Mr. Yevhen Shevchenko, founder of the digital agency UAMASTER is a firm believer in the internet as sales media. He spoke about that to the pre-MBA Marketing students on October 6.

The internet sales share is steadily growing even for the preferred brick-and-mortar style merchandise. “Even when people would rather touch the thing video content may substitute that nowadays,” Yevhen stressed.

It is critical to win the hearts of the consumers who buy on their smartphones. The mobile traffic is increasing. “60% - 80% of contacts are through the mobile traffic,” Yevhen said. Therefore, special attention should be paid to make the m-versions of the sites convenient and sales-friendly. In particular, he said that sites content downloading should not exceed 4 seconds.

Ukrainians trust internet reviews
In Ukraine, 68% of buyers read reviews and comments about sellers and goods. More than 80% trust those reviews, Yevhen referred to the numbers. Thus, it makes managing social media presence especial important.

Audience profiling
Yevhen is sure that profiling is critical for internet sales. “Could you sell Mercedes car, if you advertise among the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute? Unlikely. But if you are targeting business lounges in Boryspil airport, your chances are much better,” Yevhen said.

When profiling the audience, it is important to go beyond the standard demographic criteria. “It is critical to take into account cultural context of your audience and understand their celebrities,” he mentioned.

Advertainment
People are tired of the native advertising are after entertainment and genuine emotions. Thus, it is often better to offer something authentic than yet another photo bank picture.
UAMASTER is a local digital agency with than 14 years of experience. Recently, they started the School of Digital Advertising.