Elevating Ecommerce Brands with BigCommerce and UPLIFT Desk

In early November 2023, BigCommerce participated in Retail Summit’s Austin Ecommerce Summit, where industry experts came together to share their knowledge and insights on the world of online shopping.

During the event, Melissa Dixon, Director of Content Marketing at BigCommerce, sat down with Meghan Stabler, Senior Vice President of Marketing at BigCommerce, and Daniel Burrow, Vice President of Growth at UPLIFT Desk, to discuss what sets retail brands apart in today’s competitive market.

Here are some highlights from the discussion and key takeaways you can use to set your brand up for success.

BigCommerce and UPLIFT Desk panel highlights

In today’s ecommerce industry, many retailers feel additional strain from economic factors and increased competition — making the stakes higher than ever before.

Creating an exceptional customer experience is one of the best ways to connect with shoppers, build brand loyalty, and stand out against the competition.

In the BigCommerce and UPLIFT Desk panel discussion, Stabler and Burrow shared their insights on how retailers can create seamless customer experiences that set their brands apart and increase online sales.

Create a customer-focused brand identity.

Melissa Dixon: One of the things I love most about UPLIFT is you’ve built a strong brand identity rooted in the customer experience, convenience, and personalization. Can you tell us how you’ve been able to infuse that into the online shopping journey, and what are some of the things you’ve done that are most exciting to bring the brand to life?

Daniel Burrow: “We've really focused on making things comfortable for the end user, and for that customer to have faith in the brand and have everything they need to have faith in the brand. 

“When you buy online, you don’t know what the product is going to look like in your space. As we move into a world with augmented reality, we’re able to build the tools and products that help a customer visualize and understand it. 

“For us, a lot of the focus is building a comfortable user experience and making the checkout easy, getting the product easy, not being afraid of the returns process, and knowing they’re going to have that support.”

Key takeaway

It’s more important than ever to invest in creating an effortless shopping experience for customers. Utilizing technological advancements such as augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) — as well as creating efficient checkout and return processes — can help leave a lasting impression on shoppers and establish your company as a customer-focused brand.

Establish a seamless personalized experience.

Dixon: It’s interesting when you look at a product like UPLIFT Desk and the complexity of the product line. How has that really influenced your approach to ecommerce and customization and personalization? 

Burrow: “When it comes to personalization, you have to be brave and willing to jump into complicated work, and I think that’s where creating the ease of the customer experience and creating that comfort comes from the brand tackling the complication. It takes a whole lot of effort in order to make sure the customer experience is a great one so that they have all the products in front of them and they’re able to make a well-informed choice. Thankfully, with BigCommerce, we can do that. 

“With BigCommerce, we’re able to connect to our whole tech stack and get the order out there on the same day no matter what the order is or what it is that they’ve built, so that’s really valuable to us and to the customer. 

“But from a sales perspective, there’s a certain level of when we get the right products in front of the customer and what they actually want and care about, there’s a kind of automated upselling. If the customer sees it and they’re interested in it, they’re gonna get it. And by making sure we put the right products in front of the right customers at the right time, and we give those options to them and we give them things they’re going to be happy with, we’re going to have that upsell experience.” 

Key takeaway

When offering customizable products, ensuring your online store is hosted on a robust ecommerce platform is essential. Choosing a platform that enables customers to easily personalize products and allows orders to be efficiently fulfilled is key to establishing a positive customer experience. 

On top of that, strategically placing products in front of shoppers through targeted ads and personalized communications will create a unique shopping experience for customers and drive online sales.

Eliminate friction across channels.

Dixon: What are some of the success strategies that you’ve seen brands employ to reduce friction, especially across channels, and create that seamless experience that shoppers now crave?

Meghan Stabler: “The first thing that comes to mind is not necessarily the channels, but it starts at the checkout. 

“That seamless checkout conversion is paramount. Attracting people to the site and engaging them is also key, and that starts at the top of the funnel. Whether you’re embedding it with digital experiences and digital ads, or through engagement on Instagram and TikTok. We’re reducing the friction in doing the conversion in Instagram and doing the conversion in TikTok.

“So what we enable brands and retailers to do is use technology like Feedonomics.” 

Key takeaway

Successfully reducing friction across channels is a surefire way to create a great customer experience. Creating a universally seamless checkout experience, engaging potential customers through digital ads on social media, and utilizing tools like Feedonomics to centrally manage products across channels will set your brand up for success.

Optimize ROI and the checkout process.

Dixon: What do you think should be top of mind for brands going into 2024?

Stabler: “What are your customers looking for, where are they looking, and how can you improve your return on investment?

“Especially when you’re in retail, you’re looking at margins very closely now. Your cost of goods, shipping materials, and even raw materials coming in from overseas are getting more expensive. Shipping is getting more expensive and logistics are getting more expensive, so how can you optimize to drive your ROI? 

“I think brands and retailers, regardless of being on the BigCommerce platform, should look at something like Feedonomics to improve their product data listening, because that can give a proven data ROI in a few weeks and a positive outcome. The second thing would be to look at your checkout. What are you doing and what is the propensity to buy?”

Key takeaway

Optimizing for ROI can help brands save costs in areas where they may be overspending, allowing them to reallocate resources to other areas, such as the customer experience. Using technology such as Feedonomics can help evaluate where a brand can decrease customer acquisition costs and improve average order value. 

Additionally, taking a look at your checkout experience and searching for incremental ways to improve the user journey can lead to an increase in online sales.

The final word

Creating a seamless customer experience is one of the most effective ways to attract shoppers and set your brand apart in today’s market. Watch the full panel discussion to learn more ways to improve the buyer’s journey so you can increase online customers and sales.