The emergence of ChatBots: How it’s driving the eCommerce industry?

In recent times, shopping preferences have shifted more towards eCommerce with an increasing number of shoppers choosing online stores over brick-and-mortar stores. With the eCommerce industry becoming more and more saturated, customers are now seeking a personal touch that will enhance their online shopping experience. This is where chatbots come in. The integration of bots with Facebook Messenger will reduce the communication gap between online retailers and consumers and improve business prospects.

Here are a few ways chatbots can help eCommerce businesses:

1) Customer service
One of the principal benefits provided by chatbot tools is that it facilitates quick and personalized interaction, thus enhancing the customer service offered. Bots also allow customers to place an order directly from the Messenger.

2) Expand business outreach
Businesses can make the most of the popularity of mobile messengers and reach out to a wider audience. If you’re creating a bot on Facebook Messenger, you can connect with millions of users and create awareness of your products/services.

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3) Improves sales
Chatbots can effectively boost sales by connecting with customers and offering them personalized suggestions based on their order history and prompting them to buy something they might be interested in.

4) Turns users into customers
Even if you have a 24/7 helpline or email desk, nothing can surpass the functionality of bots, which can readily communicate with clients and respond to queries. Such level of automation enhances conversion rates.

5) Enhances the shopping experience
Chatbots enable customers to place an order without even visiting the website or downloading the app, thus offering them superior convenience, which in turn translates into outstanding shopping experiences.

6) It seems almost natural
Similar to how consumers interact with shopkeepers and sales associates, chatbots bring in human-like interaction via messaging. Instead of making shopping feel like a chore, chatbots make it fun, interactive and highly natural.

7) Lesser man hours
If you operate on a global scale, think of the man power you’ll need to handle the influx of customer queries, return requests, exchanges, and other inquiries. With Chatbots, you can cut down on the working hours required, and direct only the most complex requests to customer service personnel.

Integrate chatbots into your eCommerce business website today and feel the difference. If you require professional help, give Openwave a call to avail best-in-class eCommerce website development solutions in Malaysia.

Upgrade from Magento 1.x to 2.0 or Miss Out

Magento 2.0 was officially released in December 2015 and represents a significant step up over the previous version. It has been out for a while now, and many online retailers are taking advantage of its more robust design and easier-to-administer nature. However, some Magento store owners are still using the old version and are, consequently, missing out on a lot.

Here are some of the noticeable differences between the two (and the reasons why you should upgrade from 1.x to 2.0):

Ease of maintenance/development

Magento 1.x is notorious for the steep learning curve and complexity of its code. The newer version, though, is much more newbie friendly, thanks to a drag-and-drop builder support. It’s also much easier to administer and manage, as they have changed the administration interface drastically.

Newest framework/language support

Magento 1.x doesn’t support new frameworks/languages, while Magento 2.0 supports the latest versions of PHP (5.5 and 5.4), HTML (5), and CSS (3.3). It also supports the Symfony framework, which is a very powerful PHP development tool.

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Checkout process optimization

When someone wants to check out on a Magento 1.x store, they have to sign up for an account. Also, the checkout process itself is about six steps long – all of which results in huge shopping cart abandonment rates. With the latest version, they have reduced the checkout to just two steps. They have also enabled guest purchasing.

Performance

The most significant improvement is the performance. In older version of the platform, only businesses that chose to pay for the enterprise package received page caching support. That meant that it took almost 5 seconds and even more for a page to load. With the latest release, though, full page caching support is available for all stores, which allows them to load in just 2 to 3 seconds!

The newer version also has fewer bugs, it is mobile-friendly, and much more secure than it used to be – so it’s a necessity that you upgrade as soon as possible. If you hire an eCommerce development team who has experience with migration, you will be able to upgrade to the new release without losing business or valuable data.

Effective Tips to make your new eCommerce Store Stand Out

While eCommerce is a very profitable industry, it’s a known fact that it’s very hard for new businesses to get a foothold in it. Most niches are oversaturated, and startups face stiff competition from big (Amazon.com) and small companies alike. Your online store must be innovative and must satisfy customers to make a big enough impact on the market.

Here are some proven ways you can get your eCommerce store to stand out from the crowd:

Offer a streamlined checkout process

Lengthy checkout processes is a principal reason why shopping carts are abandoned. If you successfully optimise your checkout process to allow customers to buy from you in a couple of clicks, you’re going to make more sales. The goal is to provide a smooth and trustworthy checkout process that doesn’t cause a customer to doubt their purchase decision.

A lenient returns policy

Most new eCommerce startups have a strict returns policy. Many don’t accept returns altogether. If you have a lenient returns policy and take goods above a certain value, you boost customer confidence and encourage them to make big purchases without fear.

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Fast loading, attractive website

Web pages that take more than 4 seconds to load can deprive you of many customers. Your site has to load quickly. Also, include high-definition images and videos on your site to make it look good. Better product descriptions and beautiful photos attached to them help customers make purchase decisions.

Cater to mobile users

According to statistics, mobile commerce will be 40% of all eCommerce by 2020. If you don’t provide for mobile users, your store is going to lose a significant chunk of revenue. Make your store responsive and ensure it loads fast and is accessible via a variety of popular smartphones and tablets.

Stores that are easily accessible, fun to browse, and offer great customers support –with chat bots and live chat – will distinguish themselves. If you’re not good with coding or aren’t up to date with the latest eCommerce trends, you can engage the services of an experienced eCommerce development company to help you set up a high-converting online store.

Choosing Between Magento and WordPress for eCommerce

When it comes to choosing an eCommerce platform, many would-be entrepreneurs end up having to decide between WordPress and Magento. Both are very popular content management systems (CMS) that do the bulk of the work of setting up and running a website, leaving you free to manage your online business. So which is the right one for your unique business?

WordPress is better if your focus is on the content

This was originally a blogging platform but has morphed into a content management system that lets you build all kinds of websites, including eCommerce online stores. However, the core focus of WordPress has always been on the content. If you only have a handful of products to sell and you want to build a repository of engaging content around them, then WordPress is right for you. It will also be easy for you to stay in touch with customers, build better relationships with them, and release regular updates and news about products and promotions.

Magento is better if you want a full-fledged store

Magento was always meant to be for eCommerce stores. With it, you can build gigantic stores without product limits. It features many extensions and tools that help you manage the store and automate processes like invoicing and billing. Finally, you also get access to customer data through built-in analytics tools. If you want to publish content about your products, you can use a blogging extension like Simple Blog for it. The only drawback of Magento is that you need coding knowledge and experience to build up and maintain a store.

Developing on WordPress is easier

You can turn a WordPress site into an eCommerce store with the help of plugins like WooCommerce. It is very easy, and you don’t need any programming knowledge to do it. However, it won’t be as good as a Magento store, when all is said and done.

If you’re still having trouble on deciding on what to go for, we recommend you consult eCommerce developers that have built many stores before and have relevant industry experience. They’ll be able to help you make an informed decision.

Quick Tips on Revamping your eCommerce Landing Page for Drastic Improvements in Conversions

At the moment, the average conversion rate in the eCommerce world is about 2%. The top 10% of online stores worldwide have unbelievably high conversion rates of over 10%. If your online business is hovering between 2-5%, you can improve your conversion rates by a handful of percentage points by optimizing your landing page (LP) and hooking more customers than usual.

Here are some pointers on how you can optimize your LP for a big jump in sales figures:
Come up with impressive headlines

Your LP headline has to be big, engaging, and sum up what your business is all about and what you can offer visitors in a minimum amount of words.

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Enchant with beautiful images
Beautiful, custom-made or hand-drawn images can get your page to stand out and make visitors feel good about your business.

De-clutter and maximize whitespace
LPs shouldn’t be complex. De-clutter, remove excess text and maximize the use of whitespace to draw the eye to important parts of the page, like CTAs buttons or anchor text.  
Craft perfect descriptions
Product descriptions on the page should be concise and to the point. Don’t overwhelm – allow visitors to scan through the product and what it can do quickly.

Be mobile compatible
The page should load quickly on mobile devices and display correctly. It should support scrolling and panning gestures on small touch screens.

Urgency with CTAs
You have to create urgency with visitors to click and engage with your LP in some way – with the help of timer-based CTAs for example.

Display social support

Visitors will be inclined to trust the opinion of your customers over anything you have to say. Display social support – like testimonials and 5-star product ratings – prominently.

If you’re not good with front-end design or you want outstanding results only a professional can deliver, it’s a good idea to recruit experienced web designers with industry  to renovate your landing page for you. Not only will they be able to job better than you probably could, but they will also be able to do it quickly at an affordable price, without disrupting your regular business.

Online Grocery Stores are Big Business! Find out why

With more and more people getting online – it is estimated that over 3.5 billion people access the net in some form – eCommerce has become big business. It’s hard for new eCommerce startups to get a foothold in the industry, though. There is a lot of competition from giants like Amazon.com, for one. Also, the market saturation for popular business niches like travel (50%) and electronics (35%) is very high.

Online grocery stores are a unique proposition

Online grocery stores stand to make a killing – they sell something everyone needs and the market saturation is very low (less than 3%). Startups like Instacart, Bigbasket, and PepperTap have made a lot of money these past few years.

Problems associated with selling groceries online

Selling groceries online can be very tricky because of the nature of the goods being sold. Here is a list of some of the common problems entrepreneurs face while operating a grocery store.

Perishable inventory:

Groceries like milk, butter, and vegetables require refrigerated storage. It is difficult to keep goods from spoiling, and excellent management efficiency is needed to handle them.

Lightning-quick delivery required:

Unlike electronics, people will expect the groceries to be delivered the very same day, which translates to a high delivery cost, and great experience with inventory chain-management.
 High packaging costs:

It is time-consuming and resource-intensive to package goods like eggs and vegetables, especially separately and safely.

Limited return window:

There is almost no return window involved with shipping perishable items. You have to get it right the first time, or your business will have to bear the loss.

Early backers will win

According to research, the online grocery business is growing at a steady clip, at around 11%. Grocery companies will generate revenues more than $20 billion in the US alone by 2025. Startups entering now will benefit.

While there are significant challenges associated with selling groceries online shopping, it is something anyone can do, even from home, with only a small investment. If this is you, it’s important that you get a well-designed website and an app, to provide a seamless user experience.

Which eCommerce Platform Should You Choose for your eStore?

Are you planning on building an eStore for your business soon? There are a lot of platforms you can choose to help you build your Ecommerce store, and choosing the right platform for your business can be a confusing proposition at the best of times.

Here are some tips that should help you choose the right platform for your budding eStore:

Should you go for a Hosted platform or a Self-hosted platform?

A hosted platform is where the company gives you both the software to create your online store as well as hosting space on a server for it. A self-hosted platform, on the other hand, only gives you the software to help you create your online store. There are benefits and drawbacks to both options. A hosted platform is more stable and easier to manage in the long run, but it is usually more expensive too. A self-hosted platform is much cheaper than a hosted platform.

Most Popular eCommerce Platform Choices

If you’re planning on choosing a hosted platform, there are three platforms with the market lead at present: Shopify, BigCommerce, and Volusion. Shopify has a great user interface and add-on apps. It is very easy to customize, and you can get your store up-and-running in no time. The downside is that you can’t customize it beyond a certain extent. Volusion has even fewer customization options than Shopify, though it is very cheap to use and makes putting up your store effortless. Volusion is suited for businesses on a tight budget. BigCommerce is not as customizable as Shopify, though it gives you access to a lot of features.

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The winner – Magento

If there’s one platform that surpasses the functionality offered by all the three forementioned platforms, it’s Magento. Magento is a very complex self-hosted platform that has a lot of customization options and packs quite a punch. The downside is that it is very hard to handle if you don’t have any programming knowledge – it’s almost a given that you will need expert help at some point.

It’s important that you choose the right eCommerce platform to maximize your conversion rates. Still confused on which platform to choose for your eStore? An eCommerce expert will be able to analyze your business requirements and recommend you the right one.

These Top eCommerce Platforms Can Build you Stunning Web stores

Are you planning on putting your business online in an attempt to make money from virtual customers? Having a website that doubles as a store isn’t enough these days. Customers tend to be picky online and expect a lot from the virtual stores from which they want to shop. You need to stand out from the crowd and make waves by building a virtual custom store that is attractive as well as easy to use.

Here are some of the top eCommerce platforms you can leverage to build stunning web stores:

Magento

Magento happens to be the most popular eCommerce platform in the world at the moment, as well as the most search engine friendly. It is suitable for both small and large businesses, but it can be very complex and isn’t recommend if you are a programming newbie.

Shopify

Shopify is very popular because it is simple to use and it makes it easy to set up a fully functional web store in quick time. The downside is that Shopify isn’t for you if you want to self-host at a later date. It also doesn’t have too many customization options.

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WooCommerce

WooCommerce is perfect if you already own a WordPress website that you’re planning to turn into a web store. It is a word press plug-in with a lot of features, like a shopping cart program and access to secure payment getaways.

BigCommerce

BigCommerce is perfect if you want a platform without an upper limit if you’re planning on launching a big store. Its has a lot of customization options, and it lets you add as many products as you want to your store.

There isn’t much that separates the names on this list, except for minor differences. There will be one that best suits your business, though, so do your research before picking.

If you don’t have much technical experience or programming knowledge, you probably won’t have a problem with building web stores with any of the platforms we’ve mentioned on the list. However, it takes a great degree of technical skill to build an outstanding web store – it may be worthwhile to hire a professional Openwave developer to do it for you.

4 Secrets to developing a profitable E-Commerce Business

With the boom of the Internet and social media, a new category of entrepreneurship has arisen. An E-commerce platform offers retailers an ultimate opportunity to run a business worldwide with just an Internet connection and laptop.

Here are four secrets for building a successful business that generates good traffic and sales:

Make your Website look more Professional:

Normally, business owners have a tendency to over-design their site to make it look fresh and unique. They may add sound in the background, large graphics and add flash animation. This is a big mistake, particularly for business-oriented sites. Hence, it is essential to design an organized and professional looking website that makes visitors quickly find what they are looking.

Improve the Customer engagement:

Turn your customers into active participants on your site to boost sales and loyalty. The simplest way to do this is to create a blog and provide a comment section. Set yourself on social networking platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and LinkedIn. Also, make sure you have a high number of followers and page likes so that Internet users can follow you through their social media platform and stay in tune with your updates.

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Generate Traffic to your site:

Boosting traffic to your website is the best way for running a successful e-commerce business. Search Engine Optimization is not hard to generate traffic, but is time-consuming. But social network is an incredible way to connect with existing customers and attract newbies. Also, your site can be listed in popular directories as it boosts your web presence.

Create a Blog:

In today’s digital era, you need a brand identity to succeed. The simplest way to establish and promote an identity is by setting up a blog. Blogging has become an internal part of the online business, much like a domain name.

It’s not easy to build a thriving e-commerce business, but it can be done with a lot of perseverance and hard work. Call a skilled expert to turn your e-commerce store into a highly profitable and fruitful business.