Hello and welcome to May: In Review
Can you believe it’s the beginning of June already? That can only mean one thing, it’s time for our month in review blog. We’re taking a look back on the best retail, ecommerce and digital marketing stories to break the internet in the last month.
From the ongoing war over ecommerce shipping prices, to insights on how to meet the demanding expectations of today’s customers, to why cloud-based platforms will save retailers and how to get your product photography into tip-top shape – this blog’s got it all!
Before jumping into June, take a minute to recap on the must-read stories from the month of May…
1. Guide: The Complete Ecommerce Product Photography Guide to Starting Up, Selling More and Reinforcing Your Brand
Professional and eye-catching product photography can make or break whether your products sell. Our partner, BigCommerce, created this great guide that gives you all the information you need in order to create high quality product images that allow shoppers to judge the quality, size and desirability of the product.
The guide is 8 chapters long and covers everything from how to build your own ecommerce photo studio to what kind of lights to use. You can also find out how to add shadows for a more professional look and the importance of retouching. You can become a product photography expert by reading the guide here.
2. Webinar: Insights from Alex Monroe on How to Connect with Today’s Customer Expectations
It’s not enough to just open a store or sell online, your brand should tell a story. To do this you need robust and streamlined operations in place so you can focus on product development and marketing. Alex Monroe has taken the world of fashion jewellery by storm with their handmade, quirky jewellery. Much of their recent success can be attributed to their sophisticated retail operation and moving away from spreadsheets.
Watch this webinar where Tom Graham from Alex Monroe shares tips to consider when thinking about customer expectations.
In 30 minutes, you’ll learn:
- How Alex Monroe use data to better serve their customers
- How the team have more time to focus on what’s important
- Q+A with Tom
Watch the video now…
3. Opinion: Why cloud-based platforms will save retailers
Cloud or on-premise? It’s a debate which comes up time and time again. Even though the cloud is no longer new to us, there are still many people who avoid adopting cloud-based software. It’s time to start trusting the cloud as there are so many benefits to moving away from legacy systems.
This ITProPortal article written by our very own CEO, Derek O’Carroll, shares why retailers need to innovate and streamline operations in order to grow their business and stay competitive. The article touches on the lack of innovation adoption, analyzing your business in order to move forward, how you can deliver a ‘customer first’ experience with cloud-based technology, and how you start the move to migrate. Read the full article to find out more about why you should invest in a cloud-based retail management system.
4. Article: The Ecommerce Shipping Price Wars
Amazon, Target and Walmart are constantly at war over many things but when it comes to shipping prices, there’s always heated competition. In the last month, the retail giants have chopped and changed their prices dramatically as Amazon lowered it’s free shipping threshold for non-prime members from $35 to $25, and Target raised their minimum free shipping price from $25 to $35. Meanwhile, Walmart has kept their shipping rates consistent after dropping its threshold from $50 to $35 in February with the launch of its free 2-day shipping programme.
Read the full article by Multichannel Merchant to find out more about the recent price changes.
That’s all for this month! Let us know if you have any thoughts in the comments section below. Why not subscribe to the blog to get next month’s recap straight to your inbox?
