The world of ecommerce has come a long way the past couple of years.

We’ve assembled these quotations from various thought leaders and beyond to summarize tactics
that have changed the way customers and businesses alike interact in the industry.

The ecommerce industry has been travelling faster than the speed of light. In the past five years,
it has shattered expectations, created many jobs, and introduced entirely new selling channels to
retailers.

It’s crazy to think how far the industry has come in such a short amount of time. To encapsulate
the expansion, success, and innovation of eCommerce, here are 15 quotes from eCommerce
professionals to show the current state of the industry and where it could be going.

Pricing

Prices have become a huge factor in the purchase decision process for customers. With price
comparison so popular amongst consumers, competitive pricing has become a main focus for
retailers.

Here are two quotes that perfectly sum up the overall sentiment of pricing online and the factors
that impact it:

1. “If you’re competitor-focused, you have to wait until there is a competitor doing
something. Being customer-focused allows you to be more pioneering.” – Jeff Bezos,
CEO of Amazon
2. “The reason it seems that price is all your customers care about is that you haven’t given
them anything else to care about.” – Seth Godin, Founder of Squidoo.com, former VP of
Direct Marketing at Yahoo!
3.

The competition

Consumers don’t have to drive across town to visit a competitor when buying online,
intensifying competition greatly.

While this does spark ingenuity, an aggressive competitor can make or break a company.

3. “You should learn from your competitor, but never copy.” – Jack Ma, Executive
Chairman of Alibaba
4. “Amazon and other pure plays are driving toward getting both predictive and prescriptive
analytics. They’re analyzing and understanding information at an alarming rate. Brands
have pulled products off of Amazon because they’re learning more about them than the
brands themselves.” — Todd Michaud of Power Thinking Media
Marketing

Thanks to the internet, the way companies market themselves has changed.

On one hand channels such as email and social media have lowered barriers and costs, but on the
other have provided more channels that need to be utilized correctly.

5. “When you say it, it’s marketing. When your customer says it, it’s social proof.”- Andy
Crestodina, web strategist
6. “[Online] Retailers that go beyond selling a product and tell a story to establish a firm
brand identity and to build a one-to-one relationship with their customers are more likely
to thrive.” – Jack Lowinger, CEO of Cartonomy

Data

Billions of GB of data is created online every day. Nothing grows quite as quickly and retailers
have been taking full advantage of it since the dawn of ecommerce.

It is now crucial for the success of retailers.

7. “Don’t obsess over data as a tool, obsess about the future” – Jeff Beaver, CPO of Zazzle
8. “Data data data, I can’t make bricks without clay.” – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author
9. “While the massive amount of data collected from selling online on numerous platforms
can certainly create a challenge, moving forward, it is one that online merchants will need
to handle effectively. Learning to translate that data into actionable information for
driving future customer engagement could prove to be a significant asset.” – Brett
Relander, Founder of Launch & Hustle

Merchandising

The meaning of merchandising has switched from in-store displays to website layouts.

Online retailers need to make sure their merchandising is on point to increase conversion rates.

10. “Good merchandising inspires customers to buy if they weren’t going to buy” – John
Hazen, VP, Omnichannel Commerce & Digital Innovation at True Religion
11. “Retailers are always wondering about what or even if they should be investing in
technology. Let me put it this way, as you go through your budget process keep in mind
that you are not going to out-invest Amazon.” – Joe Dalton, Chief Products and
Marketing Officer at PivotLink

The future of retail

If history repeats itself, ecommerce is in for a treat. The industry has seen incredible growth in
just a little over a decade, and many analysts see it overtaking their brick and mortar counterparts
in the near future.

12. “I was reading all these reports that were down on retail brick and mortar, saying it’s all
about online… I think brick and mortar is an amazing opportunity to use our stores and
our store staff as a vehicle to truly engage with the community in a way no other retailers
are doing.” – Jim Brett, President of West Elm
13. “I can’t overstate how mobile is changing how we interact with our consumers,” -Joel
Anderson, CEO of Wal-Mart
14. “Clothes, shoes, glasses and just about everything we thought would never move fully
online will all be online. The reason is simple: why leave the comfort of your own home
when you can get something custom made to your exact size for less? I believe this is the
future.” – Patrick Curtis, wallstreetoasis.com
15. “The sooner we drop the ‘e’ out of ‘e-commerce’ and just call it commerce, the better.” –
Bob Willett, former President of Best Buy International and CIO of Best Buy

Word of Mouth

“92% of respondents reported that a positive recommendation from a friend,

family member, or someone they trust is the biggest influence on whether they buy a product or
service.”
― Paul M Rand

“A customer talking about their experience with you is worth ten times that which you write or say
about yourself.”
― David J. Greer, Wind In Your Sails