Here’s the harsh reality of ecommerce in 2023:
There are more competitors than ever before!
New brands are launching with an ecommerce-first approach. Established brands are waking up to the power of ecommerce. The increasingly crowded market makes it all the more challenging to stand out.
While a competitive landscape is the reality for ecommerce right now, it’s also easier than ever to create a site that can scale. Startups can design and launch online stores and quickly compete with Fortune 500s.
Understanding the challenges that ecommerce brands face today, we reached out to ecommerce experts at marketing, PR and creative agencies around the world who have helped indie brands go mainstream and large brands become ecommerce juggernauts.
According to our experts, these six marketing & growth techniques are underrated and underutilised by ecommerce brands trying to scale:
1: Building Relationships With Media & Influencers
When we asked a founder of a leading Marketing Influencer, what he thought was the most underrated strategy for scaling, he said:
Relationship building with writers, micro-influencers, and journalists who are passionate about the same things your brand represents.
If you want to build a brand that is well-known and respected, you need buzz. That means generating press and getting on the radar of relevant influencers. That’s just the reality of the business.
A recent influencer marketing study found that 39% of marketers plan to increase their spend on influencer marketing in 2025; 21% plan to spend the same as in 2024; and only 5 percent plan to decrease their spend.
That’s because courting influencers and generating press works wonders for ecommerce.
In every industry, there’s at least a handful of websites, blogs, media outlets and newsletters that share content related to your product offering. If you sell hunting gear, find a hunting magazine and start building relationships with their editors. If you sell street fashion, reach out to street-style blogs.
2: Establishing A Quality Tech Stack From Day One
One of the most common mistakes brands make when they decide to embrace e-commerce is starting from scratch on everything, from their WhatsApp & SMS marketing system to their CRM to their return management system. Such an investment can quickly turn a potential competitive advantage into a huge pain.
Thanks to sites like Shopify, Magento and BigCommerce, it’s easier than ever to design and build a quality ecommerce site. These platforms come with apps and integrations that companies can use to create better experiences for their customers and ecommerce partners.
For example, you could spend thousands of rupees creating and maintaining multiple return management systems, or you could install 1 pragmatic system and save the headache. And we don’t just handle returns—we gather valuable insights to help you understand why people are returning products from your store.
Attempting to create your own service like this could take months. Instead, invest time in researching the various apps and integrations that are available and utilise the ones that will save you time and money.
The most limited resource any entrepreneur has when scaling a brand is time. It is important to focus on the time where it has the most impact, and hire or delegate for the rest.
Here's a comprehensive guide on building a robust tech stack:
- E-commerce Platform:
Choose a reliable and scalable e-commerce platform that aligns with your business needs. Popular choices include Shopify, WooCommerce, or Magento. Evaluate the platform's flexibility, ease of use, and integration capabilities to ensure it can grow with your business.
- Payment Gateway:
Integrate a secure and widely accepted payment gateway to facilitate smooth transactions. In India, consider options like Razorpay, Paytm, or CCAvenue. Ensure compatibility with various payment methods, including credit/debit cards, digital wallets, and UPI, to cater to diverse customer preferences.
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM):
Implement a CRM system to manage customer interactions, track orders, and analyse customer data. Pragma’s Omnichannel CRM, Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho CRM are popular choices. A robust CRM helps in personalised marketing, customer segmentation, and building long-term relationships.
- Analytics and Business Intelligence:
Leverage analytics tools like Pragma Dashboard, Google Analytics or Mixpanel to gather insights into customer behaviour, website traffic, and sales performance. Implementing business intelligence tools can help in making data-driven decisions for marketing, inventory management, and overall business strategy.
- Inventory Management System:
Invest in an inventory management system to efficiently handle stock levels, order fulfilment, and warehouse operations. Systems like Pragma, TradeGecko, Zoho Inventory, or Unicommerce can streamline inventory processes, reducing the risk of stockouts or overstock situations.
- Shipping and Logistics Integration:
Integrate with reliable shipping and logistics partners to provide a seamless post-purchase experience. Popular logistics providers in India include Shiprocket, Delhivery, or Ecom Express. Ensure real-time tracking and automated shipping updates for customers.
- Security Measures:
Prioritise cybersecurity by implementing SSL certificates, secure payment gateways, and regular security audits. Protect customer data and build trust by adhering to industry standards for data security and privacy.
- Mobile Optimization:
Optimise your website for mobile users, considering the significant mobile traffic in India. Ensure a responsive design and consider developing a mobile app for enhanced user experience and engagement.
- Marketing Automation:
Implement marketing automation tools such as Pragma Automation, Mailchimp, Klaviyo, or Drip to streamline communication, send targeted campaigns, and nurture customer relationships. Automation enhances efficiency and personalization in your marketing efforts.
- Customer Support Tools:
Set up efficient customer support tools like Freshdesk, Zendesk, or Intercom for timely responses to customer inquiries. Provide multiple channels for support, including live chat, WhatsApp & SMS, and phone support.
3: Collaborating With Complementary Brands
A wise person once said: Two sets of hands are always better than one.
That philosophy certainly applies when it comes to reaching a broader audience for your ecommerce brand—after all, collaborations have been a part of doing business for years. But Eric Mayville, co-CEO of Wondersauce, said not enough brands take advantage of collaborations when they’re trying to scale:
Collaborating with complementary brands is a great way to reach more people and delight your audience with a little something different. Here’s an example of a collaboration between Kenneth Cole and jeweller Shahla Karimi:
The two brands teamed up to create a “fine jewellery capsule collection” inspired by one of Shahla’s existing jewellery collections. When Shopify asked Shahla about the benefits of this collaboration, she explained that the social media cross-promotion and press recognition gave her customers validation and greatly broadened her brand’s market.
Brand collaboration isn’t limited to up and coming brands.
Take inspiration from these companies as a way to get creative with your collaborations. Don’t be afraid to collaborate with larger organisations, smaller organisations or brands who target an entirely different (but ideal) audience. The key is to ensure that the collaboration offers a win-win situation for both you and the other brand.
4: Embracing Good Ol Fashioned Email
Email may be one of the oldest tools in the digital marketing textbook, but it is just as effective today as it was in 2008. Email marketing is a great way to build relationships with your audience and keep them in the loop on your brand.
When we talked to Kurt Elster, host of The Unofficial Shopify Podcast, he said that when it comes to scaling an ecommerce brand, more marketers and founders need to “go back to the basics” instead of only chasing the shiny new thing:
We couldn’t agree more—Email is still a powerful tool for ecommerce brands.
Whether it’s an ad blast announcing your latest sale or a customised reminder to a buyer about items left in their cart, Email can be valuable.
Here's a guide on how to leverage good old-fashioned email effectively:
- Building a Subscriber List:
Begin by building a quality subscriber list. Use on-site pop-ups, offering discounts or exclusive content in exchange for email sign-ups. Ensure compliance with data protection regulations and clearly communicate the value subscribers will receive from your emails.
- Personalised Email Campaigns:
Implement personalised email campaigns and Newsletters based on customer behaviour and preferences. Utilise data to send targeted product recommendations, personalised offers, and relevant content. This personalisation enhances engagement and increases the likelihood of conversion.
- Segmentation for Targeted Communication:
Segment your email list based on various criteria such as purchase history, geographic location, or engagement level. Tailor your messages to specific segments, ensuring that content is relevant to each group. This approach leads to higher open rates and improved customer satisfaction.
- Abandoned Cart Emails:
Implement an abandoned cart email strategy to recover potential lost sales. Send automated emails to customers who have abandoned their shopping carts, reminding them of the items and potentially offering a discount or incentive to complete the purchase.
- Transactional Emails:
Optimise transactional emails for customer engagement. Beyond order confirmations, use shipping notifications and delivery updates as opportunities to showcase your brand personality, cross-sell or upsell, and encourage customers to return for future purchases.
- Exclusive Offers and Promotions:
Use email to share exclusive offers, promotions, and early access to sales with your subscribers. Creating a sense of exclusivity can foster loyalty and make subscribers feel valued, increasing the chances of repeat business.
- User-Generated Content (UGC):
Encourage customers to share their experiences by submitting reviews, photos, or testimonials. Use email campaigns to highlight UGC, creating social proof that can influence other potential customers. This builds trust and credibility for your brand.
- Mobile Optimization:
Given the prevalence of mobile usage in India, ensure that your email campaigns are optimised for mobile devices. Use responsive designs and concise, visually appealing content that is easily digestible on smaller screens.
- A/B Testing:
Continuously refine your email strategy through A/B testing. Experiment with different subject lines, content formats, and calls-to-action to identify what resonates best with your audience. Data-driven insights from A/B testing can inform future email campaigns.
- Measuring and Analysing Results:
Regularly measure the performance of your email campaigns using key metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Analyse the data to understand customer behaviour and preferences, allowing you to refine and optimise your email strategy over time.
5: Investing In A Quality Loyalty Program
A loyalty program helps build a consistent customer base by rewarding customers who frequently patronise your business. Rewards can be things like coupons, discounts or access to unreleased products.
Loyalty programs have been around since the 1950s, but they’re still relevant for ecommerce brands trying to scale today.
Dan McIvor, a director at the Shopify Plus expert agency SwankyApple, said loyalty programs are an effective avenue for scaling an ecommerce business, especially if you put customer data to good use:
6: WhatsApp & SMS
When we asked a bunch of D2C founders, what they felt was the most underrated scaling strategy, he pointed to cold WhatsApp & SMS outreach. While it might seem counterintuitive for an ecommerce site to conduct cold WhatsApp & SMS marketing, remember what we said earlier—WhatsApp & SMS is still the best way to stay top of mind.
If you’re looking to build relationships with the press or kick-start a collaboration with another brand, WhatsApp & SMS could be the starting point.
According to a recent study, 86 percent of business professionals still prefer WhatsApp & SMS over every other form of communication for business purposes.
Tools like our WhatsApp Business Suite can make it 11x easier to find the WhatsApp & SMS addresses of the people you want to reach. You simply plug in the company and the individual’s name and within seconds the site will identify potential WhatsApp & SMS addresses for that person:
So as you’re thinking about how to scale your business, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone for the first time.
To Wrap Things Up
Scaling an ecommerce brand can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible—if you follow the right strategies.
Create a quality product, deliver a pragmatic customer experience, and put into practice some of the ideas shared in this post, and you’ll be well on your way.
Once you’ve launched some of the ideas shared above ensure that you’re embracing analytics to better understand the impact. Whether you’re tracking a shift in Net Promoter Score or direct sales – identifying a goal and embracing analytics to ensure you achieve it is an important step.
What other ways have you seen brands scale effectively? We’d love to hear from you. And if you’re an ecommerce shop interested in making your return process more scalable, be sure to get in touch.
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