You have a great online store and sell an exceptional product, but you aren’t attracting buyers. Sound familiar? Then it’s time to think about marketing.
eCommerce marketing is the practice of directing buyer traffic towards a website where products or services are sold. Many digital marketing tactics play a key role in the success of these online businesses. Keep these six important tips in mind when developing your eCommerce marketing strategy.
According to Adweek, Google found 73% of consumers will leave a mobile site that loads slowly or is difficult to use. Google will also push down your site in SERP pages because of slow mobile speeds. This not only impacts searches on mobile, but also on desktop as Google views them as one in the same with Mobile First Indexing. If you’re unsure if your site is mobile friendly, Google offers a free site analyzer.
You should also consider how easy your checkout process is when making your eCommerce site mobile-friendly. Streamline the process to avoid unnecessary steps that may frustrate your customers and lead to abandoned carts. Check your analytics regularly to identify where shoppers drop out of the checkout process and spot patterns. Consistent abandonment can be a sign that a particular step is difficult to complete or unclear.
It’s important to use aesthetically pleasing visuals that enhance the product viewing experience. Display all of your products’ details and features by using eye-catching pictures that will allow your customers to avoid reading long descriptions. Make sure that your pictures are user-friendly by enabling zoom and roll-over features that will allow your customers to better inspect the image. If you are planning to promote or advertise your products, make sure your pictures are compliant with the requirements set forth on the platform you choose. For example, Google Shopping Policies may require your product photo to be on a white or transparent background.
Another effective visual tool is easy-to-read infographics, which provide product information in a digestible and enjoyable way.
Collect data from keyword and market research to better understand what consumers are looking for. Once you’ve done this, optimize your written content accordingly.
Developing content that is benefit-oriented and speaks to your potential customers’ needs can help capture more sales. Figure out how your product or service is better or different than your competitors’ and how you can communicate that to your audience.
Don’t flood every social channel in existence with marketing campaigns. Choose the ones that make sense for your business and your product. Pinterest and Instagram are great for fashion brands and highly visual products, for example, and both Facebook and Instagram allow detailed audience targeting based on interests and user behaviors.
If you’re offering a product, integrate shoppable content that allows users to shop directly from social media. Making the shopping process as easy as possible will help boost your sales. Consumers don’t want to jump through hoops to buy your product.
Continue to use your social media to build a loyalty program among your audience. Highlight testimonials, case studies, reviews, etc. that will demonstrate your brand’s reliability.
UGC is an easy way to gain consumer trust and show the authenticity of your brand. Encourage UGC by using a campaign hashtag and motivate your customers to do the same.
You may need to offer an incentive to get them to participate, but that can be something as simple as featuring their post on your company’s social channels. If you need to offer more of an incentive, try to think of ways that will still promote authenticity.
An example of an authentic “incentive” is one by Aerie in their #AerieReal campaign. For every unedited picture someone posts on their social media with the #AerieReal hashtag, the company donates $1 to the National Eating Disorders Association.
Customer reviews are another example of UGC. Send a follow-up email that directs them to where they can submit their review.
Use advanced technology and analytics to tailor your content directly to specific customers. Artificial intelligence has continued to make personalization easier for businesses. When you leverage personalization, it shows your level of engagement and commitment to your customers and is now becoming expected.
Some examples of eCommerce personalization include:
Combining these tips can be easily implemented and executed to have the maximum impact and success you’re looking for. When you’re an eCommerce-only business, your online presence defines what your customers think about you.
True Digital Communications is here to help you strategize for success. If you are in need of digital marketing expertise, please contact us today and we can create a plan together.
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