E-commerce marketing could be a complex concept to grasp. In order to create a successful e-commerce website, there are three major things to keep in mind: developing good content, providing commerce and building a good community. Wherever you are currently on your e-commerce journey, you are guaranteed to need a strong marketing plan. Finding the keys to success may seem like a daunting task. We’ve gathered up our favorites for you.
- Strategize before starting
Think back to when you started your business. What was your “why”, your mission, your purpose? What type of audience do you want to attract? Who is your ideal customer? Create a list of all the mechanisms you plan to utilize in order to meet your goal. Allow this to help dictate your e-commerce roadmap. Always remember to determine your product market fit before focusing on growth.
- Create an automated email marketing campaign.
There’s a reason why your inbox is always full. Emails work. Email marketing has the power to make or break your e-commerce shops and should be a top priority. Even with the evolution of social media, email marketing is one of the most successful methods to influence customers and increase sales. Include information such as current promotions, top selling products and/or feature the products they left in their cart.
- Original content is key, but unoriginal content works, too.
Good content is essential to the success of your business. Think about your why and the ideal audience you wish to attract. Here are a few things to keep in mind when selecting content: What will drive your desired audience to your website? What types of trends or holidays are occurring that you can incorporate into your business? Will your ideal customer benefit from original content?
- Build a community.
“Community” could mean a lot of things, so it is important to define what it means to you. The ideal e-commerce community will consist of loyal customers that interact with each other and your brand. Your goal should be to have a high interaction rate on social media – think having your customers comment on your Instagram posts, answer your Instagram story polls, tagging you in pictures with your products. Perhaps building the community you desire means providing customers with incentives such as product giveaways or something as simple as a sticker to put on their laptop or water bottle. Go above and beyond with your customer service so that your customers WANT to share about your company.
- Implement a loyalty program.
Loyalty programs will encourage repeat shopping at your store and make customers feel appreciated. This also compliments and accelerates growth within building your community. According to Forbes, keeping existing customers is seven times less expensive than acquiring a new ones. Businesses can also obtain vital market research about their customers.
- Make it look appealing.
You’ve got your product(s), your platform to sell them on and tons of content – what will make anyone want to take interest in them? A cohesive cross-platform brand identity is imperative and that certainly does not exclude the design of your website. Simple UI/UX design, infographics and the assistance of a professional graphic designer will help customers develop an affinity for your brand (and navigate to the shopping cart).