Dossier: E-commerce

B2B e-commerce in Europe is in its infancy when compared to online sales on other continents, such as Asia and America. Hans Maltha, CCO of iO, believes we have a lot of catching up to do. He provides the necessary tips and tricks for a B2B organisation to be prepared and to make rapid progress.

Shopware 6 is a powerful and user-friendly e-commerce platform, where you can easily manage both your content and your commercial data. In this blog post, our Shopware expert Rune shares 7 reasons why he is so excited about the latest version of Shopware.

Have you heard of Shopware Markets yet? This plug-in synchronises the Amazon and eBay marketplace with your Shopware webshop. It integrates both product data and order processes, completely automating these two important aspects. You can manage and process everything within your Shopware system.

Most of us have probably already ordered a product or two at bol.com. But the platform also offers merchants interesting opportunities to sell and advertise products, in Belgium and the Netherlands. In this white paper we will tell you more about the possibilities of the platform.

Selling through Amazon? Here’s how to become successful   Amazon is deeply ingrained in today’s digital retail landscape: you can buy and sell almost anything there.   For merchants, Amazon offers a unique opportunity to rapidly and efficiently expand their markets – even across borders.   But how do you start doing that? How will you successfully sell your products through the world's largest e-commerce platform? Well, you can find out how it works in our updated guide, 'Selling and Advertising on Amazon, a Guide for Belgium and the Netherlands'. 

Whether e-commerce is still unexplored territory for your company or you want to grow your business (faster) in 2022. Everyone in your industry wants to get ahead by using e-commerce. Whatever your ambitions, the Webwinkel Vakdagen (Webshop Trade days) will offer you knowledge and inspiration on the most relevant trends and developments in e-commerce. We look forward to meeting you on June 29 or 30 during the Webwinkel Vakdagen 2022! Want to get inspired in advance? Download our e-commerce whitepaper.

Organisations who wanted to accelerate the digital growth of their business in 2023, stay ahead in e-commerce, or were making plans to innovate their e-commerce landscape - all were welcome at the Webwinkel Vakdagen (Webshop Trade Days) to accomplish just that. To no one’s surprise, iO made an appearance at the event. At our booth we shared our e-commerce expertise across two days, in the form of compact Lightning Talks dedicated to sharing our (strategic- insights in e-commerce trends. 

Want to increase your sales from anywhere — even when you're sleeping? If so, affiliate marketing might be right for your organisation. Tim van Hout (Team Lead Affiliate Marketing at iO) tells you everything you need to know about affiliate marketing in this webinar.

Conversion optimisation is a must-have, today more than ever - especially since the global wave of digitalisation following the COVID-19 pandemic took place. The same can be said of the (international) web shop competition, still increasing to this day. As a result, each (new) visitor has become a lot more valuable. This whitepaper shows you how to set up CRO in a data-driven, well-founded way - using the CRO cycle.

In uncertain times, most entrepreneurs choose to operate from a safe position and focus on easy wins and consolidation. But with this strategy you miss out on opportunities. What can we offer to withstand the unpredictable, changing consumer needs and economic and social turmoil? Our Software Architect Bavo Janss went back in time and made up the current state of affairs. He says that Operational Excellence is the answer to most of the big questions coming at us today. Read on to learn how composable commerce can help us prepare for the future.

The death of the third-party cookie. For a moment, it seemed like the world would end. But fortunately, there are alternatives for marketers and their organisations, including first-party data. A thoughtful first-party data strategy can help you build close relationships with your customers, create value, and streamline your marketing activities.

According to Peter Van Hoecke (CEO Van Hoecke), the client is always central, especially — in digital transformation. By automating, accelerating, and rationalising processes, you help your clients save time — our most finite and valuable resource.

You can't do partial digital transformation, says Paul Smeets (CTO Cadac). In this video, he tells you more about his vision on digitisation.

MediaMarkt is an omnichannel retailer, and that is a very conscious choice. Digital and non-digital channels flow seamlessly into each other, according to Yannick de Bièvre (Head of Marketing BeLux).

Marketplaces such as bol.com and Amazon have assumed an influential position in a very short time, gaining influence on how and where consumers do their shopping. Some brands have good reasons not to want to sell on marketplaces. But even then, you need to have a presence there as a brand.

Amazon’s arrival is no surprise – it’s the final Belgian chapter for Jeff Bezos’ ecosystem. The question was never if, but when we would be next – and it’s our turn right now. This clandestine Amazon announcement forces Belgian entrepreneurs to make an important e-commerce decision – one that could decide what the digital marketplace landscape will look like.

Whether you were looking for inspiration about trends and developments in e-commerce or about important choices to realise (international) growth ambitions. With 200+ lectures and 250+ exhibitors, the Webwinkel Vakdagen was home to all the knowledge and inspiration you needed to make a fresh start in 2024. We were also present as an exhibitor. At our stand, we shared valuable insights on the most discussed e-commerce trends during our Lightning Talks. Moreover, during the iO Table Talks, a group of e-commerce professionals got the chance to discuss the future of their e-commerce business.

As of 2022, 65% of B2B companies conduct their business exclusively online. In addition, last year—for the first time ever—organisations sold more online than through personal sales.  It is therefore about time for your B2B company to move towards—and reap the benefits of—a digital story. Discover the difference e-commerce can make in a B2B context.

In recent years, the gap in digital maturity between pure players (shops that solely operate online) and traditional retailers (that have a webshop and one or more brick-and-mortar shops) has grown. However, there is a solution for traditional retailers to close the gap. And that solution is composable commerce.

Webshops have reached the status of shopping standard in the digital age. Users are just a few clicks away from their favourite items. Anywhere, at any time of the day, from the comforts of home. This is why online advertising on digital channels has become key to webshop owners: channels allowing you to maintain your margins and successfully activate consumers throughout the purchase process.

After an extended period of online retail growth, both Belgian and Dutch consumers are finding their way back to physical shops. Online shopping is now an established part of the retail landscape, with the biggest platforms continuing to exert their dominance, seducing more and more consumers.    As the holiday season comes around again, many retailers are wondering what this year has in store. Alongside Christmas, newer celebrations like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Singles Day are attracting more and more attention in Belgium and the Netherlands. What does this mean for local retailers? We have analysed the market impact of these changes for you.