3 timeless ecommerce trends

In MARKETING
1 December 2022
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If there’s one thing you need to know about ecommerce in 2020, it’s the number 4.206. Trillion. $4.206 trillion is the total volume of retail sales projected to take place online next year worldwide. That’s nearly double since just 2017 and just three years from now, ecommerce will represent one-fifth of the global retail market.

In other words, online sales are huge—and only getting more important for modern business. But the explosion of ecommerce has led to big changes in the ways that customers and companies interact. Not limited to the aisles of a store, shoppers invest significant time in learning about brands and products online before making a purchase. Connecting with customers now means standing out among the infinite options available on the internet.

Sound like a challenge? Luckily, a smart approach to online sales can bring great opportunities for your business to grow. Keep reading for three essential ecommerce trends to watch as well as our look at the best ways to adapt in 2022 and beyond. 

Shopping without borders

Thanks to the internet, people all over the world are able to connect. 67% of the global population is now online and users everywhere log on to chat, share and shop. It’s easier than ever for today’s customers to discover products from faraway places and order in just a few clicks.

More important, they don’t hesitate to buy internationally. According to Shopify, 57% of online shoppers make purchases from overseas sellers. An ecommerce presence can allow businesses to access a new, global base of potential customers. But first you’ll need to analyze your audience. If you have a digital catalog, for example, who is already browsing it? Do your international visitors signal interest in your products by clicking Shopping links? Are there sales to match or is there a disconnect between your overseas audience and your customers?

The answers to these questions will help you determine where to start optimizing your ecommerce activity for international buyers. This might be as simple as providing sales and marketing content in a polished translation. Or it could involve adjusting the payment and delivery options that you offer. No matter what you do to develop global sales, don’t overlook the B2B category. Worldwide B2B online revenue has reached $10.6 trillion, compared to just $2.8 trillion for the B2C market.

Hybrid customer journeys

Although ecommerce has been growing fast, there is strong evidence that it is most effective when combined with other channels. For example, Google has found that 61% of shoppers prefer to buy from brands that have an offline retail outlet in addition to an online store. Even more mix online and offline to shop: over 80% cross between digital and physical channels as they research and purchase products. B2B research includes an online search 90% of the time and outreach often happens only once the buyer’s decision-making process is halfway finished.

Since customers who interact with a company in these different ways also spend more, maximizing your business’s assets for online and offline use is key. The online discoverability of your products should be a priority, but traditional marketing material still has serious value. While 35% of online product searches begin with Google, 82% of all shoppers have started a purchase with a catalog.

In fact, catalogs rank alongside store visits and browsing online as favorite way for people of all ages to interact with brands. Digitizing your catalog allows you to make this offline channel searchable and shoppable online. By being a part of both experiences, your catalog can meet the needs of today’s customers and become a point where ecommerce and traditional shopping intersect.

The experience factor

As shoppers spend more time deciding what to purchase, businesses are increasingly attentive to the complete customer experience. Instead of beginning when a potential buyer walks into your store, that experience now might start online with your company’s name appearing in search results. It can span online and offline research, orders and service, touching everything from reading your blog to navigating a product exchange.

Because there are so many different elements to take into account, customer experience can be difficult to manage. One area that brands are focusing improvements on is the creating a consistent experience for customers, digitally and in stores. Over half of retailers worldwide called it their top priority in 2019. The stakes are high: up to 75% of US shoppers say that customer experience matters to them when considering a purchase.

To make the most out of ecommerce, look for innovative ways to connect the online and offline experience. You can start small with a simple step, like adding your company branding to digital assets, or think bigger by optimizing how customers shop your site. There are dozens of UX changes you can test to produce a better experience for your clients—and hopefully boost your sales, too.

Add to basket

All three of these trends are well worth incorporating into your business’s digital sales strategy for 2020. Taking advantage of international shoppers, customers’ varied paths to purchase and the customer experience opportunity can help you move forward in market that is still developing fast. Trends that will shape the future of ecommerce are already starting to emerge, like omnichannel personalization and frictionless payment. Embrace the challenge of modern ecommerce and get ready to shop for the next big thing.

Read this article in our 4th issue of Calaméo Magazine, as well as many others on the theme of shopping:

And if you haven’t read all the other issues of Calaméo Magazine yet, you can find them right here.

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How to promote content with Facebook

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The Content Creator’s Guide to Social Media

Thanks to social media, delivering content to thousands of people at once is as easy as hitting the “Post” button. But it isn’t always easy to achieve the results you have in mind. That’s why we’re bringing you a new series all about making these channels work for your digital publishing needs. First up: how to promote content with Facebook.

Getting the most out of Facebook

For many businesses, the last decade held plenty of ups and downs from Facebook. As the social network grew to more than 2 billion users, promoting content with Facebook became a valuable source of exposure. But changes to the News Feed, privacy scandals and plenty of controversy have made developing an audience more challenging. Should digital publishers still plan to promote content with Facebook?

The short answer is yes. Although reaching your audience may be more difficult now than in the past, Facebook is the world’s largest social media network. It remains an important way for internet users to discover your publications and engage with your business. In other words, don’t let the challenges distract you from the advantages of this channel. Read on to learn how your business can take advantage of visibility, traffic and community on Facebook.

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Update your Page

If it’s been a while since you updated your business’s Facebook Page—or if you’re just getting started—set aside some time to review it. The About tab lets you add lots of information that people may be searching for about your business, like contact details and opening hours. Use the “About” text box to include key words, upload your logo as a profile picture and choose an on-brand cover image for your Page.

Because Facebook Pages act like an online directory, users can arrive on your Page directly from search results. A post of yours might never have even made it into their News Feeds! Depending on your SEO, your Page might be the #1 result when people search for you. In short, it’s important to review your Page information regularly no matter how often you post.

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Post thoughtfully

Speaking of posting, it’s officially time to re-consider the old rule that “more is better.” While social media best practices used to recommend multiple posts per day, the number of users likely to see them has shrunk. In 2019, the average reach for Pages with more than 10,000 followers was just 2.59%. That means a Page with 100,000 followers could expect any one of their posts to reach 2,590 people.

As a result, it may now be most efficient to post less often and more thoughtfully. For example, take the high-quality, long-format content of your digital publications on Calaméo. If fewer Facebook users will see posts about your publications, you’ll want to make them count.

First, research your Page’s existing audience to determine whether it matches your publication’s target audience. Are you sharing your content with followers who are already fans? Or do you need to introduce your publication to new readers? Knowing this will help you decide what kinds of posts to plan around your publication.

💡 TIP: Don’t forget about different types of posts! In addition to sharing a link, you can use a photo, video or poll to promote content with Facebook.

Next, examine the reach you can expect for your posts and when your followers are most likely to be scrolling their feeds. With these details in mind, you can optimize when and how often to post about your digital publications for best results.

Be realistic about Likes

Once you’ve hit “Post,” it’s time to begin tracking the response to your content. However, don’t worry too much about the number of Likes that your posts receive. While Likes used to be seen as a key measure of success, they are now usually considered a vanity metric. Follow any comments or shares you receive for a better idea of your audience’s reaction.

Because when digital publishers promote content with Facebook, they need to know how many users checked out their magazine. (Or catalog, white paper, brochure or report!) To find out, monitor how many clicks your posts receive. Combine this information with other viewership statistics, such as reading time per hour, to analyze the overall results of traffic from your Facebook posts. Then, use it to adapt your game plan in the future.

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That just about covers the basics of how to promote content with Facebook, and why it should be a part of any digital publisher’s social media strategy.

Of course, depending on your resources and the size of your social media team, you may want to make use of some of the other possibilities that Facebook offers. For instance, Pages with highly engaged followers can consider starting a Facebook Group where their community can connect. And businesses struggling with the reach of their Pages’ posts may find that investing in Facebook Ads is worthwhile.

Above all, keep in mind that reviewing your approach to sharing your digital publications can reveal simple solutions for optimizing your results. Whether you have 300 followers or 300,000, a strong posting strategy will help you better benefit from the visibility, traffic and community on Facebook for your publications.

Ready to start?

Now that you’ve got all the details about how to promote content with Facebook, it’s time to turn your online documents into great digital publications. Sign up for your free Calaméo account today and explore what digital publishing can do for you!

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How to publish your online portfolio with Calaméo

In MARKETING
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Whether you’re a graphic designer, photographer or even a writer, you probably need an online portfolio to present your work to a wider audience. With Calaméo, you can digitally publish documents such as magazines, books and much more. In this article, we’ll explain how to publish your portfolio online with Calaméo.

Create your portfolio

The first step to publishing your portfolio online with Calaméo is to create your portfolio. You can use graphic design softwares such as Adobe InDesign or Canva to create your portfolio. Make sure your portfolio is well structured and showcases your work. Once you’ve created your portfolio, export it in the format of your choice.

Publish your portfolio on Calaméo

Once you’ve created your portfolio, you can publish it on Calaméo. To do so, create a Calaméo account and log in. Click on “Publish” in the top right-hand corner of the screen. Select your file and upload it. Calaméo will automatically convert your file into an online publication.

💡 TIP: Thanks to our EDITOR tool, personalize and enrich your document by adding internal or external links, animations or even sounds.

Share your portfolio

Now that your portfolio is published on Calaméo, it’s time to share it with the world. You can share your portfolio using the direct link to your document, or by embedding it on your website or blog. You can also share your portfolio on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Make sure you promote your portfolio to your target audience to reach as many people as possible.

Conclusion

Publishing your portfolio online with Calaméo is a great way to showcase your work to a wider audience. By following the steps above, you can create, publish and share your portfolio in a matter of minutes. Don’t forget to update your portfolio regularly to showcase your latest and most impressive work without even having to change your sharing link, thanks to Calaméo.