The future of e-commerce: growing smarter together
How do you remain relevant as a brand in a constantly changing world? During Platform Summit, Laurens Eckhart, Jorg Snoeck, and Jurjen Jongejan shared their vision on the future of e-commerce: from social media and service to the unconscious mind behind purchasing behavior. Read their insights here.
“For many, social media is the only source of news, entertainment, inspiration, and shopping.’’
Gen Z, in particular, is inspired by what they see on social media: 40% use TikTok as their primary source for searches.
Laurens Eckhart, Influencer Marketing Manager at bol, explains how brands can respond to this with the right content. From influencer campaigns and social SEO videos to User Generated Content (UGC) and organic posts on bol's own channels. With the right scripts, strong visuals, and an SEO-proof approach, content remains discoverable, even after a campaign ends.
With the help of the new proposition Creators for Brands, partners can leverage bol's reach and engage Gen Z together.
3 things to remember
- Creator content is booming for 2026. Ensure a good script with the right hook and the right match in terms of creators.
- Create relevant content and respond to trends and search volume.
- Make sure your posts are SEO-optimized.
“The customer is not who they used to be.”
Jorg Snoeck emphasizes that the customer has changed significantly. New lifestyles, more intensive smartphone use, and higher expectations mean that convenience, personal service, and sustainability are more important than ever.
To reach customers, it's important to understand that their purchasing process consists of small steps: from a first impression to the final purchase. Brands that intelligently respond to this with inspiring content, personal offers, and good service build both stronger reach and long-term customer relationships.
3 things to remember
- Omnichannel is the standard: online and offline retail strengthen each other.
- Successful selling starts with inspiring and activating your customer.
- Small moments make the difference: respond to every step in the customer journey.
Why the unconscious mind is key to more sales
Jurjen Jongejan has seen the results of more than 10,000 A/B tests on e-commerce sites in his life. His message was clear: understand how the unconscious mind works and respond to it.
Did you know that 90% of our choices are made unconsciously? Instead, we react to simplicity and emotion. Jurjen showed how you can intelligently respond to this.
For example: we have more motivation to complete an order if we feel like we are already on our way. Think of a loyalty card with 12 stamps, 2 of which are already filled in – that feels like progress, and it works. Authority also plays a role: a simple sentence like “The cake specialist for 15 years” builds trust and convinces.
Furthermore, it is important to understand that our attention automatically goes to elements that stand out. So, place your most important item benefits in places where the customer looks, and present them attractively.
3 things to remember
- Understand how the unconscious mind works and respond to it.
- Keep your texts short, powerful, and easy to understand to increase conversion.
- Use contrast and emotion to draw customers' attention to your main benefits.