How to perfect your e-commerce, according to the experts

Valencia - One of the clear lessons that this global pandemic has given to the fashion industry is that the digital world should not be underestimated. When confinement became a reality, fashion firms had to act in the only medium they had at their disposal: online. As trend experts Francesca Tur and Berta Segura told us in "Contemporary Complexities", a live talk broadcast by Be More, the content channel promoted by the Barreira A+D centre, brands, more than ever, must take advantage of this moment to create a sense of community, be transparent and add value.

It was not complicated to predict that social networks and e-commerce would be the main protagonists of this atypical situation in which leaving home is not an option. According to the report "Deep dive into consumers COVID-19 take on fashion" from the international platform Tagwalk, 55 percent of those surveyed continue to buy fashion over the Internet. A trend that will continue to rise for a long time and for that reason, both stores and brands that do not have a proper e-store will have to get to work as soon as possible. For those who still have the digital landscape as a pending subject, six experts in the field tell us the secrets of a good e-commerce. What to do and what not to do? The professionals give us the keys.

Always think about the customer

For Benjamin Delhommeau, General Manager of La Redoute Spain, the must of a good e-commerce is "to always take into account the customer in all his actions". "To offer a safe and simple experience", whose maximum value is transparency, especially in everything related to logistics. "Payment, delivery of products, data protection and customer service must all be guaranteed," says Delhommeau.

Generating content that inspires the consumer

Isabela García Moreno is Valencian, but has worked for seven years as a fashion stylist at Net-a-Porter's Creative Production Studio in London. Over five years she has learned from the best everything there is to know about selling online. As she tells FashionUnited, "There are so many e-stores these days and to survive it is important to differentiate yourself from the competition and offer something new. From the beginning every online store must create a virtual community through the RRSS and generate content that inspires the consumer". An objective that she summarizes in three keys: "invest in branding and digital marketing; create inspiration, sell a lifestyle through digital content and offer exclusive products and collaborations".

Creating a sense of community

Vestiaire Collective is the leading platform for buying and selling luxury clothing and accessories and for them it is essential to "ensure a high level of personalization and social interaction". According to its co-founder Fanny Moizant it is imperative to "have an attractive platform that their customers will want to keep coming back to". However, the work does not end here and the search for and inclusion of new features is the order of the day. This month they launched "Fashion Should Feel Good," a sustainability channel where they share "weekly care tips with our community and we launched our 'Wardrobe Reality Check' challenge to encourage fashion lovers to consider the environmental impact of their own clothing choices," Moizant says.

Stylist is crucial

Raquel Costa is a freelance stylist and has worked for the e-commerce of numerous fashion brands such as Wild Pony, Compañía Fantástica, MaryPaz, Q2, Myshoplist, Noble Donkey or Ysabel Mora. "Brands must take into account that people consume more and more through e-commerce and that the photos on their website have to be more creative," he says. However, his experience shows him that brands are increasingly aware of this and the reason is obvious: "at this time when we see so many images per second, the ones that catch our attention are the ones that really have an effect and make us want the product", he adds.

But what role does it play in an online business? "It is responsible for the image projected by the web and it is in charge of presenting the product in an attractive way for the consumer. Every day we look for inspiring references and work on the set with a team of creative people to photograph the looks? created by each stylist in the showroom? The main difference is that the purpose of their work is more commercial than that of a traditional media stylist," explains stylist Isabela García Moreno.

Are fashion search engines the future?

Again using Tagwalk's survey of 58,000 people, multi-brand platforms such as Asos, Net-a-porter or Matches Fashion topped the list as the most popular options in digital shopping. Why? "Discounts, fast shipping, varied options and careful selection" are the main reasons. Rocío Lumbreras and Patricia de Juan, creators of the Spanish search engine Drestip, are clear about this: "search engines are the present and the future, as they are a very easy and, above all, extremely fast way for users to search. By means of one or several key words and a click, results of different styles and prices appear".

In addition to the practical advantages such as time saving or a fast and intuitive user experience, its founders highlight other qualitative aspects such as "the opportunity to get to know new fashion websites, and thus not only resort to those we know or recommend". And you only have to look at the figures to see that Rocio and Patricia know what they are talking about. In just three years they have gone from having 93 brands or stores to 300, including such powerful companies as El Corte Inglés. While its growth of almost 1,700 percent in clicks redirected confirms the unstoppable trajectory of this platform that has become a national leader.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited.ES, translated and edited.

Photos courtesy of Vestiaire Collective, La Redoute, Tom Craig and Raquel Costa