If you’re involved in the eCommerce business and want to keep up with the latest trends, updates, tactics, and technologies, learning from the industry’s brightest minds is essential. Attending various eCommerce events throughout the year can help you stay ahead of the curve.
Nothing beats offline conferences and events for gaining new insights, sharing your experiences, meeting like-minded individuals, and establishing valuable contacts. By combining networking and learning, you’ll be one step ahead in crafting innovative online strategies.
We are excited to present you with a comprehensive list of conferences and events across Europe (or virtual) that cover all areas of eCommerce and digital marketing. This calendar aims to help you stay informed about the events that best meet your needs.
So, grab your calendar and get ready to plan for some of the best eCommerce events on the horizon!
Who were the parts of the event?
There was no restriction about who can join the event, but the event offered the choice of two tracks: developers and merchants. Attendees were free to move in between the tracks to get the most out of it.
The organisers chose many topics delivered by diverse panels of speakers.
What have you gained from the event?
1. Connections
The event was no less than an opportunity to build strong and meaningful connections within the industry.
2. Latest offerings of Magento community and emerging technologies
The platform was a chance to meet fellow attendees and talk innovation. The event’s sponsors were hand-picked to bring the best in the industry.
3. Learn from industry leaders
Basically, the event was a platform that enables you to realise the business needs and offerings within the community.
Key Takeaways from Meet Magento UK: Insights and Innovations
Meet Magento UK always brings a wealth of learning and knowledge. This year was no different, with several key discussions that really stood out. One of the highlights was a deep dive into effective digital marketing strategies, including leveraging video content by experts like RVS Media. Their insights on media strategies provided invaluable guidance for attendees looking to enhance their marketing efforts.
1. Lost Opportunities on Mobile
One of the hot topics was the gap between mobile traffic and revenue. While mobile responsiveness has driven more traffic, we’re still not seeing the same boost in sales.
Take Cyber Monday as an example. It was the biggest shopping day ever, with sales hitting $7.9 billion (about $24 per person in the US) (about $24 per person in the US). More than half of the traffic (51.4%) came from mobile devices, yet these only accounted for $2 million, or 26.3%, of the total sales.
This clearly shows merchants need to focus on converting mobile traffic into revenue.
2. Measuring eCommerce Success
Figuring out whether your eCommerce site is a success isn’t straightforward. The panel suggested a useful formula to get a clearer picture:
Revenue per Visitor (RPV)= Total Revenue\ Total Number of Visits
By calculating RPV, you can see what’s working and what’s not. Factors like Conversion Rate (CR) and Average Order Value (AOV) are also crucial in understanding your store’s performance.
3. Reducing Distractions to Boost Sales
Another big discussion was about minimising distractions on eCommerce sites. Here are some ideas they shared:
- Collapse Coupon and Promo Codes: Visible coupon code fields can distract customers and lead to abandoned carts if the codes don’t work. Collapsing these fields could boost RPV by 3.34%.
- Remove Wish Lists: Wish lists were meant to boost sales but often lead to procrastination. Disabling this feature might push customers to buy now, potentially increasing phone RPV by 5.62%.
- Eliminate Breadcrumbs: With good navigation, breadcrumbs can become unnecessary. The Magento community is testing whether removing them helps reduce distractions and improves the shopping experience.
Magento and PWA at Meet Magento UK 2024
At Meet Magento UK 2024, Progressive Web Apps (PWA) were a hot topic. Multiple speakers highlighted the transformative potential of PWAs, with Eric Erway and Shaun Osbourne leading insightful discussions on how this innovative technology can simplify eCommerce operations.
Key Takeaways on PWA
1. It’s Time for Progressive:
- Progressive Magento is Here: The shift towards PWAs is happening now, encouraging merchants to think beyond traditional apps.
- Establish Goals: Setting a baseline for your store helps in creating clear objectives.
2. Try it for Yourself:
- Hands-On Experience: Real merchants, partners, and developers are already using the PWA version, and you can prototype in minutes.
3. Get Involved:
- Community Support: The Magento community offers extensive support for PWAs, allowing you to join the progressive movement from anywhere in the world.
Shaun Osbourne also shared valuable advice from early adopters of PWA:
Advice from Early Adopters:
- Implement Browser-Based UI Testing
- Decide on Server-Side Rendering (SSR) Early
- Develop a Strong Versioning Strategy
- Avoid Cache Invalidation
- Load Features on Demand
Moving forward, Osbourne discussed the roles of front-end and back-end developers, offering practical tips for each.
Tips for Frontend Developers
- Expand the Frontend Team: Increasing the team size can help manage the additional workload.
- Engage with the Frontend Team: Frequent interaction is crucial.
- Shift Mindset: Frontend developers need to adapt to a model where all data is delivered via APIs, not as part of the Magento render cycle.
- Optimise Graph QL Queries: Frontend developers might create slow queries initially; focus on optimising them rather than stopping their efforts.
Tips for Backend Developers
Amend Existing Queries: To support PWA functionality, backend developers will need to adjust current queries and add new ones.
Closing Session
The event concluded with a session by Philip Jackson, who fittingly quoted Theodore Roosevelt: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” Jackson emphasised the importance of the Magento community, highlighting that while people don’t build communities, communities build people.
Meet Magento UK 2024 was a resounding success, underscoring the significance of PWA technology and the strength of the Magento community in driving innovation and growth.
