intended items to purchase, while the login or registration link encourages them to take the first step in purchasing.
Product Page
Once they found a product they like and clicked on its link, it should take them to the product page, where the details of the item can be read. The product page should answer their question of how the item will benefit them should they decide to buy it, so make sure to present it as something highly valuable.
Aside from the product name and description, the page must also include photos of the products, cost, reviews from other buyers, and of course the Add to Cart button.
Shopping Cart
All the products that made your customer click the Add to Cart button will be listed down on the Shopping Cart page. Here, give them the option to edit the quantity or remove items from their cart.
Other relevant information to include is the price for each item, the total cost of each product [if buying more than one unit], and the total amount of all the products in the cart. An order summary that lists down shipping and delivery fees and taxes must also be present.
Checkout
To push through the purchase, the buyer’s details must be provided, including contact information, delivery address, and billing address. In this page, they should also choose a delivery option that they find appropriate depending on the delivery date and fees. Assure users that you’re using Security Cues [SSL].
Payment Confirmation
The last step is confirming the purchase, so make sure that your SSL certificates are still highly visible. Include contact information as well in case of any issues or questions. Most importantly, make the order number visible for your customer to see should they need to reach out to your customer support team.
Get the help you need in putting up an online store for your business through design, support, and IT outsourcing, and make sure to optimize it for the best shopping experience. Learn more about what makes a successful ecommerce website in this infographic.
Pitney Bowes, a global technology company that provides commerce solutions in the areas of ecommerce, shipping, mailing, and data, published key findings from the 2018 Pitney Bowes Global Ecommerce Study. As online retailers and marketplaces prepare for record volumes of ecommerce orders this holiday season, the study found that 61% of consumers globally felt let down by their online shopping experience during the last holiday season. This figure is up significantly from 47% in 2017, and 41% in 2016.
Consumers pointed to post-purchase experiences, including items arriving late, expensive shipping, tracking inaccuracies, confusing returns policies, and lost or incorrect items as reasons for their dissatisfaction.
Lila Snyder, President of Commerce Services at Pitney Bowes, said
More and more, consumers are telling us that the post-purchase experience – what happens after the order – is every bit as important, if not more, than the shopping experience that occurs before the order. The silver lining for retailers: consumers are giving you the blueprint for how to get it right, and those who get it right will be rewarded with customer loyalty and revenue growth.
Consumers in India are shopping online more frequently, and they prefer marketplaces. Nearly everyone is shopping online – 94% of consumers globally; unchanged year-over-year. But, the frequency with which consumers shop online is accelerating. Globally, 35% of online shoppers make an online purchase at least weekly. In India, 68% of online shoppers are purchasing from a marketplace, as opposed to a shopping with an online brand.
Lila Snyder, President of Commerce Services at Pitney Bowes, added
The uptick in shopping frequency, while welcome news for retailers, is also contributing to the rise in consumer dissatisfaction. Individual consumers are spending more time shopping online and waiting on products, creating a greater probability for a bad experience. As volumes rise, retailers are struggling to keep up with the demand in terms of physical infrastructure and the technology to manage it effectively.
India prefers fast and free shipping
The study shows that consumers start to make judgements on the post-purchase experience even before placing their orders. At the same time, consumers are becoming more demanding in their expectations for ‘fast and free’. Only 47% consider 2-day free shipping ‘fast’.
Lila Snyder, President of Commerce Services at Pitney Bowes, further added
If there is one finding for retailers to pay attention to, it’s this one: fast and free shipping is a must. Retailers invest millions of dollars in marketing to drive consumers to their ecommerce sites, but all of that expense and effort is for naught if they don’t also invest in attractive fast and free shipping offers that meet consumer expectations.
Consumers still rank ‘free shipping’ as more important than ‘fast shipping’. Globally, 76% of consumers prefer ‘free’ over ‘fast’. In India, 56% of consumers prefer free shipping over faster delivery.
A bad post-purchase experience can cost retailers multiple customers
According to the study, 90% of online shoppers in the US will take an action that can hurt a retailer’s brand in response to a bad post-purchase experience. Their reactions range from sharing their frustrations on social media to never purchasing from the offending site again. Among millennials, 30% will go public about their poor experience, complaining in an online review or social media post, potentially affecting the buying decisions of their entire social networks.
The importance of the post-purchase experience voiced loud and clear by consumers was further validated by the results of retailer surveys. Successful high-growth retailers [25% or greater YoY revenue growth] place a greater emphasis on the post-purchase consumer experience than their slower growth competitors. This includes providing services like free returns and day-definite guaranteed delivery. 54% of high-growth retailers offer 2-3 day free shipping, while 60% of low-growth retailers [10% or less YoY revenue growth] offer 4-7 day free shipping. High-growth retailers also tend to meet or exceed consumer demands for accurate, real-time tracking, free and fast shipping, easy returns with pre-printed labels, prompt refunds and even attractive branded packaging.
One trend that may be influencing expectations around quality of packaging is the growth of subscription box services. 27% of online shoppers are subscribed to at least one such service, including 51% of millennials and 47% of households with children.
Lila Snyder, President of Commerce Services at Pitney Bowes, said
Successful high-growth retailers and brands not only exceed their customers’ expectations on the post-purchase experience, but they leverage every consumer touchpoint to build brand awareness, further strengthening customer loyalty.
In the battleground for consumer attention, the study found that marketplaces continue to soak up 60% of online purchases, but it also found opportunity for retailers who invest in their brand and delight consumers throughout the shopping and post-purchase experience. 61% of online shopping occurs when the consumer knows specifically what brand and product they are looking to buy. In these cases, more than half [54%] prefer to buy from a retailer website over an online marketplace. This presents an opportunity for brands and retailers to build customer loyalty and trust by repeatedly delivering exceptional post-purchase experiences.
The same rules apply for cross-border shopping
The cross-border ecommerce market continues to mature. For the first-time, fewer consumers said they were shopping cross-border dropping from 70% in 2017 to 64% in 2018. The US, China and Japan were the only countries where the number of cross-border shippers increased in 2018. Still, the market continues to grow because those who are shopping cross-border are doing so more frequently. This was true in nearly every country we surveyed. Twelve-percent of consumers globally are now shopping cross-border at least weekly, up from 10% in 2017.
Consistent with the results of the study, frustrations with shopping cross-border can be attributed primarily to shipping that is too slow, or too expensive. Other frustrations include the inconvenience of returning unwanted items and poor customer service.
The 2018 Pitney Bowes Global Ecommerce Study is based on surveys of more than 13,000 consumers in 12 markets, combined with surveys of 650 retailers in the US, UK, India, and Australia. The report is intended to help guide retailers and marketplaces in their investment decisions and go-to-market strategies.
Kolkata’s Diverse Non-Veg Menu Makes it a Meat Lovers Food City. However, Meat procured from butcher shops, local vendors & supermarkets is often from animals raised under the unhygienic and inhumane condition of common feedlots, and grossly overburdened slaughterhouses.
Finding fresh and chemical free meat has now become a challenging task. Those who don’t have secret local butchers or nearby delis who sell cold cuts and special cuts of meat, have to make do with frozen packaged goods. However, there’s a new service in town called Kolkata Meat, which can deliver the 100% fresh meat right to your doorstep.
With a mission and aim to change the meat buying experience for the meat lovers, Kolkata Meat has come up with a technology integrated platform to solve all the issues of finding safe and 100% halal meat. The startup aims at delivering the best quality of meat through an e-commerce based platform, making it convenient for the customers to get quality meat in any place.
From the past 2 years, the team of Kolkata Meat was indulged in their research and analysis on how to deliver the best quality meat to their customers. Therefore, they are confident that their products will be fresh and preservative free and also free from all kinds of antibiotics and hormones, which are sourced from the farms daily.
Kolkata Meat’s products include fresh chicken in a variety of forms, mutton chops and cuts, kebabs, seafood, sausages, and cold cuts.
How the service is Impeccable?
Kolkata Meat partners with high quality farms to bring the freshest meat from only the best breeds, bypassing local mandis, wholesalers and butcher shops. Meats are delivered hygienically through a unique end-to-end cold chain supply that ensures consistent freshness from farm to table without freezing or exposing meats to any preservatives or water. Kolkata meat guarantees same day stock delivery within 2 hours or on prescribed schedule.
With the strong ties to a network of expertise, we are able to distribute the higher level of value and freshness. Therefore, our products that arrive at your doorstep are the best quality and most delicious obtainable, where every product of ours are being examined, tasted, and then screened by our teams having a couple of years of experiences. So when it comes to your dining plate you enjoy each bite of it with great satisfaction.
The distinguishing factor about Kolkata Meat is, it will deliver the meat in a vacuum pack where the meat will remain fresh and in a hygienic form. Kolkata Meat is the first exclusive online meat delivery company in Kolkata which is having an android and iOS for the convenient consumers, who can order meat on their fingertip.
About the Founders
Startup founders Alam Brothers built their business using hard-won survival skills not only in Indian railway water projects but is all set for the Kolkata meat with their different strategy and business tactics.
‘Art’ is considered one of the most powerful forms of communication since the artist has the creative liberty to express his/her thoughts through artistic mediums like audio, visual, etc. When we discuss ‘visual creativity’, one form that makes a tremendous impact is ‘Painting’. However, as mentioned by Edgar Degas, a famous French artist – ‘Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do‘ and you can understand the true beauty of an art form when you look at the art from an artists’ perspective.
India has always been famous for its creative diversity, whether it is the traditional Indian paintings or the modern art that was begun in Kolkata in the late nineteenth century. Celebrated Indian painter Raja Rajiv Varma is considered the father of Modern Indian Art who drew on Western traditions and techniques including oil painting and easel painting. Oil painting has definitely emerged as one of the leading art forms when it comes to oil painting on canvas or some other surface. Let’s have a look at important aspects of Oil Painting.
Oil Painting – Origin, Advantages
Though Oil Paint existed since the 11th century, it gained prominence in the 15th century after advantages of using Oil Paint became widely known to the artists. During the 10th & 11th centuries, it was used for making Buddhist paintings by Indian & Chinese painters in western Afghanistan. Some of the primary advantages of Oil Paint are
Provides more depth of color.
Takes more time to dry when compared to acrylic paint, due to which artists can work on the other aspects of painting while the color dries up.
Can be used with other media like varnishes, resins, etc. which aid in adjusting the translucency and other important aspects of the painting.
Oil paints can be used on different surfaces like Fabric, Wood, Paper, Canvas, Linen, etc.
Due to these advantages, Oil paint is considered a preferred medium for painting and ‘art collectors’ & ‘art enthusiasts’ also treasure oil paintings by well-known artists!
Oil Painting – Drawing methodologies
Artists using Oil Paint normally begin by sketching the main subject on canvas, with charcoal or thinned paint. Oil paint is usually mixed with linseed oil, artist grade mineral spirits, or other solvents to make the paint thinner. Traditionally, artists use paintbrushes for drawing, but there are other tools like palette knives, rags, etc. that are increasingly being used by them. By using hog-bristle brushes along with the above mentioned tools and techniques, oil painters are able to create pigment textures that enhance the beauty of the painting.
How to buy authentic Oil Paintings online
Art collectors are passionate about art and are always on the look for oil paintings online and acrylic paintings online since treasuring art is one feeling that only a ‘art lovers’ can understand. Likewise, talented artists find it difficult to take their artwork to the audience, now with a platform like Gallerist.in; they have the option of putting their oil paintings on sale.
Gallerist.in is an online art gallery with close to 7,000+ artists, a place where art collectors & art lovers can buy oil painting without any hassles. You can also find other traditional Indian art forms on gallerist.in, which makes it a ‘go-to’ destination for someone who is passionate about art!
The value of digitally influenced spending in emerging markets will approach $4 trillion by 2022, amounting to about 50% of all retail spending in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. But the dynamics will vary widely between markets, requiring B2C companies to ‘de-average’ their offerings in order to succeed, according to a report by The Boston Consulting Group [BCG] that was presented at the World Economic Forum. The report is titled Digital Consumers, Emerging Markets, and the $4 Trillion Future.
Half of the population in emerging markets worldwide is now connected to the internet, the report says – a stunning increase from 2010, when fewer than a quarter of those in emerging markets were online. In addition, by 2022, nearly 900 million more emerging-market consumers will be online, versus just 80 million new internet users in developed markets. That means that more than 90% of all internet newcomers during the next four years will be from emerging markets.
Smartphone penetration doubled in emerging markets between 2013 and 2017, from 22% to 44%, and smartphones are the preferred way for people in these markets to access the internet. The report was led by BCG’s Center for Customer Insights [CCI] and is based on a survey of more than 15,000 urban internet users in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, the Philippines, and South Africa.
Nimisha Jain, a BCG partner in New Delhi, who leads CCI in emerging markets, said
Emerging markets are on the brink of a major digital revolution. The share of digitally influenced retail in total retail spending will surge from 33% in 2017 to 47% by 2022. There are major differences across emerging markets, however – and in order to succeed in those markets, B2C companies will have to approach each one differently.
China is leading other emerging-market countries in internet usage, with 20% of its retail sales already coming from e-commerce. But e-commerce is advancing in other emerging economies, too. Overall, e-commerce in emerging markets will grow from about 15% of all retail sales in 2017 to 20% of all retail sales in 2022. The online portion of retail in China already exceeds that of the United Kingdom [16%], the United States [13%], and Germany and France [11% each].
A Shift in Consumer Behavior
Even more dramatic in emerging markets will be the growth of digital influence—the effect of information that consumers collect online, often by smartphone, on their online and offline purchases. By 2022, there will be $3.9 trillion in digitally influenced expenditures in emerging markets, BCG forecasts. That huge number represents both a challenge and an opportunity for B2C companies, the authors say.
How digital influences consumer behavior differs by country and by category. The report identifies three stages of digital evolution: digitally aware, digitally advancing, and—farthest along – digitally evolved. People in China [now in the digitally evolved category] are the most apt to turn to the internet for help in making a retail purchase; 39% percent of retail spending in China is digitally influenced. Brazil, India, and Indonesia [which are in the middle category, digitally advancing] have high levels of digital influence [35%, 14%, and 12%, respectively], but relatively low levels of online spending [between 3% and 5%]. Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and the Philippines are in the first category, digitally aware. In these early-stage countries, a variety of factors, from modest-size middle classes to a relatively undeveloped fintech ecosystem, have constrained the growth of e-commerce.
When a country’s markets advance from one digital stage to the next, consumer behaviors change, too, the report shows. One such change is in the expectation of a better experience, whether that takes the form of something practical like a good recommendation engine or something fun like the ability to see oneself in a shirt or hat that one is considering buying.
Altogether, 81% of people in digitally evolved markets say that they look for a fun or enjoyable experience in deciding where to buy. In contrast, the shopping experience matters to only about one in four people in digitally aware markets, and to only one in ten people in digitally advancing markets.
Another difference relates to how people pay for their online purchases. In less advanced digital markets, cash on delivery is still common – used by 88% of Filipinos, 86% of Moroccans, 58% of Kenyans, and 54% of Nigerians. In more advanced digital markets, buyers almost always pay for online purchases digitally – whether through an online mobile wallet or a credit or debit card. For instance, 94% of Chinese use a digital method of payment, as do more than three-quarters of Brazilians. In addition, Chinese consumers make 70% of their online purchases through smartphones, a level of mobile commerce that sharply exceeds the level in developed countries. In 2016, Chinese mobile payments were nearly 50 times as great as those in the US.
Jeff Walters, a BCG partner and CCI’s leader in Greater China, said
One lesson of this study is that emerging market consumers aren’t uniform in their behaviors. Different markets have distinct requirements. This is something any online seller would learn if it tried to enter China without appreciating the need to create a fun experience or if it tried to do business in parts of Asia or Africa without understanding the workings of cash on delivery.
Developing Economies’ Use of Social Media
Social media is a big part of digital influence in emerging markets. In CCI’s survey, 95% of Filipinos and 74% and 73%, respectively, of Kenyans and Moroccans say they sometimes use social media to guide their retail purchases. At 37%, Indian consumers are the least apt of all emerging-market consumers to use social media to guide them in making a retail purchase; if they are looking for an online source of information, internet users in India are much more inclined to go to a shopping website.
Social media is also popular as a venue for direct e-commerce, whether through a brand’s social media account or in peer-to-peer transactions in which consumers buy and sell from one another with no intermediary. Peer-to-peer transactions over social media are especially popular in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand.
In all emerging markets, air travel is the category most subject to digital influence and the product or service most likely to be bought online, with mobile phones a close second, the survey shows. But countries can be outliers in certain product categories. For instance, Brazilian consumers are much likelier than Indian or Indonesian consumers to buy a small appliance online. And Indian consumers don’t book their holidays online at anything like the same frequency that Brazilian consumers do.
BCG’s report comes at a time when emerging markets are growing at three times the rate of developed markets and contributing much of the world’s growth. In the last two decades, according to the World Bank, emerging markets’ share of the world’s gross domestic product has risen from 11% to 28%, and their share of global household consumption expenditures has risen from 11% to 24%.
With the aim to provide a holistic home entertainment experience to all smart TV owners backed by uninterrupted and super-fast internet broadband speed, ACT Fibernet has launched the ‘smart tv ka smart choice’ plan. As part of this, customers purchasing any smart TV on Flipkart will be able to enjoy exciting offers and discounts on the company’s internet broadband plans.
ACT Fibernet will offer every eligible customer, upon purchase of a 6 months subscription, two months free internet subscription with an additional 1500 GB data and a free wireless router. Offer valid on all Smart TV purchases made on Flipkart beginning 3rd September 2018 to 30th November 2018 across all 15 cities where the company has presence.
How to avail the offer
Customer to provide proof of purchase – Flipkart Order ID, Flipkart Invoice date along with Name, Mobile, Email, Complete Address on ACT website
ACT Fibernet to verify the purchase with Flipkart and out-call the customer, confirm the offer, check for feasibility in customer location and proceed with installation.
ACT Fibernet to provide new connection within a period of 10 working days.
Existing customers of ACT Fibernet are also eligible for the upgrade sans the router
Offer to be redeemed before 31st December 2018.
Customer is also free to choose any other offer from ACT Fibernet that is currently available in their respective market.
The below table captures the plan details across cities
India, as a country is undergoing a significant change and progressing at a very rapid pace. The GDP [Gross Domestic Product] is showing an upswing and there have been a lot of sectors where India has shown the world that we are no longer ‘just another progressing country’, but we can also be leaders in the fields of technology, sports, entertainment, etc. Though GDP is one way to look at a country’s progress, the other measure could be the amount of money being spent on healthcare.
Though the socio-economic conditions have improved, problems like obesity, anxiety, Diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. are very common even with Indians who are in their early 30’s. As per a report, India currently represents around 49% of the world’s diabetes burden, expected to almost double to 134 million by 2025. This is a serious matter of concern for a ‘Young India’ that is ready to take on the world with all guns blazing but it could be plagiarized with poor health/fitness.
It is primarily important to maintain a healthy diet which is a combination of nutrition & taste, but in case you are suffering from diabetes/high blood sugar levels, it is always recommended to have the best glucometer available in India. For a diabetic patient, self-testing your blood sugar is important in order to avoid further diabetes complications and this is where the ‘glucose meter’ [glucometer] can be handy to measure sugar level at the comfort of your home. There are a lot of brands that make glucometers, namely Omron, Bayer, Accu Check, One Touch, etc. but you have to make a conscious decision of buying the best glucometer in India that suits your requirements. To use the meter, use the lancet to draw a small amount of blood from your finger, put it onto the strip and then insert the strip in the meter. The results are accurate and the strips are also available at affordable prices.
Though health is considered the real wealth, most of us seem to have forgotten it and tend to follow a laid-back or sedentary lifestyle. There are many who start their day by playing games on their smart-devices whereas the ideal way should be to do some exercise so that it enriches the body and mind. Due to this, many men & women gain weight, which might also negatively impact their confidence & personality.
Physical fitness has become much more important than before; else the cases of obesity, risk to deadly diseases, etc. could plagiarize our generation and the forthcoming generation. If you are someone who is focused on fitness, having a weighing scale always helps as you can also keep a track of your weight while you follow your daily fitness regime. Depending on your budget and requirements, you can opt to purchase a weighing scale online so that you can track weight, along with other important parameters like steps taken, calories burnt, hydration levels, etc. and experience a holistic ‘fitness experience’.
To summarize, let’s make a conscious effort to make the slogan ‘Hum Fit to India Fit‘ a reality!
Enakshi, an online apparel brand for women has closed their first round of seed fund of 80 Lakhs from a private investor. The brand is also in talks with a clutch of other investors to secure a total funding of $1 million over the next two years to build on its distribution network.
Founded in March 2018, by young founders in their early 20s, Maharsh Shah & Namya Patel, launched Enakshi, a virtual boutique for modern women that offers only exclusive pieces of garments with no two pieces alike. The brand plans to utilize the funding amount to increase the brand’s visibility, improve their existing logistics & technology and to empanel more designers from across the nation. Enakshi also plans to expand their business into brick and mortar stores as a next step to giving its customers a first-hand experience of their favorite Enakshi garments.
Enakshi was launched to address two primary concerns of modern women
Their everyday worry of ‘what to wear tomorrow’
Their need for exclusivity and novelty in their wardrobe
The virtual boutique helps women explore and discover fashion that is as unique as their individuality. With efficient logistics in place, the brand promises a quick turnaround time by ensuring dispatch on the very same day so that the customers get the garment of their choice sooner than anticipated.
Enakshi ensures novelty by launching a new collection every 21 days, where each collection is designed by a different pool of designers, empaneled by the brand from across the nation. Through this unique approach, the brand also aims at disrupting the fashion industry by providing a platform to many talented yet underappreciated designers from across the nation, to collaboratively showcase their creativity befitting the theme of the collection.
Enakshi Founders – Maharsh Shah [R], Namya Patel [L]
Maharsh Shah, Co-founder Enakshi, said
With the largest social media savvy youth population in the world, India as a market is becoming increasingly fashion conscious. With decades of experience in the women apparel industry through our parent brand Deepkala in Ahmedabad, we noticed that increasing number of women have now started seeking novelty in their every buy and aspire to create a wardrobe that showcases their own individuality. This catapulted the launch of brand Enakshi.
Namya Patel, Co-founder, Enakshi further added
At Enakshi, we brief our empaneled designers to create designs to suit the modern women’s preferences. Our primary target audience is women in the age group of 18-48 yr, that don many hats in their daily lives and pride over their individuality. Our designs, therefore, are fluid, to adorn the multiple roles of these women and our philosophy of ‘One Woman, One Design, One Garment’ ensures that there is only one distinctive piece per design. Our tech ensure that every design ordered is altered in the requested size and dispatched for delivery the same day to keep up with the paced life of a modern woman.
About Enakshi
Enakshi is an apparel brand catering to the modern women. The brand offers a virtual boutique for women to explore and discover fashion that is as unique as them.The designs on order have been created by a hand-picked pool of designers shortlisted by Enakshi and then further curated to suit the brand’s style and vision. Enakshi offers only fresh designs and no two designs are alike, which means only one distinctive piece per design. The company was launched in March, 2018 and is headquartered in Ahmedabad. Enakshi was conceptualized and created by Nilay Shah, Maharsh Shah, and Namya Patel. The early twenties Founders chose to launch from Ahmedabad since it is the hub for fashion designing and also their hometown.
