What is an ecommerce consulting company and what it can do for your business
A consultancy company is an external company or related to the client’s firm, providing the necessary advice to vendors, manufacturers as well as buyers. The information obtained may be in the technical, technological and expert fields. Consulting companies are specialised by field of activity. They can be financial, human resources, organisational, strategic, etc.
E-commerce offers exponential growth opportunities for businesses and brands, but many will not succeed in capturing market share, positioning their products according to their customers’ preferences or starting an online presence at all. The sole purpose of a consultancy company is to help clients develop the right e-commerce strategy and take advantage of the opportunities before them (ecommerce consulting services).
Because of the variety of digital offerings, online shoppers are becoming more and more selective, even compared to a few years ago. According to statistics, 58% of consumers stop doing business with a company if it provides an unsatisfactory shopping experience. So retailers have no choice but to live up to their customers’ expectations.
The average conversion rate for e-commerce sites is 1.85%. The average order value, as estimated by Wolfgang Digital, was €282. Interestingly, conversion rates in Europe (1.51%) are higher than in the US (1.37%), but the UK is ahead of all (1.78%).
Consulting companies can offer a wide range of services. For example, content creation and management, branding, mailing, website and social media advertising. But it all comes down to your own goals and needs, of course. Make sure you understand your marketing goals before looking for a company.
It’s also important to know your internal capabilities. It is this kind of data that will help the company develop a successful plan for you.
A consultancy company can help with the implementation of the Pop-Up Store format (a ‘pop-up’ shop) opens for a limited period, from a few days to a few months, and becomes (through the efforts of marketers) a real event. In order to promote their goods, unusual Pop-Up Stores have been presented by many famous brands: Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton (famous suitcase-shaped shops, including in Russia), Adidas (a sneaker-box-shaped shop in London), H&M (a beachfront shop in Holland in the form of a changing cabin), Uniqlo (a glowing cube in New York) and many others.
A consultancy company can also develop the Experimental Goods format in your business. This format is not yet widespread around the world, yet according to experts it is very attractive. The essence of the format is to be a platform for experimentation: the shops sell goods which have not yet gone into mass production, and at the same time they study the reaction of customers. Part of the proceeds, accordingly, come from manufacturers.
Its most famous representative is the New York shop Story. Something similar for the grocery sector is being attempted by entrepreneurs from Germany, creators of the Matcha You drink. Faced with the fact that they found it very difficult to find a platform for feedback when promoting their product, they have come up with a shop specialising in novelty products under the brand name KaDeTe.
Don’t rely on reviews alone to find a consultancy company. Some may be with honest assessments. Others, however, may be fabricated to enhance the reputation of the firm. It is always better to rely on the source. This means talking to former clients. Ask them for direct feedback on their experience.