With a growth of +25,6% in the last year and a number of online buyers that went from 3 million to over 9 million in 16 years (NetComm May 2014 data), e-commerce has also become a significant phenomenon in Italy and with wide margins for development. In Europe, the numbers reflect the importance of the sector: turnover at the end of 2013 of approximately 350 billion euros (a figure higher than that of the USA), 2,5 million jobs and over 550.000 active companies.
Softec SpA, a company specialized in digital marketing services, has been working for years alongside the major technological partners operating in the sector, providing assistance and consultancy from the preliminary analysis to the management of the e-commerce site.
Strengthened by its experience in the sector, Softec participates in the "Social Media Week", as a sponsor, organizing an event entitled "eCommerce ... Always Connected".
Softec's analysis starts from the observation that more and more companies decide to enter e-commerce, with turnover volumes in constant growth, and consumers have more and more confidence in online purchases.
Ensuring immediate consumer satisfaction, maintaining a presence on multiple channels and being ready to sell in any country: these are the challenges for retailers who must prepare to perfectly serve the new generation of customers, breaking down barriers and demonstrating their skills.
“The Italian potential is enormous – comments Alessio Semoli, Marketing Director of Softec – and more work needs to be done in two different directions: removing barriers to entry and combating cart abandonment.
Italians, compared to other Europeans, are much more scrupulous in purchasing information. Info-commerce works very well but potential customers need to be helped to approach e-commerce, supervising the channels that offer information and ensuring maximum assistance.
As for cart abandonment, the global average percentage is equal to 67,91% (average calculated on 27 studies of statistics on abandonment in e-commerce) of accesses (data from Baymard Institute). Some of these abandonments can be recovered with retargeting, also offering in retrospect the possibility to reconsider and perfect the purchase. Furthermore, it is necessary to increase the offer of payment methods, also thinking of those who are more reluctant to use the credit card and speed up the operations. We must also help the consumer to orient himself, guiding him throughout the process. Registration forms are often too complex, when we know that simplicity pays off in all circumstances. But the future is on our side: it will soon be possible to make purchases with a Tweet”.
