Whether you’ve just set up your online store, or have been operating for a while, you might be thinking about the best ways to grow your e-commerce business. COVID-19 accelerated online shopping to an all-time high, and according to Shopify’s Future of e-commerce report, 84% of consumers shopped online during the pandemic! The five e-commerce marketing tips that follow are a beginner’s guide to improving online sales – each one will help you reach new customers and expand your online footprint.
-
Content Marketing
Content marketing is a strategy that helps to build an audience and make connections around a specific topic. Content can be anything from blog posts to eBooks, newsletters, videos, polls, infographics, podcasts, webinars, and more. If you run an online beauty store, for example, you might create makeup tutorial videos or write articles about the best skincare routine for every complexion.
The best place to start is with what you know – sharing your knowledge and insights about your specific niche that others might find interesting. Creating content that resonates with people makes them want to interact with you – people are more likely to pay attention to content that is relevant to their lives and the things that they care about.
-
Email Marketing
One of the most effective ways to stay in touch with your customers (and increase your web traffic) is through email marketing. Email can be tricky in that you don’t want to be labelled as ‘spam’ by clogging up people’s inboxes, but when you get it right, your subscriber list can be a goldmine for future sales. The way to get it right is to offer value: the content of your emails should be useful and relatable. Personalizing the message and offering promotions can help to keep subscribers engaged and interested in what you have to say.
You can build your email list by asking customers to ‘opt in’ to your marketing when they check out. You could also offer first-time purchase discounts to new customers who subscribe. The great thing about email marketing is that you can track your email campaign performance, and even find out how many people visited your website from your campaigns.
Abandoned Cart Emails (H3 HEADING)
Abandoned cart emails are one of the most effective strategies for converting site visits into sales. These emails are triggered when someone puts items in their shopping cart but doesn’t follow through with the purchase. The automated email reminds them of the items they have in their cart and nudges them to complete their order. You could even incentivize an immediate sale by offering a discount if they act quickly.
-
Social Media Marketing
Social media platforms are a great way to connect with potential customers and boost brand loyalty, but it can be a lot of work if you’re just starting out in e-commerce. The best thing to do in the beginning is to pick one platform where you know your audience is (i.e., it’s where they spend their time online) and do it well. Consistency is key! This means planning what you’re going to post and making sure that you’re talking to the right people.
Every social media platform has a specific target audience – LinkedIn, for example, is best if you’re targeting working professionals. Platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are both highly visual, but while Instagram is great for brand awareness and engagement, Pinterest can drive a lot of traffic to your website. Start by thinking about your ideal customer: is your target audience in their 20s-30s or 40s-50s? Different age groups have different interests, and different social network preferences as well. The GWI consumer trends report indicates that older generations are embracing social media as a source of belonging and social connection, so don’t ignore them in your e-commerce tactics!
-
Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising
Pay Per Click (PPC) ads are a cost-effective way to get web traffic. You only pay if someone clicks through to your site, so it’s a great way to get your products in front of people who aren’t familiar with your store. Search engine advertising ensures that people who are searching for certain terms will be served your ad and directed to your website. You can target specific keywords and use compelling copy (as well as beautiful product imagery) to entice potential customers to click through. And with retargeting campaigns, you can specifically show ads to people who’ve already visited your site or placed items in the shopping cart before clicking away.
Unlike traditional advertising, PPC advertising can be adjusted and optimized to make sure you’re getting the best return on investment. You can tweak the copy, the images, and the landing pages people are directed to. Social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest are also great for driving web traffic through paid ads.
-
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is about using specific keywords in your website content to ensure your e-commerce store shows up in search engine results. It’s about making sure the content of your site is useful and relevant to someone’s search; for example, if you own an organic food store, you want to focus on keywords related to ‘organic food’ or ‘healthy eating’. You should create content around related topics and ensure that your website content is constantly evolving in line with what people are looking for.
Good SEO practices can help to improve your visibility online and improve your ranking in search engine results – think about how often you venture onto the second page of results… SEO tools can help in this regard, but many businesses tend to outsource search engine optimization work to a digital marketing agency like PrimePixels, who are well-versed in the latest search engine ranking requirements.
These are just five e-commerce marketing tips to get you started, and you might have noticed that they all complement one another. SEO relies on content marketing and focusing on the right keywords is essential for both PPC and SEO. You also can’t jump into social media or email marketing without creating content. Anyone new to e-commerce marketing strategy knows you need to focus your efforts where they can add the most value. A combination of tactics is guaranteed to improve your brand awareness and build your business through increased sales.
