Effective ecommerce strategies could be key for future

By now, most companies are probably aware of the importance of providing electronic payment methods for customers - yet many are still struggling to implement effective strategies. 

"In the past, retailers thought it was enough to simply have an online store, but times have changed," Tallya Rabinovich, CEO of Izzonet.com, recently said in a statement. "An impersonal, poorly designed website may actually be worse than no website at all, as it will have a negative impact on the brand's image both on and offline."

According to a recent Dotcom Distribution study, Americans spent record numbers in online purchases in 2012, including nearly $1.5 billion on Cyber Monday alone. A separate study by internetretailer.com projected that worldwide ecommerce sales could reach $1.25 trillion in 2013. 

Because online shopping is so important, Rabinovich made several suggestions for companies to improve ecommerce strategies, including:

- Personalization will be a key way for businesses to separate themselves from opponents. Offering loyalty programs or advertisements catered toward an individual's interests can be a big help.

- Despite its benefits, customers may not want to abandon the experience of physically shopping in stores just yet. Therefore, Rabinovich proposed making websites as interactive as possible.

- Everything is trending toward mobile, so ecommerce strategies should as well.