In the ever-growing world of ecommerce, with new companies entering the market every day, it can seem overwhelming to set yourself apart and maximize your growth.
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top performing ecommerce websites in the United States to take a look at what they’re doing right. These top 3 sites may not be surprising picks — but there is a lot that can be learned from these behemoth companies that can benefit smaller e-tailers.
1. Amazon
Founded as an online bookstore in 1994, Amazon joined the global market under the assumption that no brick and mortar store could ever stock every book in the world — but an internet store could. Focusing on scalability, they’ve diversified their products to include electronics, toys, apparel, jewelry, food, furniture, media, and more — and that only includes what they sell on their site. Amazon has skyrocketed to become the uncontested global leader of ecommerce by providing their customers with cheap prices, fast shipping, and an enjoyable shopping experience.
It’s no surprise that Amazon is the highest performing ecommerce site in the United States, if not the world. With an estimated 2.012 Billion visits each month and their latest acquisition of Whole Foods Market — it’s safe to say that Amazon has far outgrown the title of ecommerce business. While their reach has expanded, their core values and goals as a company have always remained the same — scale the ecommerce experience to maximize growth.
Apply Amazon’s Strengths
While it’s not feasible for everyone to be able to have their own global network of warehouses from which they can store and ship, there are still ways that smaller companies can learn from Amazon’s strengths.
SCALE
Join forces with service providers to help scale your business. For example, shipping consolidators leverage their volumes and their relationships within the industry to gain significant discounts for their customers. You can also partner with a shipping company that works with Amazon so you can take advantage of their global marketplace.
STRATEGY
Amazon uses the following business model to remain adaptable to their customers’ needs:
Maximize the number of customers driven to your site → Collect and analyze data on customer base → Use findings to improve products and drive marketing. Amazon pushes traffic to their site by enabling shoppers to pay as little as possible for the products they are buying. Even if you cannot lower prices, analytics are important so you can see what your customers are interested in and how you can expand your niche to bring in more business.
EASE OF USE
Make sure your ecommerce website is as user-friendly as possible. Provide your customers with an abundance of product images, videos, and detailed descriptions along with customer reviews. Allow for convenient filtering, search, and navigation of your site. Make checkout simple and offer choices so that your customers can select shipping options that are right for them. Shoppers are more likely to return when the experience is a breeze.
2. eBay
eBay is where many of us had our first ever experiences with online shopping. It is an internet auction platform that let’s businesses and individuals sell their products directly to buyers. Founded in 1995, eBay is a pioneer in ecommerce having expanded to more than 20 countries.
With a reputation for being a source of high quality collectible toys — eBay’s initial success was fueled by capitalizing on a specialty market. With an estimated 855.82 million monthly visitors, today eBay has expanded into categories such as electronics, clothes, and even cars through auctions, direct from brands, or through verified sellers, offering free shipping on many items.
Apply eBay’s Strengths
There are lessons to learn from eBay even if you’re not running an auction ecommerce website.
QUALITY PRODUCTS
Customers still expect a certain level of quality no matter how cheap your prices are. If you want repeat business and organic growth, you need to make sure your customers are satisfied with your products. Bottom line — don’t sell junk.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
The easiest way to keep shoppers loyal to your brand and coming back for more is to provide excellent customer service and a top notch shopping experience from start to finish. Any small way you can meet shoppers’ needs makes all the difference to customer retention.
3. Etsy
Founded in 2006, Etsy is the 19th largest marketplace in the world and one of the top performing ecommerce websites in the United States. Its focus is handmade or vintage products and unique factory-manufactured items, and it allows users to sell items directly to customers using the Etsy platform. Though their niche may seem narrow — Etsy pulls in around 266.31 million visitors each month.
Because it has some of the highest levels of engagement, Etsy is unique among ecommerce sites. Their combination of aesthetic organization and clickable cross-selling keeps shoppers browsing for longer as the options appear to be limitless. Etsy creates a sense of community to give users the experience of boutique shopping online.
Apply Etsy’s Strengths
There’s a reason Etsy is the number one market for artists and craftspeople. Let’s look at the takeaways you can implement in your own ecommerce business.
ENGAGEMENT
Take a moment to browse Etsy’s site and you’ll immediately see why customers get sucked in. Their aesthetically pleasing grid layout eliminates the need for repetitive click through that leads to cart abandonment. Design your site to be interactive and visually stimulating to keep shoppers browsing longer.
SOCIAL INTEGRATION
Etsy’s marketplace is integrated with social media so customers can add their favorite items and shops to a curated list that can easily be shared with family and friends. The easier it is for customers to share links to your site, the more traffic you’ll get.
BRAND FOCUS
Building your brand helps your business establish and maintain credibility with customers and makes you easily recognizable in a sea of online retailers. Etsy encourages their creators to build brand stories and comprehensive “about” pages. Follow suit — focus on building a brand that customers can connect with.
No matter where you’re starting from — all ecommerce websites can benefit by following the lead of industry giants. The key to growth and success is to find ways to implement the core strengths of these top ecommerce players in ways that are manageable for your online business. To learn more, browse through our Insights blog or contact Asendia USA today to speak with one of our ecommerce experts.
