Not sure where to start when it comes to your eCommerce marketing principles? You’re not alone. Many retailers report marketing as a major stumbling block when setting up their eCommerce sites. And in the face of the COVID-led eCommerce boom (Global revenue from online sales in the second quarter of 2020 skyrocketed 71% year-over-year), retailers simply cannot afford to ignore their marketing strategy. Payflex has put together 7 solid eCommerce marketing principles that will be sure to set you apart from your competitors.
Make site navigation as seamless as possible
As an eCommerce merchant, a highly important marketing principle is ensuring the user journey on your website is as easy and straightforward as possible. You want the experience to be as seamless as possible. In fact, a whopping 94% of consumers believe that easy navigation is the most important website feature. A hard to navigate site is also one of the main reasons for cart abandonment.
Ensure your content is up to scratch
Is the content on your site non existent? If you answered yes, you are missing out on a vital marketing principle that helps drive traffic to your site and encourage conversions. Research shows conversion rates are 6 times higher for companies and brands using content marketing than those that aren’t, at 2.9% vs. 0.5%, respectively. In a recent survey by Semrush, 38% of respondents described their content marketing strategy as average. Writing original and engaging content that educates your audience on your products, as well as addresses key concerns and questions, should be a vital part of your eCommerce marketing strategy.
Drive brand awareness on social media
This year, global social media users surpassed the 3.8 billion mark. Additionally, 54% of social browsers use social media to research products. Used correctly, social media is a critical marketing principle that will help to build your brand, boost traffic to your website, and develop a larger and more loyal base of customers.
Understand your audience
Understanding your target audience is a vital eCommerce marketing principle. Use tools like Google Analytics to better understand your audience and their preferences. The better you understand your target market, the more you’ll be able to refine your marketing strategy in line with your audience’s needs and demands. These insights will also be instrumental in ensuring you reach consumers most likely to convert into customers.
Focus on reviews
Customer reviews are a critical driver of eCommerce sales, and therefore a key marketing principle. In fact, displaying reviews can increase conversions by 270%. The concept of social proof plays a pivotal role in the everyday purchasing decisions of online shoppers. In fact, 92% of consumers are more likely to trust non-paid product recommendations and reviews than any other type of advertising. Reviews also help your ecommerce store establish trust and credibility among your target audience. Encourage customer reviews by making it easy to leave reviews on your site. You can also request reviews on social media, as well as via email marketing.
Step up your email marketing
There’s a lot more to email marketing than simply sending a weekly or monthly newsletter to your database. Email marketing is an incredibly powerful way to build relationships with your customers. In fact, 59% of consumers feel marketing emails influence their purchase decisions, according to recent research by SalesCycle.
At the same time, 59% of marketers say email is their biggest source of ROI. The people in your database have most likely already purchased from your site, or are planning to at a later stage. It’s therefore essential to create a carefully crafted email marketing strategy that addresses various touchpoints of the consumer journey.
Offer your audience exclusive discounts and special deals, and consider implementing a loyalty programme whereby they accrue points for shopping on your eCommerce site or in-store. Other important considerations include abandoned cart email reminders, and order confirmation and delivery emails.
Tap into the power of influencer marketing
Influencer marketing has become the fastest growing customer acquisition method. It has therefore become an integral part of eCommerce marketing strategies. In fact, 17% of companies spend over half their marketing budget on influencers. While 89% of companies say ROI from influencer marketing is either better or comparable to other marketing channels. From a consumer perspective, the correlation between influencers and trust is particularly evident among savvy 18-to-34-year-old consumers who seek out trusted influencers and follow their every move. When identifying influencers to promote your brand, try find experts in their specific field of specialisation ie cooking, food, fashion or travel, or are already working with brands like yours.
Conclusion
When marketing your eCommerce business, it is vital to keep questioning what is and is not working. Certain marketing principles that drive traffic and conversions on your site might not work for others and vice versa. Continually measuring results and analysing data therefore lies at the core of a successful marketing strategy. With the right mix of marketing techniques, you will be sure to see an improvement in your conversion rate and an increase in brand loyalty among your audience.
