Multichannel Trends Highlight the Need for Action - 03/15/2013  

 

 

Scot Wingo, CEO of ChannelAdvisor, has seen the future and sums it up in one word: Amazon.

 

Amazon is the 200 ton gorilla. The changes they are making are rapid and profound. One indication: they are building fulfillment centers at an alarming rate, which has put them in control of shipping (as opposed to outsourcing their shipping) and made 1-day delivery a reality in many urban areas (not only in the U.S., but throughout Europe and Asia.

 

How can you compete with Amazon (and Google, eBay and other Goliaths) in the face of these changes? Scot offers 10 actionable steps your company can take to keep up.

 

1. Diversify

2. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. (Google Products is one viable testing ground.)

3. Ride the wave of international growth.

4. Keep experimenting with social media (if you aren't on Pinterest or Instagram, you should be.)

5. Leverage your assets (don't let them be online liabilities)

6. What does a world of "Free one-day shipping" look like to you? Be prepared. It's coming.

7. Embrace Google Shopping. It's here to stay.

8. Revisit your adwords/search program. You may think it's great, but is it working as hard as it can?

9. Consider using eBay as your liquidation outlet. Move your clearance items to eBay. You won't cannibalize your brand and you will gain new customers.

10. Think about mobile users being 30-50% of your traffic very soon. Be ready.   

 

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