At the Franschhoek MCC Conference a month ago, Pier2Pier, a digital company with expertise in online marketing and sales explained why wine should be an easy product to sell online. It is not like fashion, you cannot be disappointed with the fit or fabric. What you can experience about the bottle of wine online, is pretty much the same as what you will know about it when you actually pick up the bottle in the shop. (Given that label texture and bottle weight can of course add to the personal experience).
So what is the challenge of making the most of the e-commerce platform in the wine industry?
Purchasing online is increasingly becoming part of our lives and most business trends for 2016 also focus on this aspect. Read the articles below and you will see it is all about having a strong online presence, being mobile friendly, offering digital assistance, using video, connecting customers online…
- The Top 7 Online Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2016
- 10 Digital trends every digital marketers should know about in 2016
- Top 10 Business trends that will drive success in 2016
- Forty-four business predictions for 2016
- Top 3 digital marketing trends for 2015 / 2016
In South Africa the two biggest challenges to online sales are logistics and consumer trust when it comes to payment security. Two challenges that we should definitely resolve – the sooner the better.
According to Pier2Pier 40% of international users shop online and online sales make out 10% of all international purchases. In South Africa only 1% of purchases takes place online but the category is growing by 26% year on year! With transport and delivery an issue, the strongest performers in South Africa are ticket sales and service purchases (i.e. buying electricity, etc.).
The world of shopping is changing, the platforms have been created, the opportunities are there. The Millennials want to spend. Now we have to make the most of it.
There will of course be challenges (Read how digital marketing trends can destroy your business) but it is our job to get educated, to invest in our own platforms, to be creative in solving the problems and to work together to solve issues such as logistics and payment security.
In many instances, time has become more valuable than money and there is no denying that online is the way to go in 2016. Wishing you a New Year with much business and marketing success using the digital platform, but more than that, let’s remember to enjoy the most important things – family, friends…. – even if we have to stay in touch online!