It’s official. Season 2 of the FODcast is here! In our first episode of the season, Tim is joined by guest speaker Thomas Stegelmann, Head of eCommerce at Bugaboo.
In this episode, Thomas explores his career journey, his obsession with learning and his keen interest in business and tech which led to a turning point in his career — what a great way to kick things off!
Thomas shares some amazing insights into Bugaboo and how they’re adapting their marketing strategy to meet customers’ needs. He also reveals what he thinks the top two trends are that will change digital commerce in the next few months, including the future of digital commerce hiring.
‘Reminder: Refresh your stroller wardrobe’ — and other marketing blunders
Successful business owners know their customers. If you know how your target audience thinks and behaves, you’ll know how to position your brand and adapt your marketing strategy based on where your customer is in the buyer’s journey.
To use Thomas’s example of buying strollers: like cars, they aren’t things you buy every day, so you’ll need to ensure that you’re selling at the right point of the buyer’s journey. “You only sell the product once to a parent, so you can’t send them an email reminder to refresh their stroller wardrobe” because that’s a completely different customer journey.
Whether you’re selling online or offline, it’s vital to drive traffic to where you’re investing money. So if it’s primarily online, for example, your USP (unique selling point) might entail boasting exclusive deals (designs or colours) that customers can’t get from buying the product in a store.
A great USP, however, is not the only factor to consider if your goal is to boost online traffic. In S2E1 of The FODcast, Thomas draws from some of his past experiences using Amazon and relays how important it is to tailor the user’s experience to perfectly fit each buyer’s needs. He suggests that when you consider your audience, an important question to factor in is: ‘Where is the majority of traffic landing on your website?’ That’s how you’ll make the platform work for your business.
Online vs. offline: Will people ever only buy online?
Sofas, beds, strollers — these are some of the things people are generally reluctant to buy online. Customers are often more comfortable with making a purchase if they can see, touch and use certain products in person. So where does Bugaboo stand with eCommerce? And how has it adapted its marketing strategy based on its target audience?
Thomas explains that there are three questions every customer wants to have answered:
- Which brand should I buy?
- Which product should I buy from my chosen brand?
- On which channel should I buy it?
Most people do all their research (up to three months of it!) online, but it’s difficult to measure conversion rates when the customer goes to an offline store branch to buy the product.
That’s why companies like Bugaboo have implemented novel solutions, such as product registrations. Bugaboo’s customers can register their newly-bought products on the website to double their warranty. Bugaboo can then link this data to the customer’s browsing behaviour, helping it to better understand its role at each stage of the buyer’s journey and maximise the user’s experience by displaying the best product presentation possible on their website.
Adapting their marketing strategies has helped innovative companies like Bugaboo stay on the forefront of the growing eCommerce market, but should they be on the lookout for any other developments?
What two trends will transform digital commerce in the near future?
#1 Hiring is key.
The demand for resources in the digital commerce sector has skyrocketed since the pandemic. There’s an influx of positions to fill, and in such a competitive market that means incentives will be important deciding factors for candidates.
#2 Augmented Reality (AR).
More people want a real-world experience without having to step outside the comfort of their own homes. But some things just can’t be bought online… or can they?
In S2E1 of FODcast, Thomas Stegelmann hints that from a tech point of view, AR is a growing trend within digital commerce. AR allows consumers to immerse themselves in their online shopping experience and combines the advantages of both physical and online stores.
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