Suz Pathmanathan
To celebrate the launch of our Future of e-Commerce webinar with Aturian, we’re giving our readers a little sneak peek as to what to expect. Let’s start with a cold, hard fact: e-commerce is reshaping the promotional products industry. Businesses everywhere are falling out of love with traditional PDF and hard catalogs, which take time to produce, limit the number of products that can be presented to customers, and have an environmental cost when it comes to production.
“We used to lug around these huge tomes as catalogs. It was like combining weight training with selling!” James Fisher, a Fluid Branding sales representative, comments. “Once we updated our way of working to include online stores and an ERP, we never looked back. We now sell more than ever, reach way more people, and have a lot more time to concentrate on expanding our reach further.”
It’s true—one of the most significant advantages of e-commerce is the ability to reach a global audience. Considering that the U.S. e-commerce market will reach over $1.1 trillion in sales this year, the move to online stores has significant sales benefits and is quickly becoming what customers expect. As one of the leading online store solutions in the industry, we’ve seen the selling potential of e-commerce firsthand.
ERPs like Aturian, on the other hand, integrate various business processes, including inventory management, order processing, sales, production, and finance. This streamlining of operations reduces manual tasks, and data can drastically improve workflow efficiency.
In the past, promotional product companies were limited by geographical constraints and the need to establish physical stores or carry catalogs around. With e-commerce, businesses can showcase their products to customers around the world, breaking down barriers and expanding their reach like never before.
You can also display your entire product catalog online without limitations. This means that your customers can access, filter, and sort through a more diverse range of promotional products, from traditional items like pens and mugs to more innovative and customizable offerings like tech gadgets and eco-friendly merchandise.
Customers can now browse, compare, and purchase products with ease, and the entire process is available 24/7, wherever your customers are. With the integration of advanced technologies like ERPs, chatbots, and live customer support, businesses can provide immediate assistance, further improving the overall customer experience and building trust with their audience.
Today’s consumers are smarter, savvier, and they know what they want. With a swipe of their fingers, they can research, compare, and make purchase decisions in a flash. The promotional products industry must adapt to these changing behaviors and expectations to stay relevant and competitive by investing in advanced data analytics and customer segmentation strategies.
By understanding your customers’ preferences, interests, and purchase history, you can deliver personalized product recommendations and targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with your audience on a deeper level.
Take Aturian as an example: it provides valuable insights that can help your business better understand your customers and optimize your marketing strategies. Through tracking and analyzing customer behavior, businesses can identify trends, preferences, and pain points, enabling them to offer targeted promotions and personalized recommendations. This data-driven approach allows for more effective marketing campaigns and an improved return on investment.
One of the key challenges in the promotional products industry is inventory management. Traditionally, businesses relied on physical warehouses and manual tracking systems, which were often prone to errors and inefficiencies. However, e-commerce combined with ERPs offer advanced inventory management solutions that provide real-time visibility into stock levels, reorder points, and demand forecasts. With a data-driven approach, you can optimize your inventory levels, minimize carrying costs, and avoid stockouts or overstocking, ensuring that your customers always find what they’re looking for.
Social media plays a crucial role in shaping consumer behavior, and it offers an excellent opportunity for businesses to engage with their audience directly. Building a strong social media presence allows you to listen to customer feedback, address concerns, and showcase your brand’s personality. Consumers love to connect with brands that are authentic, transparent, and responsive, so be sure to foster genuine interactions that build trust and loyalty. By showcasing your promotional products on social media platforms, you can reach a wider audience, engage with potential customers, and encourage sharing, which can lead to increased brand exposure.
E-commerce has also driven a shift towards greener and more sustainable practices in the promotional products industry. With a greater focus on reducing waste and using eco-friendly materials, businesses can appeal to environmentally conscious consumers and align their brands with sustainable values. With access to over 400 leading suppliers, Brikl also takes the effort out of procuring sustainable products – a typically lengthy and expensive process.
Digital tools such as e-commerce and ERPs have revolutionized the world of promotional products by providing businesses with new opportunities for growth, greater accessibility to global markets, and the ability to create personalized and data-driven marketing strategies.
By embracing these tools and their many benefits, promotional product companies can thrive in the digital age and create memorable experiences for their customers while driving brand loyalty and success.
