2018 was a memorable year for many reasons. Kanye took a trip to The White House, a daredevil raccoon made its way onto global news after scaling a skyscraper, and COVID-19 sounded like a fictional apocalyptic disease. Only your weird neighbour knew who Joe Exotic was.
But perhaps one of the biggest highlights of 2018 was the World Cup, hosted in Russia - how times have changed! Despite it being a physical sporting activity, the 2018 World Cup is renowned as an online event. Over 40 million people across the globe streamed matches on BBC iPlayer, 115 billion impressions were recorded on Twitter and Dominos received orders for 346 pizzas per minute during the tournament (including its limited edition world cup pizza - the meatfielder). With so much digital activity surrounding the event, what can ecommerce businesses expect from this year’s tournament? In a nutshell - a lot!!
Online search interest around the 2022 World Cup, kicking off in Qatar on November 20th, has already increased by 80% from the same event in 2018. A similar phenomenon happened in 2014 - over 6 months before the tournament was due to start, eCommerce sales increased by a staggering 27% in Brazil.
Qatar, though a super-rich state, is a small independent emirate. Big changes to infrastructure and hospitality are still being made to accommodate the immense physical presence that the World Cup will bring. But are enough changes being made to adapt to heightened digital activity?
Preparing your business for the digital world cup
If there was ever a time for overhauling your eCommerce software and applications, this is it. If we look back to 2018 again, it was not only World Cup merchandise and memorabilia that were being purchased, but everyday and seasonal items saw a spike in sales too. UK sales in gardening equipment rose by a whopping 50% as people went out in droves to buy BBQs and outdoor furniture to host viewing parties and celebrate the matches. Gareth Southgate, England’s manager, even triggered a 100% increase in waistcoats at Marks & Spencers due to his signature sideline look!
So, how can you encourage World Cup fans to ‘spend it like Beckham’ with your business?
1. Make room for change
Legacy software is not designed for handling huge spikes in demand that events like the World Cup can generate. And online growth around events like these hit new highs year on year. Just when you think you’ve scored big, there is a shift in consumer expectations. Your software and apps need to be ready to accommodate any changes or increased demand in a flash. Don’t forget that the World Cup leads us firmly into holiday season, so things won’t be slowing down for a while.
Studio Store offers all-in-one, eCommerce business kits (including websites, apps, payments, delivery, aftercare, and more) that can be up and running in as little as two weeks. The perfect substitution for any ecommerce software that isn’t playing ball!
2. Utilise all of your channels
If you have a product or service that is relevant for a World Cup audience - use all of your marketing channels to direct people to it. The content you create throughout the event canpiggyback on trending hashtags and viral posts to increase traffic to your platform and improve conversion rates.
Learn more about how to improve app success with social media in this blog. And just as a small aside, all apps created with Builder.ai come with social media integration.
3. Secure your security
Cyber criminals will always strike while the iron is hot, like when there’s a global sporting event that generates billions in revenue. Ensure you have a secure workflow designed to suit the needs of your online business and protect your customer’s data. Ecommerce apps should always have 24/7 monitoring capabilities, frequent security updates and backup management.
4. Optimise your application’s UI (user interface)
Simplicity is key to success - as is making sure customers can see relevant and helpful information at a first glance. Special offers and discounts should be front and centre and the overall experience should be based on easy navigation. If potential customers are faced with anything more than four, well-labelled clicks to find the product they’re looking for, your drop off rate will significantly increase. The great news here is that you don’t need technical skills or the ability to code to build a great UI. Builder.ai lets you choose from hundreds of lego-like features to build the perfect front-end for your eCommerce business.
Take a look at some of the best eCommerce platforms out there for inspiration here.
Now you’re ready to conquer the incoming spike in eCommerce, check out Builder.ai’s Studio Store to see how we can help.
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Experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working in the internet industry, Last mile logistics & FMCG. Skilled in Business Planning, Operations Management, Coaching, Sales, and Retail. Strong Leadership, project management and skilled motivator able to operate at C level, Senior Management and at operational roles across any business. Business transformation, New Business and start up business model are a passion and a Natwest Entrepreneur Finalist 2018. For growth in Sales, Operations and people, I have the experience to deliver you a plan and then deliver the plan.
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