By Michael Bond, Mars UnitedSM Commerce
Mars United’s VP-Ecommerce outlines a strategy for staying ahead of change and excelling in the digital commerce marketplace.
Ecommerce sales in the U.S. grew 8.1% to $1.19 trillion last year and are projected to grow even faster in 2025, per the U.S. Census Bureau, as consumers continue embracing digital shopping in all its many forms.
Leading retailers have been “following the money” by placing a greater emphasis on building out their capabilities — now inspired even more by the opportunity to attract margin-friendly retail media ad dollars through their ecommerce platforms.
Add the fact that 80% of U.S. shoppers are influenced by digital touchpoints regardless of where they ultimately make their purchase, and it’s clear why ecommerce has become a critical focus for all brand marketers.
But winning in ecommerce requires a complex blend of “art and algorithm” that can be difficult to master. And the ecommerce landscape is undergoing a chaotic state that is causing confusion right now for businesses and shoppers alike, so it’s good to provide a level set. Here are 10 steps brand marketers should consider taking to excel in the ecommerce marketplace.
1. Start at the very beginning.
Without a good product offered at the right price, nothing else in your ecommerce playbook will matter. You can pour as much money as you want into paid search and display media, but in the long run you won’t win without products that consumers want at the prices they’re willing to pay. If you’re still unsure about this dynamic, stop everything else you might be doing and assess your product catalog immediately.
2. Walk before you run.
Don’t experience paralysis by analysis by getting too far afield from the essentials. Start with a simple playbook for success and only expand when you’ve nailed down those basics. Be intentional about the metrics you choose to define success, and don’t sweat the extraneous data points unless you’re operating at peak efficiency. At the simplest level, understand how you’re performing in traffic and conversion. Benchmark against yourself first! (And if you can’t measure it, don’t do it.).
3. Don’t let FOMO shift your focus.
I’ve seen too many brands concern themselves with chasing marketing opportunities before they’ve set up that foundation for success. Don’t throw money at an uncertain ROI until you’ve got the operational basics of ecommerce covered.
4. Pick your partners wisely.
Be mindful about where you should (and shouldn’t) invest in a sophisticated tech stack, and find key partners who can deliver what you need. Try to limit your list of partners and paid tools to a select few (or even just one) that will be critical to running sophisticated aspects of the business, like media management. Pick reliable partners that can handle multiple need states, so you won’t place unnecessary stress on your resources by jumping in and out of relationships. And make sure your partners are people you actually want to work with!
5. Embrace AI.
Most of your Gen Z colleagues and competitors are already incorporating the basics of artificial intelligence into their work, driving efficiency for previously manual tasks. Make sure you understand where AI capabilities are today and where they’re likely headed in the future. Embrace these tools as an organization by identifying what’s working and encouraging broader use. All the advanced toolkits of your partners are likely already leveraging AI.
6. Automate when appropriate.
Infusing automation into your ecommerce operations workflow can have a major impact. Some areas where we’re seeing automation really help drive efficiency is in support ticketing (like working with Amazon Support), correcting and optimizing digital shelf content, and protecting the brand from unauthorized sellers.
7. Get the digital shelf right.
The digital shelf is your most important battleground, the nexus point for ecommerce. Its scope in influence goes beyond page content to span the convergence of sales, media, and defending your brand against competitors. It’s imperative to understand your product’s position and placement on the digital shelf and the factors that present challenges to effectively making that happen. One key is understanding the outcomes for which you have complete, partial, or no control.
8. Address the challenges up and downstream.
Understand how upstream or downstream issues can affect your ecommerce activity. Do you know how late deliveries can impact your downstream launch and media plans? Did you know that not having a reseller agreement in place for your brick-and-mortar sales channel can negatively impact your online channel? Identify the gaps in your work and find ways to fill them.
9. Take an omnichannel approach.
Another important driver of ecommerce growth is intelligent expansion of your product catalog and retail partners. Shoppers utilize multiple formats and channels that are not connected. You need to meet them wherever they are, being mindful of their specific mission at each location and the role your product can play in fulfilling that mission.
10. Prepare for the ongoing retail evolution.
Determine how your business practices are being challenged by the changes taking place among both retailers and consumers. Technology is a key driver in both cases. Take Rufus, Amazon’s generative AI-enabled search engine. Do you have a plan to address these types of AI agents and automated technologies as they disrupt the traditional shopper experience? Do you know what impact they will have on ecommerce content requirements? (This is just one example.)
About the Author
As Vice President of Ecommerce at Mars United Commerce, Michael Bond provides clients with consultative services on end-to-end business management for ecommerce, with a particular focus on all things Amazon. His extensive background in ecommerce and digital marketing includes Fortune 50 experience at both Amazon and Microsoft.
Mars United’s Ecommerce team knows that succeeding in online marketplaces — Amazon especially — takes more than just winning the algorithm. Powered by the agency’s proprietary data analytics platform, our experts take clients to a new level by providing end-to-end Amazon management, including business operations, advertising, and digital shelf optimization. Our Digital Shelf Studio uses this proprietary data to create, enhance and optimize client activity across the retailer.com landscape to align retailer-specific requirements, be discoverable along the shopper journey, win against the competition, align to brand priorities and initiatives, and convert shoppers. For more information, contact Michael at [email protected].
