Netcel’s insider’s guide to ecommerce success

NETCEL’S INSIDER’S GUIDE
TO ECOMMERCE SUCCESS
Useful tips and advice for managers in large organisations.
2016 edition.

Whether your team is optimising an existing
digital channel or launching new shops in
multiple regions, managing large eCommerce
projects can be challenging.
ECommerce is the fastest growing retail market in Europe
and the USA.
However, the average, documented, online shopping cart
abandonment rate is 68.63%, according to researchers at the
Baymard Institute.
There are numerous, overlapping, reasons for these lost sales.
Common complaints from online shoppers include confusion
over delivery options, lack of customer support and uncertainty
around price and selection.
With this ‘insider’s guide’, we aim to demystify eCommerce, to
summarise some of the important lessons that we’ve learnt, and
to pass on a selection of our latest tips.
At Netcel, after many years of developing online experiences that
delight customers and increase sales, we recognise that for large
organisations, superficial optimisation methods, though tempting,
have their limits.
We prefer, when necessary, to dig deeper, and to act from first
principles.
When transforming an eCommerce offer, we recommend
following a straightforward five-step process.
NETCEL’S INSIDER’S GUIDE TO ECOMMERCE SUCCESS 2
This brief guide will expand
upon selected elements of the
process. We hope you find
it useful.
For more detailed information
and advice, please drop us a line
at: hello@netcel.com
1. ORIGINATION
2. FOUNDATION
3. ATTRACTION
4. OPTIMISATION
5. CONVERSION

ORIGINATION
Customers find, decide and then buy.
This means that when creating a path to purchase, understanding
customer behaviour is essential. Being customer-centric is at the heart
of successful eCommerce.
The initial discovery phase of our five step eCommerce process
is labelled ‘Origination’.
This phase ensures that we’ve identified customer needs,
and will often include:
Digital strategy
Business analysis
UX and user testing
Discovery and scoping
Wireframes and IA
1

Takeaways from the Origination stage
Know your customers
At Netcel, we aim to take a 360 degree view of our client’s world. Audience
research, in particular, is essential to ensuring that the experience offered
by a digital channel delivers the best possible results.
For example, when creating the award-winning Kenwood World
eCommerce website, the Netcel team began the project by gathering
business objectives from multiple stakeholders and undertook extensive
data analysis, sentiment analysis, competitor analysis, and surveyed
customer buying habits.
For Kenwood we surveyed 100 people, exploring their preferences and
behaviours across a whole range of digital and non-digital aspects of life
– not just their views on things related to the client’s products. Based on
survey responses, we were able to identify a number of distinct groups,
from which we could develop personae. From these pen portraits we
were then able to recruit a dozen archetypal users, spanning the audience
profile. Their feedback on the current website experience allowed us
to identify how best to serve their needs from a digital perspective in
different scenarios.
We then captured the users’ thoughts, feelings and opinions using a
synchronised feed of webcam, handicam and mouse-movement screen-
capture footage (as well as over-the shoulder shots for smartphone and
tablet journeys). After analysing the material, we placed it in context with
the other research and produced new designs honed to address the
shortcomings of the existing website experience.

From prototype to Minimum Viable Product
Research is used to inform website design. Using a clickable prototype
we can test designs with existing users and with a control group. The use
of a clickable prototype allows us to identify where there’s still room for
improvement and to refine accordingly.
Although Netcel’s process captures small, medium and long-term
requirements, a dynamic, agile delivery plan is employed to provide
added flexibility. Identifying website requirements from the beginning
builds confidence as an optimum budget can be described. But a
balance must be found. Iterative development is recommended
as it allows enhanced visibility of project progress, giving clients
opportunities to provide feedback to shape the next iteration.
We also recommend the creation of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP),
whenever possible, as it often allows an initial solution to be launched
earlier, with additional features released in future sprints. An MVP can
demonstrate return on investment sooner, providing valuable information
that can be used to hone the end eCommerce product.

FOUNDATION
It’s important that the eCommerce basics are in place.
Netcel’s ‘Foundation’ phase includes the selection and development of
elements such as:
Design guide
Customer experience management platform
Commerce platform
Community platform
Systems integration
App development
As Ogilvy Group’s Rory Sutherland has said:
“I think you should optimise outwards from
the transaction, there seems to be a certain
amount of logic in that… Until you’ve perfected
the areas like the last mile, as you might
call it, don’t do any advertising. When you’ve
perfected that stuff, then advertise.”
2

Takeaways from the Foundation stage
Which eCommerce technology to use?
The correct choice of commerce platform is crucial, but unfortunately for
those looking for a quick answer, there’s not a “one size fits all” solution.
When selecting technology, we review the marketplace for solutions
that are a good fit for our client’s requirements. Choice of commerce
technology will depend on the complexity of the product catalogue, the
need for multi-territory sales and the rules around which products are
available where and when. The different kinds of discount models that
may apply (i.e. 2-for-1 offers or a tiered scale of pricing based on customer
profile) also need to be considered.
When selecting an eCommerce solution, one major trend to be aware
of is that the relationship between content, context and commerce is
becoming increasingly important. Apple, for example, has been working
hard to deliver a seamless experience that offers transactional capabilities
as part of a brand experience and product identification journey. At Netcel
we encourage our clients to develop “omni-channel” experiences because
we know that the point at which someone is immersed in the product
information, is the point at which they’re most excited about acquiring a
product.
If omni-channel is a priority we often recommend either Episerver
Commerce technology which is integrated entirely with the CMS, or
Kentico’s complete CMS, eCommerce and marketing automation suite
with its single easy-to-use interface. For Netcel’s clients, Kentico and
Episerver Commerce have demonstrated tremendous value-for-money
both in price point and in time-to-market. They allow our clients to roll-out
eCommerce to new territories with minimal cost and effort.

We’re also using currently using Kibo (the name for the merged
Marketlive, Shopatron, and Fiverun) omni-channel commerce platform
with Kentico. Kibo allows manufacturers and distributors to operate an
eCommerce offering, but to channel orders through their retail networks,
to avoid damaging partner relationships. Britax and a number of other
brands already use this technology to circumnavigate the political issues
associated with selling direct-to-consumer (D2C) online.
Keep it simple
Whichever technology solution is chosen, the customer’s eCommerce
experience has to be as uncomplicated as possible.
Effective simplicity is difficult to achieve, but customers expect their
shopping process to be intuitive. At Netcel we aim to remove all barriers
from making an online purchase.
This is why it’s important to tackle the ‘Origination’ stage before building a
digital product. Effective simplicity can only be achieved with an in-depth
understanding of the customer’s needs, and an awareness of cultural
differences in buying behaviour and expectations.
For an example of simplicity in eCommerce design, see the basket
and checkout process that we created for Kenwood. It uses Episerver
Commerce technology, and its effective conversion funnel is the product
of evolution, feedback and careful analysis.

ATTRACTION
Customers are connected, and have endless
online opportunities to research and buy new
products. However, this also means that the
marketplace is noisy. Attracting shoppers
requires a smart, coordinated effort.
The ‘Attraction’ phase in Netcel’s transformation process focuses, as you
might expect, on drawing customers into the purchase funnel. It includes
elements such as:
Digital marketing
Social media
SEO
PPC
Email marketing
3

Takeaways from the Attraction stage
Communities generate results
Market intelligence firm IDC predicts that by 2020, 30% of all purchases
will be made through an online community. So you won’t be surprised to
hear that the Netcel team are especially interested in social commerce,
and the development of communities around specific products and
brands.
Where appropriate, building a talkative community around products can
yield increased sales. Online communities offer a wealth of valuable
information to bolster marketing efforts. Connecting information
about purchased products to customer interests (e.g. tutorial videos
in De’Longhi’s Coffee Club, recipes in the Cooking with Kenwood
community) provides multiple cross-sell and up-sell opportunities. Also,
by rewarding users with points for every interaction within the online
community and offering compelling ways to use those points, it’s
possible to achieve real momentum in brand advocacy.
Be delightful
The use of Twitter collages, and animated GIFs, to tell brand stories is an
interesting trend. Tumblr’s Creatrs Network is one to watch. For example,
Sam Cannon is a member of the Creatrs Network. Her animated GIFs
have been featured in campaigns by TRESemmé, Universal Studios,
Lipton, Converse, Mastercard, and more.
Also, look out for the use of image comparison sliders on product images.
Sliders allow customers to compare two images (often before-and-after).
It’s a device that has multiple uses in eCommerce, and they’re fun for
customers play with.
CLICK TO VIEW
Slider
CLICK TO VIEW
Animated gif
IDC predicts that by 2020, 30%
of all purchases will be made
through an online community

Connect and coordinate
Google’s algorithms still set the benchmark for other search engines
globally. By ensuring that product data is organised appropriately,
products can be promoted in Google Shopping results. These prominent
results help users to make informed decisions about shortlisting, early
in the buying process. When seeking advice about SEO, look for Google
Certification. Netcel is Google Certified and also holds Google’s All-Stars
Award-Winner status.
However, unless your social presence is strong, your site is W3C/DDA
compliant, mobile-friendly, pages load quickly and so on, search engines
will not give your content the attention it might otherwise deserve.
It’s important to truly understand how search, social and the other
elements of your eCommerce offer relate to one another.
As a full-service digital agency, Netcel takes a holistic view of all
of these facets.

OPTIMISATION
It’s been reported that Amazon relentlessly
tracks its performance against 500
measurable goals, of which nearly 80%
relate to customer objectives.
For Amazon, and other major e-retailers, optimisation is never-ending.
‘Optimisation’ is phase four of Netcel’s five step eCommerce process.
It’s at this stage that we focus upon elements such as:
Content
Personalisation
Responsive behaviour
Multiple languages
Multi-variant testing
Web accessibility
4

Takeaways from the Optimisation stage
The terrible top five: Areas that usually require attention
A brief list of the obstacles to online purchase that we see most often,
and recommended solutions:
Obstacle: Requiring
customers to register before
completing the purchase.
Solution: Offering
‘guest checkout’ is
increasingly popular.
Obstacle: Unnecessarily long
checkout processes.
Solution: Reducing the
number of pages in the
process is recommended.
Obstacle: Not allowing
shoppers to alter product
attributes during the
checkout process.
Solution: Design for human
error. Simplify as much
as possible.
Obstacle: Unclear pricing.
Solution: Show the total
cost of the purchase as
soon as possible in the
checkout process.
Obstacle: Poor follow-up
communication.
Solution: Reminder emails
can be an effective way to
re-engage shoppers.
1 2 3 4 5

Test, learn, improve
We recommend multi-variant testing (MVT) to evaluate eCommerce
effectiveness. We often test different combinations of content and calls-to-
action, and to trial offers and promotions. Personalisation should also form
part of any such test. There is evidence to suggest that personalisation can
increase conversion anywhere between 70% to 270%, though we still find
organisations that are concerned their users will be put off by anything too
suspiciously serendipitous.
Small changes can lead to impressive results. For one client, for example,
we changed the way their online users accessed product information.
Instead of entering a product name or a part number at their point of entry
as they had previously, they simply chose their industry sector from a list
– e.g. Pharmaceutical or Food Beverage – and were presented with a
shortlist of applicable products. This led to a 500% increase in individual
product views, with a massive reduction in bounce rates and a significant
increase in dwell-time, page-depth and engagement.
For an independent publishing firm, we were able to coordinate SEO
work and PPC campaigns around a new site design. It delivered an uplift
of 470% in direct sales revenue, without eroding the revenue generated
through partner channels like Amazon.
We’ve also been impressed by ‘faceted search’. Dynamic filters that are
automatically generated based on query results can have a huge impact on
directing would-be customers to the correct product. Get it right, as Airbnb do,
and it’s an effective way to show users the options most suitable for them.
Also, if you’re using a translation firm to handle language variants, be sure they
have the expertise to handle the vernacular and don’t simply produce straight
translations. For example, Car Insurance translates directly to Assurance
Voiture in French, though the terms actually used is Assurance Auto.

CONVERSION
As we’ve noted, too many websites put up too
many hurdles for their customers to jump over.
However, as we’ve also noted, the creation of
a cohesive eCommerce experience will lead to
increased sales.
The fifth, final, phase of Netcel’s eCommerce process is ‘Conversion’.
It focuses on maximising sales, and includes elements such as:
Review and measurement
ROI and web analytics
Customer retention
Loyalty management
Cross-selling and up-selling
5

Takeaways from the Conversion stage
Measuring up
The beauty of eCommerce is that outcomes are more tangible and
absolute than other forms of digital engagement. The transaction
happens, or it doesn’t.
Better still, tools (such as ClickTale, or the hugely popular Google
Analytics) allow us to observe in granular detail, where in the funnel
prospective buyers were tripped up, dropped out or where they opted for
one product over another.
Clicktale, for example, reveals consumer behaviour, needs, and intent - it
allows us to see where users are dropping out, and study those pain
points in the context of any expectations that may have been set earlier in
the journey.
Reporting tools let us see, at a glance, the patterns in the data emerging
around user journeys. We can then combine that behavioural and session
data with demographic information, and place it all in context of external
factors (e.g. weather, seasonality). This allows us to make informed
decisions about the offers to promote in every circumstance.
Campaign management is also a feature offered in many eCommerce
packages, allowing the total spend associated with a campaign
to be logged and tracked against performance targets, calculating
ROI automatically.
Incentivise conversion
In the sales funnel it’s often the “noisy” early stages, the efforts to build
awareness and engagement, that soak up time and attention. However,
the importance of loyalty should not be overlooked.
We recommend developing loyalty programmes alongside eCommerce
propositions. Information about a customer’s purchases, behaviour and
interests can be used to unlock cross-sell and up-sell opportunities - by
associating purchase suggestions with targeted content, for example.
Warranty registration systems and aftercare platforms are also
opportunities to improve the customer experience, and encourage loyalty.
With the right balance of web personalisation and marketing automation,
one-off or casual buyers can be converted into lifetime customers, making
regular transactions. Getting the basics right is the first hurdle. If you
make it easy for people to buy from you, that removes the most significant
barrier to repeat purchase. It really comes down to offering the right
incentives at the right time.
Progressive profile building is increasingly popular piece of this puzzle -
it’s when questions are asked explicitly to build up a better picture of the
customer, to better inform the ability to target personalised offers, and to
incentivise conversion.
Profiles are constructed from information such as the dates of birthdays
among friends and family, or tracking which products have been viewed or
added to basket and not bought.

Loyalty: Points mean prizes
Loyal customers are valuable because they no longer shop around. Such
is their trust for your brand and their delight at your process, they have no
reason to look elsewhere.
As we’ve already mentioned, in our experience, a points scheme is one
of the best ways to encourage loyalty. For example: 150 points for a
purchase, 75 points for a warranty registration, 100 points for a product
review. Types of rewards should vary, until a way is found to elicit a
positive response from customers.
In essence, every interaction should deliver a positive brand experience,
but it’s important to note that over-regulation and inconvenience will
soon cause goodwill to evaporate. Where possible, give the customer the
freedom to control the journey, let them, for example, specify where and
when their points can be spent.
For fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, the use of a points
system that allows customers to bid for money-can’t-buy prizes has
proven to be especially successful.
To advocacy and beyond
Customer loyalty is invaluable, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that
customer retention isn’t always about direct repeat purchases.
The online customer as advocate, playing an active role in convincing
others to buy, is increasingly seen as the norm for our clients.
However, levels of brand advocacy directly correlate to levels of
customer service.
It’s when customer advocacy is sought, or even expected, that the
importance of a process (such as Netcel’s five eCommerce phases)
comes to the fore.
Advocacy rarely emerges by accident - it’s the result of careful,
considered, planning.

CONCLUSION
Netcel’s five step process is a useful structure
as it places the customer firmly at the heart
of eCommerce operations.
After all, in a landscape with so much choice, and so many
noisy competitors, it’s the customer experience that’s often the
biggest differentiator.
The smartest way to increase sales is to be truly customer-centric,
every interaction with a customer is an opportunity to build
a stronger relationship.
For a chat about transforming your eCommerce offer, or more detailed
information, please contact Sophia or James on 0203 367 2234.
www.netcel.com
London
24 Greville Street
London
EC1N 8SS
0203 367 2234
hello@netcel.com
St Albans
45 Grosvenor Road,
St Albans, Hertfordshire
AL1 3AW
01727 736 020
hello@netcel.com

Netcel’s insider’s guide to ecommerce success

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