6 Companies Advancing in eCommerce

Spending on e-commerce has become a global force.

According to Statista, e-commerce has grown from around $30 billion in 2007 to just under $100 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017. These statistics will only continue to rise.

E-commerce sites are, in fact, some of the world's most successful businesses. The path they took depends on various factors, but one thing is sure: companies that have embraced mobile technology perform better overall.

Even on traditionally frantic shopping days like Black Friday, mobile is quickly becoming the preferred device for many consumers.

According to Bank Rate, the number of individuals who went to stores in the United States during the annual Black Friday event reduced by 23% in 2016, with 38% favoring shopping online.

If mobile usage continues at its current rate, mobile applications will account for 40% of all Black Friday holiday shopping.

As a result, many businesses that have found success through e-commerce have begun to embrace mobile. Let's look at some of the most successful E-commerce business examples that have thrived since implementing the technology.

Fishwife is a modern twist on canned fish. The female-founded DTC brand has elevated a pantry staple to a trendy must-have.

Tinned seafood isn't glamorous, but Fishwife uses bright colors and swirling fonts to modernize an old-fashioned food product. To provide an eye-catching contrast and invoke a sense of nostalgia in shoppers, the brand employs nostalgic, sepia-toned imagery overlaid with bright, primary colors.

Customers can see a selection of bestsellers further down the homepage, each with vibrant packaging that adds to the fun branding. This will undoubtedly help Fishwife stand out among other tinned fish brands on supermarket shelves and search engine results pages.

Investigate how competitors' brands present themselves and consider how you can do things differently. A simple splash of color or stand-out branding can help you rise above the competition in a tired old industry.

Leesa is an online mattress retailer on a mission to improve people's sleep. Their first successful mattress provided a "Universal Adaptive Feel" that adapted to the bodies of people of all shapes, sizes, and sleeping styles. They created an online store so potential customers would not have to deal with the hassle of traditional mattress showrooms. They provided a free 100-night trial period for their mattresses.

Because people only buy a new mattress every 5 to 10 years, they have learned the importance of identifying where customers are in the buying cycle for a bed. This means that people research mattresses more than they do most other products they buy online.

E-commerce accounts for 2.8 percent of Walmart's total sales, but the company has successfully combined customers' in-store and mobile experiences.

Even as Walmart has expanded its physical presence through acquisitions and the opening of new locations, the corporate headquarters has been working to improve the digital experience.

The company's new advancements include pick-up services for customers who prefer to shop online but pick up their purchases from any of Walmart's physical retail locations.

In 2017, the company redesigned its website, emphasizing regional "trending" sections for popular items and checkout services tailored to specific regions or users' preferred locations.

The outcomes speak for themselves. According to Sailthru, the company saw a 40% increase in E-commerce sales and a more than 10% increase in stock after reporting second-quarter earnings in 2017.

Much of its mobile success can be attributed to its mobile app. Walmart was one of the technology's early adopters. So much so that it was recognized in 2012 for its mobile application.

The company is constantly improving. Walmart recently unveiled its new Store Assistant mobile app, which includes a new set of tools designed to improve the Walmart shopping experience. This mobile technology complements the in-store experience, allowing users to create "smart shopping lists" and access features such as the barcode scanner, product search bar, customer reviews, and Walmart Pay.

Modcloth began in Susan Gregg Koger's dorm room in 2002. As a result, it was an early entrant into the world of eCommerce. One of the main reasons for Mod Cloth's success is that they understand its target market extremely well. This has enabled them to provide their customers with a fun and engaging shopping experience.

Modcloth sells women's clothing, but not in the mass quantities found at hundreds of other stores and eCommerce sites, nor in the pricey one-of-a-kind garments found at exclusive boutiques. Modcloth clothing is unique and fun. Their online catalog features happy models wearing brightly colored dresses with bold patterns.

It considers its clothing to be "content," rather than just merchandise to be sold. Every product has its name and backstory. The copy describing the clothes is interesting, even entertaining. The models on the site are regular people of various body shapes and sizes.

Amazon was among the first companies to recognize the potential of mobile commerce. It now leads the pack in terms of innovation and mobile sales. It's one of the best E-commerce apps on the market right now.

Part of this is because of its overall reputation as a reliable online retailer. Aside from that, the company has been working to grow its mobile commerce business so far ahead of the competition that almost everyone else is now playing catch-up.

Amazon's mobile app now accounts for approximately 42 percent of all smartphone visits. The remainder is made up of website visitors. According to Internet Retailer, app users account for nearly 85 percent of mobile time spent on Amazon.

According to Business Insider, the most likely reason for this is that Amazon's mobile app users are likely to be excellent targets for mobile conversion.

According to Criteo, consumers spent 12.8 billion minutes per month using Amazon's app, and apps have been shown to have significantly higher conversion rates than mobile browsers and desktops.

According to Business Insider, the only thing holding Amazon back from even greater success are potential flaws such as a convoluted shipping selection process designed to entice users to sign up for Prime.

Bonobos is a New York City-based clothing success story that aims to provide better-fitting men's clothing while also providing exceptional customer service. Personalization is an important aspect of how Bonobos operates.

Bonobos were founded in 2007 by Brian Spaly and Andy Dunn to sell pants that flatter men's figures. Bonobos' trousers have developed a cult following. A curved waistband was the key to their success. This improved the anatomical fit of the pants.

Bonobos was solely an online business for the first four years of its existence. This did not concern the target customer, who is a man who dislikes going to traditional mall stores.

Bonobos' sales team - sales ninjas - understand the importance of providing excellent customer service to ensure customer satisfaction. You can get in touch with them via email, mobile, as well as video chat. They are free to come up with their customer solutions and resolve issues as they see fit.

Final Thoughts

Traditional retailers have had to adapt as the internet age has spread into nearly every aspect of our lives. As mobile becomes the dominant force, those same companies - and their newer competitors - have had to adapt.

Many of these E-commerce companies have been able to capitalize on the mobile revolution thanks to careful rollouts and customer-centric technology.