Back-to-School E-commerce Merchandising Tips for Brands and Retailers
When you think of summertime, the first things that come to mind are ice cream, beach, and holidays. If you work in online retail, then the months of July, August and September also mean one more thing — it’s time for back to school sales.
Summer is typically a “slow” period for many online stores. Back to school shopping is an excellent opportunity to pick up the pace. It’s also a great way test a few merchandising and conversion optimization tactics before the “prime time” in November-December.
This applies especially to ecommerce stores that sell consumer electronics, school supplies, clothing, and accessories. These are the most in-demand products on the shoppers’ back to school lists. Here are a few ideas on how you can prepare your ecommerce store to make the most out of the upcoming back to school craze.
A Few Back to School Predictions
If you haven’t run back to school sales before, now’s a great time to give it a try. Back to school is the 2nd biggest spending season for consumers, right after Christmas and winter holidays. Back to school sales surpass Valentine’s Day and Easter. 45% of shoppers will reserve their back to school shopping for August.
Total spending for back to school was expected to reach $78.5 billion in 2016, up from $68 billion in 2015. Average spending is expected to grow almost 55% in comparison to a decade ago.
Among consumers shopping for 6–17-year-old students, 46% will opt for online shopping, up almost 10% since last year. Parents spend 61% more online and rely on ecommerce to research their purchases. In comparison, 37.5% of those who shop for back to college will opt to buy online. 32% of shoppers will look to complete their back to school purchases both online and in physical stores. Only 9% of shoppers will rely on ecommerce completely for their seasonal shopping.
Most Sought-After Products During Back to School Sales
Before you dismiss back to school as shopping event reserved only for those who sell book, pens, and backpacks, consider the following. 78% of parents do indeed plan to be shopping for school supplies, textbooks (38%), and clothing (76%). However, about 65% of their back to school budget will be spent on consumer electronics (i.e. laptops, tablets, smartphones etc) and apparel.
College students are expected to be looking more into tablets than laptops this year, which could be a great opportunity for ecommerce stores selling gadgets. 26% of parents are also planning to shop for tablets, compared to 21% looking to buy laptops and 20% on the lookout for smartphone deals.
Interestingly, back to school shopping schedule for many will stretch throughout August and September. Shoppers space out their spending between distinct product categories. According to RetailMeNot, the best shopping days for consumer electronics and clothing are expected to be mid-September. The best offers for shoes and accessories are expected in the beginning of August. Books will reach sales peak at the end of the same month.
Now that you know the peak times for shopping in each category, you can try a few tactics to ensure you’re making the most out of the back to school season.
Back to School Ecommerce Merchandising Tips
1. Prepare Inspirational Content for “Just Browsing” Shoppers
While back to school shopping is mostly offer-driven, not all consumers will be at the same stage of the shopping journey. Those looking to benefit from September deals on consumer electronics may not be ready to purchase today, but they will start researching in July the best offers for their budget.
Now’s the time to prepare great content for your ecommerce store to promote your back to school merchandise. Your goal should be to grab shoppers’ attention and have them mentally mark your products in their “consideration” box of the things they’d like to buy.
As always, thematic shopping guides can be of great help to introduce products and brands that are new to your store. It’s also great for products that shoppers would not immediately link to back to school. Be creative, research the latest (and upcoming!) trends among school goers and pair the products in a way that makes sense for the parents. Your shopping guides should make those browsing your store feel inspired to add something new to their basket this season.
2. Use Videos to Guide Shoppers
Nothing speaks to shoppers as clearly as videos. Those who opt to do their back to school shopping online will need extra incentives to convert. Be prepared to offer them a detailed look into most sought-after products via videos that showcase items in action.
Remember, 73% of shoppers are more likely to convert after watching videos that explain how a product works. 44% say they would purchase more products from an ecommerce store that has videos on its pages. More importantly, 45% of visitors would come back if they encounter helpful videos on your pages. This means you can count on them to shop again even after back to school deals are over.
Having product videos is especially important for products that are meant to be lasting purchases, such as consumer electronics. Many shoppers won’t be returning next year to buy another laptop or tablet, so they need to make sure they’re making the right decision.
Add videos in the most critical conversion points on your site, such as your product detail pages. Try to have several videos for each product (e.g. review videos, how-to videos, unboxing videos etc), so as to show the product from different selling points.Each shopper is different and they will respond to different product videos.
If possible, add videos above the page fold and closer to your “add-to-cart” button. The space alongside product images is a good spot for placing your product videos, as it completes the visual storytelling.
And don’t worry if you realize that back to school season is just around the corner and you still don’t have any product videos of your own. Make smart use of the resources already available to you, such as social media. Research available content for your products on YouTube and other video sharing platforms. Pick the best product videos for your store and bring them to your product pages.
3. Add User Generated Content as a Social Proof
While back to school season is targeting students, it’s their parents who are the big spenders and the real decision-makers. Parents are less concerned with what’s trendy at the moment and more interested in making smart purchases. They trust other parents more than anyone else for advice on durable electronics, high-quality apparel, and other back to school products.
User generated content is important, as they check social media to find candid reviews and impressions about products and brands from fellow parents.
UGC by influencers is also highly sought, as both schoolers and parents seek to find the newest back to school must-haves for the year. Top YouTube star Bethany Mota shares back to school tips and hauls on her channel every year. Her videos which attract tens of millions of views each.
Consider adding similar UGC as a way to inspire shoppers and give them a boost of confidence to buy from your site. This can be videos made by consumers where they review or unbox products or Instagram pictures where they share their unique styling ideas. UGC featuring real-life consumers is a powerful social proof that shows products are desirable. It’s an excellent way to generate extra sales from shoppers who are not only looking for good discounts but also seek affirmation they’re buying good quality products.
4. Focus on the Value, Not Only the Price
Yes, much like Black Friday or Boxing Day, back to school is a shopping season mostly focused on discounted prices and value-for-money deals. However, competing only the price is a risky strategy. It can be especially harsh on small-medium ecommerce stores who can’t match deep discounting tactics offered by giants such as Amazon.
Focus on promoting the unique aspects of your products and your store’s brand. Use visual content to inspire shoppers. Show product benefits in a context they can relate to. Create bundles of related products that shoppers might skip on otherwise. Give them an opportunity to discover new items and brands.
Remember, once the sales season is over, you’ll want shoppers to remember your store and come back. Create a memorable experience for them that stretches from your landing page to the checkout process. Track how visitors respond to your tactics and how their behavior on your site changes seasonally. This will help you learn which elements you should retain for a long-term sales growth.
Conclusion
Heading back to school is an exciting time for both students, their parents, as well as retailers. Ecommerce stores should strive to deliver great customer experience. Your winning strategy should focus not only on great deals but also on smart ecommerce merchandising. Focus on the value in order to capture sales but also retain customers in the long term.
