As an eCommerce business, your main goal is to attract online shoppers and encourage them to purchase. Your eCommerce marketing strategy is a huge part of this and can make or break your business. No matter how simple or complex you make it, it needs to appeal to your audience and represent your eCommerce business perfectly.
Implementing the right eCommerce marketing strategies can ensure your business continues to grow and perform to a high level. This, of course, results in a boost in revenue and even better brand awareness.
So, if you鈥檙e looking for some helpful eCommerce marketing strategies to get you started, here are 5 helpful ideas.
In this guide, we鈥檒l look at:
- User-friendly websites
- High-resolution images
- Effective keyword research
- Optimising through best practices
- Social media marketing
1. Creating a User-Friendly Website
Today鈥檚 shoppers know exactly what they want, and if they can鈥檛 find it easily enough, they will simply move on to the next brand. A change in consumer behaviour over the years has meant that customers will no longer put up with complex websites that are difficult to navigate.
It鈥檚 important to make sure your eCommerce business has a user-friendly website. You might only have a matter of minutes to capture the shopper鈥檚 attention. There are several different things you can implement to ensure your eCommerce website is working effectively.
The navigation should be easy to read through. Consider including visual categories with simple images or just a one-word description for each category. Once a shopper is in a category, offer functionality such as filters for colour, size, product type or price. Be sure to include internal linking where possible. If your category description talks about another style, link to the page. This helps the customer effortlessly navigate to where they need to be on your website.
Similarly, consider other functions that will help customer access the product they need. A wish list could be helpful for customers saving an item for later, or a 鈥榝ind in store鈥� option usually means a customer can come and check out your items in person.
User-friendly eCommerce websites also extends to having a mobile-friendly website. Google now indexes the mobile version of a website first, so it pays to have a functioning mobile website for better online performance.
2. High-Resolution Images
Images sell a product, not the text. While it is important to have a product description, as we鈥檒l explain later, it鈥檚 the images that have an impact on the buyer. Customers want to be able to see more, with multiple angles and even products in situ.
Make sure that images are of a high resolution and are clear. You also need to make sure that all images load quickly; if they don鈥檛, your customer is likely to click off and go to another website. As an eCommerce business, this is the worst-case scenario. After all, if you鈥檙e not getting their business, you can guarantee your competitor is.
Consider how video could help you sell your products. Whether it鈥檚 a gadget or a dress, a video on the product listing might help a customer decide better visibility of the product size or fit.
3. Effective Keyword Research
Carrying out keyword research is essential for appearing in Google鈥檚 search results. You can either start from scratch with your own research, or spy on your competition to see where and how they rank on Google.
Consider important metrics like search volume, ranking difficulty and relevance to help you identify the keywords you want your eCommerce business to appear for. Many different online tools can help you do this effectively.
Carry out a few simple searches for relevant keywords and see where your competition appear. If they are ranking above your business, you can bet you are losing out on a huge chunk of business. To try and maintain selling power, look at different keyword strategies such as long-tail keywords. This will attract buyers who have a high purchasing intent. The keyword might have a lower search volume, but it is a much more targeted search which means the customer is more likely ready to buy.
4. Optimise With Unique Content and SEO Best Practices
The content you include on your eCommerce website is crucial. Make sure all the content across your website is unique; you may be penalised if you simply copy and paste. This includes your product descriptions.
Make sure all new pages and products are optimised to the same level as the rest of your website. Look at including relevant keywords, including a catchy title and make sure the URL structure is simple to follow.
Don鈥檛 forget to look at alt text on your images. This is what will appear if your image doesn鈥檛 load, and will be seen by both customers and search engines. Furthermore, alt text will help visually impaired shoppers, as screen readers will use the text.
5. Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing is crucial for an eCommerce business, and most of it you can do for free. Make sure you are using the social media platform that best aligns with your brand and with your customers. Learn how to engage with your followers in the right tone and with the right message.
New features on social media platforms are also making it easier to sell your products. Shoppable posts are now available on Instagram, and Facebook Messenger can be integrated with your website. This results in better customer service opportunities and quicker purchasing; both factors that customers look out for in a good eCommerce business.
