4

sPis tReści 8
9
HELLO!

ANNA JELONEK
Creating a buyer persona — a step-by-step guide on how to reach
your target group more effectively in foreign markets?

MICHAŁ NAWROCKI
What are the key elements to take into account when positioning a website on foreign markets?

12 DAMIAN KUCZYŃSKI
So many countries, so many customs. How to communicate with an e-commerce customer abroad?

19 MICHAŁ SZYLKO
Zero-click searches — what they are and how to deal with them?

23 PIOTR WICENCIAK
Based on the nature of my industry, which ecommerce SEO strategy should I choose

27 KAMIL POŃCZOCHA
Website migration — preparation, verification and the most common problems

32 MACIEJ NIERADKA
The customer journey stages during which it is worth investing in positioning

36 JACEK DZIURA
How to create a media plan and set a budget for the new year?

38 KINGA EDWARDS
Voice search: how is product search evolving in e-commerce?

42 AGNIESZKA ŚLĘZAK
How to keep your online store’s customers loyal?

46 MARTYNA TARNAWSKA
Creating an e-commerce store community — does it make any sense?

50 ARTUR KWIECIŃSKI

Attribution models — everything you should know about them

55 Compendium: how to prepare for Black Friday and Cyber Monday?

60 DOROTA WANAT
Video, graphics or text - so which content format is currently the most effective?

63 KLAUDIA PAWLOWSKA
A functional store, what does that mean? Design your store to meet the customer’s needs.

67 MICHAŁ KUCIŃSKI, PRZEMYSŁAW DURCZAK, OSKAR WOJCIECHOWSKI, PRZEMYSŁAW MARCINIAK, PAWEŁ SZYMONIAK
6 methods to increase your shopping cart value

71 DAWID DZIADKOWIEC
Marketing automation in an e-commerce store — does it simplify processes or generate extra costs?

77 MATEUSZ WRÓBEL
How to build pricing strategies that increase business profitability?

82 ŁUKASZ JANIK
What engine should I choose for my e-commerce site?

86 TOMASZ POŁEĆ
How to beat Brexit from a VAT perspective

91 PIOTR RESZELSKI
Logistics solutions for Brexit-related eCommerce issues

94 MARCIN ŁUCZAK
What should you pay attention to when creating your first online store?

97 RABATY

3
Introduction

Hello!
Analyzing the growth rate of online advertising expenditure, it is clear that digital communication
is recording year-on-year increases. Marketers increasingly invest in online advertising, which
translates into the value of the market. However, digital world is a dynamic environment, that’s
why often necessary to react here and now. Today, the keys to success in the online world should
be: flexibility, diversification and strategy, as well as the right media plan.

The focus of the following issue is the topic of marketing and e-commerce for every budget. While
creating it, we wanted it to be a comprehensive guide for those, who are looking for proven solutions,
effective advice and the right tools. We hope that e-commerce owners who decided to venture
into the unknown waters, will use this knowledge to take bolder steps and navigate the growth
of their business.

Enjoy your reading,

Dominika Kawczyńska – Editor-in-Chief

Marta Przewoźna – Managing editor

Digital Now! Magazine Editor-in-Chief: Dominika Kawczyńska

d.kawczynska@grupa-icea.pl
www.magazyndigital.pl
Managing editor: Dominika Kawczyńska
m.przewozna@grupa-icea.pl

Advertising and collab: Lorem ipsum

Autorzy: Agnes Ślęzak, Anna Jelonek, Artur Kwieciński, Christian Stefanski,

Claudia Pawłowska, Damian Kuczyński, David Dziadkowiec, Dorota Wanat,
Jack Dziura, Kamil Pończocha, Kinga Edwards, Lucas Janik, Maciej Nieradka
Maciej Żak, Marcin Łuczak, Martyna Tarnawska, Matthew Wróbel, Mike
Kuciński, Mike Nawrocki, Mike Szylko, Oscar Wojciechowski, Paul Szymoniak,
Pawel Borowik, Peter Wicenciak, Przemysław Durczak, Przemysław Marciniak,
Tom Czechowski, Veronica Graczyk, Wojciech Bogusz

Artwork: Maciej Walkowiak, Anna Pudełko-Borowska

Cover design: Maciej Walkowiak
Publisher:
Typesetting: Anna Pudełko-Borowska
Digital Now! Holding Sp. z.o.o.
ul. Polska 114, 60-401 Poznań
Copyreader: Lorem
digitalnow-holding.com
Printing house: Lorem

4
Foreign expansion

CREATING
A  BuYER PERSoNA –
A  STEP-BY-STEP GuIDE
oN HoW To REACH
YouR TARGET GRouP
M o R E E F F E C T I v E LY
IN FoREIGN MARKETS?
Anna JELONEK

5
 Foreign expansion

E
veryone! This is the most common
If you notice that your advertising efforts are
answer to the question, "Who reaching users who are not that interested in your
is your customer?" What is the offer, and the rejection rate is increasing faster
than inflation, it's worth asking yourself,
response I often hear when I ask about "Am I targeting my site at the right person?"
the target audience in a foreign market,
chosen by the client, for example let’s
say, Germany? "Germans", of course.
BURST YOUR BUBBLE, BROADEN YOUR
HORIZONS
On the one hand, if you are the owner of an online store "Google's website guidelines are the same for every place
or service website, you want your offer to benefit all in the world", is how I  usually respond when someone
the users. Let's delve deeper – when developing a business asks me what changes should be made to an online
in foreign markets, ideally the goal is to attract all residents store in the Czech Republic or in Spain. However,
of a given country. However, in reality it's not how it works. the fundamental difference lies in adapting the site
Specify your target audience, and above all, specify according to the user characteristics of that country.
their personas.
One of the most common mistakes made by people
launching a foreign expansion is to define the audience
WHAT IS A BUYER PERSONA? through the eyes of the native target group. You don’t
have to look far for examples, even in our market
A  buyer persona is considered as the leader of your we have situations when the owner of a successful Polish
entire target audience. A fictional representation of your online store ventures into another business market and
customers: similar buying behaviors; the goals they want is convinced that the user will be the same as in Poland.
to achieve; what they are interested in and how they The reality, however, is quite different, and the amount
spend their time. The persona is meant to reflect your ideal of work and resources put into expansion may not bring
customer who should buy your product or use the service. the expected benefits.
It is considered a good business practice to create up to 3
or 4 personas! Create an outline of a perfect customer,
and target your marketing activities (personalization HOW TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL
of ads, social media communication, content created
FOREIGN CUSTOMERS?
on the website and its structure) directly at that persona.

JACK OF ALL TRADES, IS A MASTER

There are a number of possibilities here.
OF NONE Some good basic examples are:

Conducting international business without specifying

▶ Your current customers,
your target audience will not produce the desired effect.
Even with a  well-specified target audience, not every ▶ Your competitors,
click leads to a  conversion. Specifying for who exactly ▶ Your key phrases.
you want to offer your services to and create products for
can produce more tangible benefits. Who is this person?
What do they like? What are their interests? What are their
purchasing behaviors? Take advantage of the information
you already have
The goal behind digital marketing efforts is to direct
the attention of millions of online users towards one Your current customers – when you are already operating
particular website. However, after some time, it turns out in a given foreign market – will be considered the baseline.
that the website traffic does not bring conversions. Of Some website platforms may have the possibility
course, there can be various reasons for this, but quite to collect demographic data about your customers
often it is a poor audience choice. (Shopify or PrestaShop, for example, have such an option

6
Foreign expansion

after installing the appropriate module). However, this TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR
data is often quite limited and relates mainly to the location.
One of the best tools to use is simply Google Analytics.
KEY PHRASES
If you properly configure the option to collect user data
(Administration -> Service -> Service Settings), after some When building website visibility and traffic, you should
time you will receive full access to very detailed data, always define a group of key phrases allowing customers
such as: gender, age, interests, geolocation, language, to land on your site, and have Google link thematically.
behavior. They will be discussed in greater detail later What if I told you that key phrases can help you figure
in the article. out who your buyer persona is?

A  number of analytics tools these days have been

… or simpy – ask your client! increasingly offering the option to analyze content for
blog post topic ideas. This way you edit your blog to suit
Well thought-out UX research, in the form your audience perfectly, without shooting in the dark. Many
of questionnaire surveys, can provide answers that tools (such as Semrush) have a popular questions feature.
no tool will ever disclose. How does it work?

After typing in your phrase, for example, "running shoes",

while specifying the US market, you receive dozens
USE THE COMPETITORS'
of questions divided into the most popular categories
INFORMATION TO YOUR related to the topic. We can see that a  potential
ADVANTAGE running customer is mostly interested in brands such
as Nike, Asics, Adidas, New Balance. Therefore, we can
What if you have just finished creating a new website? assume that the buyer persona for an online running
How do you find out who your potential customers are shoe store in the US will be a person who is well aware
on the German, Spanish, American or any other market of the importance of selecting a good brand and is likely
then? At this point, a helping hand (willingly or unwillingly) to invest more (has a  higher material status). Perhaps
is extended to you by your competitors! they are not a  beginner, but already an advanced
runner? This in turn shows us the detailed questions for
Competitor analysis is not just information about key these respective categories.
phrases or visibility benchmarking. It's an opportunity
to get to know your target customer better. Even if solely
in terms of their interests. One way to get a picture of what
your competitors' customers are interested in is through
a  blog. In today's world of SEO and focus on content,
virtually every site (store or service) runs a blog. So how
can you benefit from this?

1. Use analytical tools that examine page visibility

to see which blog posts rank highest in popularity.

Source: semrush.com
2. Based on these insights, evaluate which topics your
potential customers are interested in, what they
might be looking for. In this case, one of the categories is "Trail Running Shoes",
where we find questions such as "Can I  use trail shoes
3. Who are your competitors addressing: for street running?", "What are the best trail shoes?".
women, men? So we can specify that the customer interested in running
shoes will predominantly be a male who likes mountains
4. What language is used in the content: (climbing, mountain biking), looking for versatile shoes
formal or informal? This will give you an idea for running on difficult terrain, but also runs recreationally
of your audience's age. in the city.

7
 Foreign expansion

▶ LOCATION – knowing the location when creating

a buyer persona for a foreign market is one
of the most valuable pieces of information. We will
find out not only which country has the most
customers (by the way, we can make sure
it is the one we care about), but also which region
and city they come from.

In the case of a  country as large as the US, this will

be especially important in terms of...for example, climate.

Source: semrush.com If you see from the data that the main traffic source
is customers from California, it is unlikely they will
be looking for winter clothing. This information alone will
HOW TO CREATE allow you to better tailor your product offer and include
A BUYER PERSONA FOR the region in your content. For instance, with a blog post
INTERNATIONAL MARKETS? on the following topic: "How to dress for a date on Santa
Monica Beach?".
Let's take a closer look at how to further define our persona
for a specific market. As an example, we can take the US
and an online clothing store. Earlier I  mentioned what
a  huge source of information about your customers
is Google Analytics, and now let's use its data.

▶ AGE and GENDER – the data will help you determine

how to address your audience in your content and
when running advertising campaigns: women
or men, or perhaps both groups? Using a cool
language appealing to teenagers, or rather a more
formal one?

Our client in the example sells clothing, but they offer mostly
women's clothing, and is not satisfied with the sales. Data
Source: Google Analytics
shows that most of their customers are men. And here
we find our first clue: maybe it's worth slightly changing
the product range to suit a male audience?
▶ LANGUAGE – let's now examine the matter
of the most popular language among our users.
We already know that our prospect is a young
adult male from California. The data shows
us that not only English-speaking customers
are interested, but also Spanish-speaking ones.
If we dig deeper, we find that California is one
of the more popular states among
the Spanish-speaking population.

How to take advantage of this information? It may

be worthwhile (if the percentage of such customers
is significant) to launch a Spanish-language version within
Source: Google Analytics the domain.

8
Foreign expansion

▶ INTERESTS – in addition to demographics, a huge Of course, you can cross-reference this type of data any
asset are your customers' interests. With this way you like – select a specific age group from a specific
data, you can determine in detail the nature location and add interests to it. You have just created
of your customer, what they are looking for, what a solid base for a buyer persona targeting the US market
their goals are, what will actually attract them. for your online clothing store.
With Google Analytics, we collect data on our
customers' interest categories – movies, cooking, An adult male, under 30, living in California (Los Angeles
entertainment, sports or fashion? Or maybe all to be exact). He loves shopping (mostly luxury goods)
of the above, but in different scopes? and fine dining with family and friends. He visits shopping
malls and restaurants more often than spending
Based on our example, we can see that users are more time on sports. He is interested in fashion and media
interested in shopping, fine dining, fashion and beauty entertainment.
than sports. For the customer, this may mean that
promoting sportswear at all costs instead of casual
or party wear will not comply with "the more I  spend
TWO BUYER PERSONAS
on advertising running pants, the better".
ARE BETTER THAN ONE
At the beginning of the article I  mentioned that,
in fact, you can even create multiple personas. What's
the advantage? You will find it easier to segment your
customer base according to the type of persona they
fit into. This way, you'll have a perfect way to make your
business stand out from the competition (and if your
competitors are already doing it, and you still aren't?!).
Personalized newsletters, messaging campaigns, content
created within the site and on social media – these are
just a few practical ways to use customer segmentation
using the created persona.

Source: Google Analytics

Anna Head of International

Executive Department
Jelonek iCEA Group International

At iCEA Group International, I support client’s businesses in overseas markets

and manage the international executive department. In my free time, I enjoy
board games, Hawaiian style pizza, and snowboarding.

9
 Foreign expansion

WHAT ARE
THE KEY ELEMENTS
To TAKE INTo ACCouNT
WHEN PoSITIoNING A WEBSITE
oN FoREIGN MARKETS?

Mike NAWROCKI

T
he process of building visibility example, being the owner of a small clothing store, you
should not compare yourself to Zalando, Nike, etc."
on international markets needs
to be planned. By creating the What should we pay close attention to when selecting
right SEO strategy and taking care of the competitors during the SEO process?

most important elements, entering ▶ The number of key phrases the site is positioned on;
foreign markets will proceed smoothly
with little chaos and, most importantly, ▶ The number of shared key phrases;

increase the chance of boosting your

▶ The volume of the product range/quantity
position in organic search results. This of services offered on the site;
article will cover competitive analysis,
content creation and on-site optimization ▶ The number of shared products/services on the site;

tips, which are worth considering when

▶ Size, brand recognition;
pursuing foreign markets.
▶ Link profile.

Some examples of where we can use competitive

1. COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS analysis in an effort to increase our visibility in organic
search results:
Competitive analysis is the first step that should be carried
out when planning to enter a foreign market. A properly
▶ when selecting keywords during the initial stages
conducted analysis of potential competitors is a source
of the SEO strategy implementation  – based
of valuable information. If used correctly, this information
on the analysis of potential competitors, we can
can provide an advantage in the positioning and experience
identify groups of keywords which we need to focus
design process for a potential customer.
on at the beginning.

When selecting competitors for analysis, focus on com- For example, a tool called Semrush offers a "Keyword
panies that share as many common features as possible Gap" option. This feature will help you identify
with the site you want to position. the keywords that your competitors have positioned
on. By taking advantage of this option, we can
"At the initial stage, when the site has low visibility, it doesn't discover keywords that may be overlooked during
make sense to compare yourself to the big brands. For the standard research.

10
Foreign expansion

competitive analysis for each language version. Selecting

the right keywords during the initial stage of planning
the content strategy is something that will already improve
your chances of achieving satisfactory positions.

▶ Content written in English, but which

Source: https://www.semrush.com/features/domain-vs-domain/
English version?

▶ when acquiring new links for your site – a proper Content, which is created on the site by a professional
analysis of your competitors' link profiles allows copywriter, must contain the right keywords and reach
you to create a list of domains where we can also the potential user in the most effective way. It is worth
get publications. If a single domain links to three taking the time to analyze your customers, so that the copy
of your competitors, you can probably acquire a link written texts are as tailored to the end user as possible.
leading to your site as well. The English language would be a perfect example here.
It is one of the most popular languages in the world,
and in various international markets we can encounter
its different versions. It is worth noting that English is not
the only language, where its version varies depending
on the place of use. We face a similar issue with German,
Portuguese, Spanish and many other languages.

▶ My website has a global reach, which English

version should I choose?

We can pull data from Google Analytics about the origin

of users accessing the site. It contains information about
Source: https://app.ahrefs.com/academy/how-to-use-ahrefs/site-explorer/link-intersect the location and the language used by users.

The language chosen by users:

2. CONTENT
Content creation is one of the key elements in the SEO
process. While creating content in a  foreign language,
it is important to keep in mind issues that we wouldn't
normally consider when positioning a  site for our
native market.

▶ Translating content from your native language Source: Google Analytics

is not the most advisable activity

Location:
For many, the content strategy when entering a  new
market is limited to translating the current product and
category descriptions into a foreign language – but from
a specialist's perspective, it should look completely different.

Each language follows its own set of rules – a different

sentence structure and characters that do not exist
in your native language alphabet are just a few examples
of elements that distinguish individual languages.
The same rule applies to keywords. A  literal translation
can often lead to phrases that carry zero potential.
For this reason, it is recommended to perform a separate
keyword research based on a  thorough market and Source: Google Analytics

11
 Foreign expansion

The data collected in Google Analytics can be helpful The situation with alt tags is similar. Make sure they are
in selecting the preferred language for creating content translated into the appropriate language.
on the site.

▶ Hreflang tags
3. ON-SITE OPTIMIZATION
Hreflang tags are designed to specify the language
Correct website optimization is crucial in the SEO process.
version of a  site and to facilitate the work of indexing
The guidelines for technical optimization are the same for
robots. In short, they are used to convey information that
all users. However, there are several issues to keep in mind
a given site has different language versions.
when expanding to foreign markets.

For example, the following entry informs Google's robots

▶ Internal linking and alt tags
about the language versions available on the website.

When a  website positioned for a  foreign market

is a  duplicate of its Native language counterpart (has
the same layout, category structure, etc.), it is worth
verifying the accuracy of internal linking before publishing
the page. For example, common errors include internal Source: internal

links directing to the Native language version of the site

(often these are links in fixed elements of the site, such
as the main menu, footer), links leading to non-existent ▶ Properly configured analytics
subpages (for example, blog posts that are available
in the Native language version, and not necessarily In cases where a website has different language versions
in the other language version). in directories (/de/, /fr/, /it/, etc.), it is a good idea to set
up separate data views for each language version. In order
to do this, you need to create filters. The Google Analytics
dashboard allows you to create a filter so that a particular
view collects data only from specific directories.

SUMMARY
Positioning a website on new markets is a major challenge
for both the business owner and the SEO specialist.
However, proper strategy planning and consistent efforts
Source: link redirect trace extension (Google Chrome plug in) maximize the potential for high Google search rankings.

SEO Specialist
Mike Nawrocki iCEA Group
International

SEO Specialist at iCEA Group International. A graduate of the Poznan School

of Banking, currently a student at Collegium Da Vinci. He gained international
experience during a 7-month student exchange program in International
Business at the Dutch Hanze University in Groningen. Privately, a  fan
of basketball and Korean cuisine.

12
Foreign expansion

So MANY CouNTRIES,
So MANY CuSToMS.
HoW To CoMMuNICATE
WITH AN E-CoMMERCE
CuSToMER ABRoAD?

Damian KUCZYŃSKI

M
any times after traveling So what do consumers in different European countries
value? Let's take a closer look. After all, as the saying goes:
to a different country, especially
so many countries, so many customs.
in Europe, I  return with the
impression that the world is a  small
place. You can find the same products GREAT BRITAIN
on shelves, staff speaking fluent English
at every hotel and, most importantly, you In the UK, consumers are most likely to contact each other
via phone, with 58% rating this as their favorite option. Email
can eat sushi anywhere. The world has
is the most common choice, followed by online chat. 46%
become flat. prefer to contact customers via online chats, such as live
chat or social media. A  Briton will almost always ask
a customer service agent for their name.

EXPANSION The demand for faster customer service is on the rise,

Launching an online store overseas is an excellent including in the UK. A survey by Eptica reveals what British
opportunity to increase sales. It is also a major challenge. consumers expect to receive from customer service within
Translation, SEO, SEM, logistics, return procedures – all are 5 minutes:
equally important to succeed abroad.
▶ 52% want the phone answered within 5 minutes;
When we are finally successful and our foreign version
of the store is ready, we fire up the campaigns, the SEO ▶ 48% will end a chat session if their problem is not
kicks in and here it is! We make sales. What's the next step? resolved within 5 minutes;

But are you absolutely sure? After all, it's just customer ▶ 37% will end a phone call after 5 minutes if their
service. A brief human interaction compared to the whole problem is not resolved;
range of tasks we carry out every day.
▶ 28% expect a response on Twitter within 5 minutes;
Even though commute has shortened considerably,
the average citizen knows more about the world than was ▶ 25% expect a response on Facebook within
the case 30 years ago, cultural differences still continue 5 minutes;
to strongly influence us. Especially in the area of customer
service, where, after all, in a short period of time, we want ▶ 16% want a full response to their email within
to gain something very important: trust. 5 minutes.

13
 Foreign expansion

FRANCE

The majority of French consumers use a variety of contact

channels for customer service. They are most likely
to contact via phone, followed by e-mail. Online chat
options, such as live chat and social media, are becoming
increasingly popular, with 21% of consumers describing
them as their favorite.

When contacting customer service, French consumers

are irritated by:

▶ being redirected to another agent and having

to repeat the question (47%);

▶ the lengthy wait to be connected (41%);

▶ slow response during a chat session (30%).

ITALY

The Italian consumer favors e-mail over phone as their

preferred customer service channel.

At the same time, online chat options are growing

in popularity.
SPAIN
The preferred channels of contact are email, phone, online
chat (live chat and social media). Spanish consumers mostly choose the phone (66%)
and e-mail (60%) to contact customer service. Online
chat (social media, live chat) was selected as an option
by only 11%.

When contacting customer service, Spanish consumers

are irritated by:

▶ being put on hold;

▶ not knowing their language very well;

▶ being redirected;

▶ an agent who acts defensively;

▶ being referred to a website.

14
Foreign expansion

▶ a call on hold (33%);

▶ having to repeat the same question to different

agents (30%).

On top of the above-mentioned differences are subtle

differences in terms of quality. For example, in Germany,
anything we write (an e-mail, a  post on social media)
should have a very formal tone. Customers will respond
in the same way. In Romania – according to the data
from our system – on average, calls run 20 seconds
longer than in other countries. In Latvia, Lithuania and
Estonia, expect a low number of calls, but the customer
expects to be able to communicate in Russian. The British
appreciate talking to someone who speaks good
English (they are used to English companies outsourcing
customer service to lower-cost countries, where the level
USA of English is not always high – so they are pleasantly
surprised when the phone is picked up by someone who
speaks "proper British English").
In the United States, consumers are most likely to contact
one another via phone, with 65% ranking this option as their
favorite. E-mail comes in second place (43%), followed
TRUST + KNOWLEDGE
by online chat (39%).
Customer service is not only a  tool for building trust –
According to US consumers, when contacting customer it is also our eyes and ears into a given market. Therefore,
service, the biggest reasons for their irritation are: when venturing overseas with your store, you should
strongly consider providing local customer service
▶ a problem taking too long to resolve (40%); at the highest possible level.

Damian Head of Operations

Kuczyński | Salesupply

Head of Operations at Salesupply Poland – an international call center for

e-commerce. He likes different cultures and would love to live in a different
country each year. However, international projects at Salesupply must
satisfy him for now.

15
 SEO

ZERo-CLICK SEARCHES –
WHAT THEY ARE AND HoW
To DEAL WITH THEM?

Mike SZYLKO

Z
ero-click searches, otherwise Awesome, right? We receive the information we need
without having to visit the site. Google immediately "hands"
known as no-click SERPs, are us the desired answer. This works not only with such short
constantly on the lips of many queries, the same goes for slightly more complex ones.
e-commerce owners or SEO specialists.
As a rule, they are treated as a threat –
intuitively, we think of it as a  slice
of the pie we barely got, and then Google
comes along and... snatches it away
from us. If this is the case, how can you
defend yourself against such a threat?
Continue reading to find out.

BUT FIRST THING FIRST...

For those who are unfamiliar, zero-click searches are
a  type of SERP (Search Engine Result Page), or search On the other hand, for the keyword "pancake recipe" we will
results. We deal with them when we type a search phrase also receive some brief information about how much
"on the Internet" and immediately get an answer – without nutritional value can be found in pancakes, such as sodium
any interaction with the page. or potassium – this is referred to as a knowledge graph.

Examples? Here they are.

City + weather

16
SEO

ZERO-CLICK SEARCHES
VS. INTERNET USERS
From the user's perspective, this is a great solution, and
the cherry on top is the fact that you don't even have to type
a given query, but just say it... it makes you feel like Marty
McFly from "Back to the Future". This is also evidenced
by research – as users we like and highly appreciate
such solutions.

Google as a search engine is not about providing a link

as a result, but rather a straightforward answer. This is in its
best interest – we, as users, definitely like it.

Source: https://images.sparktoro.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2020-google-
-zero-click-similarweb-1.png

It is safe to assume that this trend will keep growing.

Those interested more about the methodology, I would
like to refer to the study itself, while we take a look at what
this means for us.
ON THE OTHER HAND,
I.E. ZERO-CLICK ZERO-CLICK SEARCHES – WHAT
VS. WEBSITE ENTRIES EXACTLY ARE THEY?
First of all, it is worth clarifying that zero-click searches are
Unfortunately, there are two sides to any coin, so this
not always harmful to a site's overall interest. There are
situation has its followers as well as opponents. Every
situations in which they are completely natural.
e-commerce owner, every SEO specialist or specialist
wants "their" site to be ranked first, and with good reason -
that's where potentially interested users are most likely
to click - and after all, that's what it's all about. By itself, For example:
display gives us nothing. The situations described earlier
clearly show that we get the information we need without 1. We type in the desired phrase, and we get
no results or the results do not satisfy us.
visiting the site, so from the site owner's perspective it's
So we type in a different phrase.
a lousy business.
2. We check if our favorite pub is still open
and a knowledge graph informs us that
it is – so we close the browser and head
to it; similarly, we search for a plumber
Based on SparkToro's report, we know and GMF (Google My Business – a kind
that almost 65% of all search queries from of online business card for local businesses)
2020 are zero-click searches profiles of plumbers along with their phone
(unfortunately, we only lack the data for numbers appear, we dial the number and
Poland, the provided statistics close the browser.
apply to Google overall, in all
languages). 3. We do a quick check on a short fact – such
as who is the Queen of England.

17
 SEO

By doing so, Google appears to be "defending itself", having And featured snippets along with a knowledge panel for
to step up to the plate by the aforementioned report – almost a decade ago, meaning 2012.
more on how Google addresses this issue here. We have
to admit that Google’s reasoning behind the argument
is valid. It's true: it won't always be beneficial for business
if a  user follows a  link, i.e. visits our site. If we take
a closer look at Google's actions, we can see that both
the number of knowledge graphs and direct answers that
appear on an ever-growing number of Google queries,
are increasing.

And this is likely to be the case for the foreseeable future.

Google has already reduced the space for organic query
results. We can see this if we compare the current SERPs
with what was visible in the search engine just a  few
years ago.

GOOGLE'S EVOLUTION VS. ZERO-CLICK

The first organic position is not the same as it was some
time ago. Currently, before the first result we are often Source: https://jbh.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/screenshot-6.png
presented with: PLA campaigns, Google Ads, local results
and we are only talking about the first organic position.
Having this in mind, it's worth being aware that search
It is worth remembering that this is all an evolution, not results are likely to head in this direction.
a revolution. Google has been moving in this direction for
more than a decade – as have other, less popular search
engines at the same time. GOOGLE ECOSYSTEM
VS. ZERO-CLICK, OR THE DEVIL
Google Maps, for example, which has been with
IS NOT SO BLACK AS HE IS PAINTED
us since 2005.

Now that we have a clear understanding of what exactly

First results from 2005.
zero-click searches are, it's worth considering how and
whether to defend ourselves against them. First of all,
as we mentioned earlier, Google rightly points out that
zero-click searches are not only a lack of interaction with
sites, but also the type of searches where only Google's
ecosystem has been interacted with. This is good news
for online store owners, because depending on what they
offer, they can take advantage of different solutions. These
include such options as:

▶ Google My Business – the aforementioned

GMF is a type of business card, where we
can put all the relevant information: phone
number, place of business or address. It's
a solution for local businesses – it's especially
good for mobile searches, where
the percentage of zero-click results is almost...
55% (source), and for desktop results
it's less than 34%;

Source: https://jbh.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/plus-box.png

18
SEO

▶ Google Travels – if, for example, you run a hotel However, before we get into what kind of featured
or hostel, you might want to be interested in Google snippets exist, we need to address one topic, which
Travels. This is an additional form of promotion is intent search.
at your disposal. Example below:

INTENT SEARCH
VS. FEATURED SNIPPETS
Prior to any attempts to "get" to position zero, i.e. featured
snippets, we need to check if they exist in the query that
interests us. In order to do this, we can use programs
such as Ahrefs or Semstorm, or manually check
queries related to our industry/website. This is because
our intuition has to coincide with search intent, that
is, the intent of people who are searching for something.
Or, more specifically, whether Google is already showing
any specific featured snippets that we might be trying
to target. With search intent, Google is able to match
the intent of the query much more accurately and, for
example, "understands" if we type the phrase in question
with a typo or enter the query in a certain way – e.g. with
the words "ranking", "number", etc. It is a  subsequent
consequence of Google's algorithm development, in this
particular case Hummingbird from 2013.
▶ Google Maps – a GMF-connected form
of promoting your business on Google maps;
FEATURED SNIPPETS,
▶ featured snippets – the most extended service, OR WHAT EXACTLY
giving the widest range of possibilities for site ARE WE DEALING WITH?
promotion. These are short snippets of text
In Polish search results, we can most frequently see
(snippets), which are a "sneak peek" of the content
featured snippets with a paragraph, list, table or video.
we can find on the site. There are three main
Popular (mostly dominated by Wikipedia) is the definition –
types of them: tables, lists and paragraphs like
as a rule, these are answers to queries referring to brief
People Also Ask, which shows us a list featuring
facts, such as "who was Iron Man?".
similar questions. This seemingly lowers our CTR
(click-to-rate, i.e. how many clicks we received
in relation to how many times our page was viewed)
by displaying the answer already in the search
results, in fact this is not true. Quite the opposite: not
only do they not lower the CTR, they are even able
to increase it (obviously, the results here depend
on the industry/query). Source.

HOW TO GET FEATURED SNIPPETS,

OR IN OTHER WORDS THE INITIAL
APPROACH TO ZERO-CLICK SEARCHES
Out of all the above-mentioned solutions, I  would like
to focus a bit more on featured snippets. Firstly, because
they allow for the widest possible spectrum of activities These results are at position zero, and are aimed
by being featured in various forms. And secondly, unlike at answering the question directly, i.e. providing a short
GMF, Google Maps or Google Travels, it is a solution that definition that can, for example, come from a voice search.
requires actions that are not fully outlined. Of course, According to the study, in Polish SERPs, we usually have
optimizing a  business card requires work, knowledge three quick direct answers: 70% are paragraphs, 28.46%
on how to do it, etc. Even Google Travels requires the right are lists, and the remaining 1.5% are charts. So let's review
steps, featured snippets is even more complex. these solutions one by one.

19
 SEO

A PARAGRAPH BULLETED/NUMBERED LIST

CARRYING CONTENT We also have an instant-response box, but in the form
of a numbered or bulleted list.
This is a type of box with a quick response to a specific
query. It can either feature an image or a whole gallery.
And it always carries a title and a link to the site.

In order to be found in such a  table, whether we are

numbering or just bullet pointing, we need to take care
of the appropriate tags: <ol> or <li>. It is also worth taking
By the way, this is a wonderful example of how intent search care of the schema.org tags.
works, understanding the query despite the incorrect
spelling "best podcasts" instead of "best podcasts" – and
strangely enough, the latter query will not show us that TABLE
answer. According to Google's site, there is no guaranteed
Tables are most often found in connection with data,
way to appear there – Google only tells us how to not
numbers, exchange rates, etc. Again, nothing guarantees
appear there.
our success. It is worth taking care of the schema.org/table
and including the data in <table>. Of course, before that,
you need to "wrap it up" well with HTML and appropriate
tags such as <table> and then <tr>. At this point,
Practice, however, suggests taking care of: we are largely dependent on how much our website allows
us to interfere with it.

▶ the website's title,

▶ listing via a specific points coordinates,

▶ using <h2> tags as table elements,

▶ good quality images appropriately

tagged with ALT,

▶ strong page authority and good

on-page optimization – unfortunately,
it's a never ending story, however,
it is worth taking care of a proper
link profile along with good
on-page optimization and making
sure the content is responsive
to long-tail queries.

20
SEO

These are the three most popular models. We covered helpless if we only have GMF or GT at our disposal?
them in detail due to the fact that at the moment these Absolutely not!
are the most dominant models in search results in Poland.
However, coming back to the topic of snippets, it's worth
mentioning another one that can help us "fight" zero-click CONTENT IS THE KING,
searches, namely FAQs, which often appear in the first AKA ENGAGING CONTENT
place of organic results, and don't have to – which also STILL HOLDS POWER
makes them easier to "cut in". It's also much easier
to achieve the much-desired visibility in the SERPs. This One thing that stands out in zero-click searches is their...
is what you need to do: simplicity. They tend to be simple, yet short questions that
can be answered quickly and confidently. The response
▶ during your keyword research, you should find out is to create content that engages. For example, since
all the possible questions that users may ask and we already have an answer to the keyword "city + weather"
prepare complete, albeit brief, answers to them; at position zero, we can prepare an analysis of the weather
over the months/years - what has changed, which
direction we are heading. And if we have a  predefined
▶ such prepared questions and answers (FAQs are
response to the question of who Lady Macbeth is, let's
exactly "frequently asked questions") should present
prepare a whole analysis of her character, her contexts,
well in HTML code and add schema.org/Faq tags
etc. We shouldn't try to fight Google, instead, let's continue
according to Google guidelines – source
to create the answers we need - users are constantly
looking for them.

WHAT IF FEATURED SNIPPETS

ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO ME? SUMMARY
SO, LET'S INTRODUCE Zero-click search is a vast topic, and one that is worth
THE SECOND SOLUTION FOR looking at in a broader context. As you may have noticed,
ZERO-CLICK SEARCHES it is not an entirely self-explanatory topic, as it contains
many nuances. The very first problem is to specify what
Featured snippets, although very interesting and exactly such a search is. Then we encounter the following:
useful, have a  certain "defect" – It is relatively difficult "how to deal with it?", "what to do?". One thing is certain,
to be featured. We stand virtually no chance if our site such search, especially on mobile devices, is the future, and
is new or the competition is too strong. So are we left Google, that is, users, do not want links, they want answers.

Mike Szylko
SEO Specialist
| iCEA Group International

SEO Specialist at iCEA Group. During his work, he strives to combine an

analytical approach with a technical acumen. On a daily basis, he focuses
on creating long-term strategies for his clients and executing them. He tries
to stay up to date with the trends and news, as to be entirely prepared for
anything work throws his way.

21
 SEO

BASED oN THE NATuRE

oF MY I NDuSTRY,
WHICH ECoMMERCE SEo
STRATEGY SHouLD I  CHooSE

Peter WICENCIAK

Y
ou may be wondering whether ▶ the product margin,

an SEO strategy really should ▶ the competition within a particular industry,

be conditioned by certain va-
▶ positioning budget.
riables due to the nature of the industry
in which you're operating, or whether
All the aspects listed above can help you define your
a  one-size-fits-all approach in terms own needs and the resources you will need to carry out
of SEO is sufficient for every website. effective SEO activities. The factors you need to consider
tend to vary from industry to industry.

As you might guess, the correct answer is that THE SEASONAL NATURE
the strategy should be properly personalized according OF THE INDUSTRY
to the targeted business. By all means, a one-size-fits-all
strategy is also capable of producing results, however,
Many industries experience ebb and flow in terms
they will most often be smaller and slower than those
of interest and sales, which is why it is vital when creating
tailored to the industry.
a strategy for an e-store to determine when we are in fact
experiencing peak searchability for the main keywords.
Dress stores are a  perfect example, because we may
THE MAIN FACTORS INFLUENCING
notice a  very high popularity of phrases, especially
THE SEO STRATEGY FOCUSED during the spring and summer seasons (Figure 1).
ON E-COMMERCE
The factors that should effectively influence the created The fishing industry is also a  very good example
strategy are: to demonstrate seasonality (Figure 2).

▶ the seasonal nature of the industry, You can also find industries that perform worse in summer,
but experience a full one eighty in the pre-holiday season.
▶ product availability,
These are mainly industries where users can purchase
gifts for their loved ones (Figure 3).

22
SEO

Figure 1. Website seasonality for a dress e-store according to Senuto.

Figure 2. Seasonality of a fishing accessories e-store, according to Senuto.

Figure 3. Seasonality of gift e-store according to Senuto.

Why is the sector-specific seasonality so significant difficult to acquire, but once properly positioned will
for your SEO strategy? Because, at the outset, we need generate more user growth during a high-search trend.
to determine how much time we have left until the next
season, and based on this information, decide whether If the season is just around the corner, then you should
we will create a  short term strategy centered around focus on phrases in the range of the top 4-10 search results
a narrow base of "quick wins" keywords, or a long term and devote as many resources to them as possible in order
strategy focusing on competitive words that are more to generate higher conversions later in the year.

23
 SEO

On the other hand, if you have for example three quarters

to go until the season starts, then the strategy can also
include the positioning of selected quick wins. If time
is not of the essence, you should focus on relevant and
competitive phrases that can attract many users due
to their popularity.

In case you have a long-term view on SEO

in terms of development and results, over
A screenshot from a furniture e-store with a missing product.
2-3 years, then this aspect of seasonality
loses its importance, and you should
always strive for these "relevant"
In terms of industries where the product does not return
keywords.
and does not have a long lead time, it is worth considering
deleting and redirecting the product assortment. However,
the decision should be made primarily based on the scale
of the problem.

PRODUCT AVAILABILITY
PRODUCT MARGIN
It may seem obvious, but in reality shows that it’s not
always true. First of all, your strategy should be based Each industry imposes different profit margins on various
on categories and products that will be permanently products. This is the most important information when
available or for a  long time. You need to remember it comes to prioritizing individual stores in a  given
that organic is a  channel from which you should reap industry. For a  selected furniture store that imposes
the benefits continuously and, after positioning one key (hypothetically) a  high margin on all products, we will
phrase at the top, gradually move on to the next. simply focus on selecting keywords that generate traffic
relatively quickly, which will then convert, and the margin
In case you devote all your resources to positioning will always be similar.
a category, and it disappears within six months or a year,
it is simply a waste of your budget. It's possible that for However, let's assume a scenario where you are in a niche
this short period it will benefit you in some way, but it's industry, where the sale of a selected industrial machine
better to focus on a category that will constantly generate returns you a gigantic margin, while you receive as much
conversion. There are, of course, some activities based as 60-80% lower profit margin for your other products.
on real-time marketing, and then create temporary, In that case, the SEO strategy for such a  store should
artificial categories for such things as Black Friday, but be focused primarily on positioning categories and
these are exceptions that we should not consider for long- products related to that machine, which generates
term strategies in terms of assortment availability. the highest profit.

Of course, there are industries where product unavailability

or long order processing are a regular practice. Furniture
stores are certainly a good example, where occasionally
In industries where each product's
we will have to wait several weeks for a product.
profit margin is similar, we should focus
on quickly generating traffic in places
If this is the case, we should include it in our strategy,
where it is easiest to sell as quickly
ensuring that the product – even though it is out of stock –
as possible. Whereas in specific industries
will clearly communicate to Google's robot that it is only
where margins are variable, you must
temporarily out of stock and will return in the future. We can
always focus on one established
do this primarily by using microdata. The information
priority that can potentially generate
should also be easily visible to the web user. Ideally, such
more profit than 5 other positioned
a  product page should also include a  contact option,
categories combined.
a place where the customer can inquire when the product
will be back on offer.

24
SEO

THE COMPETITION WITHIN Of course, there are also industries where you can compete
A PARTICULAR INDUSTRY for more general keywords practically at the outset.
These are often niche and specialized industries, such
When creating a SEO strategy, in addition to your intentions, as Styrofoam wholesalers, where it is difficult to find big
you also need to realistically analyze your own capabilities players among the top positions outside of marketplaces.
related to the area of competition in your industry. For such specialized stores, even the most relevant
When creating a strategy for furniture stores or fashion keywords can be fought for right off the bat.
boutiques – especially at the beginning of the business –
you shouldn't think about the most competitive phrases
POSITIONING BUDGET
like "furniture" or "dresses" because large brands owning
many links and a  solid domain history have been The point related to budget is closely intertwined with
competing for these words for a long time. an industry's competitiveness  – the more competitive
the industry, the greater the need for resources. Depending
on your available budget, you should be diligent about
your positioning strategy.

If you have a smaller budget in a competitive industry

to start with, focus on small but precise words that
will convert well. Don't waste your resources and time
on the most relevant key phrases, because more often
than not they won't produce the desired effect and you
will be disappointed with the results.

On the other hand, if you are rotating in a  moderately

competitive industry and have a  budget around a  few
thousand per month, it's worth starting to fight for more
general words already, such as "spinning rods" or "ball pens."

Search results for the keyword phrase "women's dresses" in order to showcase big brands. SUMMARY
Each factor, depending on the industry in question, shapes
In this case, you should start by comprehensively the strategy, and for each store these factors will play
developing your store in terms of so-called "long tail" out a little differently. The most important thing is to find
phrases, which have a  lower search volume, however an effective compromise between the budget you have,
they are less competitive and can often convert quite the competitiveness of the industry and seasonality.
well. An example of such a keyword is "prom dress black". Remember that your SEO strategy should first and
Only after you've built up enough authority and visibility foremost focus on developing your store over the long
on long-tails can you slowly start getting down to larger term, as SEO is a long-term process and does not always
and more general words. guarantee the expected results.

Peter SEO Team Leader

Wicenciak | iCEA Group International

Fascinated by the e-marketing industry, actively following the latest trends

related not only to positioning, but also to the e-commerce industry.
Enthusiast of extending categories under the so-called long tail words,
creatively approaching each new client and their website. Privately a huge
„World of Warcraft” series enthusiast and a fan of all competitions both
e-sports and sports.

25
 SEO

W E B S I T E M I G R A T I o N  –
PREPAR AT IoN , vERIFICAT IoN
AND THE MoST CoMMoN
PRoBLEMS

Kamil POŃCZOCHA

S
ooner or later, there comes a time The most common reason for website migration
is a change in the engine on which the site (CMS) runs.
for changes during the life of any
The growth of the company, along with a  company's
website. Often they are dictated new needs, often involves the requirement to access
by at least one factor, such as: new features and enhancements that the current solution
does allow.

• changing the domain,

• changing the website engine, HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR
THE MIGRATION?
• changing the website's design,
•
The most critical stage during the migration of the service
rebranding, is its proper preparation. During this period, some

• merger. of the most important decisions related to possible

limitations of the old system and the new one are
made, as well as other elements that emerge during
the preparation process.

In each case, the process looks very similar – the devil

is in minor or major details.
PREPARATION STAGES
In this article, I will try to introduce the entire migration
process and point out its most important elements, Being properly prepared before the migration makes
as well as specify the most common mistakes that can the subsequent implementation very easy, as well
have a disastrous impact on the website's visibility, and as the verification of the course and results. Therefore,
consequently reduce traffic and conversions. the more we dedicate to the process at the beginning,
the fewer issues will arise at the end : )

WHAT EXACTLY IS
WEBSITE MIGRATION? STAGE 1: HAVE A PROPER
WHY IS IT DONE? UNDERSTANDING
OF THE SITUATION
In a  nutshell, website migration is the transfer of the
current website content to a  new version. The details In order to prepare well for the migration, first you
of the migration process may vary slightly depending need to understand what exactly you are going to be
on the exact purpose for which it is being done, however, working on, i.e. determine what engine the site is currently
the general principles are always similar. running on and which one you are migrating it to.

26
SEO

Once we know the material we will use to whip it into shape, An ideal redirection map should include:
it is necessary to set a realistic date for the migration.
This will allow us to better plan our activities, determine ▶ pairs of addresses – the old and its new counterpart,
milestones and deadlines.
▶ meta titles,

▶ meta descriptions,
STAGE 2: DEFINING THE BASELINE
▶ current texts (e.g., category or product descriptions,
This stage is vital, as many of the next steps depend
blog posts or other information pages),
on it, such as preparing a redirection map or determining
the effect of migration. Based on the available analytical
▶ H1, H2 and H3 type headings and a list of key phrases
tools, you should:
according to a given URL.

1. Determine the current visibility of the site – in other

You can easily generate a set of redirection rules with
words, prepare a list of key phrases in the top 3, top
such information gathered in one place.
10, top 20, top 50, preferably in with the assigned URL
to each phrase;

2. Access to the trial version – this is primarily about Preparing new content
having access to the CMS panel and server with
the new website template files; A  new version of a  website often involves changing
the structure of the menu or the theme of some subpages.
3. Prepare a summary of the current site structure – This is why you need to adapt them to the relevant key
a complete list of the site URLs, as well as graphics phrases. When creating new content for a new sub-page,
and files. In addition, meta titles, meta descriptions, Hx take into account the information and keywords included
headers or content available at the given addresses. in the redirected addresses. It is necessary to check not
only the phrases, but also the optimization (headings, title,
etc.) and create new content.

STAGE 3: TECHNICAL PREPARATION

Stage three is by far the most significant in the entire SET AN APPROPRIATE
process. It is the technicalities that determine how web MIGRATION DATE
robots will reindex the site from the old version to the new
one, and consequently - how the status of key phrases will Selecting the date of migration is no trivial matter. This
look like after the migration. should be the time when statistically we have the fewest
visitors, and it should also ensure that the people involved
Technical optimization of the new version in the process are as comfortable as possible.

The optimization of the new engine can be divided into The most suitable days of the week for migration are
two parts: Tuesday and Wednesday, when there is still plenty of time
to make any critical fixes that may surface when the site
▶ strictly technical optimization – basically spotting is being migrated to the new one. For obvious reasons,
and improving technical errors, such as improving Hx Friday afternoon is not recommended : )
header structure or blocking outbound links;

▶ key phrase optimization  – or "soft optimization",

which aims to implement specific key phrases.
On that day, you should pay close
attention to:

REDIRECTION MAP
▶ correctly transfer the site files and
database of our service,
This is the key element that determines the success
of the entire migration process and allows you to maintain ▶ reconfigure DNS if necessary.
the current results. A properly prepared map containing
redirection URLs will facilitate their implementation.

27
 SEO

PROCESS two weeks after the migration  – at that point Google

is still reindexing phrases to the new addresses, which
VERIFICATION AND FIXES may result in a drop in their positions, and consequently
less traffic.
Process verification is also a multistep operation, as it is not
a one-off activity and is spread out over time.

The first verification should take place pretty much as soon Google Search Console
as the new version of the site is implemented. Elements
worth checking include: In GSC, you should verify and fix any errors that come
up in the report. Special attention should be paid to "404 –
not found" errors, as they are the ones we want to avoid
a) redirects  – you need to verify the correctness the most.
of redirects from the map you prepared earlier;

b) SSL certificate – you need to verify whether the HTTPS

version of the domain works properly; site:domain.com

A very simple command to paste into the Google search

c) that the website is functioning correctly – it is worth
bar (obviously with our domain included in the body of this
manually "scrolling" through the site, even playing with
search query).
all the available features, to detect as many errors
as possible;

d) proper functioning of the customer journey

(if applicable) – check all possible available options
for purchases and deliveries. It is also worth trying
to generate errors, e.g. no valid email address, etc..;

e) accurate data collection from analytical

tools  – verify that traffic and transactions are
collected correctly in Google Analytics and Google
Search Console;

f) perform a technical audit – after the implementation

of the site, it is worth analyzing it from a technical point
of view, because it may turn out that some functions
on the site are not working properly or according
to the guidelines;

g) monitoring of key phrases – a previously prepared

list of phrases is worth adding to tools that verify Thanks to this procedure, in the search results we will
positions, to get the full picture. be provided with everything that Google has indexed for
our domain. There we can detect undesirable elements
found by Google. This makes it quite easy to find some
If the redirects and the site itself are working properly, the next "hidden" issues.
step is to track how things are running in Google Analytics,
Google Search Console and site:domain-name.com.

THE MOST COMMON PROBLEMS

Google Analytics WE MAY ENCOUNTER
If the domain doesn't change, your traffic statistics A multitude of issues related to migration can appear, but
should be fairly flat, with possibly a slight drop in the first some happen more frequently than others.

28
SEO

Some of the most common issues include: d) The website being completely shut down even
before the migration day  – it also happens that
a) Incorrect implementation of redirects – this is one the owner of the website will shut it down and leave
of the worst scenarios, where: only the information "Website under construction,
coming soon". This results in a sudden huge loss of key
▶ redirection map will not be implemented phrase visibility;
correctly,
e) loss of visibility despite the correct execution
▶ site map will not be implemented at all, of the entire process – site migration always carries
the risk of losing visibility and, as a  result, traffic
▶ all old addresses will be redirected to the to the site from the organic channel. Even if only
home page, the site's appearance is changed, with the existing
structure of URLs and their content preserved, a drop
▶ all old addresses will report "404-not found" in keyword positions can occur.
errors;

b) not blocking the trial version from web robots –

IS MIGRATION BITING OFF
development companies often do not realize that
the control test site they are building should not MORE THAN ONE CAN CHEW?
be accessible to web robots. This later creates
the problem of website duplicity, as in its index, Service migration is a  very complex and challenging
Google has both the trial version and the new version process, which should be done carefully and well-
implemented on the client's domain, which can thought-out. Communication between those involved
negatively affect the site's visibility in search results; in the whole endeavor is very important  – it will
minimize the risk of possible problems. Everything, from
the choosing the new version of the site – the engine and
c) blocking the indexing of the new version layout – to the preparation of redirects and even selecting
of the site – it is also often the case that after moving the day itself, are of significant importance. When
the site from the test server to the real one, we forget migrating a site – especially an extensive one – it is worth
to unblock the site for web robots. This is a  very reaching out for the help of specialists who already have
small detail that can easily be overlooked, and can experience and knowledge in this area.
be detrimental to a site's visibility;

Kamil Senior SEO Specialist

Pończocha | iCEA Group International

Kamil been working in the SEO industry for over 7 years. He is in charge
of preparing and implementing SEO activities for positioned websites,
mainly focuses on high-budget projects. He had the opportunity to work
with one of the most famous online bookstores in Poland.

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 SEO

THE CuSToMER JouRNEY

STAGES DuRING WHICH
IT IS WoRTH INvESTING
IN PoSITIoNING

Maciej NIERADKA

T
he customer journey in an online potential, defined by the amount of traffic that can
be directed to the site. The user is aware of their needs.
store is a collection of experiences,
They are searching for information on how to fulfill their
where an individual seeking a way needs and are more open to exploring content that will
to fulfill a  need converts into a  custo- assist them in finding ways to satisfy them. However,
traffic volume does not define its potential. As a  rule,
mer. A  consumer who gets a  positive
it is low-converting traffic, and the conversion increases
experience from a  purchase will return as the journey progresses.
to us in the future, and additionally
recommend us to others. That's why
it's extremely important to analyze
the customer journey to continuously How is your service being presented?

improve satisfaction and develop the

▶ Is the service easy to read
experience. and navigate?

▶ Is the service transparent to the user

as to what it is and what it offers?
By understanding the customer journey, we learn what
the user's needs are at each stage of the experience. ▶ What is the USP?
As a  result of these meticulous measures, content will
meet the specific needs of users who are at different
levels of purchase awareness. Content prepared
in this way will influence conversions  – both for users
considering a  purchase and those who have already 2. Interest
finalized one.
The user is acquainted with the method of satisfying
their needs. They are equipped with the information
on how to fulfill them. They have arrived at the point where
PRE-PURCHASE ENGAGEMENT
the unique value proposition begins to play the leading
role. These individuals are looking for the highest-quality
1. Awareness of the product/service. The brand, the target parameters
have not yet been defined - they want a  solution that
The first stage is where you should mainly focus your fulfills the needs to the fullest extent at the most favorable
SEO efforts. At this stage, most phrases carry high (not necessarily the lowest) price.

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SEO

At this stage, e-books, reports, reviews, comparisons, you appreciate the customer who decided to make
and guides to the best products/service providers a purchase?
in the industry prove to be most effective.
This is the time to focus on the customer  – after all,
they chose your service over the competition. This
3. Consideration is also a  unique opportunity to open up to the direct
channel and appreciate them also in the shipped
Choosing a  service that will fulfill a  need is the most
package. It will ensure that the relationship you have
challenging stage from a service manager's perspective.
built will carry over from the virtual world and provide
It is crucial and closely linked not only to effective
stronger incentives.
marketing, but also to a  well-designed website that
will facilitate the purchase, provide the necessary
However, as it usually plays out in online marketing,
knowledge about the price of the goods, the method
and especially in e-commerce, there is still a lot of work
and cost of shipping, the return policy. This stage
to be done. When all the investments made in the earlier
should be carried out taking into account the unique
stages have brought the desired effect, it seems
value proposition.
obvious to monetize on this and build communication
notifying of any changes in the offer or deals prepared
specifically for this customer.

This is also the appropriate moment to ask the customer

All the attention should be directed towards to provide feedback on the whole process - you'll
positioning phrases featuring the brand have a  complete set of information to help you build
name, discounts and special offers even more effective communication, as well as build
or a unique set of benefits – BNPL, the ability the service's credibility thanks to reviews.
to interact with the product at the stationary
store/showroom, SDD.
6. Repeat customer

At this highly sought-after stage by the service

manager, the communication should continue to focus
4. Intent on appreciation and continue to inform about the product
changes.
The user is one step away from becoming a customer.
They have added a  product to the shopping cart
and are inevitably approaching the payment stage.
The simplicity of the ordering process is the result of UX/ Retaining a repeat customer is all about sending
UI efforts, which, together with effective remarketing, lifts a direct message and reminding the customer
conversion to another level. of the service with an attractive offer aimed
specifically at them. It's also about gathering
In order to effectively salvage abandoned shopping feedback to develop the service in the right
carts, it is essential to implement recovery tools - direction so that the customer will remain loyal
Facebook remarketing or automatically sent discount for as long as possible.
voucher work wonders here.

Messages prepared at this stage should focus

on encouraging purchase completion, highlighting unique
value or offering discounts. MEASURING
A  customer journey is a  set of interactions that one
5. Client encounters during the purchasing experience - from
the moment of first contact with a company to the final
The eagerly awaited stage – it's where all the marketing purchase decision. Every action a  customer takes
efforts and investments were heading. So, shouldn't is simply a  part of their journey. In order to draw

31
 SEO

appropriate conclusions from this journey, it is essential ▶ cart abandonment rate – how many
to measure it. leave the site before completing
the order;
A  proper analysis of the customer journey consists
of user experience and order flow (checkout) related
▶ conversion rate – how many customers
to the customer experience, as well as customer habits
finalized the order.
and behavior. When these two areas come together, this
is what we refer to the user journey.

The aforementioned indicators form a  basic report

on user behavior on the site. It is crucial to define which
From this position, traffic channels they are originating from, as this will
the key metric indicators are: indicate which ones to focus your attention on and which
ones need significant improvement.

▶ visits – how many users have arrived from

each channel;

KNOW YOUR
▶ pages/sessions – how many pages CUSTOMER'S NEEDS
a user visited;
When working according to a  customer journey map,
▶ average visit duration – how much time we learn about our customers' needs at different stages
was spent on the site; of the purchasing process. A user who doesn't know their
needs behaves differently, and one who is looking for
a specific means of fulfilling them. When planning content,
▶ rejection rate – how many users left the site
it is essential to take into account the aforementioned
without reaching the main service;
stages and the specifics of communication during
each of them. As a result, the activities, the service itself
▶ abandonment rate – how many chose and meet the investment objectives more effectively.
not to place the product in the shopping cart; Effectiveness equals conversion.

Maciej M&A Manager
Nieradka | iCEA Group International

I initiate strategic projects at iCEA Group International. I look for investment

targets, prepare plans and launch activities related to the expansion into
new markets. My job is to create hypotheses and verify them.

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Marketing&sales

HoW To CREATE
A MEDIA PLAN
AND SET A BuDGET
FoR THE NEW YEAR?

Jack DZIURA

I
f I gave you $100,000 today, would of advertising aimed at achieving a desired effect in the
form of a specific reaction from your audience. The most
you know how to invest it effectively important thing for me, as a marketer, is that the goal
in marketing? Or, you might ask, of this type of activity is not building a brand image, but
is there any point in spending on advertising rather how can an already established image influence
the desired actions from your audience.
at all? A report by the Ehrenberg-Bass
Institute published in 2018 found that In a word, forget about the „brand awareness” goal.
companies that stopped investing What Excel loves most is performance billing models,
that is, paying for achieving the desired action! In true
in advertising lost an average of 16% performance marketing, you won’t pay for the number of
of total sales in the first year. In the ad views, but rather for specific actions performed by users,
second year it was already 25%... I guess such as visiting a site, making a purchase, registering for a
service or filling out a form. With this approach, you should
you don’t want to end up among them? be able to equate performance marketing with sales.

However, the aim of this article will not only help you
improve your performance marketing in the upcoming FIGURES LIKE NUMBERS
year, but to refresh your knowledge of the most popular
This is something Paulo Coelho would say, if only he worked
performance billing models, as well as gain a new
in marketing ;) However, it is true that theory must go
perspective on your current activities. So let’s get started!
hand in hand with practice, and if we already know the
definition — it’s time to look at examples of performance
billing models. As I mentioned earlier, in this model you
must pay for specific actions, this also has an obvious
impact on the terminology we will use.

Some of the most popular performance billing models are:

▶ CPC (Cost Per Click) — cost per click, the most

well-known and easiest way;

▶ CPL (Cost Per Lead) — cost per lead, such as signing

up for a newsletter, leaving data, etc.;
Source: https://www.marketingscience.info/when-brands-stop-advertising/
▶ CPA (Cost Per Action) — cost per action or acquisition,
e.g. registering for a service, sending an inquiry, etc.;
What is performance marketing?
▶ CPM (Cost Per Mille) — keep in mind that this refers
To begin with — let’s share some knowledge. Performance to billing per thousand, i.e. you will pay for displaying
marketing, or performance advertising, is a type your ad to a predetermined number of viewers;

33
 Marketing&sales

▶ CPV (Cost Per View) — the cost per play/view HOLY MOLY, HOW ON EARTH
of a video; DO I MEASURE THIS!?
▶ CPO (Cost Per Order) — the cost per each order We are almost finished covering the theory basics. The
placement. last area you need to know about before you start thinking
about performance marketing is its metrics. It’s well known
We can also mention CPS (Cost Per Sale) agencies —
that when you invest, you want to know if you’re doing it
cost (commission) per sale, and hybrid models, that is, a
effectively and if your efforts are productive. In this case,
combination of the two models, such as CPC + CPL, CPC
there are a few simple methods you can use to fulfill your
+ CPS, CPC + CPO, and so on.
targets, such as maximizing sales at a set ROI.

OK, but how do you calculate it?

ROI and ROAS
Except for CPM, billing is easy as pie and is the same for
most models. For example, if you paid 100 for your ad, and Two key and probably the most popular terms in the
it generated 500 clicks, the cost per click is 20 cents. marketing community. With their help, you can very easily
determine whether all that performance is actually paying off!
CPC = 100 : 500 = 0.20
The difference between the two?
Similarly, CPA, CPV, CPL will be calculated in the same way:
cost : number of shares, cost : displays, cost : leads, etc. ROI (return on investment) is a return on investment,
or profitability index, used to measure the effectiveness
In the case of CPM, the only tricky part is that you have to of an activity.
multiply the result by 1000.
The ROI of an advertising campaign is expressed
For example, if you paid $100 for your ad, and it was seen by as a percentage and is calculated as follows:
5,000 viewers, the cost of reaching 1,000 customers is $20.
ROI = (campaign revenue — total campaign cost) :
CPM = 100 : 5000 × 1000 = 20 campaign cost × 100%.

However, each billing model has its pros and cons, such as: E.g., an investment of $5000 generates $7500 in sales, the
profit is $2500, and ROI = (7500 - 5000) : 5000 = 50%.

CPC — payment per click, ROAS (return on ad spend) is a more detailed approach
i.e. people interested in advertising: to billing. It allows us to calculate more than just a specific
campaign, but even each creative separately!

+ the possibility of deep optimization and lowering

The ROAS calculation looks identical to ROI.
the conversion cost,
+ szybkie osiągnięcie ogromnej skali działania, ROAS = (ad revenue - ad cost) : ad cost × 100%.

- optimization requires more money and time, Other key metrics in performance are:
- risk of fraud
(so-called clickers in the case of affiliates). ▶ CTR (click-through rate) — is a percentage of the
number of people who clicked on an ad in relation to
the number of people who saw it. The higher the CTR,
the more hits on the advertised page. CTR is one of the
CPL — payment for data left for contact, most popular indicators of advertising effectiveness.
i.e. a person clearly interested in the offer:
CTR = number of clicks : number of impressions × 100%.

+ quicker and easier traffic optimization, If 100 people clicked on a given sponsored link and the link
+ „fixed” cost of acquiring a contact, was seen 1000 times, the CTR of that sponsored link is 10%.

However, the CTR alone does not indicate what happens

- need for constant optimization after a given user enters the site. The CTR is complemented
of advertising creatives, etc. by the CR and ROAS or ROI in accurately determining the
effectiveness of an advertisement.

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Marketing&sales

▶ Conversion rate CR — is one of the basic indicators

used to measure the advertisement’s performance.
KPIs — Key Performance Indicators —
It is a percentage value of the number of actions
are simply our goals, usually expressed
performed by an Internet user in relation to the in numbers. E.g., our campaign target
number of situations in which they could potentially is to sell 200 tickets to an upcoming
be carried out. conference. KPIs allow us to simplify
the process of tracking effectiveness
by controlling less data.
Let’s assume that during one month, 4,000 people click the
sponsored link and as a result reach the store’s landing
page. From this group, 100 people will make a purchase at
the store. While I assume you already have points 1 through
4 prepared after the previous article, we need to focus
We will calculate the CR for the store as follows: on points 5 and 6, where performance is actually necessary.
If you’ve followed the SEE-THINK-DO-CARE method and
CR = number of sales : clicks × 100%, i.e. CR = 100 : 4000 separated the channels to the appropriate places in the
× 100% = 2.5%. customer path, we can easily adjust the media in the
performance model to the appropriate stage in the funnel.

FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE SEE — the top of the funnel, is to build brand image and
user awareness. At this stage, the customer may not be
We are all caught up on the basics. So it’s time to take aware, so the activities you implement will need to have
a look at why all these billing models are actually required, „soft” KPIs. E.g. specific reach in the target audience,
why it’s so important to know how to measure the effects increase in brand awareness, % viewability or increase
of our activities, and how to dissect such activities in organic searches.
in practice.
THINK — at this stage you will need to reach potential
Once you’ve finished building your strategy, you need to customers and the users among whom we can already
move on to the next step — setting up a feasible marketing talk about the need. This is where the KPIs you choose will
and media plan. become specified, because while creating the message,
you can already estimate the results. For example, x visits
THE PROCESS OF CREATING to a specific tab, x magazine downloads, 1000 newsletter
A DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY signups, CTR of 15%.

DO — from a marketing performance perspective, a highly

critical stage during which you need to convince to
convert/purchase. The KPIs you define need to be really
thoughtful, as they affect further analysis. E.g. CR 5%, ROAS
200%, exact number of purchases, cart value, number
of booked appointments, etc.

CARE — this is the retention stage.

Some things we can account for In terms

of performance:

Every good campaign must have defined: ▶ Display,

▶ Banners,
1. Who is our customer; ▶ Social media ads,
▶ PPC in search engines,
2. Where is the user located;
▶ Custom dedicated formats for performance
models,
3. At what stage of the purchasing journey are they;
▶ Video ads,
▶ Text links,
4. What we want them to do;
▶ E-mailing,
5. What targets have we set for ourselves (KPIs); ▶ Comparison and sales platforms
(e.g. Amazon, Allegro, etc.).
6. How big is our budget. ▶ Other.

35
 Marketing&sales

Why do you need all these funnels? More than one CEO left is to write out the media plan, fill in the calendar, and
will grab their head and demand from the poor marketer:” you can start opening the bottle of champagne. All that’s
Show me how much this will finally cost me!”. left is that last step... The step where you have to reach the
established volumes, additionally spreading out the rest of
So let’s do a little simulation. You’ve done all the the activities to use the entire budget and prove the KPIs.
groundwork. You already know everything, the only thing Then what? Are you ready for the next step?

Client

Campaign name

Duration

Budget USD 120 000

January FebruaryM arch

search engine
Google ADS 3 months. CPC 1,56 2 000,00 CR 7%
advertising
Number
Facebook 1 month. CPC 50 000,00 2 200,00
of views

Instagram 1 month. 62,00 50 000,00 3 100,00 Total reach

MEDIA PLAN allocate communication per TG. This is where all the
elements must fit together perfectly — this is the only way
What should a good media plan include? to get the maximum value from your online activities.

▶ Campaign duration Preparing a media plan, as well as setting an optimal

budget for conducting online marketing activities, is a
▶ Designation of the media time-consuming process. However, this is the only way to
▶ Type of advertisements avoid ineffective campaigns that generate losses instead
of profit. After all, digital marketing is not about doing
▶ Budget
something just for the sake of building a company’s image,
▶ Performance estimation but above all — planning your strategies to translate into
tangible results. So, I have a golden tip for you: if you want
The media plan is the pinnacle of your campaign strategy your business to reach peak sales in the new year, start by
— at this stage you make the most important decision: diligently preparing a media plan and setting a budget.
where and when you want to reach your customers, and That’s by far the best thing you can do.

Your favorite
Jack Dziura marketing consultant

Marketing Director of the Year 2021 in the category „Master of content marketing”.
Until recently, responsible for the marketing operations of the largest SEO agency
in PL - iCEA Group and other brands within the holding company Digital Now!
Creator and editor-in-chief of „Digital Magazine”, producer of „Ask SEO”, host
of „Understanding eCommerce”. A strong believer in strategy and effective
branding, in his work he is passionate about the client-centric view and always
puts himself in the customer’s shoes - both in marketing and e-commerce.
He gained experience building brands such as, Tpay and FIBARO, or at SARE S.A.
Group and Booking.com. Privately a fan of combat sports and politics.

36
Marketing&Sales

voICE SEARCH:
HoW IS PRoDuCT SEARCH
E vo Lv I NG I N E - CoM M E RCE ?

Kinga EDWARDS

37
 Marketing & Sales

I
n recent years, voice command has Today, almost all modern wearables, such as smartwatches,
have a voice search function that allows users to retrieve
dominated search engines. Not only information via voice search whenever they want.
does it enable users to search for
products by simply speaking to their The numbers speak for themselves
devices, but also to receive the desired
▶ 1/ 3 of people in the US use the voice search feature.
answers without typing keywords
manually. Due to this, voice search ▶ 71% of consumers prefer to search via voice search
is often widely perceived as faster instead of typing the text into a search engine.

and more convenient than relying ▶ 3/4 of US households own at least one
on a keyboard. smart speaker.

▶ More than half of all smart speaker owners use their

devices on a daily basis.
According to PwC, 65% of people aged 25-49 talk to voice-
enabled devices at least once a  day. In addition, 55% ▶ By the end of 2022, 70% of consumers will use their
of households are expected to have smart devices (such voice to shop instead of visiting stationary stores.
as voice assistants) by the end of 2022.
▶ 71% of consumers who carry their devices with them
However, why has voice search only recently become every day declare they will be using voice search
so popular? How will it change the way we find and buy in the future.
products? We are going to investigate all these questions
in the following article. ▶ By 2023, about 8 billion devices will be equipped
with a voice assistant.

WHAT IS VOICE SEARCH,

AND HOW DOES IT WORK? WHY SHOULD THE E-COMMERCE
INDUSTRY TAKE AN INTEREST
Voice search means exactly what you think it means. It's IN VOICE SEARCH?
using your own voice to ask questions and give commands
to devices such as smartphones or smart speakers, which Voice search is attractive not only for potential Internet
subsequently follow the user's command or answer users. The widespread e-commerce market is also
the user's question. interested in the technology.

For example, if you ask the Google Assistant on an Android The rise in popularity of voice search could change
smartphone: "Hey, Google, what's the weather like today?", the rules of the game on the market – and those who have
the device will retrieve data from the Internet and give you not yet taken an interest in the subject in terms of their own
today's weather forecast in that location. business could quickly fall behind the competition.

How does voice search work? Virtual voice assistants There are several ways online stores can take advantage
such as Siri and Alexa use speech recognition technology of voice search  – from allowing customers to find
to process and transcribe your voice into text. They then the product they are looking for no matter where they are,
analyze this transcript in search of questions or commands. to providing more options for personalizing the shopping
experience. Even if your audience isn't yet using voice
By saying the assistant's name (e.g., "Hey, Siri"), the user search to make regular purchases (only 10% use voice
can "wake it up" and make it responsive. Moreover, such search every day), that doesn't mean you can ignore
a virtual assistant is susceptible to constant learning – its potential.
the more you talk to it, the better it will understand your
preferences and provide better, customized answers. According to BrightLocal, 58% of customers have used
voice commands to find information about a  local
While smart speakers such as Alexa aren't exactly common business, such as opening hours or directions. A study
since yesterday, voice search has only been gaining conducted by Narvar also found that 51% of users use voice
momentum since introducing this feature in smartphones, search to check products before buying. That's why it's
tablets and other wearable technologies. important for your brand to share and customize some

38
Marketing&Sales

information about the company and its products for this purchase) or suggest additional services that match
search method. a  particular preference. As a  result, customers would
be willing to order the products they need within seconds,
Many companies don't yet support this feature, making which in turn would encourage them to shop more often
voice command fans more likely to choose services and or buy more items.
products from stores that support their voice. So to gently
encourage customers to discover (and buy) your products
instead of your competitors' goods, it's worth investing
2. Collecting reviews made easier
in developing your site in this regard. Customer reviews and comments are a  goldmine
of information for the e-commerce industry, provided
that... buyers actually leave a  review. While customers
HOW WILL VOICE SEARCH usually find time to share negative comments, they are
CHANGE THE WAY PEOPLE BUY not so eager to write positive ones.

PRODUCTS ONLINE?
However, recipients might be much more willing to share
their opinion if they could simply dictate it instead
Using voice is one of the most natural and fastest
of typing it. Given the speed and ease of giving feedback,
methods of communication, so voice search is poised
customers might be more inclined to write longer and
to become one of the most popular ways to place orders
more insightful comments.
and gather information.

Voice assistants could also be used to ask for purchase

While voice technology continues to have some
or service ratings – and that means access to a wealth
problems – with understanding accents or mishearing
of information about what customers think of services and
commands – the situation is constantly improving.
what needs to be improved.

There is one major difference between conducting

a  search using voice assistants and a  regular Internet 3. Faster service
query – it's the number of results a user will receive.
One of the main reasons for the popularity of voice search
Suppose you type in "warm wool blanket" into Google, and is its speed. The average person types 38 to 40 words
it will display 277,000 relevant results. Meanwhile, a voice per minute, which corresponds to 190-200 characters.
search will bring up a few results at most. So if you are not However, when it comes to spoken language, they
in the top rankings for a given query, your chances of being speak about 100-150 words per minute. Can you see
noticed drop significantly. the difference?

However, if you rank first in the search results for For this reason, many users find voice search extremely
a given search phrase, you have a much better chance convenient  – it allows them to communicate faster
of attracting voice search fans and converting them into and find what they need. In addition, everyone can use
your loyal customers. voice search while doing something else – for example,
you can ask Alexa to order additional ingredients while
preparing dinner.

BENEFITS OF VOICE SEARCH

FOR ONLINE STORES
This feature can also be useful for disabled,
elderly or non-tech-savvy people who have
trouble using a regular keyboard and search
1. A more personalized shopping experience engine. Instead of typing a query, they can simply
ask Siri or Google to check the weather, dial
Using voice search can provide an unprecedented level a given phone number or order groceries.
of personalization to a customer's shopping experience.
Sure, personalized recommendations and shopping cart
reminder emails are pretty much already a standard –
but how about having a  virtual assistant search and 4. To enable smart shopping
order groceries from online supermarkets? If a customer
regularly buys using voice commands, Siri or Alexa could The real power of voice search doesn't just derive from
order the given items in an incredibly short time. its speech recognition capabilities. Virtual assistants
use artificial intelligence and machine learning, making
Such voice assistants could also remind the customer them smart enough to understand users' behavior and
that something is missing (based on the date of the last shopping habits.

39
 Marketing & Sales

Let's go back to the grocery shopping example: suppose are the first to change their digital marketing processes
someone regularly buys a certain coffee from an online and introduce voice search on a large scale.
store. Since the voice assistant is aware of this, it can inform
about a sale of this particular brand and ask the customer
if they wish to place an order.
HOW CAN YOUR COMPANY
PREPARE FOR VOICE SEARCH?
This will benefit not only the customers (who will
immediately find out about the offer), but also the stores, #1 Make searching easy
as they will be able to reach their audience with the latest
In terms of SEO, companies usually compete for the most
special offers in no time.
searched, short and general keywords. Those using voice
search, however, operate in a slightly different way. They tend
5. Increase traffic to use phrases starting with "Who," "What," "Where," "When,"
"Why" and "How" to quickly find answers to their questions.
Google's unique algorithm guarantees that users ultimately
receive the best-fit results in voice search results. One of the best ways to make your website visible to these
users is to create an FAQ section that provides answers
What if the information or recommendation comes directly to the most common questions Internet users ask, and
from your website? Then recipients will pay attention written in a conversational tone. This will make it easier for
to your company and return. So if you optimize your site customers to find answers to each of their queries.
in terms of voice search, you will make your business reach
a wider audience! For example, if they are looking for a nearby pizzeria using
their smartwatch, and your website provides directions
In addition, adding a voice search function to your site can on how to find your establishment, there is a  greater
increase traffic, further enhancing your brand's reputation chance that the virtual assistant inside their watch will
and credibility. just point to your business as the place they should go.

6. Improved customer satisfaction #2 Simplify the purchasing process

In conclusion, implementing voice search in your business Internet users are increasingly looking for an easy and
can tremendously improve your buyers' experience. You convenient experience when browsing the Internet or online
are more likely to gain not only customers, but also true stores – especially when using mobile devices. Therefore,
brand followers. hidden fees, several payment steps, requests for too many
details, lack of information about shipping options or forcing
If you let the market know that you offer voice- shoppers to create an account before finalizing a purchase
based shopping, people who use it frequently might can quickly cause them to abandon their desire to buy.
be persuaded to try your offer – and the other remaining
customers and potential customers might just become In order to make the transaction process as short and
interested. People who didn't know about voice search pleasant as possible, it is advisable to simplify the completion
previously may be happy to try out this method at your of the shopping cart to just these three pages:
store. If they like it, they will come back and recommend
your app or online store to others, and this will result
▶ product information,
in an even larger audience.
▶ billing (with available payment options and
shipping costs),
VOICE SEARCH IS NOT A PASSING FAD ▶ payment and order confirmation.

Given how advanced voice assistants have become,

we can only expect the popularity of voice search to grow It's also a  good idea to provide the option to order
more rapidly in the coming years. without registration and simply as a guest. This not only
shortens the purchase path, but also speeds up the whole
Since the voice search market is likely to be much more transaction process and doesn't require too much effort
competitive than the SEO market, companies of all sizes at the start for your potential customers.
should adapt to this trend before voice search becomes
the standard. #3 Configuring product categories and tags

Those who procrastinate or ignore the trend may find In the past, it used to be enough to insert simple tags
it much harder to catch up later, especially if competitors ("T-shirt," "sporty" or "with a v-neck") into an online store's

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Marketing&Sales

site, and the product variants took into account everything The testers will have different voices and will likely
else, such as color or size. For customers searching for pronounce things in slightly different ways, however,
products on your website or mobile app, this is fine, but this will give you an idea of how voice search works for
what about those using Amazon Echo? your brand, what you need to improve, and finally what
is configured perfectly.

VOICE SEARCH X LUIGI’S BOX

To make matters easier for users to quickly
find the information they need on your site, The first step is ...the hardest.
make sure product descriptions, titles and
category tags include all the relevant details.
Do you want to start acquiring customers through voice
search – so they always receive the most relevant results
to their voice queries? How do you go about it? Luigi's Box
Artificial intelligence is now able to distinguish between can help you out.
male and female voices, so make sure that any "gender-
specific" items are labeled appropriately. For example, The tool will ensure that mobile users in particular obtain
"Blue sports shirt with V-neck, for women, size 36" would the most accurate results from the list of your available
be a perfectly viable description for voice search. products without ever touching the screen. Moreover, it's
very easy to connect the software to your existing store,
#4 Take advantage of the voice and the search engine integration doesn't have to require
assistant feature any coding.

Adding some Alexa plug-ins to your e-commerce site

Intuitive and precise search can truly improve
is also a good way to prepare your site for voice search.
the conversion of your online store. Don't make me have
Alexa's skills will propel its voice capabilities.
to persuade you any longer.

Features can be turned on and off via the app or web

browser in the same way you install and uninstall apps SUMMARY
on a smartphone or tablet. All you have to do is give clear
Digital marketers understand that the searching
commands and the device will perform the specified action.
process is constantly evolving, and the new era of local
and voice-controlled search is once again changing
For example, online grocer Ocado has a feature on Amazon
the face of marketing. Now is the time to adapt your
that allows the user to say, "Alexa, ask Ocado to add
digital marketing efforts to voice commands, regardless
an onion to my order." Customers can shop at any other
of the size of your company.
online store – or make the process easier and issue a quick
command to Alexa.
By ensuring that each of your sites is optimized for
local, mobile and voice search, you will increase your
#5 Test and optimize
chances of staying ahead of the competition, attract new
Like any new technology, voice search needs to be tested customers, and your store will be called innovative and
in order to make sure it works as smoothly as possible. cutting-edge.
A good tip is to encourage different people to try ordering
products, returning a shipment or navigating through your Using voice search apps such as Luigi's Box can give you
store by only using their voice. an edge in this market, so... what are you waiting for? :)

Kinga Edwards Creative Owner

| Brainy Bees

Creative Owner at Brainy Bees  – in the content marketing & PR team,

executing projects for SaaS, B2B and IT companies from more than 15
countries around the world. She is involved in both building strategy and
execution of activities. Country Leader of SaaStock Poland.

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 Marketing & Sales

HoW To
KEEP YouR
oNLINE SToRE'S
C u S To M E R S LoYA L?

Agnes ŚLĘZAK

A
summary page. You need to be taken care of long after
cquiring a new customer is a se-
they receive their package. Here are some tips on how
ven times higher cost than reta- to go about it.
ining an existing one. Investing
in building customer loyalty is definitely 1. TAKE CARE
a game worth the candle and a contri- OF YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE
buting factor to the long-term success
89 percent of buyers are willing to go to a  competitor
of your online store. This is not an easy if the customer service at their chosen store is
task, especially since e-commerce unsatisfactory. This just goes to show the importance
of first impressions. Of course, something can
companies – i.e. your competitors – have always go wrong. Sometimes it's extended lead time,
been on the rise during the coronavirus at other times it’s a damaged package during delivery.
Nevertheless, it is crucial to communicate with your
pandemic. What can you do to enco-
buyers – be available for questions and respond to them,
urage customers to return to your store explain unwanted situations and solve related problems.
despite the omnipresent ads from other
No promotions and tricked-out advertisements will
companies? ever be effective if the customer can't get in touch with
you in such situations and isn't taken seriously when
faced with problems. That's why professional and
seamless customer service is the cornerstone when
Contrary to what you might think, the relationship with it comes to online store customer loyalty. Keep an eye
an e-commerce store customer doesn't end as soon on your users' experience – from ads to landing pages
as they click the "Accept and pay" button on the order to the fulfillment page.

42
Marketing&Sales

So make it clear that you're available  – visibly display And above all, brag about your store's excellent rating.
your email address and phone number (along with Display star reviews in Google Ads, on your store page
the hours that your customer service department works) or product cards.
prominently on the site. You can also provide a  chat
option for users.
3. PRESENT YOURSELF
AS AN EXPERT
2. LISTEN TO YOUR
CUSTOMERS In times of increasing competition, you need to be more
than " just" an online store for your customers. The truth
Saying that collecting online reviews is a  must-have is that many businesses sell the same products and
these days is akin to saying nothing at all. Last year, often use the same images and descriptions, provided
the importance of product reviews in the buying process by manufacturers, on their sites.
increased by as much as 50 percent. After all, social proof
(or in our case: word-of-mouth) always works better than So offer your users an added value and show that you are
the most expensive ads. an expert in your field. Share your knowledge on your blog,
create compilations or articles that could answer potential
However, simply collecting reviews is not enough. More customers' questions. You can also directly provide answers
importantly, you need to know how to use them. They can to product inquiries or include a solution to a problem
be a powerful tool for improving service quality, but also that a buyer might be facing in the description. Another
for buyer loyalty. way is to include relevant information via infographics
or videos on your product page.
We all like to be taken seriously – so do the customers of your
online store. Accept their comments and suggestions, You can also boost your credibility by inviting
address them publicly, and examine the pointed out third-party experts to collaborate with you  – for
issues. Not only will the author of the comment feel example, to create an article, arrange a  joint webinar
appreciated, but other users will see that you are worth or Q&A  session. By doing so, you send a  signal
trusting and decide to buy from you. to your customers that since you're trusted by experts
in a  particular industry, they should too. In turn, this
means that users who come to you for information
will soon reach out for your products. Recipes, blogs
and other guides are also a  great way to grab
Remember – you can benefit from a customer's attention.
a negative review if you treat
the customer professionally and
quickly resolve the problem.
Need proof? 57 percent of consumers 4. PERSONALIZED MESSAGES
consider the lack of a response while
receiving offers for similar products A regular and repeat customer is one that feels you know
as the top reason for switching their needs and preferences. That's why personalizing your
to a competitor. messages is such an important element in the process
of customer loyalty.

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 Marketing & Sales

Email marketing offers the widest range of possibilities. required information, but to showcase the history of your
Addressing customers by name and encouraging them company, the values that guide it, or the inspiration that
to participate in promotions is a standard now. In addition, led you to open your store.
for example, you can offer products compatible with
or similar to the ones they have already purchased,
inform them that the merchandise they were previously
interested in is available again, or mention a  special
6. REWARD YOUR CUSTOMERS
discount on a product they previously ordered. FOR THEIR LOYALTY

By sending such e-mails, you show that you understand If you need to further motivate users to return to your
your customer, appreciate the fact that they choose store, you might want to organize promotions for regular
your store and that you remember and care about customers  – such as special offers aimed at them
them. Another way of using personalized communication exclusively, or free delivery.
to increase loyalty is special discounts, such as for
birthdays or anniversaries of newsletter sign-ups. After The most obvious solution is to launch a loyalty program,
all, everyone loves gifts! where customers can collect points for purchases and
exchange them for discounts on subsequent orders
or additional products. Such a strategy can help not only
increase the number of returning customers, but also
5. SHOW YOURSELF increase the average value of the shopping cart.

A  loyal customer is someone you have established

Another way is to reward customers for recommending
a relationship with. This is easier to do when the buyer
your services to their friends and offer a discount to both
knows the face behind the business.
the referrer and the new customer. This makes buyers
become ambassadors of your brand, so to speak.
So show off your "true colors" on your online store. As brutal
as it may sound, at first glance most e-commerce stores
look alike. So you'll stand out from the competition
if you showcase your team  – not only the members SUMMARY
of the management team, but also the people preparing
packages for shipment or from the customer service The basis of the customer loyalty process is to establish
department. This will give your store's visitors the feeling a  relationship with your customers and provide high-
that, in case of problems, there are real people waiting quality service at every stage of the buying process – even
on the other end who are eager to help them. after the order has been received. Show that you know
your buyer, value their trust and feedback, and highlight
Also pay attention to the way you interact with potential the features that set you apart from the competition.
customers. Don't treat the "About Us" tab on your store By doing so, you will have customers eagerly coming
page carelessly – don’t just use it to include the legally back to you!

Agnes Ślęzak Content Manager Poland

| Trusted Shops

A  professional journalist, content marketing and SEO enthusiast with

7 years of experience in content creation, both B2C and B2B. In her work,
she loves to explore topics related to e-commerce and online marketing.
She helps e-commerce owners to grow their businesses and acquire
more customers.

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Marketing&Sales

CREATING AN E-CoMMERCE
SToRE CoMMuNITY –
DoES IT MAKE ANY SENSE?

M ar t yna TAR NAWS K A

45
 Marketing & Sales

B
uilding authentic, engaging and our customers have no benefit or value from following
us on online channels, except to stay up to date with our
transparent brand-customer
offers and promotions. They soak up the information, but
communication is very difficult do not build a sense of identity with our company, and
on social media, nevertheless doable. have no desire to exchange experiences or share their
needs with us.
One of the recommended marketing
tactics is creating a  community for This is why more and more companies are investing
customers – check out what you need in the one-to-one model, where the company
directly engages in a  dialogue with the customer,
to prepare for and when you should
for example, using tactics such as conversational
invest in it. marketing (such as chatbots) or personalized emails.
This allows the brand to establish a  relationship with
the customer, personalizing outgoing messages
by examining their preferences, behavior, purchase
or search history. The customer feels they are being
listened to and appreciated. However, this model
WHY ARE WE TALKING often fails to generate high engagement among
MORE AND MORE customers, and our marketing effectiveness relatively
ABOUT COMMUNITIES? declines. Frequently, it is because while a dialogue with
the brand is interesting at the beginning of relationship
It all started with the fact that social channels were building or when we give the customer something extra,
supposed to help us co-create communication with in the long run it can be tiring, one-dimensional and
customers – invite them to discuss, listen to their not very diverse. We won't answer all the customer's
opinions, encourage them to make decisions together needs and problems, even though we'd really like to, and
and become our prosumer. Social media channels such at the same time, as a brand, we're not as reliable to our
as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter were intended to help customers as other consumers and their friends (read
us open up to customers and enter the many-to-many the latest edition of the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer).
communication model, where the brand is responsible
for creating a space to exchange ideas, discuss and grow,
but the customers are the main protagonists, not our
WHAT EXACTLY ARE
products and services.
ONLINE COMMUNITIES?
This brings us to the main topic of our article,
Prosumer – a consumer involved in co-creating the community model. It goes back to the basics
the communication, business model, products of social media and web 2.0 – co-creation, discussion,
and services of brands. exchange. The brand's role is to take a step back, step
off the pedestal and invite customers into the virtual
space where their experiences, ideas, questions and
suggestions are the most important. We, as a  brand,
What went wrong in this case? 18 years after the inception can moderate this space, stimulate its development,
of Facebook, 12 years after the inception of Instagram manage its quality and nurture its diversity, and yet
and 20 years after the inception of LinkedIn, we are share it with a  selected target group. This allows
at a  point where companies are primarily using social us to regularly survey our target group, test new ideas
media channels to promote their own products with them, ask their opinions, identify pain points and
and services, brag about their successes, follow ideas about changing products, communications
customers with remarketing, write about themselves or our store.
and... often only for themselves, because due to the
algorithms, most of our content simply doesn't reach Is it difficult? Yes, it requires designing properly and
our target audience. For the most part, we operate then running the community on a  regular basis.
in a  one-to-many model, in which a  brand creates Is it expensive? Yes, especially in terms of involving
communications primarily based on its KPIs and resources on the company's side. Is it worth it? Yes,
values, then distributes them to customers and... it's one of the few ways to create a  high-quality and
is surprised by the lack of response and engagement. This engaging relationship with our customers – both
model is based on one-way communication, in which existing and new.

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Marketing&Sales

A COMMUNITY REVOLVING A. Communities of products – members

of these communities are primarily focused
AROUND AN E-COMMERCE STORE? on discussing and learning about the product/
WHAT GOALS CAN COMMUNITIES service/company, this includes Sephora's
HELP YOU ACCOMPLISH? Beauty Insiders, Twilio's Champions program
or Salesforce Trailblazers.

B. Communities of practice – members focus

on developing a discipline or passion and
A community is a space where a certain
connecting with other practitioners,
group of people providing mutual value
to each other and are focused towards regardless of any tool or platform.
a common goal / theme / task / problem Examples include the On Deck cohort learning
to be solved. community or design communities such
as Dribbble.

The key question to ask yourself at the very beginning is: MAKE SURE YOUR COMPANY
what will be that guiding purpose, theme, task or problem IS READY
to be solved? This will be the community's main
differentiator and the reason for new members to join.
Not every company will be ready to create its own
Our brand is just a  signature, a  guarantee of quality,
a  team that makes up the community, and without community. Don't create a community if:
a  differentiator that will give real value to members,
the community will become just another marketing ̹ the company is not open to the audience and
channel failing to engage the audience. co-creating communication together with them
(we are still stuck in the we-they model);

̹ the company does not want to build a dialogue with

Divide the reflection process customers and bridge the distance between them
on the community's purpose into and the brand;
three components:
̹ the company's employees don't feel a sense
of belonging to the company and won't want
▶ the purpose of the community – What will to be its facilitators, to engage transparently
be the main goal for all community members? in its development;
Why should the participants join it?

̹ you don't have the resources to run and manage

▶ The business purpose of the community – a separate channel (communities require a lot
How does your company want to contribute of attentiveness and regular activities!);
to this community, what is to be the role of the
company and its employees? ̹ you have a plan to duplicate content from other
What do we want to achieve through it and channels and treat the community as just another
how will we check it? social media channel;

▶ personal goals of creators and moderators – ̹ you can't find a distinguishing feature
Why do you want to create this community? of the community and have no idea about its
What do you want to achieve through it? purpose – you will only create a group based
What will motivate you to create and manage it? on the example of others;

̹ you only want to pursue sales goals

When thinking about your target, consider the type in the community – this is rarely a proven
of community your company can create. There are two recipe for an effective and engaged
main types of communities based on their main mission community. You can, however, conduct effective
and what unites their members. advisory communications.

47
 Marketing & Sales

HOW ELSE CAN YOUR And if you decide you're ready, start with
COMPANY TAKE ADVANTAGE the following 10 steps.
OF COMMUNITIES?
1. Choose a community goal.

Before deciding whether your brand should create its own

2. Identify the community's target audience.
community, consider the pros and cons of this option.

3. Research what is missing from other places and

Remember that your company does not need to create
channels where your target audience performs
a community to benefit from the many-to-many model.
their tasks/needs/discusses on selected topics.
During the research stage, find other places where your
target audience is already talking about your chosen 4. Design a community business card
topic, your brand or your products. Use social listening (name, description, branding).
tactics on online forums, product directories, social
media groups to identify where your target audience 5. Match the tool to your target audience's
is already and consider whether and how your company preferences.
can engage there.
6. Design the topics discussed in the community.
Remember that your participation in another community
should always be approved by its administrator. Avoid 7. Create promotional tactics and invite
spamming, sharing content that doesn't benefit its members to the community.
members or pushy selling.
8. Create rules for onboarding and deploying
Draw insights from discussions that happen in the participants to the community.
groups – identify what customers are talking about, what
they are asking, what product elements they are paying 9. Write down rules for using and contributing
attention to, what they are complaining about. This can to the community.
help you gather feedback, improve products, design
better promotional and marketing campaigns, but also 10. Test new tactics to engage community
improve your e-commerce store. participants – this step actually never ends...

Martyna Digital Innovation Lead

Tarnawska | Socjomania

Digital and new technology enthusiast, trainer, facilitator and project

manager. Administrator of the Transformers community – development
and online change management, which brings together more than 700
change leaders. She has conducted over a  thousand workshop hours
on Service Design, Design Thinking, digital trends, content marketing and
online marketing. She has implemented strategic projects for brands such
as PKO BP, DHL, EY, HPE, Orange, TESCO, Znak Publishing House, Warsaw
University, Obsessive, Oriflame and Kupiec.

48
Marketing&Sales

ATTRIBuTIoN MoDELS –
EvERY THING You SHouLD
KNoW ABouT THEM

Arthur KWIECIŃSKI

T
he definition of attribution is as- This article will, on the one hand, introduce you
to the methodologies used by different technology
signing certain characteristics providers, while on the other hand, prove that Wanamaker's
to someone or something. In mar- words are a universal truth.
keting, it's a process for verifying which
channel drove a  user to complete WHEN YOU SAY ADVERTISING,
a  desired action (conversion), such YOU THINK GOOGLE
as adding a  product to a  shopping The largest advertising system, Google Ads, provides
cart, making a purchase, signing up for as many as six different attribution models. So let's take
a closer look at them.
a newsletter or filling out a contact form.
With attribution, we are able to assess Most advertisers using the Mountain View giant's solutions
use the default model – last click – which attributes
how the various touchpoints along
the entire share of conversions to the ad that was clicked
the conversion path affect the effective last. Misinterpreting the sources of conversions in this model
use of marketing budgets. However, can lead to the assumption that remarketing is the most
effective channel, and therefore we should reduce spending
the matter gets complicated due to the
in other channels and shift it to remarketing campaigns.
different ways individual advertising It is not hard to guess that this would be counterproductive,
systems model attribution. as we would limit the flow of new users to remarketing lists.
In addition, keep in mind situations where the user had
already made a purchase decision regardless of which
channel reassured them, and prior to the purchase they
One of the most repeated quotes in the marketing world came back, clicked a  paid search result, as this was
(right after "it depends," of course) are the famous words the fastest way for them to return to the site.
of John Wanamaker: "Half the money I spend on advertising
is thrown down the drain. The problem is that I don't know
which half." Despite more than 100 years having passed
and the birth of the Internet along with advanced analytics,
Is the last click model justified in this case?
these words still remain relevant. Yes, provided that we use it in the right way.
The place where last click is the right choice
The preceding fact, however, does not change the reality is short-term promotional activities, so that
that the basis of effective operations is multichannel we can find out whether it was a special
and diversification of points of contact with potential offer that was the driving impulse behind
the purchase.
customers. However, how do you decide which is more
significant for ultimate success? The answer to this
question is conversion attribution. The right attribution
model allows you to more efficiently analyze and make We already know that the last-click model very often
decisions about allocating budgets between channels. takes credit where credit is not due, so that other activities

49
 Marketing & Sales

may be underestimated. What about when we would like the regularities that take place when a conversion occurs
to measure what advertising activities drew the attention are identified.
of customers who previously had no exposure to the brand?
Then the appropriate attribution model would be first
click, where the entire share of the conversion is attributed
to the ad that was clicked first.
In summary, the data-driven model attributes
a higher conversion share to those interactions
that had a greater impact on it. Therefore,
it is important to set up multiple micro-
conversions, so that the quality of the data
It is worth using this model in campaigns with
provided is accordingly higher.
the goal of building brand recognition. This
will tell us which ads contributed to effectively
filling the upper stages of our sales funnel.

Data-driven attribution is not available to all advertisers

by default, and in order to implement it, we must meet
The two models described above are polar opposites minimum requirements. These are at least 3,000 interactions
and suggest that everything is black or white. For those with ads, and in addition, the conversion-inducing action
who follow the rule that reality is more diverse, Google must gain a  minimum of 300 conversions in 30 days.
has prepared several other ready-to-adapt conversion The minimum requirements are not just an entry threshold,
attribution models. but one that we must maintain. If the number of ad
interactions falls below 2,000, or if the number of conversions
If, for example, you sell coffee and deal with a  returning for a conversion-inducing action falls below 200 in 30 days,
customer who simply makes a purchase from your online we will lose the ability to use data-driven attribution and
store every certain period of time, you can opt for a linear the settings will automatically switch to a linear model.
attribution model, in which conversions are attributed evenly
to all interactions with an ad along the path to purchase. Keep in mind that the above attribution models only apply
to Google Ads and do not take into account other channels
If you want to verify which of your activities are most effective that contribute to conversions, such as organic traffic, direct
at filling the sales funnel and which are best at closing inputs, link passes or other advertising systems. It would
sales, you can choose the position-based model. It assigns be perfect if Google Ads were our only source of traffic, which
40% of the conversion share each to the first and last ad of course is impossible.
interaction, and distributes the remaining 20% evenly among
other interactions.

If you are dealing with a higher number of conversions and

a relatively long (in terms of time) conversion path – for
example, you offer inexpensive services to businesses – you
may opt for an attribution model that assumes a drop in the
conversion share over time. A higher share of a conversion
is attributed to clicks that occurred in the shortest time prior
to it. In this case, the so-called 7-day half-life is used, which
means that an ad clicked 8 days before the conversion
would be attributed half the conversion share than that
occurring 1 day prior to the conversion.

The aforementioned attribution models only take into

account the number and order of interactions with an ad
before a conversion occurs, and it is a zero-sum approach.
Google Ads attribution models:
However, we know perfectly well that these are not the only
▶ Last click
factors that matter, because an interaction with an ad,
upon which we signed up for a newsletter, added a product ▶ First click
to the shopping cart or spent a longer time on the site, in- ▶ Linear
depth analysis of the offer, has a higher value than others.
The solution here can be the most advanced data-driven ▶ Position-Based
attribution model, which calculates the share of each ▶ Time Decay
interaction with an ad for different stages of the conversion
▶ Data-driven
path. This model compares the individual paths of both
customers who convert and those that don't. Thanks to this,

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Marketing&Sales

GOOGLE ANALYTICS FACEBOOK ADS ATTRIBUTION

ATTRIBUTION MODELS The matter looks a bit simpler in the case of the Menlo Park-
based giant, where the only choice we have is a time frame:
It is worth mentioning that Google Analytics has its own
attribution models. The attribution models in the most ▶ clicks from 1 day,
popular tool for analyzing websites are slightly different ▶ clicks from 7 days,
from those of Google Ads. The default model is a variation ▶ clicks from 1 day or displays from 1 day,
of the last click described earlier – the last non-direct ▶ clicks from 7 days or displays from 1 day.
click. Its essence is that all direct visits are ignored, and
the full share of the conversion is attributed to the channel Until August 2021, Facebook provided the Facebook Attribution
that was the last source of traffic prior to the conversion. tool, which allowed us to see, for example, how many
The last interaction model assigns 100% of the conversion conversions on a desktop device originated from mobile
share to the real last point on the path. The Google devices. This is due to Facebook's significant advantage
Ads last-click model has a  somewhat similar working over Google Analytics, as we do not rely on cookies here,
principle, except that here Google's ad system is favored. so Facebook identifies us as the same user on all the devices
The first interaction is the equivalent of the model used we are logged in on. We could also benefit from the following
in Google Ads – the only difference is that all channels attribution models: even credit attribution, first click or visit,
are taken into account. A  similar principle is applied first touchpoint, last click or visit, last touchpoint, positional
to the linear and position-based models. The biggest attribution model and time decay model at that time.
difference between the attribution models from Google The changes were mainly dictated by modifications to data
Ads and Google Analytics is that Analytics recognizes sharing on iOS 14 devices from Apple. It's worth mentioning
other channels and does not attribute all possible that previously, back in 2020, a much longer 28-day time
conversions to Google Ads. window was also available.

THE GOLDEN MEAN DOES NOT EXIST

Google Analytics attribution Keep in mind that the various advertising systems do not
exchange information with each other, so there is always
models:
a  chance of misinterpreting the data. You can improve
the situation, for example, by grouping Google Analytics
▶ Last non-direct click channels and using the appropriate UTM tagging structure.
However, it should be taken into account that within both
▶ Last interaction
Google Ads and Facebook Ads you may be using ad formats
that, by design, will not necessarily generate traffic to your site,
▶ Google Ads last click
such as non-skippable YouTube ads or contact acquisition
in Facebook Ads. The only solution is to go with the assumption
▶ First interaction
that, similarly to marketing efforts, like marketing efforts,
we should also take a multichannel approach to analytics.

Arthur Sales Manager

Kwieciński | ADSRight

Arthur has been working in advertising for 11 years. In the digital industry
since 2015. In his day-to-day role as sales manager of the ADSRight agency,
among other things, he is responsible for the sales team’s knowledge
of Google Ads and Facebook Ads platform systems. His specialties include
auditing advertising accounts and identifying improvements to increase
campaign effectiveness. After hours, a  dedicated English football and
spy movies fan.

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 Marketing & Sales

B
lack Friday and Cyber Monday
are special days not only for
shoppers, but also for retailers.
Internet users have grown to love these
holidays, as stores offer attractive
promotions and unique bargains
on those days. Many customers, taught
by experience, wait and deliberately
set aside money to buy their dream
products at discounted prices.

Black Friday has been so well accepted that every year

more and more companies join the action, hoping not only
for increased sales, but also to expand brand awareness
among customers, loyalty, and for those who are dormant –
a reminder about you. It is worth approaching the issue
of planning promotions honestly and not abusing the trust
of our audience. Every year, we hear about cases of stores
inflating prices a few weeks before Black Friday and Cyber
Monday, and showcasing spectacular promotions that
in reality are the same price. Consumer awareness is growing
at a galloping pace, which is why gimmicks and all methods
of manipulation can end in potential image losses. If we can't
afford discounts or special promotions, it's better not to do
anything in the first place.

We have prepared a comprehensive guide with a handful

of tips for e-shops on how to prepare for Black Friday.
We have gathered expert opinions and comments that
will help you plan all the vital elements – from strategy
and communication, to positioning and site preparation,
to advertising issues and specific tools.

1. How to prepare an effective

strategy for Black Friday and
Cyber Monday? What do you
need to be aware of?

The starting point should be preparing a  strategy

to map out all the actions in order to achieve synergy.
Of course, this is not the time for extensive paperwork,
but it is worth working out a scheme that will guide
the customer through each stage of the path
to purchase. First, we need to determine our goals –
whether we only care about boosting sales, or whether
we want to reach new target groups. This determines
the next steps in designing our strategy. Determining
the target group is the next step – without this element,
our communications and campaigns will be ineffective,

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since they will not reach people interested in our

products. An analysis of our current situation is equally 2. How to optimize your
important at this stage. It is worth looking at the data
website and improve
from analytical tools and determining the most popular
products: can we single out any recurring patterns from
its UX before Black Friday
this. Perhaps this will be a starting point to prepare for and Cyber Monday?
cross-selling. Analytics will also be helpful in selecting
paid advertising placements. Information regarding
the source that attracts our customers most
effectively, can help us determine whether to increase
the budget in those channels. The next step is to define Supposedly, we don't judge a  book by its cover,
the total budget we want to spend on the Black Friday but may he who has never been discouraged from
promotional campaign, and subsequently choose shopping due to the appearance of an online store
the appropriate tools. cast the first stone. In such a  short period of time
separating us from Black Friday, we won't be able
To be fair, I have not managed to access any statistics, to properly redesign and implement a  completely
but intuitively I feel that Cyber Monday is not as popular new website layout. However, it is not worth giving
as Black Friday. The latter has a  lengthier tradition up the fight to optimize the site and take care
and is known beyond selected industries. However, of the most important elements.
in practice, it doesn't really matter, as most companies
launch Black Friday, Black Weekend or even Black Week Looking to prepare the site well for Black Friday and
marketing campaigns. Cyber Monday, to begin with, it is worth taking care
of analytics. If we are planning increased marketing
The seasonality of Black Friday tends to be associated actions, we should – to an even greater extent than
with paid campaigns, but personally I  believe that usual  – ensure correct tagging. This way we will
positioning is an equally important tool in this regard. be able to monitor the effects on an ongoing basis,
For example, an online store selling garden furniture, and after the action is over – draw conclusions that
which is also a seasonal item. Does the owner prepare may prove useful in the following year and serve
year-round for the season? Can they maintain high as a baseline in planning future actions.
visibility in Google's search engine in order to attract
traffic and generate higher sales when the time From the UX point of view, it is always a good idea
is crucial? Of course, they can! to prepare a separate offer dedicated to Black Friday
and Cyber Monday actions. This can be a  special
If we take a look at SEO through the lens of SXO, that category, which will be targeted, for example
is, influencing sales growth not only by generating by banner campaigns. A  graphic element will
additional traffic to the site, but also by optimizing definitely catch the users' attention better than
the conversion rate, we will come to the conclusion that simply placing a tab in the menu.
a well-prepared store in terms of UX will "squeeze" more
out of the traffic that will be generated. We should keep If our activities expect a sudden increase in traffic,
this in mind if we expect to see a boost in traffic during it may be important to temporarily increase
the Black Friday period. the capacity of the server on which the store
is set up. More traffic is an additional load, which
It is worth noting that in the context of Web Core Vitals, can affect the speed and performance of the site.
you should pay attention to domain capacity. It's all After all, this criteria is one of the most important
about optimization, which will not only affect the user elements of user perception of the site. The site
experience and positive Google rating, but above all should allow customers to finalize their purchase
will prepare the site for the increased traffic we expect without any problems, seamlessly pay for goods
during Black Friday. It is considered a good practice or receive an order confirmation. It is better to invest
to anticipate situations in advance and ensure that time and money in proper preparation of the server
the site is up and running for users at all times during than to risk losing profits and, above all, reputation
this hectic period, rather than risk losing profits. and customer trust.

Pawel Borowik Wojciech Bogusz

CEO at iCEA Group CEO of Ebrains

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3. How to prepare What can you do today?

marketing communications Start improving your product descriptions. You don't

for Black Friday? have to make them viral, instead focus on benefits.
Instead of writing about tires, start selling the dream
by telling the story of where those tires can take
the customer. I  know it may sound trivial, but if you
Communication can be responsible for half
overcome any objections at the product introduction
of the success of the entire Black Friday promotion.
stage – your chances of conversion increase. Please
So now it's worth focusing on high-quality content.
note  – a  product description is not a  book, stick
For example, blog content can work on your behalf
to these rules:
to stimulate customers' purchasing needs starting
today. It is worth betting on simple and proven formats,
▶ simple messages (it's not a never ending story,
such as lists, video product presentations, product
be specific in yours)
reviews or – even taking a step forward – gift guides
for the holidays. It's a good idea to start distributing
▶ make it easy to access (don't hide anything,
this type of content across channels at least a month
no extra descriptions after xx clicks on the page)
in advance. On social media, initially we can start with
organic posts, so that as Black Friday approaches, ▶ don't lie (seriously)
we can spice up our communications with additional
budgets to expand our reach. The period of frenzied
promotions is also a good time for email marketing
That's not all, in the "Decoding decisions" report from
communications, although let's exercise restraint
Google there are 5 more points that will improve
in the amount of mailings carried out, because
your conversion.
in a  short while we will be facing an intensified
Christmas campaign and then our recipients may lose
patience with the fact that their inboxes are constantly ▶ use authority figures  – show that you are
flooded with spam. an expert, or invest in an external, e.g.:
a relevant influencer.
Communication, if it is to be effective, must meet
several basic conditions. ▶ Social proof  – make sure to receive feedback
from satisfied customers today, as this will
It must be aimed at the right market segment, build confidence in customers tomorrow.
at the right time, in the right place. Recommendations work as well.

It sounds trivial, but in the end, communication ▶ speed up the process  – the customer wants
is exactly about the recipient being able to interact to receive the product now, the less they have
with you. To make this possible  – get to know to wait the better.
the customer, their habits and digital behavior. If you
succeed in doing so, you are halfway there. The other ▶ use offer-limiting measures, e.g.: only a portion
half is when you already know who your customer of the product's stock is discounted, if the customer
is and can start creating effective messages. is concerned that the product or promotion
will end before they finalize the purchase – this
Remember that while according to a  recent reinforces the desire to buy
study by Professor Gerald Zaltman, 95% of us buy
impulsively, Google partially debunks this theory ▶ use the power of freebies  – this stuff actually
by showing current customer behavior patterns. works. Customers still choose offers where they
Today, micro-moments and catching the user have a chance to receive something for free.
in the spur of the moment – even responding to their
needs is not enough! The Mountain View giant
is perfectly aware that people today no longer only
look for information about a  product prior to their Good luck!
purchase, but also during the process. The customer
today needs a lot more incentives to buy, which is why Jacek Dziura
it's so important that your current communication
Marketing Consultant
prepares the groundwork to reap the fruit at the right
moment in the future.

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4. SEO vs Black Friday and 5. What tools to use when

Cyber Monday preparing a strategy for Black
Friday and Cyber Monday?

Unfortunately, SEO work does not bring immediate

results, so we should systematically take care of our Tools are the backbone of any effective marketer's work,
site's visibility in search results throughout the year. not just around the holidays. They need to be defined
However, we have some tips for those who want as early as the strategy planning stage. If we do not
to implement last-minute actions. use ready-made solutions on a daily basis, we can
get lost in their multitude. It is better to choose a few
Both Black Friday and Cyber Monday are referred
proven tools than to try to test all the recommended
to as "shopping holidays." The event is growing
ones from the TOP 100 marketer lists at the last minute.
in popularity every year. E-commerce is benefiting
from this hot shopping frenzy with low prices and How can you maximize profits during Black Friday and
promotions. During this time, we can record high Cyber Monday? Here are some tips.
conversions from the organic channel, as long
as we continue to work hard to build an exemplary First, determine what products have the highest
store image that meets the criteria of Google's availability at the end of the year, and at the same
algorithms. How big is your piece of the pie during time  – are at the highest search engine positions
Black Friday and Cyber Monday depends on how during this time. For this, you can use: Keywordtool.io,
much strength and resources you invest in SEO all neilpatel.com or Google's keyword planner.
the time.
Selecting the right products is not enough. You still
So, how do you ensure your store's SEO to be ranked need to introduce them to potential customers.
high in Google's results before Black Friday? Currently, the most effective methods to generate
Successful implementation of optimization and traffic are organic search engine activities and paid
improvement of potential deficiencies will lay Google or social media campaigns.
the foundation for SEO. A  practice established
in e-commerce in connection with Black Friday While affecting organic search results is a long-term
and Cyber Monday is to create dedicated landing process, you can start sponsored campaigns practically
pages that feature products at discounted prices. immediately. However, there is a correlation between
While this is the right way to go about it, to stand sponsored campaigns and organic results. It is all about
a chance of breaking into the TOP10 search results, the domain quality factor, which is higher the more
you must constantly work on SEO, not just 2 weeks frequently and effectively a site has proven thematic
before "Black Friday." compatibility with the phrases you want to promote.

When positioning your store for Black Friday Secondly, start conducting a  thorough analysis
and Cyber Monday, we need to clearly define of your website's traffic. Once you know the answer
the targets in terms of key phrases. If your store to the question of where the most relevant traffic
has a  recognizable brand, then the target among "comes" from, you will gain the ability to make
users will be "Black Friday + Brand". Meanwhile, informed decisions about scaling that traffic. Use
a growing trend is "specified bargain search", such Google Analytics for this purpose.
as "black friday iphone 12". With a  list of keywords
already in place, we need to focus on optimizing Finally, analyze user behavior using the Hotjar tool.
the individual URLs for linking purposes. Gain knowledge on how your e-commerce users rate
its intuitiveness. Give them all the product information
they need and create the simplest path to purchase
Tom Czechowski as possible.
SEO Technical Manager
at iCEA Group Armed with all this data, use it to reorganize your store,
optimize it according to Google's requirements, and
then prepare a  budget for sponsored campaigns.

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By doing so, you have the chance to become one This is not only an opportunity to advertise your offer
of those entrepreneurs who can't wait for the weekend and highlight an occasion like Black Friday or Cyber
between Black Friday and Cyber Monday! Monday, but also an opportunity to stand out among
competitors and a chance to occupy more advertising
space in the search network.
Christian Stefanski
Board member at iCEA Group
Maciej Żak
CEO of ADSRight

6. Paid campaigns – when,

where and in which channels? 7. Remarketing – good and bad
practices before Black Friday
and Cyber Monday
During this hectic shopping period, it is worth including
an advertising campaign budget in your strategy.
Even if we do not carry out paid actions on a  daily
basis, however, before Black Friday and Cyber Monday, When a customer visits our e-store but fails to make
an investment in advertising will allow us to increase a  purchase, it does not mean that they are not
the visibility of our brand, as well as participate in the race interested in our offer. Remember that there is such
for customers at the same level as our competitors. a thing as a customer's path to purchase, and few
purchase transactions are finalized after the first
Black Friday and Cyber Monday is a "shopping holiday" contact with a brand or product. That's why it's worth
for business owners, especially those in the e-commerce reminding such a customer about us with the help
industry. During this time, customers can purchase of remarketing in various channels to guide them
products or services at extremely attractive prices. through the stages of the customer journey so that
It is also a specific time for paid advertising. It is advisable they complete a purchase.
to think in advance about planned campaigns in order
to be fully prepared for Black Week. September is the perfect time to prepare a marketing
strategy for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It should
You should not leave the creation of campaigns include remarketing as one of its elements, thanks
to the last minute, especially at such a  unique time. to which we can effectively reach people who once
It is best to start preparations at least a month before visited our website, without making a  purchase
Black Friday. This way you will make sure that your ad or any other action. So it's not hard to conclude that
will not be rejected, and you will have time for possible remarketing and Google Ads campaigns are forms
adjustments. of advertising that anyone who wants to increase
their sales during Black Friday and Cyber Monday
What channels and tools will work effectively for should think about.
Black Week campaigns? This, of course, depends
on the industry and budget, but certainly a  good How to prepare a campaign that will stand out from
idea would be YouTube video advertising (in- the competition and attract the relevant audience
stream skippable, in-stream unskippable as well to your store? First and foremost, remember to have
as Bumper Ads). Neither should you ignore banners varied and interesting content  – bet on messages
with promotional offers. It's worth thinking about containing "call to action" and aesthetic graphics that
changing the copy ads in a  content campaign fit into your audience's area of interest and encourage
or posting ads featuring graphics informing about them to click. On the other hand, bad practices include
the promotion. Creating copy ads and graphics repetitive content and displaying ads too often
during Black Friday and Cyber Monday is not much to one user. In this way, we can discourage a potential
different than the standard ones, but it is important customer from clicking on an ad.
that the campaign reflects the store's current offer and
accurately reaches the target group.
Veronica Graczyk
An important part of preparing for Black Week is also Google Ads Specialist at ADSRight
configuring the promotion extension in Google Ads.

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v I D E o , G R A P H I C S o R T E X T  –
So WHICH CoNTENT FoRMAT
I S C u R R E N T LY T H E M o S T
EFFECTIvE?

D orothy WANAT

E
veryone probably knows by now of a separate section of the platform to focus exclusively
on this format. The results of his work are visible today
that content is king. However, this as the "watch" feature found on the platform's homepage.
phrase has been repeated so many
times that it has become a catchphrase A  year later, in 2017, marketers were still predicting
the dominance of the video format, to which they
and universal advice that can be given attributed 74% of all traffic. However, they pointed out that
to literally anyone. good content marketing should be based on the diversity
of the provided content.

Meanwhile, content can come in different sizes and How does the situation look today?
formats. The most appropriate ones are determined
by your industry, the target audience you intend to reach Video is still a "highly sought-after" format. Its potential
with your message, and the leading trends. was recognized years ago by YouTube's creators and,
relatively recently, by TikTok's creators, which reached 500
million users in March of this year.
THE DEMISE OF THE WRITTEN WORD
The reasons behind the success of video are numerous.
Just five years ago, most marketers, when asked about First of all, it is the format that is closest to real life and
the best content format, without hesitation answered: engages more senses than text alone. In addition,
video! This was the result of observing social media it allows us to "digest" the greater amounts of information
algorithms, which clearly favored this format, as well in a relatively short period of time.
as attempts by market giants to predict the future.
It is worth noting that the audience's psyche also affects
In June 2016, Nicola Mendelsohn (Facebook's VP EMEA) the effectiveness of this type of content, e.g. popular live
announced that within five years, written content is likely broadcasts heavily rely on the FOMO syndrome – they are
to disappear from Facebook and be fully replaced happening in the here and now, and the fear of missing out
by video. Meanwhile, the five years mentioned have just may result on something (potentially valuable/interesting/
passed and – drumroll please! – We're still reading posts. funny) omitting you.

VIDEO
Although Mendelsohn's speculations didn't come true, you FOMO – (fear of missing out) a strong fear
have to admit that at the time, there were tangible numbers or anxiety that we will miss out on something.
It mainly stems from the fear that an exciting
behind her thesis. In January 2016, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO
or interesting event may currently
of Facebook, shared statistics that showed that Facebook be happening elsewhere. FOMO symptoms
users spend 100 million hours each day watching also translate into heavy use of social media.
video content. At the time, he announced the creation

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Source: contentmarketinginstitute.com

Simple videos via stories also provide more opportunities

to showcase a product remotely, which came in handy
especially during the pandemic. Unboxing and product
tests performed by influencers continue to be an essential
compass for consumers' purchasing decisions.

What else do you need to know about

video? It's a format:

▶ supported by social media (with Facebook

and Instagram in the lead);

▶ easy to consume by a wider audience

and requiring little commitment from
the viewers;

▶ offering a variety of tools (e.g., video chats,

stories, boomerangs, and, among the most
recent, YouTube Shorts); GRAPHICS
▶ holding development potential Type of single-bite content, and this is exactly what
(see: virtual reality). Internet users value today. It experienced its heyday with
the rise of Instagram, which continues to be a significant
platform – not only for social media, but also for sales.
That's why graphics account for as much as 54%
Historically, the video format has also been viewed
of content created by B2C marketers (Content Types
favorably for its authenticity, however, with the rise
B2C Marketers Used in Last 12 Months, Content Marketing
of deepfake technology, this asset has fallen out of favor.
Institute, 2020). However, it's a  format that needs a  bit
of "support" by other forms of content – otherwise it can
get lost in its maze.

Deepfake – A video processing technique

An example? The most aesthetically pleasing product
that prepares footage in a difficult-to-detect
manner. An example would be embedding photo won't do anything without any supporting
the face of a well-known politician message or text. The content in this case plays a double
in a pornographic video. role: on the one hand, it creates brand storytelling and
builds a  connection with the viewer, and on the other,

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it acts as an influencer advocate. It is the appropriate However, there are users who will be brave enough
justification for the collaboration that will determine to read more than two paragraphs of text. They may
whether comments such as: "this sofa complements return the favor with a sizable conversion (i.e., buy your
your living room wonderfully, it looks gorgeous!" or rather product, download your e-book or sign up for your
"noticeable and obvious collaboration, unfollow". newsletter). Since they have devoted a chunk of their lives
to reading the article, their lack of a purchase decision
may be something of a hit-and-miss investment.

Storytelling – Creating a narrative around

a product or brand that helps build a bond
with consumers by primarily influencing What should the text include in order
their emotions and imagination. to catch the audience's interest?

Of course, there is no recipe for the perfect text,

but by following a few tricks, you can increase
Good copywriting will turn a simple graphic into a checklist the likelihood of its success:
or infographic, which is another piece of content eagerly
consumed by internet users (Content marketing in Poland
▶ 80/20 rule – well known to social media
report, WhitePress, 2016). With the development of simple,
specialists. Let 80% of your message
free graphic programs (e.g. Canva), many people will be valuable content for readers, and
be able to create visual content themselves at a pretty only 20% be an advertising message;
decent level.
▶ support the text with multimedia –
"bare" text is often not enough, and a full
screen of letters does not encourage
reading. Try to spice it up with graphics,
bullets, and even GIFs or memes;

▶ use ego bait – mention industry

authorities and occasionally mention
a respected person or brand. This
generates traffic, sparks discussion and
drives a new audience to you;

▶ strive for expert content – the modern

user is not satisfied with text that
is just a compilation of commonly
available information. Try for content
that will bring genuine value to your
audience's lives.

TEXT
It is the most diversified format in terms of character
so far, although video is treading on its toes. It can take
micro (e.g., a Facebook post) and macro forms (e-books,
expert articles, how-to guides). For years, everyone has
been prophesying its imminent demise, and yet it always
turns out that content marketing still hasn't exhausted its
full potential. Why is it that, on average, every few years
the industry's biggest names announce the great end
of text forms?

The interaction length with content varies. Today, let's

face it, it is rather shorter than longer. Text requires a fair
amount of commitment, which fewer and fewer people
have the desire and time for. It's simple: the overstimulated
public will always reach for easy-to-read content.

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HOW TO CREATE ▶ test and check conversions. Intuition is important,

but the figures are irrefutable;
EFFECTIVE CONTENT IN 2022?
Out of the three formats discussed in the article, it is video ▶ remember that in addition to the content format,
that copes best on its own  – both graphics and text distribution channels are equally important;
require mutual assistance from one another. What can
▶ define your goals and target audience. If you are
you do about this? Well, from now on you can exclusively
shouting in the desert, it’s impossible for a polar
create videos or bet on…
bear to hear you;

Content's charm ▶ regardless of the format, make sure you have

engaging content. The one-sided monologue
In effective marketing, you can, and even should, combine ended with the demise of TV dominance.
different formats. There is plenty of content that balances
somewhere between video, graphics or text – and it works And most important: don't blindly believe the trends
wonderfully. Infographics, podcasts (see ICMF Survey described in 20 industry articles like How to get ahead
2021), GIFs, 360˚ photos and videos, contests or tests are of your competition? If they have managed to appear
just the first examples. Have fun with content and don't let in so many places, your competitors are already
boredom creep into your activities. aware of them.

WE ARE NO LONGER
MAYBE FORMAT A PHOTO-SHARING APPLICATION
DOESN'T REALLY MATTER
Two days after I finished writing this article, I was browsing
SO MUCH?
through industry news. A  headline "Instagram insists
A surprising question at the end of an article on content on competing with TikTok and will now prioritize video
formats, right? over photos" quickly caught my eye. With this, Adam
Mosseri, director of Instagram, announced that Instagram
Rest assured, formats matter, but by far more important is no longer a photo-sharing app. By no means does this
is the quality of content served, so: mean that the app will take away our ability to upload
square frames of our reality. The fact is, however, that
▶ consider your budget. If you can't afford quality the emphasis will be on short video forms as those more
video, just give it up; attractive to younger audiences.

▶ follow trends, also outside your industry; In which direction these changes will go and how users
will react to them – we can only speculate. At the same
▶ observe your competitors' actions and results, and time, it is worth remembering one thing: the society
then do the same thing, just twice as good; of Internet users is not only Generation Z.

Dorothy Wanat owner of SLOVO

On a daily basis, she plays with words - creating marketing content

that increases sales or builds her clients’ personal brand. Although she loves
social media, she prefers to put aside her phone after work-hours. That’s
when she usually learns foreign languages (currently Dutch) or runs through
puddles with her son Jeremy.

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A  FuNCTIoNAL
SToRE, WHAT DoES
THAT MEAN? DESIGN
YouR SToRE To MEET
T H E C u S T o M E R' S N E E D S .

Claudia PAWŁOWSKA

D
oes a  perfectly designed online and maybe even smartwatches in the near future.
It is worth remembering that the functionalities available
store even exist? Certainly not. on the desktop should also work similarly on other versions.
There will always be some element Sometimes I  come across a  functionality that I  know
that could have been designed better. and like on the desktop version, but which are missing
on my phone.
Often even the owners or designers of these
stores are aware of issues that need
INCLUSIVE
improvement, however, they are limited
There is more and more talk about inclusivity
by things such as budget, store software in the context of web design. This is great news, because
or hosting. In this article, I  will try not everyone should be able to freely use the Internet and
experience its full potential at the same time. Faced
to think about all limitations and present
with this, a useful store is one that can be enjoyed by all
the elements of a store that are useful and interested parties.
designed to benefit users.
In order to be able to say that a  website is inclusive,
it is necessary to ensure that every element of it is designed
in accordance with the art, preferably in accordance with
SAFE AND BUILDING TRUST the WCAG 2 requirements.
First of all, a useful store is a secure store, meaning one that
is protected by at least an SSL certificate. A secure store
is also one that contains all legally mandated information.
It should include an "About Us" tab, which tells users who What exactly is WCAG2? Web Content
the seller is, what their values are and how to contact them. Accessibility Guidelines is a set
of recommendations on web content
accessibility. The standard is a set of 12
RESPONSIVE guidelines that define the features of each
piece of content on the web, for example,
I can't imagine a functional store that isn't responsive – it's on online stores or mobile applications.
a staple these days. Nowadays, designing a store starts The overriding principles state that
with creating a mobile version, or at least it should. An it should be: perceivable, functional,
online store cannot work properly only on computers understandable and robust.
and phones, but also on other devices, such as tablets,

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 User Experience

Through the use of various attributes and meta tags, blind is transparent, and the user knows which one to choose
people can navigate freely through websites with the help without any hesitation. To ensure this, we should avoid
of appropriate readers. creating similar categories, which confuse the user who
is unable to differentiate between them. Also, let's not
On the other hand, bearing in mind the visually overly condense categories if it isn't necessary.
impaired and those with other visual problems, such
as problems in distinguishing colors, do not forget Personally, I'm a big fan of stores where I can browse all
about the appropriate contrast of the font in relation the products without having to select more subcategories.
to the background. Certainly there are more such users. Being able to browse
products without the need to select more categories
Avoid a  situation where the label for filtering products is a bit like visiting stationary stores.
by color is just a square filled with a color. It is also worth
adding a label indicating the particular color. Sometimes we enter markets because we are looking
for a particular product. Then we go to the appropriate
aisle and reach for a  specific product. Sometimes,
however, we enter such a  store thinking "maybe I'll buy
something," but we don't know exactly what. The same
goes for an online store. Let's provide users with an option
that allows them to browse all products without having
to reach the last sub-category possible.

PROPERLY DESIGNED
WEBPAGES

1. Home page
Source: https://semilac.pl/en/uv-hybrids/uv-hybrid-colors.
An example of missing labels for a color filter.

More often than not, the home page is the place of a user's
first interaction with an online store. This is where they
It is also obvious that fonts should be the appropriate size.
decide whether they want to continue their shopping or not.
It is believed that those smaller than 14 px are difficult
Therefore, when talking about the usability of an online
to read and should be avoided.
store, we must not forget about the homepage.

Also, do not forget that the users of our site may use other
The homepage should display the online store’s offer
titles to identify themselves than just man or woman. Try
and what kind of items the user can expect to find there.
to avoid gender-specific questions in your forms or provide
It is worth informing users about your flagship products
an additional option in your responses.
that you wish to show off or which are liked by your
customers.
VISUALLY APPEALING
The website, of course, should look attractive. However,
The home page should have an intuitive layout.
we are referring to minimalism, simplicity and neatness
It is important that the user can easily navigate
more than to over-the-top graphics. Often beautiful graphics to the desired category, find their profile
and moving elements are interesting only at the first or shopping cart in the same place they usually
perception of the site, but when the user is supposed see these icons.
to find something on it, these types of elements begin
to interfere, annoy and often make the store load longer
and make it harder to find the product on the site.

2. Category page
FUNCTIONAL MENU
The category card needs to include relevant features.
We should provide an aesthetically pleasing and In addition to the main menu, it must also include
clear menu for our online store, preferably in the form a breadcrumb menu that will allow the user to easily find
of a megamenu. It is important that the category division their way around the site.

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 User Experience

are made. Make sure the product photos are not only
on a white background, but also in space, so that they
What is a breadcrumb menu? adequately show the dimensions of the products.
Recently, 360° photos have become popular,
It's a menu-building technique for allowing you to see the product from all sides, even
an e-commerce site that makes it easier
from underneath. Avoid photos where you can't see
for Google robots and users to find their
the product clearly, for example, there are often
way around the website. The idea is to
black and white, blurry photos on the Zara's website,
simplify navigation. This procedure
also plays an important role in the SEO or photos where you can't see the entire product.
process. Such photos should be avoided unless you want
to be talked about.

The user should be able to filter and sort the product

list easily. At the same time, make sure that the filters
are complementary to the displayed products. If we are
on the "dresses" category page, at least it should be possible
to filter by color, material, size and price.

It is worth ensuring that the user has the ability

to change the amount of products and the way they
are displayed.

It should be possible for users to add products

to the shopping cart directly from the category page,
as well as to add items to favorites or some other list
allowing to save them for later.

Source: www.zara.com.

▶ The price of the product, along with any

promotional information;

▶ a  brief description, size and other features

Source: https://www.zalando.co.uk/womens-clothing-dresses/.
An example of a well-designed product category page. of the product  – presenting this information
in a graphic form, such as a table, works best;

3. Product card ▶ a  clearly visible "Add to cart" button  – such

a  button should stand out from other information
The product card should also be designed in a particular
on the product card;
way. It should include such elements as:

▶ photos of the product  – preferably from different ▶ information about product's availability and stock;
angles, and above all make sure they are sharp,
with the possibility to zoom in, as to examine small
details such as the materials from which the goods ▶ information about the shipping fee and delivery date;

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 User Experience

▶ product opinions and reviews by other users – this For example, if the user has entered the street and city
is an extremely important element that buyers pay they live in, the system to be able to automatically fill
attention to. It is worthwhile to allow users to add in the postal code.
a  picture of the product to the reviews, example:
shein.com;

It is good practice for the system

to automatically verify the correctness
of the data, for example, to check
whether the given street exists
in the given city or whether "@"
Source: shein.com. is included in the email address.

▶ The ability to add products to favorites.

In addition, it is worth thinking about such features as: Keep in mind that the text field labels should be above
the text fields, never within them. Do not use labels inside
the text fields for two reasons. First, because such a view
▶ a  video presenting the product  – especially useful
may be treated by users as default or already entered
if you offer a  specific product, which can benefit
values. Secondly, internal labels disappear as you
from motion, such as a  dress that fits nicely
enter information, making it difficult or impossible
when walking; it is also a  good practice to add
to make corrections or verify whether you are entering
a  video with instructions for using the product
the correct data.
or assembly instructions;

It is also important to ensure that incorrectly filled form

▶ use of Augmented Reality (AR) technology – recently, fields are clearly marked. Underneath each wrongly
the ability to place products in your own space using filled text field, there should be information about
AR has become popular. So it can be expected the incorrect completion and a hint to correct the error.
that it will be increasingly used in e-commerce. Solely marking an incorrectly filled field with a red box
I recommend you start thinking about it now; is not enough.

It is useful to label mandatory fields correctly.

▶ Suggestions for complimentary products and those
As a  rule, if most of the fields are optional, a  red
found in images.
asterisk marks those that are obligatory, and if that
is the case for most fields, add a label next to those that
are optional.
4. The shopping cart
There should also be an option to change the number
Everyone knows that a  well-designed shopping of products in the shopping cart, and the total cost
cart is extremely important. What should you keep of the order should be automatically recalculated.
in mind to ensure that the shopping process is easy and
enjoyable? Before the user is requested to pay for the order,
they should be able to see a  summary of the data
It is a  good idea to divide the ordering process into concerning them.
several stages, so that the user will feel more in control
of where they are and their next steps. It is worth providing various payment methods. Users
are very keen on choosing the blik method, which
Above all, the shopping form should be designed is important to keep in mind nowadays.
correctly. As a  general rule, ask the user to fill in only
the relevant text fields. Consider having some fields It should also be possible for users to place an order
fill in automatically based on other users information. without logging in.

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 User Experience

USER-FRIENDLY EASY RETURNS

FEATURES AND REFUNDS
Stores are outdoing themselves with ideas on how Nowadays, before users buy a  product online, they
to be better and friendlier than the competition. As a result, check whether they can easily return it. Automatic forms
they have developed functionalities that are slowly on the website are worth considering. It's best to make
becoming demanded by users. Customers welcome several return options available, such as by courier,
them with open arms, and they can change the entire postbox or in a  stationary store. And if only we have
perception of your store. the ability to offer free returns, I recommend implementing
this feature.

FREE DELIVERY
SUMMARY
Of course, in a perfect world, a store would always offer
free delivery, but providing it if a user spends a certain Apart from the above-mentioned advice, further
amount at the store is also welcomed by customers, tips could be listed, including how to properly set
and moreover, it often encourages them to spend more up an account, what a  user profile should look like,
at the store than they initially anticipated. If the store how a user-friendly search engine should work, how the
allows free delivery, it is worth informing users about right messages should sound. However, by providing
it in several strategic places. I suggest providing such the above-mentioned functionalities in our store,
information above the top menu bar, on the product card, we can without any doubt claim that our store meets
in the shopping cart preview and at the checkout. usability standards.

Claudia Junior UX Specialist

Pawlowska | iCEA Group

UX designer with experience in SEO. On a daily basis, I design experiences

and conduct research for iCEA Group clients. My passions are traveling,
reading fantasy books and music.

REKLAMA

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 User Experience

V
hen discussing topics such
as conversion rates or paid
campaigns’ effectiveness, the
shopping cart value is frequently
overlooked. After all, by increasing
sales we more often mean increasing
the number of transactions, and only
after the transaction value. So, for this
reason, in the following article we will
focus on this neglected topic.

E-commerce specialists from the Strategic Mind team

cover the best methods to increase your shopping
cart value.

Mike
6 METHoDS KUCIŃSKI
To INCREASE E-commerce & Marketing
Consultant

YouR S HoPP I NG
C A R T vA Lu E
1. Free shipping for orders exceeding
a specific amount

The simplest, yet extremely effective way to increase

the cart value is to offer free delivery on orders that
exceed the current AOV (average order value), which
is simply the average cart value. Be aware that free
delivery is a marketing cost in such a situation, and the
minimum amount should be calculated to guarantee
profitability.

In order for this method to be truly effective, the free

shipping information should be visible to the customer
throughout the entire shopping experience, no matter
what page they are on. It’s a good idea to visibly
communicate the amount missing for free shipping,
as well as the current cost. Thanks to a simple comparison
in the shopping cart, we can show the customer
that with their current balance they need to pay,
for example, an extra $15 for delivery, however if hey
select a few extra products, this additional cost will
magically disappear ;)

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User Experience

The minimum amount required for free shipping does Conduct a user and shopping cart behavior analysis
not have to be the only threshold upon which a customer in order to avoid such mistakes.
can feel rewarded. For large purchases, such an additional
benefit system can have many more tiers. In addition If customers buy more than one product and do so regularly,
to free delivery, you can also add a gift (a product for we can safely assume that this is a favorite product. In this
free) for purchases above a certain amount (e.g., $100 situation, bundles placed on the product page and in the
more than required for free shipment). Of course, shopping cart, where we add complementary products,
we need to specify the price of such a product, as to inform work best. In fact, statistics for one of our clients from the
the customer how much they „save” by increasing their beauty industry revealed that customers often bought
cart value. one product and added other matching products to it.
Thanks to discounted product bundles, we were able to
permanently increase the average number of products
in the shopping cart and its value. The key is to properly
calculate this discount, so that such a tactic makes sense.

Przemysław Where exactly should product bundles be located?

DURCZAK
There are many options, and they are largely dependent
E-commerce & Marketing on how much space we actually have. The most common
Consultant is to create boxes on the product card itself, or the shopping
cart page.

2. Recommended product bundles

Oscar
Every e-commerce store has products that match others
in some way. A hoodie with pants can form a tracksuit, WOJCIECHOWSKI
and a coffee grinder nicely pairs with beans, or maybe
a set of espresso cups. E-commerce & Marketing
Consultant

Any reasonable combination is worth proposing

to customers as a bundle offer - similar to fashion sets, where
the products are displayed on models, or as accessories
complementing the main product in this case “the look”.
Referring to the aforementioned example, an espresso 3. Discounts vs. product bundles
machine could be the main product in a bundle including
coffee beans, cups and a grinder. In e-commerce, it is much simpler to provide discounts
for combining other products. For example, when buying
In this approach, it is crucial to pick the recommended boxing gloves, we will buy all the punching bags 5%
products in such a way that the package offer realistically cheaper. Of course, there can be bundles, and a common
makes sense from the customer. Often this generation solution is to create an additional suggestion box on the
of recommended product bundles is automated, and product card. It is important that such discounts must
doesn’t always end well. In most cases, an incorrect be explicitly noted in the shopping cart, so that the
suggestion will be ignored by the customer, however, customer is aware that by purchasing certain products
if someone opts for a recommended grinder for an espresso as a set, they save money.
machine that already has a built-in grinder, they may
feel cheated by the store and „swindled” into purchasing To determine which products are relevant, you can use
an additional, unnecessary product. statistics and review what products are most often
purchased in pairs or in larger bundles. Subsequently,
In order to avoid committing such mistakes, conduct offer them to the next customer, indicating that they save
a user and shopping cart behavior analysis. If customers X amount of dollars when they opt for the bundle offer.
buy more than one product, and do so regularly, we can Of course, if we come up with our own ideas for product
safely assume that these are their favorite items. bundles that customers haven’t already thought of, we can
create them as well.

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 User Experience

4. Pop-ups with product suggestions example, the decorative packaging option could be found
at any store that offers products that could be gifts.
after you add a product to the cart

Although this idea is somewhat related to the ones

mentioned above, it deserves being addressed separately
for one important reason. It concerns a key decision-making
moment in e-commerce, i.e. adding a product to the cart. Paul
SZYMONIAK
Although the money hasn’t been yet transferred to our
account, the process indicates a very clear intention
to purchase, and a higher potential interest in discounts
CEO of Strategic Mind
and offers.

At this time, in the form of a pop-up, offer the customer

additional benefits:

▶ product guarantee,
6. Upselling via email or phone
▶ an additional and matching product,
Although — technically — this doesn’t increase cart
value, contacting customers who have already made
▶ increasing the shopping cart value to the free
a purchase, is a fantastic strategy in many industries.
delivery amount.
When reaching out to them by phone or email, we can
inform them about additional products to match those
already shipped, and during the process offer a discount
on future purchases. Yes, it is true this won’t increase
the shopping cart value of an already placed order, but
Przemysław we can increase the likelihood of a subsequent order

MARCINIAK or increase its value.

E-commerce Marketing This method certainly won’t work in every industry, although
Strategist it will work wonders in industries where customer relations
are critical.

5. Additional services WHICH METHODS WILL WORK FOR MY

E-COMMERCE?
This method is used, among others, by large stores selling
electronic goods, such as Media Expert or Euro RTV AGD. The answer to this question depends on a number of factors,
It relies on offering the customer, at the completing the including the product type, order frequency, average cart
purchase stage, such services as: value and user behavior. There are no universal solutions,
so regardless of what you ultimately decide on, it is crucial
▶ decorative packaging, to measure the effects of the carried out actions and pay
attention to the possible abnormalities.
▶ delivery on a specified date (even on Saturday),
It is worth remembering that the average cart value
▶ extended warranty, is also affected by higher orders that may be typical
for in a given period.
▶ product insurance.
In conclusion, the shopping cart value is one of the more
It is no coincidence that this method is mainly used in underestimated and overlooked metrics in e-commerce,
a particular segment of e-commerce, where the cost of but it is definitely worth looking into, as it can tell
equipment often exceeds a four-digit figure, yet it can us a lot about our current situation and inspire us to make
work well in other industries, when properly adapted. For significant changes that will really help boost sales.

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E-commerce

MARKETING
AuToMATIoN
I N A N E - C o M M E R C E S T o R E  –
DoES IT SIMPLIFY
PRoCESSES oR GENERATE
EXTRA CoSTS?

David DZIADKOWIEC

R
ight from the start, the question Where do these profits come from
in the title gives a lot of food for and why so rapidly?
thought. Because, after all, au- Marketing automation platforms use two ways
tomation is associated with improving to monetize data flow. First, they learn about the individual
processes. It should reduce manpower, customer and their preferences, and second, they keep
in touch with them in an automated way, across different
thereby eliminating the risk of human outreach channels.
error and reducing, not increasing,
costs. In addition, in e-commerce, GET TO KNOW
all marketing automation tools have YOUR CUSTOMER
"rapid return on investment" listed
You can study, within your site, the individual user's
as their main benefit. So how does the behavioral patterns. That is, information is collected about:
situation look like in reality?
▶ what categories or products they view;

▶ what they add to their shopping cart;

MARKETING AUTOMATION
IN A NUTSHELL ▶ what they ultimately purchase.

The available marketing automation solutions on the

market, offered as a  plug-in for e-commerce stores, We also learn how much the customer spends throughout
promote themselves with the catchphrase "Instant ROI", the entire cycle of the relationship with the brand and
which means that from the moment you start working how frequently they visit the e-store. Among other
with them, you'll be able to make a return in profit in just things, this information is used to engage customers with
one month. personalized offers at the right place and time.

69
 E-commerce

AUTOMATION
& PERSONALIZATION
There's a reason why the overriding benefit is personalized
interactions. For example, at a  pet store, you should
communicate quite differently with a parrot owner who
buys seeds once every three months, and differently
with the owner of two dogs who buys food, vitamins and
chewing toys for their pets once per month.

This is the only way you are able to build a perception

in your customers that you know them and care about
ENGAGE THEM their needs. Only then will you make them trust you and
keep coming back.
At this stage, the marketing automation system
automatically initiates actions when a  platform user
Personalized contact with all your e-commerce
performs an activity on the site (or fails to do so). In this
users is of course impossible without automation
regard, the systems give us a range of possibilities to exploit.
(because of the scale). Properly implemented, the tool
is capable of being responsible for thousands of points
a) Artificial intelligence-based recommendation
of contact between our brand and the customer, and
frameworks
consequently generating sales ranging from 20%
The marketing automation plugin can display products in the tool industry to as much as 40% in the fashion and
to the user that are selected by artificial intelligence beauty industries.
mechanisms based on other customers' purchases.

In this way, you can suggest personalized products "THE IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE TOO
at each stage of the online customer journey. Thus, you
DIFFICULT FOR US TO FULLY TAKE
save the customer's time, allowing them to find something
faster, or show them things they might need but haven't ADVANTAGE OF."
even thought of yet.

The question in the title derives from precisely such

b) Automatic mailing scenarios concerns. E-commerce owners will sooner or later
have to face marketing automation solutions. Those
They are designed to keep in touch with your customer
at the beginning of their adventure in the industry
throughout the year – without your active involvement.
may feel that the implementation process requires
They are triggered by a specific condition. If a customer
a  lot of work, and the mere creation of a  smoothly
abandons a  shopping cart, send them an email with
running machine consists of many factors they had
the products they selected but did not purchase.
no idea about before, and now need to be taken care
If the customer doesn't visit your site for 30 days, then send
of. The question arises: who will implement all this and
them an activation email.
operate this tool?

STAGE 1:
Integration

If you run an online store built on one of the popular

e-commerce platforms (such as Shoper, PrestaShop,
IAIShop, WooCommerce and other SaaS solutions)
the case is very simple.

Most marketing automation solutions offer instant

integration with popular platforms. However, if your
online business is built on a  specialized solution, this
by no means does this imply that you need to pull
engineers and quantum physicists from Silicon Valley.
All you need is a  well-written API integration guide
A graphic showing the automation scheme. on the vendor's side and the help of clever programmers

70
E-commerce

who work to maintain your e-commerce. So, if your store While the support department implements the proposed
isn't a  technological mess, integration shouldn't cause solutions as part of the onboarding service, you will have
much trouble. time to attend training sessions and learn the system.
So that when the time comes  – once the system
is already earning money by itself  – you can take
STAGE 2:
over the reins.
How does one go about learning
the system and its capabilities?
STAGE 4:
You don't have to worry that you are going to be left Maintenance
alone with all of this. The best solutions on the market and optimization
when you start working with a  service provider will
ensure a  proper implementation process. A  technical The creation of an "automatic remarketing machine"
supervisor, a so-called customer care specialist, should aimed at keeping an ongoing personalized contact with
be assigned to you. They will first check the proper customers is of course not the end of the story. Even
integration, and then organize an implementation a  Swiss watch needs occasional maintenance. Treat
meeting where you will plan a  training or a  full the marketing automation tool like any other channel for
automation implementation process. reaching customers.

Set goals for yourself, such as:

***PRO TIP ▶ grow your mailing base by x%;

If you opt for a marketing automation

▶ increase the mailing's share in your revenue.
solution and have never created graphic
content or designed customer contact
paths by yourself, companies providing
marketing automation solutions often offer And then regularly check the results of specific
extended implementation as an additional implementations. You don't have to analyze the results
service. The cheapest billing costs about 1/10 every day, but check the reports at least once a month.
of the annual amount of the entire solution.
If after two months of running the system, the reports
This amount can be even several times
less than the minimum monthly net salary, show that the cross-selling recommendation scenario
and then you can rest assured that your has a significantly higher open rate than the abandoned
implementation will generate the first cart recovery scenario, try changing the email title
conversions. or the shipping time in the scenario scheme.

STAGE 3:
***PRO TIP
What do we launch and how?
Don't assume beforehand that
During the first meeting with the customer care
something won't work for you if you
supervisor, you will identify the weaknesses and haven't even tested it yet.
strengths of your brand. The assigned technical Keep testing! Add, edit more
supervisor is, by definition, an experienced person who implementations and scenarios,
creates automations on a daily basis and has already and then monitor their effectiveness.
encountered an account from the same industry. Only later draw conclusions. This
They will be able to determine the overall direction is the only way you are able to use
of developing marketing automation in your e-store, the full potential of getting to know
i.e. they will suggest how to benefit from the data you your customers and maintaining
currently have, how to categorize customers, which lucrative relationships
scenarios to implement first, and which solutions are with them.
the most popular in your industry.

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 E-commerce

SUMMARY
AND CHECKLIST
̹ Participate in the implementation
If you're running an e-commerce, marketing automation training — it's free knowledge
is a  topic you should definitely look into. Nurturing that will translate into results!
relationships with your current customers is equally
important as attracting new traffic, and nothing else will
help you more than analyzing your customers' individual ̹ Study the industry leaders' sites
needs and keeping a  regular, personalized contact and check what automations
with them.
they use.

̹ Don't be afraid to make mistakes

̹ Checklist for implementing and test different methods
a marketing automation solution of reaching customers.

̹ Make an appointment for ̹ Base your conclusions

a consultation and/or audit before on reports and results, not
you choose any solution. personal feelings. Just because
5 people unsubscribed after
̹ Make sure that the integration you sent 1,000 emails doesn't
with your e-store will not create necessarily mean you're
any issues. sending spam.

̹ During the consultation, specifically ̹ Optimize. Keep an eye on your

ask about how the implementation tool and improve the automation
process works. as much as possible.

David Account Executive

Dziadkowiec | Edrone

He is responsible for consulting and advising on the implementation

of a  marketing automation system for e-commerce clients. He gained
experience in marketing while running his own agency. As a  result, he
has a deeper understanding of the needs and challenges of e-commerce
stores in terms of online promotion. Privately, he practices calisthenics
and loves to grow plants.

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E-commerce

HoW To BuILD PRICING

STRATEGIES THAT INCREASE
BuSINESS PRoFITABILITY?

Mathew WRÓBEL

73
 E-commerce

I
s introducing pricing strategies current market behavior, not on a one-off value added
to the price at which the goods were bought.
into your e-commerce a good way
to increase sales? Of course, it is. In order to properly establish the minimum price,
How to do it? That’s a more complicated it is worthwhile to dig into the figures of your purchase
or production prices. This will enable you to plan long-term
question. A cursory check of competitors’
pricing strategies. After analyzing your competitors, you
prices and a one-time rate adjustment may find that your prices are too high to implement a given
is not enough. By doing so, we may pricing strategy model. If you don’t plan to consciously
undercut the market, you need to ensure that you make
act on an ad hoc basis, rather than
a tangible profit on your sales.
on a long-term basis, and as a result,
deprive ourselves of profits and customers.

Remember!

KNOWLEDGE FIRST, ACTION LATER ▶ Margin, mark-up and profit expressed

as an amount are identical.
Knowledge allows us to make smart decisions. If you want
▶ The markup expressed as an amount
to act on your e-commerce pricing... first check how your
is calculated using the same formula
competitors are doing. Monitoring other vendors will allow as the margin expressed as an amount.
you to determine the rates they give on specific products.
Unlike the offline market, online stores allow buyers ▶ Profit expressed as an amount
is always identical.
to quickly and easily compare offers from multiple vendors,
and so the risk of buying at inflated prices is significantly
lower here.
It is very important to distinguish between a margin and
In this case, a professional monitoring system will markup expressed as a percentage. Many entrepreneurs
be useful. You can check prices on a particular sales confuse these two concepts, thereby miscalculating the
channel or directly at the selected e-store. Through such minimum price. In such a situation, the use of competitive
a practice, you will be aware of how your assortment ranks monitoring and pricing strategies will not be helpful,
in the e-commerce arena. because of the basic error.

▶ The percentage markup is the ratio between

Most products do not maintain a fixed price the sales profit and the purchase price
network-wide. It’s a wise idea to follow the of the goods.
competition across the sales channels that
▶ The percentage margin is the ratio between
interest you. If you sell in marketplaces, the sales profit and the selling price.
closely track prices on these platforms.

PREPARING A PLAN IS THE BASIS

DOES THE PRICE WORK WONDERS? FOR AN EFFECTIVE ACTION
Not much needs to be said about the key role of price It is important to consider whether you want to offer all your
in e-commerce, to put it bluntly it is an extremely important customers the same rates or diversify them depending
buying stimulus. on the sales channel. In this case, you can choose one
of two options.

Statistical studies regarding which factors ▶ Equal pricing strategy — as the name suggests,
Internet users consider when shopping indicate it allows you to set a single, standardized amount that
price as one of the main elements. a buyer will pay for a given product on every sales
channel that displays your offer.

If you are an entrepreneur and sell a product online, ▶ Differential pricing strategy — involves displaying
you need to know how to optimize the prices of your goods. the same products at different prices. The price
It is necessary to keep an eye on the minimum prices discrepancy may be due to a different sales channel
in order for your actions to generate real profits. However, or customer relationship (for example, when you offer
the amount paid by the buyer should be based on the loyalty discounts).

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E-commerce

PRICE IS THE BASIC ELEMENT Neutral pricing strategy

OF THE STRATEGY With the neutral pricing strategy, we offer an average
market price for the product. The strategy will work well
Pricing strategies are decisions about your company’s
for mid-range goods or substitutes for prestige products.
pricing policy and their correlation with the goal you want
It is the result of combining the quality and price of a given
to achieve. For example, you may want to rapidly boost
assortment.
profits, build your brand among consumers, increase
market share relative to your competitors, or introduce
a new commodity to the market.

Using this strategy, you should offer

The product prices you set for your e-commerce must
a product that stands out from your
reflect a value-for-money benefit to the customer. These
competitors thanks to additional features
are the choices you need to make as an entrepreneur
(or effectively highlight them). Importantly,
to aptly solve the problem of pricing. On the one hand,
in this case, you don’t have to worry about
the price has to attract buyers, on the other hand, it has
starting a price war with your competitors,
to generate benefits for you.
as the prices you are setting do not pose
a threat to them.

Remember!
Low pricing strategy
We can distinguish between four
framework pricing strategies: This is one of the most popular e-commerce pricing
strategies. It can refer to:
▶ high pricing strategy,

▶ neutral pricing strategy, ▶ the desire to make a quick profit,

▶ low pricing strategy, ▶ discourage competitors from introducing a particular

product into the market,
▶ imitator strategy.
▶ increase brand recognition,

▶ to build a position in the industry.

High pricing strategy
The strategy involves setting the lowest prices possible
The high pricing strategy involves setting relatively
on a given product.
higher prices than the competition. In this model, we can
distinguish two strategies:
In its extreme form, can be demonstrated in the following
▶ Prestige pricing — involves setting prices higher than strategies:
average. It works well for luxury or limited edition
products. The purchase gives the consumer a sense ▶ Preventive pricing — involves setting the lowest
of prestige, so they are likely to pay more for the product; prices to prevent new competitors from entering
the market;
▶ Skimming pricing — a tactic usually used for
innovative, newly introduced on the market and ▶ to eliminate competitors — when well-played, allows
in-demand products. The inflated price of an item eliminating competitors from the market. When you
is attractive to the customer because it makes them get rid of other bidders, you can increase prices.
feel exclusive and special. In addition, the assortment
is not commonly available from competitors, which
increases its attractiveness in the eyes of the buyer.
You need to carefully consider your
company’s budget before pursuing
In the high price strategy, the sense of luxury that the above strategies. In both cases,
accompanies the buyer is extremely important. expect that they bring financial losses
and are risky in the long run.
When choosing this model, you need to provide
additional qualities that will catch your customer’s
attention. The right color scheme of the offer,
a careful description, the purchaser’s comfort, The low pricing strategy does not have to manifest itself
high quality service or fast and elegantly packaged in extremely low prices set to eliminate other vendors.
shipping will help you gain a satisfied customer. If you want to use this solution, you can balance prices

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within a small range. By doing so, your offer will be favored Whether you want your prices to be equal, higher or lower
over other sellers. If you additionally take care of the than average market prices, you shouldn’t withhold from
other factors affecting buyer satisfaction, you can expect other promotional methods that will help you boost sales.
to increase your business profitability. Using a product assortment group, the so-called traffic
generators, to attract customers’ attention is one popular
pricing tactic.
Imitator Strategy
This strategy relies on imitating other vendors and
taking over their pricing policies on given products.
COMPETITOR MONITORING IS THE
The method is based on monitoring the competition, FOUNDATION FOR CONDUCTING
as it cannot be implemented without knowing what prices PRICING STRATEGIES
they set.
While there is no single, simple and proven method
for e-commerce pricing. It is a complex process, based
E-COMMERCE IS ALL ABOUT on a variety of factors. Undoubtedly, automating some
DIVERSITY of the work will help you efficiently manage your e-commerce,
and ultimately save time and money and increase profits.

You don’t have to apply only one pricing Checking what prices the competitors are setting
strategy within your business. You can tailor on specific products is the basis for effective management
your assortment pricing to meet the expectations of the pricing policy. Professional systems for competition
of your particular consumer group and sales
monitoring and price automation will allow you
channel.
to accurately manage your chosen pricing strategies.

Head of Sales
Mathew Wróbel | LivePrice

I have been involved in the e-commerce industry for many years. I advise
clients on the most effective ways to develop their e-commerce, so they
can boost profits.

REKLAMA

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E-commerce

WHAT ENGINE
SHouLD I CHooSE
FoR MY
E-CoMMERCE SITE?

Lucas JANIK

T
he cornerstone of an online e-commerce solution, where we can set the basic
elements according to our own preferences and
sales-based business is the online integrate external services available for the software
sales channel. Many sellers begin (online payments, warehouse systems, etc.). In such
their adventure by selling products a system, we do not have access to the application’s
source code, we cannot make changes on our own (and,
on marketplaces, but eventually (and as a rule, the provider does not make individual changes
preferably from the beginning) everyone to individual stores, and from time to time only makes new
should aim to launch sales on their own functionalities and changes available to all customers).

e-store. And here comes one of the most

important questions on every vendor’s
path — what engine should I choose Advantages:
for my e-store? After some time, this ▶ short store launch time;
question turns into another one... which ▶ low cost of implementation
engine should I switch to? and maintenance;

▶ high stability of operation

The change doesn’t have to be the result of a bad (up to a certain number of customers);
initial choice. When running an online store, we should ▶ off-the-shelf extended range
be ready to change the engine as our business grows of functionality and most popular
along with new needs and financial possibilities. integrations.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS Disadvantages:

There are dozens of e-commerce engines available ▶ limited possibilities to change

on the market, which we can divide them into 3 segments: the appearance and functionality;
SaaS, open source and enterprise. It is impossible ▶ lack of ownership rights to the system;
to unequivocally identify the best solution, as each has
its own advantages and disadvantages. The choice ▶ dependence on one supplier,
manufacturer;
of a segment, as well as a specific engine, should start with
a thorough analysis and by answering a few questions. ▶ manufacturer’s pre-imposed terms
of cooperation, SLA, fees
(e.g., sales commission).
SaaS
SaaS (Software as a Service) are software solutions
provided as a subscription model. For a fixed monthly fee Popular SaaS solutions: Shoper, Sky-Shop, RedCart,
(and usually without any initial fee) we get a ready-made IdoSell, Shopify.

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 E-commerce

Open source Popular open source solutions: PrestaShop, WooCommerce,

Magento, Sylius, Shopware.
Open source solutions, or open source software, are
engines providing a publicly available source code.
For someone who has technical skills, this allows A dedicated platform / enterprise solution
you to run the platform all by yourself. However, the
The largest online stores often opt for specialized
most important distinguishing feature of these types
solutions (software written from scratch, usually
of engines is the ability to make any changes and add
by their own development team) or advanced
additional functionality and integrations. Therefore, in this
enterprise-class solutions. They are distinguished primarily
solution, the choice of engine is not even the most
by their high performance and scalability, i.e. handling
critical one (although yes, it still matters!), but the choice
virtually unlimited customer traffic, as well as high SLA
of an appropriate technology partner (e-commerce
(24/7/365 rapid response to failures). These are the most
agency, software house), which will perform the
costly solutions (amounts running into millions of dollars).
implementation, and then take care of the technical care
and development of the store.
Popular enterprise solutions: SAP Hybris, Magento
Enterprise, Salesforce Commerce, Oracle Commerce.
When choosing an agency to cooperate with, it is worth
paying attention to their experience (diversity of the
implemented projects, whether they create their own WHAT ELSE SHOULD I PAY
modules and templates or use only ready-made ATTENTION TO?
solutions), size (how big the team is, whether the team
The preceding analysis and comparison should help
includes only programmers or also project managers,
vendors select a solution segment, and subsequently
testers, UX specialists) and portfolio (the size of the
choose a specific engine for it.
companies the agency works for, the scale of sales
of the supported stores). Of course, the better the
agency, the higher the hourly rate, but often this expense
is returned several times in the long run. Answers to the following questions will
help in selecting the right engine:

1. with which external systems does

Advantages: the given engine have ready integrations?
In particular, pay attention to the systems
▶ virtually unlimited possibilities already used in a given company, such
to customize the engine to meet as a warehouse or accounting systems.
your needs and current trends;
2. does the engine have an API to integrate
▶ Access to the source code, which
external solutions?
gives you the ability to make
any modifications you want; 3. what stores on the market use the given
▶ a very large number of ready-made platform? From which industries?
modules and integrations available
for free or for a one-time fee; 4. In the case of open source - how many
software companies are involved in the
▶ full ownership of the system; software in question? In the case of SaaS
▶ independence from a single provider — systems - how large and stable is the
we can change the company company behind a given solution?
operating the store or hire
an in-house programmer. 5. How large is the sales base and expected
customer traffic - will the solution be
powerful enough?
Disadvantages:
6. does the engine have all the necessary
▶ higher cost of implementation functionalities for sales, or is it possible
(from several to even several
for developers to add them?
hundred thousand dollars);

▶ additional costs associated 7. how is the given engine adapted to SEO?

with updates and system It is worth consulting the choice with your
expansion. SEO agency.

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E-commerce

SUMMARY
A thorough analysis of the aforementioned advantages ▶ we need functionalities that no SaaS
and disadvantages of each solution, as well as a clear solution offers;
definition of one’s needs and market research, will bring us
▶ we want to stand out with a unique UX
one step closer to choosing the ideal platform for a given and platform design.
stage of our business development.
Enterprise solutions
However, if we were to generalize, the given solutions are worth considering when:
are best in the following situations.
▶ we have large-scale sales on multiple
markets;

▶ we already know that no open source

solution will meet our needs.
SaaS solutions
are most suitable when:

▶ we want to test a business model;

Of course, this is a rule of thumb. There are large companies
▶ we are just launching a business or that successfully sell on SaaS solutions and those that,
online sales;
even at the beginning of sales, should immediately
▶ we do not need non-standard bet on open source.
functionality.

The choice of a platform has a long-term impact

Open source solutions
are recommended when: on the performance and development of the store,
so before making a final decision, it is important to gather
▶ we are running a well-established information from as many sources as possible (ask industry
business, and e-commerce is a
professionals and practitioners already running sales
conscious and long-term investment;
for opinions). We will be bound to the chosen platform
▶ we are no longer satisfied with a SaaS for many years, yet keep in mind that we are not making
solution; a deal with the devil — it is possible to change the platform
during the development of our e-store.

CEO
Lucas Janik | Waynet

My name is Lucas Janik and for over 7 years I have been running
the Waynet e-commerce agency, which specializes in the implementation,
support, and hosting of online stores and B2B platforms on PrestaShop.
On a daily basis, I advise our clients on the launch and development
of e-commerce platforms and develop our product — a B2B platform
built on PrestaShop.

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 E-commerce

HoW To BEAT BREXIT

FRoM A vAT PERSPECTIvE

To m P O Ł E Ć

U
K’s exit from the European Union exportation of goods. The issue’s emerge upon arrival
of the goods into the European Union territory. Who should
had consequences in many areas, be charged the VAT on the imported goods? Is the customer
including the e-commerce indu- responsible for VAT settlement or any other custom
stry. Most of UK e-commerce sellers are duties? Or maybe the UK seller is obliged to register for
VAT purposes in one of the EU countries? When you review
already aware that introducing new po- the VAT provisions you can clearly see that there are only
st-Brexit trading rules last year resulted a few options depending on the warehousing country, value
in a „major shock” to UK-EU trade. of goods and importer status. Based on our experience,
the UK sellers choose between the three following options:

Based on the research from the LSE Center for Economic 1. Customer is obliged to pay the custom duties
Performance, UK imports from the EU decreased by 25%
in comparison to 2021. At the same time, UK exports 2. Vendor uses a VAT iOSS procedure
to the EU in the first ten months of 2021 decreased by 12%,
returning to 2019 - pre-pandemic - levels. 3. Vendor takes advantage of a fulfillment center
located in one of the EU countries
Some smaller exporters, particularly those selling lower
value items, may have given up selling to Europe due You can find our comments on each of those options
to the formalities cost. Many companies avoided sending below.
goods across the border in the previous months, for fear
of disruption or delay, shipping orders ahead of time when CUSTOMER IS OBLIGED TO PAY THE
it was possible.
CUSTOM DUTIES
However, EU market remain the major target for UK Personally, on a commercial front, we believe that it isn’t
companies. They simply cannot cough up 30-40% of their in the best interest of a British business. This option applies
business to EU competitors. in cases where the VAT iOSS procedure is not applicable
and goods are shipped directly from the UK.
One of the main reasons of the trade obstacles relates
to the very complicated VAT rules and EU-import Regardless of the package value, the goods will be
formalities. How to sell the goods in EU in the most efficient delivered to the customer only after paying customs duties.
way? Is there any chance to simplify the import-custom VAT issues seem to be complicated for an e-commerce
procedures? You will find out in the following article. merchant, so please try to imagine your customers’
frustration if they are requested to pay additional fees
for your goods. In many cases, they may simply refuse
POTENTIAL OPTIONS
to pay any customs fees, which means cancelling the
As a basic rule, for UK VAT purposes the sale of goods order. The goods are shipped back to the UK, and guess
to EU customers should be considered as a zero VAT-rated who has to pay for the extra shipping costs?

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E-commerce

Delivery time is also a big problem. Considering the mess Even if the payment is managed by the seller,
associated with customs fees, packages are often delivered the delivery time is still significant. Customs clearance
to customers after 3-4 weeks. It is also not uncommon for (even if simplified) still has to be performed. As a result,
a package to be damaged after weeks of traveling it often takes 2-3 weeks for a package to reach
between the warehouses of shippers and customs. EU customers. A little better, but not satisfactory
in e-commerce realities.
If you want your business to be taken seriously - do your
best to take charge of customs clearance.
STOCK IN ONE OF THE EU COUNTRIES
Alternatively, you can decide to act as an importer The third option is to choose to keep inventory in one
of goods shipped to any EU country. However, this means EU country and fulfill orders from that EU country. VAT
that you must register as a VAT payer in that country and requirements can be outlined in 3 simple steps:
pay VAT on the imports. You then have to report local sales
and charge VAT at the rate applicable in each EU country 1. VAT registration in the country where the inventory
in which the goods are sold. Such a scheme requires a lot is held.
of VAT compliance work and additional costs.
VAT registration for a UK vendor within the EU is a fairly
easy process. For example, in Poland, all you need
VAT IOSS is a power of attorney for a local representative
The VAT iOSS procedure appears to be a potential and copies of the business register extract and
solution to the above-mentioned problems. In a nutshell, confirmation of VAT registration in the UK. The process
the iOSS scheme means that a UK seller can be voluntarily will usually take 1-2 weeks, counting from the date
registered for import VAT, meaning that the VAT due of submission of the registration application to the
at customs is paid by the vendor. tax office.

In practice, this requires choosing one of the EU countries 2. The procedure for applying for VAT OSS
(could be France, Germany, Poland, etc.) to register Once you have obtained a local VAT number, you
for VAT iOSS. You then file one common monthly VAT return can apply for the VAT OSS procedure. The VAT OSS
that details your sales in each EU country. You will pay procedure is similar to the iOSS procedure, however
VAT based on the VAT rates applicable in the country it applies to goods located in the EU on the date
of final destination of the goods, but the tax return is filed of the order. It allows the vendor to show the VAT due
in the country where iOSS is registered (you do not need in different EU countries in one common VAT return.
to make separate VAT registrations in other EU countries). The registration process takes about 1-2 days.
VAT payment is also made to a single tax office located
in a country of your choice.
3. Import of goods - payment of VAT and customs
duties (VAT can be recovered in the local VAT return)
It seems very easy. However, there is a tricky part. First
of all, keep in mind that you will need professional support When shipping goods to a fulfillment center located
in the country of iOSS registration. EU countries require in the EU, you must clear customs in the EU and pay
a non-EU vendor to appoint a sort of „tax representative” the appropriate import duties and VAT. It sounds
who is responsible for timely reporting and payment complicated, but it’ a very smooth process when
of VAT. In the event of any tax liability, this tax representative you engage a local customs agency. All you have
may be financially liable on behalf of the seller. Therefore, to do is pay them to clear customs for the entire group
the fees of VAT compliance companies are quite high, of goods, instead of each individual package shipped
as they have to cover the incurred risks. to the EU. This means huge savings compared
to shipping goods directly from the UK.
In addition, the VAT iOSS program can only be used
for packages under €150. If you sell more expensive goods, Keep in mind that there are several ways to ease
you will not be able to account for VAT on behalf of your the tax burden when importing goods into the EU.
customer. The same grisly story as described in option 1 For example, you might consider a duty exemption
will take place. for goods coming from the UK, or an import VAT
deferral program (you only declare VAT on your local
So maybe you should prevent your customers from VAT return instead of paying directly to customs).
making purchases over €150? That’s pretty weird, Contact your customs agency or local tax advisor
isn’t it? for more details!

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4. Reporting EU sales in one common OSS VAT return a package from a Polish warehouse can be delivered
to other EU countries within 1-3 days, whether
As a general rule, sales to EU customers should
to Western European countries such as Germany
be charged VAT according to the rate of the country
or France, or to Baltic countries such as Sweden.
of destination of the goods (regardless of where the
goods are stored). For example, if you ship goods from
a Polish warehouse to a customer based in Germany, 3. Lower VAT costs and English-speaking experts
you will have to apply German VAT. As with fulfillment services, Poland also has significantly
lower rates for VAT Compliance services compared
However, you do not have to be registered in every EU to other European countries. In addition, the level
country. If you use the VAT OSS procedure, you can of these services is high, as Poland has many
file one common quarterly VAT return, in which you experienced VAT Compliance experts who speak
declare the VAT due in each EU country. If you are foreign languages, including business-level English.
registered for VAT in Poland, the VAT OSS return is filed
with the Polish tax office. Payment for VAT is also made
to the Polish tax office’s bank account, and it is the tax
office responsibility to remit VAT to each country, in the QUICK RECAP
amounts indicated in the return. The EU is a huge e-commerce market worth considering
if you’re thinking about scaling your business. Although
*** Brexit has greatly complicated sales in continental Europe,
it is still possible. Depending on your needs, the scale
Why choose a Polish fulfillment center?
of your business and the type of products you sell, you
have 3 main options:
As you already know, we believe that using a fulfillment
center in the EU and registering for VAT OSS is the most
▶ The customer pays for the obligations. The easiest
satisfactory solution from both the seller’s and buyer’s
way, but it has a huge impact on the quality of the
perspective. So which country will be the best option?
customer’s life.
There are 3 main advantages of using a fulfillment center
located in Poland: ▶ VAT IOSS. A little more complicated, unfortunately
it can be quite expensive and inefficient due
1. Lower warehouse costs to the shipping process. A solution dedicated rather
to small sellers who occasionally send goods to the
At the moment, many prices for goods and services EU. In addition, this option is only valid for packages
in Poland remain lower than in other European under €150.
countries. This rule also applies to Polish fulfillment
centers, which have some of the lowest rates for their ▶ EU-based fulfillment center. The most efficient
services. solution, requiring a bit of effort on the vendor’s part
to set up the process, but with the help of professional
3PL vendors and proven VAT Compliance consultants,
2. Location in the center of Europe
it should not be much of a problem. A solution
In addition to significantly lower rates, Poland dedicated to larger vendors who take EU expansion
is located in the center of Europe. From our experience, seriously.

Tax Adviser
Tom Połeć | Taxology

Tax Advisor with many years of experience working for international tax
consulting firms. He specializes in advising the e-commerce industry -
particularly on VAT. He is co-founder and board member of taxology.
co, providing VAT Compliance services in Europe for the e-commerce
industry.

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E-commerce

LoGISTICS SoLuTIoNS
FoR BREXIT-RELATED
ECoMMERCE ISSuES

Piotr RESZELSKI

N
early three years after Brexit was anyone should give up on the European market. It is too
big with too much potential to be ignored:
enacted, it is still causing a ripple
effect in the eCommerce industry. ▶ 300 million of European consumers shop online
Unfortunately, these ripples are fueled
▶ Last year, these customers spent nearly 500 billion
by rising costs, more complicated euros online
procedures and frustration for both online
▶ More than 200 million European customers bought
retailers and customers across Europe.
something online outside their home country

The numbers speak for themselves. Simply consider these

facts about the post-Brexit eCommerce picture:

▶ £15 billion in additional expenses for UK online

retailers through double taxation of returns and
customs costs

▶ Delivery times extended by two, three or more days,

while the cost of those shipments increased

▶ New layers of bureaucracy and a more than 10%

increase in undelivered packages

▶ The overall revenue of UK online retailers fell by 6%, And while you may be waiting for a change in regulations
and total exports to the EU dropped by more than and governments to catch up with eCommerce
40%. needs, there are also steps that can be taken now
to improvecross-border shipping and open your online
▶ More than two-thirds of UK online retailers say Brexit business to millions of customers who are eager
has caused a drop in overall sales and increased to buy from you.
delivery times
What is this secret weapon to combat the issues
There’s no doubt that Brexit has created serious challenges created by Brexit? A fulfillment partner specializing
for many eCommerce operations, but that doesn’t mean in international shipping.

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WHAT CAN LOGISTICS COMPANIES DO? experience and insider knowledge, we advise clients on the
best way to organize their operations to ensure the lowest
possible costs and the fastest possible delivery times.

Just ask one of our clients, for example We Are Wild,

on how we helped them tackle the challenges of Brexit.

THE SWEET SMELL

OF ECOMMERCE SUCCESS
We Are Wild is a British manufacturer of all-natural
cosmetics, particularly deodorants. Like many small online
retailers, they found that successfully connecting with their
customer base and growing rapidly created new issues
that needed to be dealt with. When warehousing, inventory
In the context of eCommerce, logistics companies management, packing and shipping orders and other
handle everything once the customer has completed the fulfillment issues began to divert their attention from their
purchasing process on the website. This means picking core mission, they knew it was high time to start working
up the goods from the warehouse, packing and labelling with a fulfillment partner.
them appropriately, and then handing them over to the
shipper or courier company as quickly as possible, even On top of this, challenges created by Brexit added another
within a few hours. layer of complications and problems. Shipping from
the UK to European customers became increasingly
This often includes receiving and processing returns, which complex, unreliable and costly, both in financial terms
are an essential part of eCommerce. Fulfillment partners and in maintaining good customer relationships.
can also create and maintain the necessary storage
conditions for items having unique requirements, package Since selling across Europe was an important part
items in a custom way that fits the brand’s user experience, of We Are Wild’s business development plan, they decided
provide retailers with shipment information and statuses, to seek a fulfillment partner in the EU that could keep
and much more. delivery times to a minimum, provide real-time visibility
into order statuses, and help optimize customs and tax
In short, fulfillment partners allow retailers to focus on what issues.
they do best - selling - taking the burden of everything
else off their shoulders. This is especially valuable for small They found the perfect partner in Omnipack.
and medium-sized online retailers. Maintaining a website,
working on product offers and driving traffic to the store Now, after an easy integration and onboarding process,
is reason enough to keep everyone busy - who even has We Are Wild enjoys all the benefits of a reliable, EU-based
the time to manage warehouse inventory, handle the fulfillment partner:
endless stream of orders, package them properly and
all that comes with getting orders into customers’ hands? ▶ Shorter delivery times

▶ Industry-leading packing accuracy

Logistics companies have it, and that’s why they’re such
an integral part of modern eCommerce.
▶ No extra customs charge since their inventory
is based in the EU
However, they offer more than just the necessary
infrastructure for delivery. In addition to performing ▶ Same-day dispatch
services that online retailers are not equipped
to do, fulfillment companies offer their expertise in a way ▶ Access to a massive European market
that promotes your sales efforts.
▶ A better overall customer experience
After all, who will better help you navigate the world
of cross-border shipping than the people who do it on Today, thanks to Omnipack, We Are Wild is not only more
a daily basis? responsive and agile when it comes to fulfilling orders,
they have more time as a company to focus on customer
This is where logistics companies, such as Omnipack, care, outreach campaigns, product development and all
can help with customs and tax issues in addition the other factors that push a business forward without
to fulfilling orders placed through your online store. With our the distraction of logistics.

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E-commerce

The process looks like this:

1. Registration - If you’ve never seen it before, trying

to understand this tax framework on your own
is a major headache. We will guide you through OSS
Registration to optimize your tax liability while keeping
you in full compliance with applicable laws.

2. Integration - We connect our database with the

digital tools you already use, giving you 24/7 access
We Are Wild is free to develop amazing products without
to managing and tracking your orders & monitoring
worrying about areas outside their expertise. They do all
stock levels. Track orders and have access to the
the work required to get a customer order, and Omnipack
information you need to answer customer questions.
takes care of the rest.
3. Onboarding - Show us exactly how you want your

GETTING STARTED products packaged and presented to customers,

down to the last details. We’re happy to help you
WITH A FULFILLMENT PARTNER customize the customer experience and maintain
If you’re dealing ith your own problems related to shipping brand consistency across all customer touchpoints.
to European customers, or if you’re just starting out and
4. Shipment - We take your orders, pick, pack and ship
want to avoid them altogether, working with a fulfillment
everything as quickly as possible before handing
partner could be the right solution for you.
them over to delivery specialists. Our location
on major transport arteries allows us to keep delivery
Getting started is easier than you think. At Omnipack,
times to a minimum.
we have a five-step process that gives you everything
you need to communicate your fulfillment needs to us, 5. Returns and stock management - Let us handle returns,
so you can focus on growing your business and creating restore items to inventory when possible and help you
products your customers will love. deliver a first-rate customer experience, so you can
concentrate on other aspects of your business.

If you want to learn more about how logistics operations

can help you address the challenges that you face,
Omnipack will conduct a full audit of your current processes
and advise you on how to streamline your approach
to cross-border shipping. You will receive a comprehensive,
detailed analysis of your tax and customs costs, system
integrations, shipment processes and returns & stock
management situation.

Simply reach out to us at contact@omnipack.com

or call us at +447418360531 and begin taking the first steps
toward gaining access to new markets and the freedom
to focus on your business!

Partnership Manager
Piotr Reszelski | Omnipack

Partnership Manager at Omnipack and academic lecturer at WSZiB.

In recent years, he has gained experience in the eCommerce industry
and has supported the development of Polish enterprises, including
Groupon Polska. One of his most important successes was the
implementation of an important cooperation agreement between
Groupon Polska and the Optegra network, and co-creation of a top
sales team within Groupon Europe. A graduate of the University of
Economics in Poznań.

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WHAT SHouLD You

PAY AT T E N T IoN To
WHEN CREATING
YouR FIRST oNLINE SToRE?

Marcin ŁUCZAK

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E-commerce

O
nline sales have ceased to be DEFINING THE SCOPE OF WORK
an innovation and gradually Once we have drawn up an organizational chart
become a natural extension for online sales, the next step is to convert it into
the tangible functions expected from the software.
of traditional commerce. However, there
are companies on the market that have Building a list of the functions we need and a general
not yet implemented this sales channel.. outline of how they work is best entrusted to someone
with experience in the e-commerce industry. Perhaps
an e-commerce consultant or an agency that specializes
Often they are specialists in their field, with years
in such projects. Why? The old truth about gathering
of experience, but venturing into e-commerce is a completely
project requirements states: „The customer always
new area for them. Hence, the need for a compendium that
knows what they want, but they don’t always know
describes the main aspects of planning and implementing
what they need.” Even though we know what goal
an online store. This article is an attempt to outline the
we want to achieve through sales tools, we don’t always
most important stops on the way to establishing an online
know what sales tools (and how they are structured) will
sales channel.
be appropriate to achieve that goal.

BEFORE YOU START During workshops with clients or potential clients, I always
BUILDING YOUR STORE emphasize that adapting an existing tool to the specifics
of the market is always cheaper (and often more efficient)
The first step in building an online store actually starts
than building such a tool from scratch. So consulting with
far away from the internet. It is important to note that
external parties at the specification stage can save a lot
we already have an operating company, successfully
of time and money. Especially since many e-commerce
selling through other channels. The kind that has developed
agencies already have ready-made procedures and
procedures for processing offline orders. However, that
tools to streamline the construction of a complete and
doesn’t necessarily mean that the same procedures
transparent technical specification of the project.
will work well in e-commerce. For example, a company
relying on a team of salespeople who deal directly with
customers, simply cannot transfer this asset to the Internet, PARTNERS — WHO IS WORTH
which, inherently, requires automation.
COOPERATING WITH WHEN CREATING
On the other hand, a new sales channel can open up AN ONLINE STORE?
previously unavailable opportunities, for example, an offer Creating an online store requires competencies that are
configurator will save time for those same salespeople, rarely found in a company with no previous experience
who no longer have to select products. All the customer in e-commerce. This absolutely is not a fault, because
has to do is enter the input data, and after a while they can add this industry requires competencies that are simply not
the desired products to the shopping cart on their own. demanded in traditional commerce.

An additional matter is to analyze ways Very often, the first question we ask
to combine existing channels with the new ourselves as future e-commerce owners
one to improve the effectiveness of the is whether to build sales based on our own
company’s overall sales. An omnichannel resources and team, or to use external
strategy that involves a synergy between sources — an agency specializing
traditional and online sales is convenient in a particular area.
for the customer. It can significantly
increase sales in both channels.

Relying on outsourcers is risky because it is difficult

If you decide to cooperate with an e-commerce agency, to evaluate the effectiveness of activities or the quality-to-cost
you should engage them at a stage when we are not ratio of the services. Especially if we do not have an in-house
yet talking about the specific functions of the store, team that is capable of analyzing the effects of the
but rather the business model that will support it. This contractors’ work.
is an opportunity to confront ideas, present problems and
analyze solutions that work on the market. There is a high On the other hand, building a team that can handle all
probability that the e-commerce agency has already sales processes in-house requires a great deal of time
experienced the presented problems and can propose and many employees with a wide range of competencies.
a solution. The optimal solution is to meet halfway — cooperation

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with external entities while hiring e-commerce specialists such cooperation, but also knowledge and experience that
to coordinate the work and control the results. So what kind is difficult to acquire in any other way, and we do not have
of partners should we look for? to learn from our own mistakes.

SEO positioning Hosting

A common approach when implementing an online store We are faced with a similar situation when it comes to hosting.
is to assume ( logically, by the way) that first we must have Here, too, there is a dilemma whether to use the resources
a website in order to position it. As a result, this element is often we already have (very often companies have their own
overlooked when designing and implementing a store. servers on which they maintain software to manage its
In fact, the SEO agency should be the first „hired” partner. internal processes) or to use external hosting. We strongly
advise external hosting. It has many advantages that are
Aspects such as defining the data structure (i.e. the category difficult to replicate internally within a company.
tree) or defining what content will be used in the store fall
into the SEO area. Will we have category descriptions? How
much space should be provided for product descriptions?
How long will the titles be? Finally: will there be a blog, look Here are the most important ones:
book or perhaps video content on our site?
1. Scalability — it takes a while to increase
resources or rent a more powerful server
If at the outset we do not determine what we want the when you use an external service, while
website content to look like, it may turn out that a properly it requires a large team commitment
designed and implemented store will look unappealing when you build servers in-house.
and non-functional, simply because it was not designed 2. Support — in the case of a hosting
for the data we put into it. provider, a dedicated team
of administrators watches over the proper
The very need for positioning with the current market functioning of the infrastructure without
any interruption. Hiring a similar team
situation (progressive saturation, very high competition
in-house would incur a significant cost.
with a global reach) goes without saying. Positioning Often it is not needed when maintaining
is an essential part in any online store’s success. business management software, but
in the case of an online store it is essential.

System implementation
Once we have chosen an e-commerce platform,
we are faced with the choice of whether to hire an agency THE COURSE OF PROJECT
specializing in the implementation of such platforms,
IMPLEMENTATION
or use our own resources. Often, business owners who
are building their first store make the assumption that There are as many schemes for implementing an online
if they have a programmer and graphic designer on their store as there are agencies that deal with the industry.
team, they can theoretically complete the project without However, we can distinguish two main models for developing
partnering with an outside entity. online stores (or software more broadly): The cascade
model (Waterfall) and agile programming (Agile).
However, there are two factors to consider that speak to the fact
that such an approach is not optimal. First, the programmer In a nutshell, the cascade model involves completing
or graphic designer you hire in-house usually has the a project in its entirety, from start to finish, according
competencies needed to implement an e-commerce to specific stages:
platform, but lacks experience in such projects. As a result,
they will have to acquire additional knowledge before they 1. We define the need.
can start working, and the risk of errors that result from
2. We analyze the needs.
lack of practice in developing a site based on a particular
software will appear during the implementation anyway. 3. We create a project.

4. We create a system on the basis of the project.

Secondly, when you hire an agency that specializes
in e-commerce, you gain a partner with a different 5. We test and implement the system.
perspective toward online sales — someone who has seen
many businesses from the inside, who has tested many This approach requires that we are familiar with the full
solutions, who has often had the opportunity to compare range of requirements from the very beginning. With agile
sales support tools. As a result, they can advise which one programming, the implementation of the project is broken
is best. Consequently, we not only gain competence from down into smaller stages, where we implement selected

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functions one by one, so we don’t need to have clearly Choosing a model is a difficult challenge and equally
defined requirements at the beginning - they are created important. It determines how we will cooperate during the
as we work and can therefore evolve. implementation of the online store over the next few months.

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF CHOOSING A CASCADE VS. AGILE MODEL?

The cascade model Agile programming

The scope of work does not have to be specified at the outset,

The full scope of work must be specified at the outset.
a general outline will suffice.

The project is continuously developing, and new features

We implement the project in distinct stages.
are being added regularly.

There may be less contact between the customer

Constant, regular contact between the client
and the implementation team at stages that do not require
and the implementation team is necessary.
arrangements between the parties.

Since there is no clear definition of the scope of work,

It is possible to specify a budget
the work is done in Time & Material mode and cannot
and an implementation deadline.
be clearly defined at the outset.

If the design requirements change, you have to return Design requirements for features that have not yet been
to the first step of the process. implemented can be easily changed, allowing greater flexibility.

Agile programming is considered more effective for agile programming will work much better, as it will continuously
prototype implementations where innovative solutions improve the store without inhibiting its ability to sell.
are created. Cascade, on the other hand, is more suitable
for standardized projects once you have a fairly clear
COMMON PITFALLS WHEN CREATING
vision of the end result.
AND PLANNING A STORE
Here is where the paradox associated with online stores Working with many online store owners, I have noticed
comes in. On the one hand, e-commerce’s are undoubtedly recurring thought patterns to watch out for when thinking
standardized sites - they have a product catalog, functions about building an online store. I have listed the most
that allow purchase or a user account. On the other, they common ones below.
require the use of unconventional solutions necessary
to develop a competitive advantage. After all, the store
We are building the store quickly
must stand out in order not to be lost in a crowd of its
peers. When I write „quickly,” I mean in a week. This belief stems
from the fact that there are indeed many opportunities
Therefore, the most optimal solution is to divide the work to get a store up and running in a short period of time,
into two stages - creation and development of the store. even in a few hours. However, building a system that
The creation itself involves the fastest and easiest possible is tailored to our business processes, with a consistent
preparation of such a website version, which will contain graphic identity, with features designed to stay ahead
the necessary elements to start selling. of the competition, and with a well-crafted positioning,
is a matter of many months.
When referring to such a version, we say MVP — Minimum
Viable Product, although this is not entirely accurate.
Due to its many functions that we can quickly implement
The store will sell by itself
by standardizing them. We also classify these functions Since the customer enters the site on their own, adds
as minimum (such as a blog or look book), so there products to the shopping cart on their own and pays on
is no need to postpone their implementation to a later their own, it’s easy to assume that we won’t need more
stage, which is development. attention and resources to handle sales. The truth of the
matter is quite different — an online store is constant work
For the store’s progress, we should focus on specific on content, communication with customers via email,
functions rather than concentrating on the whole. Develop phone or chat, analyzing site traffic, testing new features.
them gradually, while systematically analyzing customer Without a team overseeing the handling of online sales,
reactions to the changes we have introduced. In this case, running our business will be very difficult.

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Once we implement the store, it will It’s my way or the highway

be finished (meaning it will be perfect) Every entrepreneur has a vision of what their company
The opening of an online store is an important step looks like, how it is organized and how it should function.
in the company’s history. So we expect our sales tool to be It’s natural and necessary for a team to have a leader with
polished and complete since day one. a specific action plan.

Very often, while the site is still under construction, there are However, simultaneously, there is a risk that the store
ideas to introduce new features or improve existing ones. is designed for the needs of one customer: its owner.
In such a situation, we are ready to postpone the launch Compared to offline commerce, the Internet offers
of sales, as long as all elements are in place starting from powerful opportunities to analyze customer behavior.
day one. Please be aware of a very important drawback We can study not only what products customers like to
of such thinking. buy, but also what sites they look at, how they want to shop,
what bothers and annoys them.
Every day that our store spends on the draft boards or test server
is a day without any sales. And as a result, we don’t make money. If we prioritize our opinion of what an online store should
look like, we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to adapt
At that point, the problem is not only the loss in turnover, our sales to customer needs.
but also the experience we miss out on - feedback from
customers, testing the designed solutions in practice,
and refining the company’s internal processes. All these
elements require an up and running website. SUMMARY
The preceding article is the result of my over a decade
That’s why it’s worth holding off. Sacrifice at least some long experience in e-commerce. Many relevant areas
ideas and improvements at the first stage (and start not covered here would require a separate article. I am
implementing them already on the running software), and referring to such issues as usability design, selection
make it a priority to implement sales as soon as possible. of external sales support tools or integration with other
elements of the logistics and administrative process,
including integration with suppliers or ERP systems.
The store is supposed to work
like the x store. (design error)
On the other hand, e-commerce is still evolving, and
When we start our adventure with e-commerce, and our in a year or two there may be other aspects of online
competitors have already made it out there, instinct tells sales that we don’t consider today. A good example of this
us to take advantage of things we see done by others. is adapting the website to mobile devices. While this is
Certainly, analyzing the competition and their solutions a standard today, just a few years ago very few vendors
is useful, but you need to be very careful when deciding took this into account.
to copy your competitors’ sales model.
I would like this article to become a kind of checklist
Keep in mind that there are a lot of unknowns that you can’t for anyone starting out in e-commerce. The purpose
see on the Web: what budget the competition has allocated of this article was to outline the general direction one
for the implementation, what logistical processes are should take to build an effective online sales channel.
necessary to properly handle the function, what technological I will, of course, leave it up to the readers to judge whether
or legal risks had to be taken into account and, finally, I have succeeded.
whether the solution is simply cost-effective or not.

Creator and leader

Marcin Łuczak | Jash

Creator and leader of Jash Technologie — a certified PrestaShop agency

— supporting SME companies with e-commerce for 9 years. He has
participated in more than 90 e-commerce projects, mainly in Poland
and France.

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