Undoubtedly, Diwali was the top grossing season in eCommerce sales last year. Despite the many setbacks (read technical glitches, delivery mishaps, angry customers and so on), the figures at the end of the day did set new records for many a seller.
The predictions and the benchmarks for ecommerce growth this year has only made this Diwali all the more attractive and appealing to online retailers. Last year, despite the initial lash-out on various social media networks, angry customers went back and shopped more!
But it won’t be wise to test their patience this time around too. Online marketplaces have made full-blown announcements about their efforts to bring their A-game to the table this festive season. So while they spruce up on technology and promotions, why don’t you take stock of your product portfolio and get them ready for the big bang Diwali?
eCommerce enabler, Browntape Technologies opines that inventory management is half the battle won. They let us into these four simple winning secrets for maximizing sales during the festive season. Read on to find out.
Great photography
Most often you order stock based on pictures you see of the products. Even if you do get to see samples of a few products, you would still be dependent on pictures for the rest. What happens when you comb through the pictures? You pick what catches your eye!
The same applies when customers are scrolling through the results for their desired product. Keyword-optimised listing might ensure your products appear in the front/first page but only great images will catch a customer’s eye.
Nowadays, there are smartphones with high quality cameras that could do the trick for you on a daily basis. But considering your product images are the window to your sales, it might be wise to invest in a professional photography setup/agency who can take pictures for you the best way. You could also leverage on the expertise of companies like Browntape that ensure your product images as per marketplace regulations without comproming on quality.
Most popular products, stock more
Any period when there are offers and discounts on a marketplace is when you’d be expecting large volumes in sales. So it’s only ideal that you are prepared to fulfill the surge in demand. An out-of-stock situation after a customer picks your product can anger him/her.
When you know certain products sell more, stock up on these. With ready inventory, you can fulfill and ship orders as fast as possible, which will not only convert to happy customers, but will also ensure you have no backlogs in orders.
Expand product range
Diwali is the shopping season across almost the whole of India. Everyone is looking to buy for themselves as well as their loved ones. So for all those adventurous ones amongst you, this could be a good time for new product introductions and experiments. The usual gift ideas include fashion, accessories and jewellery.
But a new idea might be welcomed and explored by a certain set of customers at least. Typically, youngsters are the ones to explore new products and with increased spending power of this segment, you could look at new and innovative products targeted at them.
However, a word of caution here. Be ready for the setback that your new products may not click.
Utilise marketplace fulfillment services
When a customer comes across the FBA tag on a product he wants to buy, he will choose that over another seller selling the same product. So in addition to getting the advantage of faster shipping and packaging of your product by virtue of signing up for the Fulfilment by Amazon service, you are also ensuring better sales for your products with the same.
During the sales period, it would be wise to sign up for the marketplace fulfillment services like Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), Flipkart Advantage (FA) etc. so that your products will be shipped out faster to customers. Also in the customer’s eye, the marketplace-fulfilled tag carries credibility.
Handling something as large as Diwali sales requires operational excellence, which can be achieved with the right combination of technology and processes at your end. The above can be your starting point in your checklist of getting your business ready for Diwali in ecommerce. Good luck!
Originally published on iamwire.
