The Webretailer News Digest for December 9, 2022
Explanation:
We fact-check all of our content to ensure you have reliable and up-to-date information for your eCommerce business decisions.
Learn about our fact-checking process.
eCommerce sales are getting some relief this holiday season after lower numbers through the year. We hope you’re reaping the benefits of the season! Here’s a statistic: This year’s Cyber 5 sales grew 4% and beat the 2020 sales record.
Today’s news is 956 words and takes three-and-a-half minutes to read.
GoDaddy offers managed WooCommerce sites
This week, GoDaddy announced the launch of a new solution they’re calling “a Cheat Code for Scaling E-commerce.”
According to their press release, the Managed WooCommerce Stores solution offers eCommerce businesses tools to bypass the tech stack building process needed to create a complex online store. The goal of the solution is to give sellers the flexibility to sell across multiple marketplaces, on social platforms, and in-person.
What’s in the solution?
Their platform works through WordPress and offers over 25 extensions that focus on your business needs. But sellers apparently need not worry about anything technical regarding the website, as their solution includes management from GoDaddy’s team of experts.
Other features include
- Integrated POS transactions
- Professional emails
- Automated abandoned cart recovery
- Unlimited staff accounts
- Cross-channel inventory management
- Product catalog support
- Shipping and payment support
From the release:
“And for the first time in WooCommerce stores, entrepreneurs can easily sell in-person and across marketplaces and social channels, like Google, Etsy, eBay, Walmart and Amazon through one unified dashboard and without downloading additional plugins.”
Pricing
GoDaddy’s Managed WooCommerce Store offers three payment tiers. As you scale up the added cost gives you more orders and bandwidth.
- Flex – $99.99/month
- Expand – $149.99/month
- Premier – $249.99/month
Final Notes
A final note on the solution is that GoDaddy is hosting their WooCommerce managed services through the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud. The release stated that their servers are “fine-tuned to deliver faster page loads and server response times.”
Big Retailer News
Amazon had outage issues this week
Wednesday morning wasn’t very pleasant for many Amazon sellers and shoppers. Thousands reported receiving error messages during checkout around 9 a.m. The company reported the issues and stated the platform was experiencing “unusually heavy traffic.”
Sellers lose out
Many Amazon retailers complained in a DC360 report later that evening. One seller reported a 95% drop in order numbers compared to the day before. And the outage came just after another one just two days earlier when Amazon Web Services went down for a while.
What’s going on?
Unfortunately, no one knows what’s really going on behind the scenes at Amazon. But there’s a lot of frustration being flung around on social media. Hopefully there won’t be any more issues for Amazon sellers this holiday season.
eCommerce sellers can learn from McDonald’s holiday promotion
Last week, we reported an Adobe Analytics statistic stating that 48% of Black Friday sales came from a smartphone. So this week, we’re highlighting a holiday promotion from McDonald’s to convey the importance of mobile optimization for digital sales.
Promotion time
This holiday season McDonald’s is heavily pushing their mobile application by giving customers the chance to win free McDonald’s for life for themselves and three friends. Mobile fast food patrons will get an entry into the contest with each mobile order. And the chain is adding other perks like 50-cent double cheeseburgers, access to branded merchandise, and additional food deals.
Read between the lines
We’re not here to promote McDonald’s — though I could go for a sausage Egg McMuffin right now… — but it’s wise to look at how heavily they’re pushing the mobile platform. After all, Tariq Hassan, chief marketing and customer experience officer for McDonald’s U.S. division recently stated, “You don’t change your strategy just to change it, to do the new and exciting thing.”
Whether or not you like fast food, McDonald’s is a trend-setter for marketing campaigns. If the company is willing to make this much of a push into mobile, then they’re sold that it’s a viable channel to drive revenue.
Mobile for your business
If you want to improve your eCommerce business, then it’s time to optimize for mobile. You don’t have to launch a flashy application like McDonald’s. But be sure that your page is mobile-ready to convert potential customers.
Also in the News
- Washington D.C. Attorney General sues Amazon for withholding driver tips. D.C. AG Office.
- Want to know how to get Etsy items from the US to Europe?. Marmalead.
International Retailer News
European B2B sales are growing every year
A recent report from DC360 gave B2B eCommerce sellers in Europe some promising news. According to the report, European B2B ecommerce sales could reach $1.33 trillion this year and are projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2025. The report cited data from Polish research firm Chamber of Digital Economy.
Other highlights from the report:
- One of every four European companies generates 80% of their revenue from eCommerce
- 95% see positive effects from online sales
- 84% believe eCommerce is an opportunity for more exports
Final Quote
“Many manufacturers and distributors are undergoing digital transformation and becoming involved in ecommerce — nationally and internationally, which is an enormous opportunity for them to keep growing.” – Chamber of Digital Economy
Amazon shooting for sustainability with European shipping
According to a report from Splash247, Amazon isn’t using air travel as much for European shipping. Instead, the company is leveraging short sea trips to transport packages. It’s an effort by the company to get more goods across the Atlantic with efficiency and lower emissions — it’s also faster at times.
Routes and numbers
Currently, the company has sea routes between Spain and Italy, and they recently linked warehouses in Germany and Poland to ports in Sweden. The report states that nearly half of Amazon warehouse transfers between Spain and Italy run via sea instead of by truck.
Final Quote
“Sea routes provide a more efficient, less carbon intensive, and, in some cases faster mode of freight transport in comparison to other alternatives.” – Helder Velho, EU vice president of surface transportation
Also in the News
- Lidl launched eCommerce sales in the Netherlands. RetailDetail.
- French watchdog fines Amazon 3.3 million euros. FashionNetwork.
Webinars
For everyone
Various dates: Amazon advertising’s global webinar program continues with 20+ webinars scheduled, covering Prime Day Preparation, Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, reporting, optimization, and other tips. Amazon.
For US sellers
December 13 & 15: 2023 Digital Marketing Panels – Solutions to the Biggest Challenges Your Brand Will Face Next Year. Tinuiti.
For UK sellers
Various dates: Amazon advertising’s global webinar program continues with 20+ webinars scheduled, covering Prime Day Preparation, Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, reporting, optimization, and other tips. Amazon.
Leave a Reply