We have studied 93 ecommerce websites with a total of 530 million sessions from Eastern European countries. The goal of this research is to provide marketers with data-based takeaways that will help them improve their digital marketing strategies. We examined the advertising channels used, user behavior on websites, and ecommerce key performance indicators.
This research is based on Google Analytics data of large and medium-size ecommerce projects from
Central & Eastern European countries. When analyzing the efficiency of the traffic channels, we used the last click attribution model.
The websites are online stores within the following niches.
We were curious to find the answers to questions that arise while promoting ecommerce projects. So, our marketing team analyzed the most interesting and representative projects to find the data to support each conclusion.
This may not come as a surprise but yes you do. Mobile traffic is growing and already takes a significant share in ecommerce as the data below states. The percentage of purchases from mobile devices is also growing. The number of conversions increased by 67% compared to 2016.
Takeaway: A website optimized for mobile devices and marketing focused for mobile users will provide you with a significant increase in sales.
At the moment, Google is the main source of traffic that drives the highest amount of profit in ecommerce. Over the past 12 months, the number of its users and its share in sales have increased.
In addition, customers demonstrated even more trust to Google’s search results which in turn the revenue of this channel grew by 74% along with traffic growth of 34%.
Takeaway: A website optimized for mobile devices and marketing focused for mobile users will provide you with a significant increase in sales.
Definitely! Your website load speed directly affects conversion, especially on mobile. The average page load speed in ecommerce is 8 seconds.
Takeaway: You need to minimize the page load time, especially if you target users of mobile devices.
The value of repeated visitors to ecommerce is significant. A returned visitors conversion rate is 25% higher than a conversion rate of a first-time buyer. So, the statement that it’s more important to work at customer retention than for attracting new ones, is very true for ecommerce.
Takeaway: Try different options such as email marketing, remarketing, promotions, and content marketing to retain your customers and encourage them to make additional purchases.
Well, it depends. The average conversion rate in ecommerce is 1.1%. This slightly differs by niches:
Conversion rate, %
Conversion rate by channels (last click attribution):
Takeaway: If your conversion rate for various channels is below average, it’s worthwhile to consider their effectiveness.
Average order values:
Takeaway: If your project indicators are below the average for the market, it’s worthwhile to determine the reasons that caused this.
No surprise here. Over the past 12 months, indicators in ecommerce have grown significantly:
Takeaway: The ecommerce market is growing: more customers are buying online and spending more at online stores. If the performance of your project has not improved in the past year, this is a red flag for you.
We analyzed the websites, the profitability of which increased by 30%+ over the last year, and identified some patterns:
Takeaway: We recommend to apply successful practices of the market leaders. For example, focus on search engine optimization, search media marketing, and building partnerships.
The share of Yandex in Eastern European countries is insignificant in both organic and paid traffic (without Ukraine).
Ecommerce in Eastern Europe has seen reduced budgets for advertising in Yandex by 20% in 2017 compared to the previous year. The volume of organic traffic from Yandex has not increased, while traffic from Google has increased by 34%.
In Ukraine, after blocking Yandex in May 2017, almost all advertisers resigned from paid advertising in this channel.
Takeaway: If Yandex is a popular search engine in your country, certainly use this channel, but do not expect a large volume of traffic like you may have experienced in previous years. We also recommend to review your Yandex digital marketing strategy due to the Google market share increase in all the countries under this study.
Takeaway: If some of these used channels generate less traffic than the average, you need to think about how to use them in a more efficient way.
Takeaway: If your project has commercial indicators below average, it’s worthwhile to think about their effectiveness.
The main trends we have noticed are the following: advertisers have spent significantly more of their budgets on AdWords and social media.
Takeaway: In ecommerce, it is important to remain in trend. You need to use tools and approaches that have been proven of their effectiveness. In 2018, you should increase your AdWords advertising budget and pay close attention to social media marketing.
This is a wise choice indeed because the conversion rate for this channel is the highest one we have identified – 2.25%.
Takeaway: If you do not develop your email marketing channel, it’s time to get started. This channel directly affects the growth of repeat sales, which generate majority of the profit in e-commerce.
This may not come as a surprise but yes you do. Mobile traffic is growing and already takes a significant share in ecommerce as the data below states.
The percentage of purchases from mobile devices is also growing. The number of conversions increased by 67% compared to 2016.
Takeaway: A website optimized for mobile devices and marketing focused for mobile users will provide you with a significant increase in sales.
At the moment, Google is the main source of traffic that drives the highest amount of profit in ecommerce. Over the past 12 months, the number of its users and its share in sales have increased.
In addition, customers demonstrated even more trust to Google’s search results which in turn the revenue of this channel grew by 74% along with traffic growth of 34%.
Takeaway: A website optimized for mobile devices and marketing focused for mobile users will provide you with a significant increase in sales.
Definitely! Your website load speed directly affects conversion, especially on mobile. The average page load speed in ecommerce is 8 seconds.
Takeaway: You need to minimize the page load time, especially if you target users of mobile devices.
The value of repeated visitors to ecommerce is significant. A returned visitors conversion rate is 25% higher than a conversion rate of a first-time buyer. So, the statement that it’s more important to work at customer retention than for attracting new ones, is very true for ecommerce.
Takeaway: Try different options such as email marketing, remarketing, promotions, and content marketing to retain your customers and encourage them to make additional purchases.
Well, it depends. The average conversion rate in ecommerce is 1.1%. This slightly differs by niches:
Conversion rate, %
Conversion rate by channels (last click attribution):
Takeaway: If your conversion rate for various channels is below average, it’s worthwhile to consider their effectiveness.
Average order values:
Takeaway: If your project indicators are below the average for the market, it’s worthwhile to determine the reasons that caused this.
No surprise here. Over the past 12 months, indicators in ecommerce have grown significantly:
Takeaway: The ecommerce market is growing: more customers are buying online and spending more at online stores. If the performance of your project has not improved in the past year, this is a red flag for you.
We analyzed the websites, the profitability of which increased by 30%+ over the last year, and identified some patterns:
Takeaway: We recommend to apply successful practices of the market leaders. For example, focus on search engine optimization, search media marketing, and building partnerships.
The share of Yandex in Eastern European countries is insignificant in both organic and paid traffic (without Ukraine).
Ecommerce in Eastern Europe has seen reduced budgets for advertising in Yandex by 20% in 2017 compared to the previous year. The volume of organic traffic from Yandex has not increased, while traffic from Google has increased by 34%.
In Ukraine, after blocking Yandex in May 2017, almost all advertisers resigned from paid advertising in this channel.
Takeaway: If Yandex is a popular search engine in your country, certainly use this channel, but do not expect a large volume of traffic like you may have experienced in previous years. We also recommend to review your Yandex digital marketing strategy due to the Google market share increase in all the countries under this study.
Takeaway: If some of these used channels generate less traffic than the average, you need to think about how to use them in a more efficient way.
Takeaway: If your project has commercial indicators below average, it’s worthwhile to think about their effectiveness.
The main trends we have noticed are the following: advertisers have spent significantly more of their budgets on AdWords and social media.
Takeaway: In ecommerce, it is important to remain in trend. You need to use tools and approaches that have been proven of their effectiveness. In 2018, you should increase your AdWords advertising budget and pay close attention to social media marketing.
This is a wise choice indeed because the conversion rate for this channel is the highest one we have identified – 2.25%.
Takeaway: If you do not develop your email marketing channel, it’s time to get started. This channel directly affects the growth of repeat sales, which generate majority of the profit in e-commerce.
The aforementioned data has been collected to help you assess the condition of your ecommerce project, identify the weak points of your digital marketing strategy, and get some ideas for its improvements. We recommend ecommerce projects to follow these suggestions in 2018.
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