JGS What is the most important thing we learnt in eCommerce in 2021? (episode 364)

by Chloë Thomas

One of our famous expert mash-up episodes! Each of our guests have been asked

“What is the most important thing we learnt in eCommerce in 2021?”

We’ve been doing these episodes every January since we started – and this year the answers are even more useful and inspiring than normal. We cover a LOT of topics in this show including marketplaces, supply chain, tech stack, increasing competition, marketing, and a LOT more.

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Sue Monhait of Gift Biz Unwrapped

  • If 2020 was the year businesses were forced to go online, 2021 saw the panic settle down.
  • This year, there were 2 different responses as the world opened up again:
    • One is going back to pre-pandemic ways and somewhat abandoning website and social media
    • The other is embracing eCommerce fully and improving website performance
  • Different online platforms have different target audiences.
  • Being present on different platforms can bring in more sales.
  • For handmade products, 2021 was a year of improvements over-all.

Rytis Lauris from Omnisend

  • The first half of the year saw people still buying online, while the second half has seen consumers going back to physical stores.
  • Challenges are still there in terms of dwindling sales and customer base, logistics, and increased prices for customer acquisition.
  • This year, businesses either invested more and succeeded, or continued as side hustles and did not improve.

Arlen Robinson from OSI Affiliate Software

  • Businesses have to be proactive in terms of adapting to changes, such as the ones brought on by the pandemic.
  • Failure to thrive this past year was either brought about by not being able to move online, or not selling successfully online.
  • Have a mindset of readily adapting and continuously improving.

Luke Hodgson of eCommerce Thinking & High Cohesion

  • The operational setup of a business determined it’s success this past year.
  • Factors like having enough stock, good customer service, and a certain level of automation are important.

Ben Marks from shopware AG

  • Businesses should take a look their operations from a fresh perspective, constantly.
  • Seek feedback from both competitors and fellow entrepreneurs.
  • Don’t assume that everything is always going to run smoothly.
  • Consumers are quick to adopt to what’s new.

Jamie Huskisson of JH

  • There is power in the kind of relationships we have with people like our suppliers and internal teams.
  • Good relationships with suppliers meant success in certain aspects of the business.
  • Companies that empowered their teams meant being able to drive people towards a common goal.

Chris Dawson from Tamebay

  • Cross-border trade is essential.
  • Get serious about selling on social media and messaging services.
    • Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook are no longer just marketing platforms because they now act like marketplaces.
    • Consumers are now able to complete transactions on messaging services such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

Tim Richardson from Your Basket is Empty

  • There is still no new normal and brands will continue to experience uncertainty.
  • The 5 Ps of Marketing have now become 4.
  • Greenwashing continues to confuse consumers, especially on identifying brands that are not doing it.
  • Headless is more than just a buzz term but businesses still need more education and information on this.
  • Customer retention should be a key strategy for any brand.

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