If you're running an online brand, you already know how many moving parts go into acquiring and converting customers.

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But knowing which levers to pull - and when - is often the difference between real growth and wasted effort.

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In this article, we explore a simple, effective model for breaking down your entire e-commerce journey into clear components you can assess, improve and measure.

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This approach, used by CFO and e-commerce specialist Karim Kreaa, adapts a classic marketing framework from the 1960s and turns it into something built for today’s online landscape.

The result is the Four Cs of E-commerce: a structured way to identify what’s working, what isn’t, and what to prioritise next.

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From the Four Ps to the Four Cs

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Long before digital marketing existed, brands relied on the “Four Ps”: product, price, place and promotion. These pillars helped businesses think through what they were selling, who they were selling it to, and how they were reaching those people.

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Karim builds on that foundation and reworks it for the customer journey of an online business. Instead of looking only at what the business provides, the Four Cs examine the full experience of a customer moving through an online shop - from discovering you to buying from you, and eventually coming back.

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The Four Cs are:

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Catch – Bringing people into your store
Connect – Building trust and interest when they arrive
Close – Turning consideration into sales
Continue – Encouraging repeat business and long-term loyalty

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Each stage has its own role, its own challenges and its own metrics. Together, they form a complete picture of your e-commerce performance.

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1. Catch: Bringing Quality Traffic Into Your Store

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The first job in e-commerce is simple in theory: get people to your website. But the real challenge lies in attracting the right people - not just anyone who might click.

Karim breaks “catch” into two types:

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Direct catch

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These are touchpoints where someone clicks straight into your online store:

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Search ads and keywords
Social ads on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram or TikTok
Organic search results
Advertorials, reels or product-focused content

A strong direct catch strategy often relies on clear visuals, compelling headlines and calls to action that stop people scrolling and encourage them to find out more.

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Indirect catch

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Indirect catch happens when someone hears about your brand and later seeks you out:

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TV ads, print and traditional media
PR coverage and influencer mentions
Retail presence
Word of mouth
Offline brand visibility

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These don’t send traffic directly, but they build awareness so that users actively search for you.

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What good catch looks like

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Quality matters more than quantity. Driving millions of visitors who never buy is an expensive mistake.

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What you want is:

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Relevance
Curiosity
Strong audience fit

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To evaluate this stage, look at:

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Impressions
Click-through rate (CTR)
Cost per click
Visitor growth over time

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Good “catch” work fills the top of your funnel with customers who genuinely want what you sell.

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2. Connect: Building Trust the Moment They Arrive

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Once someone lands on your website, the goal shifts. Now you must help them feel confident, informed and motivated to explore. This is where many brands quietly lose potential customers - not because the product is poor, but because the site experience doesn’t support the decision-making process.

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What creates connection?

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A strong first impression.

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A clear statement of what you do
High-quality visuals
Clean, simple navigation
Mobile-first layouts (70–80% of traffic is on phones)

Proof and reassurance.

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Customer reviews
Certifications
Product benefits explained simply
Helpful product descriptions

Engagement.

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Users spending more time on your pages
Smooth scrolling and fast load times
Clear calls to action

How to measure connect

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Look at:

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Average session duration
Bounce rate (and where it happens)
Scroll depth
Product page engagement

Tools such as heat maps can also show exactly where users get stuck or drop off.

When users connect well, they naturally move toward adding an item to their cart.

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3. Close: Reducing Friction and Completing the Sale

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The close is where the purchase happens - or doesn’t. Adding an item to the basket is easy; parting with money is an entirely different step.

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Karim highlights that this stage is where many brands see the highest level of drop-off. Around 70% of online baskets are abandoned, often for reasons that are avoidable.

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The most common reasons for abandoned checkouts

Unexpected shipping costs
Forced account creation
Complicated forms
Long or unclear delivery times
Lack of trusted payment options
Slow-loading checkout pages
Hidden fees

These issues add friction and trigger doubt at the very moment a user is deciding whether to buy.

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What smooth checkout looks like

Guest checkout available
Clear pricing and delivery information
Mobile-friendly layout with minimal fields
Fast payment options such as Apple Pay, Google Pay or Shop Pay
Secure, trusted visual cues
No surprises at the last step

The easier it is to close, the more revenue you unlock from traffic you already have.

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4. Continue: Creating Long-Term Value

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It’s tempting to think that once a sale is complete, the job is done. In reality, this is where the next journey begins.

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For many online businesses, profitability depends on customers buying from you more than once. Repeat purchases improve customer lifetime value, reduce your reliance on paid acquisition and build real stability.

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What drives the “continue” stage?

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Clear communication

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After the sale, customers want to know:

What they ordered
When it will arrive
How they’ll be updated

Reliable delivery
If you promise 48-hour delivery, meeting that promise builds trust. Missing it damages repeat purchase potential.

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A great product experience
This is the “second moment of truth”. If the product delights, customers return. If it disappoints, nothing else in your funnel matters.

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Delightful unboxing
Premium products require premium presentation.

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Smart re-engagement

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Subscriptions
Product launches
Seasonal or event-based email campaigns
Cross-channel availability

Key continue metrics

Repeat purchase rate (15–20% is average)
Net promoter score
Lifetime value (LTV)

The brands that master this stage grow the fastest - and spend the least on acquisition.

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Putting the Four Cs Together: A Full Funnel Example

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Karim uses a simple scenario to show how the Four Cs work in practice.

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Scenario 1: The funnel isn’t profitable yet

£500 ad spend
20,000 impressions
2% CTR → 400 visitors
24 add-to-carts
8 purchases (£30 average order value)
2 repeat purchases

This results in:

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Customer lifetime value: £43
Cost per acquisition: £62

In this version, you're spending more to acquire customers than they’re worth. Something must change.

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Scenario 2: After improving “catch” and “connect”

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With better visuals, clearer messaging and stronger calls to action, CTR improves from 2% to 3%.

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Now:

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600 visitors
More add-to-carts
18 purchases
Higher average order value (£35)
More repeat buyers

Lifetime value increases to £52, while acquisition cost drops to £28 - all without increasing ad spend.

This demonstrates how improving a single stage can dramatically shift your revenue and profitability.

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How to Use the Four Cs in Your Own Business

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Your brand doesn’t need to overhaul everything at once. The real value of this model is in helping you identify which stage of your funnel deserves attention right now.

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Ask yourself:

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Are you struggling to bring enough people in? → Work on catch
Are people landing but not staying? → Improve connect
Are baskets being abandoned? → Focus on close
Are customers not returning? → Strengthen continue

Improving even one stage can unlock meaningful growth.

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Final Thoughts

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E-commerce success isn’t a mystery - it’s a system.

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By understanding each step of the customer journey and using clear metrics to measure performance, brands can grow with confidence rather than guesswork.

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The Four Cs framework gives you a practical, simple way to evaluate your entire funnel, diagnose weaknesses and make targeted improvements that translate into higher revenue and healthier long-term value.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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What are the Four Cs of e-commerce?

The Four Cs are a framework for understanding the full customer journey in an online business. They stand for Catch, Connect, Close and Continue. Each stage focuses on a different part of attracting, converting and retaining customers, helping brands identify where their funnel is performing well and where improvements are needed.

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Why is “catching” quality traffic more important than high traffic?

Large volumes of traffic are only valuable if the people arriving on your site actually want what you sell. Poorly targeted ads can drive thousands of visitors but result in no sales, which increases costs without improving revenue. Quality catch ensures you’re reaching people with real intent.

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How can I reduce my bounce rate?

Bounce rates usually come from unclear messaging, slow loading pages, confusing navigation or a lack of trust signals. Reviewing your homepage and key landing pages for clarity, performance and mobile layout often makes the biggest difference. Tools like heat maps can also show where users get stuck.

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Why do so many customers abandon their baskets?

Basket abandonment typically happens because of added friction at checkout — unexpected shipping fees, forced account creation, complicated forms or a lack of familiar payment options. Simplifying the checkout experience and removing surprises can reduce abandonment dramatically.

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What is the “second moment of truth”?

This refers to the point when a customer actually receives and uses your product. If the product experience meets or exceeds expectations, they’re far more likely to buy again. If not, no amount of email marketing will convince them to return. It’s the biggest factor in long-term loyalty.

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How can I increase repeat purchases?

Introducing subscription options, offering bundles, sending well-timed email campaigns and creating a strong post-purchase experience all help. Reliable delivery, great packaging and a high-quality product also play a major role.

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Which metrics should I monitor for each C?

Catch: click-through rate, impressions, cost per click, visitor growth
Connect: session duration, bounce rate, engagement on product pages
Close: conversion rate, checkout abandonment, average order value
Continue: repeat purchase rate, customer lifetime value, NPS

How do I know which stage of the funnel to fix first?

Look for the largest drop-off.

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If few people arrive → improve catch
If they land but exit quickly → fix connect
If baskets are abandoned → refine close
If customers buy once but don’t return → strengthen continue

Can small improvements really make a big difference?

Yes. Even a 1% improvement in click-through rate, bounce rate or checkout completion can significantly increase revenue, especially when combined. As Karim demonstrated, improving just the catch stage increased profitability without increasing ad spend.

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