Online sales have become increasingly dominant over the last few years, and many retailers use ecommerce software to take advantage of multichannel marketing strategies. Just like store operations, however, websites need to be optimized to improve the customer experience and ensure a smooth shopping process from browsing to check out. Sites that take too long to load, have pages that are hard to navigate or purchase procedures with too many steps are more likely to result in abandoned shopping carts. A recent report by TrustInsight revealed that almost one-fifth of shoppers have had their credit cards declined, causing frustration and lost sales.

According to the report, one-third of these declines were unnecessary, resulting in customer frustration, increased costs for banks and lost revenue for merchants. One out of every six shoppers whose card was declined online gave up on the purchase completely, instead of trying a different card.

While cards can be rejected for a number of reasons, retailers need to take any measures available to reduce unnecessary declines on their sites. For example, they can make sure their ecommerce software is high-performance and supports up-to-date transaction processes. Marketing Land recommended optimizing retail websites by analyzing site metrics, such as add-to-cart, checkout and purchase rates.

Retail marketing campaigns have found great success in mobile apps and advertisement campaigns, but studies show that consumers are increasingly choosing the platform to make purchases as well. As mobile devices become ever more popular and shoppers gain confidence in using them for secure transactions, mobile commerce will likely be a key channel for merchants. Therefore, businesses will need to make sure that their mobile strategy includes shopping options so they can capture these sales.

Loyalty, branding – and sales
According to a 2013 EPiServer survey, merchants typically regard mobile initiatives as excellent strategies for building customer loyalty and developing their brand image, Point of Sale reported. Smaller retailers offer cool applications and mobile experiences in an effort to draw customers and compete with large online retailers like Amazon. However, the source argued that merchants shouldn't overlook the sales potential in mobile strategies. Up from 16 percent last year, 22 percent of survey respondents indicated that at least 20 percent of their sales came from mobile commerce. And this could very likely continue to grow.

InMobi's 2014 Mobile Media Consumption Report highlighted the increasing revenue potential in mobile commerce. According to the report, 68 percent of consumers have spent money via mobile devices and 83 percent plan to make purchases on their mobile devices in the next 12 months. This is up 15 percent from last year, the report noted. As mobile advertising continues to meet great success, shoppers are also increasingly likely to click "buy now" on their mobile devices.

"This year, we find that mobile has really become an essential part of daily life, even a daily workhorse, that has replaced the desktop and TV for everything from gathering key information, media consumption and accomplishing daily tasks, like shopping and paying bills," said Naveen Tewari, CEO of InMobi. "Furthermore, with mobile content gaining similar prominence as TV, mobile advertising is now impacting consumer behavior across the entire purchasing lifecycle from small day-to-day purchases, to bigger purchases, like cars."

Successful advertising
The 2014 report indicated that the majority of shoppers noticed mobile advertising and were as comfortable with the messages as they were with television and online promotions. In response to mobile advertisements, over half bought something on their devices, and even more respondents said that they downloaded an app or visited a website.

As opportunities for mobile sales continue to expand, retailers should consider whether their ecommerce software facilitates multiple devices. For example, retailers can enhance their websites by creating mobile-first designs or using responsive frameworks that adapt well to multiple screen sizes.

As merchants expand their online retail marketing initiatives and strive for an integrated, multichannel approach, they need the right technology to support their operations. Ecommerce software can help, but many retailers are struggling to find the right solution. According to a recent Econsultancy study, retailers need full-functionality tools that integrate well with their existing retail management software. In addition to seeking the right systems, retailers are struggling to find people with the right skills to help them implement the technology.

Among the functionality that they need their ecommerce technology to provide, retailers identified the following priorities, as reported by the source:

• Product management
• Content management
• Mobile support
• SEO capabilities
• High-quality search site functionality
• Ability to scale

Emarketer estimated that ecommerce will account for $262.3 billion in sales in the coming year, Forbes magazine reported, so adapting a strong online strategy can significantly impact business outcomes. Merchants can turn to retail technology solutions that integrate store management systems with ecommerce tools. A consolidated system helps retailers provide consistent information and options to customers and streamlines their marketing initiatives. Pulling together data from all channels can also bolster analytical reporting and business intelligence. Overall, it's important for retailers to identify their needs and work with technology providers to choose the right solution.

Retail customer trends point to the growing popularity of mobile devices for shopping and payment transactions. Smartphones and other gadgets are constantly on hand and connected to the Internet, which means they're increasingly the go-to devices for shoppers. Consumers use them to browse retail selections, make purchases from apps and mobile websites, look up additional product information and even make in-store payments. 

Research by Adyen revealed that payments on mobile devices increased by 55 percent in 2013, accounting for almost 20 percent of all transactions worldwide, Network World reported. The preference for mobile payments is only expected to rise, especially as innovative technology continues to provide additional convenient options for consumers.

For that reason, it's important for merchants to implement smooth payment processes for customers using mobile devices. In addition to security, shoppers are swayed by the convenience of the process. Sub-par technology and poor implementation can cost retailers sales as customers abandon their shopping carts and choose more accessible services. According to Jumio's 2013 mobile commerce analysis, retailers lost over a quarter of their mobile profits because customers had difficulty completing transactions on their gadgets. To capture these sales opportunities, retailers need to make sure their checkout pages and payment options are up to speed with the rest of their retail technology.

To expand your retail marketing and sales opportunities, you can create an online presence using ecommerce software. However, getting customers to browse around the site is one thing – you also want them to make a purchase. According to Smashing Magazine, researchers estimate that 59.8 to 83 percent of shopping carts are abandoned. While a number of factors influence whether consumers complete their transactions, here are two ways you can prime your website to encourage sales:

1. Trustworthiness for sensitive info. Your website should use best in class payment services, but you also need to make these features clear to consumers. Smashing Magazine recommended using visual cues to reassure shoppers. For example, you can set apart the payment fields with background colors, borders and security icons. According to Econsultancy, consumers look for security trustmarks, but you should use only authentic logos and not use them excessively.
2. Intuitive layout. CPC Strategy emphasized that clear navigation can play a key role in converting customers. You should provide a linear check out process, taking customers from page to page rather than forcing them to jump around to enter payment or account information, advised Smashing Magazine. Avoid ambiguous terms like "continue shopping," which customers could interpret as going back to browse or going forward with check out.

Ecommerce software enables merchants to offer their products to a wider consumer base and expand the options available to shoppers. The diverse advancements in retail technology demonstrate that the growth of ecommerce also inspires innovative strategies for brick-and-mortar store operations, helping the stores to be more appealing and convenient for customers. Therefore, bolstering online marketing opportunities can stimulate economic growth and foster improvements across all retail channels.

In an effort to bring some of these benefits to developing economies, the World Bank private investment group International Finance Corporation (IFC) announced that it will invest up to 25 million Euros in two online retailers that operate in Russia, Kazakhstan and Latin America. Rocket Internet, an online ventures company, launched Dafiti (which does business in Latin America) and Lamoda (which sells predominantly in Russia and Kazakhstan) in 2011.

"Internet companies are speeding up modernization of the retail supply chain in developing countries, which promotes consumer spending—a key component of economic growth," said Atul Mehta, IFC global director for manufacturing, agribusiness, and services. "Their investments in logistics, information technology and marketing are rapidly generating employment, especially for women and young people."

According to East-West Digital News, Dafiti is Latin America's foremost online fashion group and Lamoda is Russia's leading online shoe retailer.