Tag: e-commerce

Won’t you stay, just a little bit longer? Increasing Marketplace Engagement

Humans on the internet are like kittens in a yarn factory, they hop, skip and jump from one website to another getting tangled in ads, memes and top ten lists. A 5 minute break at work includes reading snippets of articles on the Guardian, watching a 30 second video of a shark fighting a whale and then getting mired in a government website finding out how to get a wedding licence (Mavel Tov, btw).

We know that 55% of website visitors spend an average of 15 seconds on a site, that’s about enough time to skim 3 sentences. We also know that only 3% of visitors to a marketplace website actually make a transaction. If 97% of visitors are “just visiting”, why is that? Part of the reason is engagement - this is basically how much time is spent on a website and how much a visitor does whilst there. Weak engagement means less time on your marketplace and less time spent on your marketplace means fewer transactions.

So, as a marketplace, how do you keep the kittens just a little bit longer?

eRated has been researching this and we’ve come up with a list of do’s to help keep your kittens happy (for longer):

1. Cut the clutter: There’s a reason most start-up websites have a clean, crisp, logical presentation. What they know is that crowding brains with too many ads, search bars, newsfeeds and other shiny objects creates stress. If your visitors are already at work, they don’t need more of that. If they’re on your site, they’re there for a reason - everything on your site should jive with why the visitor is there.

2. Answer questions: Think of the answers to the top five questions a visitor asks before they’ve asked them: What is your marketplace doing? (tasking, lending, selling, etc.) Is the marketplace secure? Is the marketplace for them? (are they parents, athletes, craftmakers?) Don’t leave them guessing.

3. Grab them: Most marketplaces list select items or services at the outset. This shows the visitor what you’re about and what they can expect. Reward your top sellers by listing their items.

4. Give them a story: Many niche marketplaces, particularly craft and handmade, ignite their visitors’ passion by building a story around their products. People love stories. They personalize products and experiences and it lets your marketplace build a relationship with its visitors. People are more comfortable in a friend’s house than in a stranger’s, so make your marketplace feel familiar with product and seller stories they can sink into.

There’s no doubt that increasing engagement increases transactions. Make them stay just a little bit longer by making your marketplace clutter-free, responsive to visitor expectations, alluring and familiar.

Check out eRated.co to find out how we can help increase engagement for your marketplace.

Do you sell online? If so, READ THIS

Like more than 100 million people, you sell in online marketplaces. Whether its shoes or technology, what’s in the back of your closest or in the top drawer of your chest, you want to make money and help buyers meet their needs.

At eRated, we have been meeting with online sellers to find out what makes you tick. We want to hear from you. You can earn money just by telling us what would make you a better online seller. Please get in touch with us at erated.co.

So what can make you a better seller? Here are some insights from our interviews with sellers:

    1. Join a community. In the Sharing Economy, like-minded sellers and buyers are joining communities online and in person. By becoming a member of the community, you’ll gain the trust of other members. There is one, indisputable fact of online sales: When more people trust you, the more you will sell. If you want to sell that whole wardrobe instead just a few pairs of heels, join a community or get looped into a small online marketplace like SnobSwap.
    2. Look to the Stars. Almost every online marketplace has a means for you to track your transaction history and view your reputation. Normally, it’s summed up by the number of stars you have, in addition to verbal feedback from buyers. Your reputation determines, more than anything else, the amount you sell. Never overlook your reputation. If you don’t have the reputation you want, be more responsive, make sure you deliver everything as soon as possible and ensure your stuff is the same quality as advertised.You are your reputation – own it.
    3. Get to know your buyers. When most people make a sale, that’s usually the end of their relationship with a buyer. Do yourself a favour, get to know them. Send them a follow-up message to get more info. Why did they buy from you and not someone else? What else are they looking for? Can they suggest ways for you to improve your profile and up your sales? Advice is often free, but sadly just as often ignored. Seek advice from your buyers.
    4. Try new marketplaces. 90% of all sellers are selling in more than one platform. There’s no secret, the more platforms you use, the more you’ll sell. In particular, seek out niche marketplaces for those special products. If you sell on eBay, don’t be afraid to use Bonanaza or amazon … be more visible on the internet.
    5. Use social media. Research shows the vast majority of people buying and selling online also have multiple social media accounts. Social media users and e-commerce buyers are the same people. Using social media is another way to connect to buyers. Use your account to promote your sales and get to know product and service communities. It’s free!
    6. Join eRated. Of course, we have to stick in a shameless plug. eRated is free for sellers and has proven to increase conversion rates 10-30%. It’s so easy to adopt and use. There’s just no way we can’t help you.If you would like to get paid to tell us what it’s like to be a seller, get in touch now: [email protected]. We can help you help yourself.

 

eRated: A More Human Way to Trade

Want to be a part of the sharing economy? Start by joining eRated.

For centuries, sellers and buyers wouldn’t dream of buying or selling products, or using services they couldn’t see, touch and smell. Fish was smelled, fruit was squeezed and services were provided by the people you knew, almost always in the same town market. Trust between sellers was built on familiarity, rather than on a brand or corporate emblem.

This changed in the 20th century when the vast majority of goods and services purchased by the average consumer came with a corporate tag. The “marketplace” narrowed to the consumer and a small collection of corporate providers. You bought from “trusted brands”. Brands were trusted because they came with history, a history of quality and the confidence that comes with scale.

In the 21st century, we’re harkening back. Collaborative consumption is returning consumers and sellers to marketplaces again. The difference now is we’re not confined by geography, as in the past, but by the anonymity that comes with the online marketplace. We can’t touch our goods and we don’t know our sellers. Additionally, individuals and small enterprises don’t come with global corporate brands. So, in the shared economy, where does trust come from?

Trust can only be built in one way: Reputation. eRated is the world’s first tool built to bring the trust of town marketplaces to the global, online shared economy. eRated spans the divide between hundreds of marketplaces, large and small. It works for first-time sellers and large-scale buyers. eRated is free because it’s filling a crucial need: The need to establish trust between tens of millions of sellers who don’t live in the same town and don’t shop in the same marketplaces. It’s the friend of a friend who told you, “You can trust this woman because I’ve bought from her before.”

Collaborative consumption is returning us to the way exchange should be – between people who care about their products and a marketplace where quality is guaranteed by reputation, not by a corporate brand. eRated is offering the world a more human way to trade.

Be a part of the collaborative consumption movement by telling your friends about eRated:

Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erated.co?fref=ts

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Visit us our website: erated.co