Over PS3 trillion was spent online by consumers around the world in 2019. These results are expected to continue for many years. eCommerce marketing is essential for online shops.
Despite the current economic climate, and the COVID-19 epidemic, eCommerce is thriving. As people are forced to shop online and stay inside, online retailers are flourishing.
We thought it was a good time to talk about how businesses can create an eCommerce marketing strategy.
It starts with content, as it always does.
Content is everything.
Content is the most important thing for any eCommerce marketing strategy. This is more than just selling products.
You have the opportunity to make a name for your brand and build a reputation. This will create trust between you and your customers.
Content should speak to your target audience. If you are a brand that sells dog apparel, you will want to create content that appeals to dog owners.
Here’s where creativity is possible…
A wide variety of “value content” is a great way to build a relationship beyond selling and buying.
Value content might include:
- How to’s
- Editorials
- Videos
- Profiles of your inspiration sources
It is anything that can give insight into your personality and the purpose of your brand.
After creating your content, optimize it.
If you want your website to be found on the Search Engine Results Page, you must optimize its content. Simply put, optimizing your website content shows Google that it is trustworthy and worthy of being displayed on the SERPs. The higher quality of your content, the higher it will rank in search results.
How do you optimize your content?
Start with keywords.
Targeting keywords with high search volumes is important. You can do this by using the Google Keyword Planner.
Your website will appear in search results for keywords related to yours. It is a great place to begin: analyzing the competition in eCommerce marketing.
You should target similar keywords if you find a website offering similar products to yours that ranks high on the SERPs.
The SEMRush Keyword Gaup tool is another great tool. It allows you to enter the URL of your website alongside the URLs of your competitors. The tool will show you which keywords are strongest and which keywords you should be targeted against them.
Handy, right?
Perhaps you have noticed a common theme: your customer. Putting the customer first is the key to successful eCommerce strategies.
This means that your marketing strategy should be based on your customers’ needs and wants. It is important to be aware of the general consumer behavior as well as your particular area of eCommerce.
Given the COVID-19 situation, eCommerce companies should be aware of the top three consumer preferences for purchase priority.
- Food
- Health & well-being products
- Cleaning supplies
In the same way fashion retailers are most successful when they keep up-to-date with the latest trends, so is eCommerce.
Successful eCommerce marketing requires you to understand your customers and find compelling ways to show them how you can help.
You’ll need to rope some PPC into your content.
Paid ads are the stage in your eCommerce marketing strategy that allows you to use the knowledge and connections you have with your audience – and get to know them better.
Facebook is a great place to share your ideas.
Facebook is used by an estimated 2.26 billion people each day.
Even if you have the most niche-specific business, Facebook will likely reach at least some of your target market.
It’s a great platform to advertise paid.
Facebook Ads Manager gives you the ability to target your audience with pinpoint precision.
Facebook lets you target new mothers who live in West London, such as Oliver Bonas.
It is possible to choose the requirements that you want your audience to fulfill (assuming they exist) and have them see your ads.
Although borderline creepy, it is undoubtedly great for marketing.
Another great aspect of PPC is the ability to target different segments of your audience using different versions of your ads.
You’ll need to create informative ads for cold audiences. Remember, these people may not have heard of you before. This is your chance to introduce yourself.
Warm members will know something about you, so they may be interested in what you have to offer. Tell them about your 15% Easter weekend deal.
You can be strategic with your audience. You can assume these people have bought before, or will purchase shortly. This allows you to talk to them as if you are their friend.
You’ll see that it makes sense.
Now that you have a lot of optimized website content and are familiar with PPC, it’s time to start exploring other options.
How?
Add more content.
It’s not hard to believe that brands we love and know are everywhere we go.
There’s a reason.
Your content will be more widely distributed the further you go.
You should send emails asking for referrals, and build your social media presence with the intent of bringing your customer closer to you and building a meaningful relationship.
Take Pretty Little Thing as an example.
PLT has made a name for itself with its podcast, app, multiple Instagram accounts (one dedicated to user-generated content such as tagged photos and competition entries), and strong email marketing.
They also have a great relationship with their customers.
The idea is that the more content you release, as long as it’s relevant to your audience and your product, the greater your chances of building a loyal customer base who will look to you for your product and value.
All in one…
The best eCommerce brands create a sense of community among their customers.
It indeed costs businesses 5x more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing customer.
