For the second year in a row we are sponsoring the Independent Creatives category for Mojo Nation 100: 2021 Edition. This meant we had the opportunity to share our thoughts on the impact Covid-19 has had on e-commerce and the toy industry.

We all know that we live in a digital age, and if you weren’t living in this age, Covid-19 would have more than likely catapulted you into it. Industries and individuals alike. Suddenly the whole world has shifted from what was the norm, reshaping consumer shopping habits and buying behaviours, and quickly changing the priorities of retailers and brands.

It’s not surprising then, that there have been some interesting headlines starting to surface;

• “Toy industry sales increased by 9%* in the first half of 2020 across the 12 global markets”
• “COVID-19 to add £5.3bn to UK e-commerce in 2020”
• “Hornby sees sales rise by 33%”
• “Logic games and puzzles are on the rise as Smart Toys & Games sees sales double over 2020”
• “Toy Stores Thrive Amid Pandemic’s Return To Board Games, Chess And Card Collecting”

This is because the COVID-19 pandemic has had a minimal impact on the global toy industry, despite the supply chain disruptions and closure of retail outlets. Why? Because e-commerce channels facilitated the growth of the market as the demand increased.

In a competitive and convenience focused society, it’s never been more important to have a strong e-commerce website with features that are perceived by your customers to add value. After all, your website is one of your best marketing tools, and if optimised correctly, it could easily be your company’s biggest asset.

So, how can you optimise your e-commerce website and improve your conversion rate?

To begin with you need to understand your customer data;

• Who is using your website?
• Why are they using your website?
• Does it cater for their needs?
• Do you know your customers’ journey?
• What stops them from converting into a sale?
• What improvements could be made to make their user journey the easiest one possible?

These questions are critical and the data gathered will help direct the focus of your website. Customer journeys will also help you to work out how people are going to interact with your platform and what they expect from it, which will help to identify the different ways that enable them to achieve their goal as quickly and easily as possible.

Considering further optimisations

There are also many other features that should be considered when looking to optimise your e-commerce platform to increase sales and compete within the industry.

Product descriptions

For example, a full product description will help to decrease the abandonment rate and will help customers to trust your brand. If your customer returns an item, more than half of them will not make another purchase from you. 

Website speed

The speed of your website is especially important – every second counts. Being fast and efficient will not only keep your search engine ranking relevant, leading to more visibility, traffic, conversions, and revenue, but prevent your customers from having to wait. The more they have to wait for a page to load, the higher the chances are of them leaving. In addition to this, your e-commerce website should be built so that it is scalable and can accommodate growth, without the end customer ever being disrupted.

Product suggestions and personalisation

You can also make it easier for your customer to use your website by having features such as related product suggestions or the option to do an on-site search with drop down lists of frequently searched items. It also offers your customers an improved, smooth shopping experience by making things easier for them and in turn this will help to increase basket values.

Understanding your customers purchase histories and patterns gives rise to an opportunity to create an element of personalisation. This will create a depth to the technology your customers are using and will help to build brand loyalty.

If you want to throw some ideas around or ask us a question about UX features and how your site could benefit, please contact us.