In today’s digital landscape, understanding consumer behaviour isn’t just crucial–it’s also paramount for brands to maximise their online strategy. Brands must gain insight into what drives customers to make online purchases, identifying key factors such as product preferences, trending categories, and consumer pain points.
By using data analytics, brands can track browsing patterns, search behaviours, and product interactions to pinpoint what resonates with their audience. This approach allows for a tailored product offering and personalised recommendations, ensuring that the brand meets the specific needs and desires of its target consumers.
For this E-Commerce Marketing 2024 interview, we sat down with Ben Moreau, vice president for Southeast Asia at Lexer to discuss factors in driving growth in the e-commerce space, and how marketers can tap the promising e-commerce marketing opportunities in Asia-Pacific this year and beyond.
E-commerce beyond the purchase journey
For Ben, e-commerce is no longer about being the medium for the customer’s purchasing journey, but rather about customers seamlessly moving between in-store and online interactions based on convenience and context.
“For instance, a sales associate can now engage with a customer on the shop floor via WhatsApp, sending them a link to complete their purchase online. Likewise, a customer may have an immersive social commerce experience and opt for in-store pickup,” he stated.
Ben also highlighted how the lines between channels are blurring, just as the lines between sales, service, marketing, and support are. This implies that e-commerce is no longer just a separate thing–but rather interconnected with other channels like social media, payment solutions, amongst others.
“For retailers, customer expectations have risen dramatically, and their tolerance for irrelevant marketing or poor experiences has dropped. With the data retailers have, customers expect CDPs to help manage and leverage this information to meet their needs,” he said.
He further added, “This goes beyond the traditional idea of ‘personalisation’ where brands simply reflect customer data back to them. It’s about relevance—understanding why customers want to buy from you, what they want to buy, and how they want to buy. Getting this right is key to driving growth.”
What e-commerce opportunities lie ahead
According to Ben, a major opportunity lies in how brands understand their customers and apply their vast data resources to guide customers toward the shortest path to purchase. In order to do that, brands need to do the following:
- Capturing relevant information at each touchpoint, such as knowing a customer visited a store, tried on a product, and shared their thoughts with a sales associate.
- Breaking down data silos between channels to ensure this information can be effectively used.
- Making this data accessible across channels—whether in-store, through customer service, or via online chat—so that the brand can better serve its customers.
“The challenge is deconstructing the silos between e-commerce and physical stores to mirror the customer’s fluid engagement with brands, while also enhancing the ability to build richer customer profiles beyond just purchase history,” he explained.
Another big opportunity in the e-commerce industry is AI integration, with Ben mentioning how AI is transforming retail in three critical areas: capital, capability, and capacity.
“In the early days of retail, stores knew their customers intimately. However, as retail has scaled and e-commerce exploded, the volume of customer data has proliferated, making it harder to maintain that personal touch,” he said.
In their case at Lexer, Ben shares that the company is leveraging AI to drive growth and retention through meaningful, relevant customer engagements. Moreover, he stated that AI allowed them at Lexer to bridge the gap between sales, service, and support, putting the customer at the centre of the experience.
“For example, imagine a customer who shops both in-store and online, recently made another purchase, and receives a personal message from the CEO thanking them for their loyalty. This type of experience—enabled by AI—has far more impact than a generic triggered email and can be delivered at scale with minimal overhead to the retailer,” he said.
Foreseeing what lies ahead of the e-commerce scene
Ben recognises the fact that not all customers are created equal, noting that for most retail brands, 20% of customers generate around 70-80% of their revenue. This means that some customers drive higher margins, while others rely on discounts and frequently return items. With that in mind, Ben says that it is essential to allocate resources toward a brand’s best customers and its future best customers.
“At Lexer, we help brands identify where to focus time and effort, applying customer-centric strategies where they will yield the greatest returns, and lighter touches where appropriate,” he said.
When asked about what he foresees in the landscape of e-commerce in APAC, he first stated that there is a growing emphasis on customer experience and satisfaction, beyond simply pushing products.
“Brands realise that competing solely on price is unsustainable and they need to grow margins. Growing spend from customers who provide good margins is key. First, you need to identify these, then you need to ensure you get the highest share of the category or wallet from these customers versus the competition. For brands prioritising customer experience, this will likely necessitate a rethink of how online marketplaces fit into their broader strategies,” Ben stated.
He also highlighted that despite the rise of e-commerce, most retail still happens in-store, even for Gen Z customers. For him, the in-store experience is incredibly powerful, but it’s also where it’s hardest for brands to deliver personalised experiences.
“So much valuable data is lost in physical stores, while so little is applied to delight customers and drive sales. Brands invest heavily in personalizing e-commerce, but these efforts often don’t extend to the in-store environment,” he said.
Ben added, “At Lexer, we operate at the intersection of customer data and customer engagement, providing solutions for both sales associates and digital marketers. We believe that creating relevant customer experiences is powered by data, scaled with AI, and shouldn’t be confined to marketing teams alone.”
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For brands to thrive in the competitive online marketplace, they must thoroughly understand the what, why, and how of consumer purchasing behaviour. By leveraging data to identify product preferences, understanding the motivations behind buying decisions, and optimising the customer journey across various digital touchpoints, brands can create a more personalised and seamless shopping experience.