We are happy to present you this guest article from CyberNews:
From Amazon to eBay and Flipkart, e-commerce websites have become popular because they function as a one-stop shop, providing everything from electronics to clothing items. Key analysts have estimated this industry to generate about $4.11 trillion in 2023.
Because of this, many entrepreneurs are now venturing into this lucrative space. But just like any other business, you’ll need aggressive marketing to get ahead of your competition while attracting as many customers as possible. And that’s exactly what e-commerce marketing is.
E-commerce marketing involves driving awareness toward a business or website that sells products and services online or electronically. It consists of activities that lead online shoppers through all conversion funnel stages.
But to achieve a successful e-commerce marketing campaign, you’ll need to incorporate the best tools and practices.
For instance, the most effective way to generate traffic to an e-commerce store is through PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising. Truelist estimates that PPC yields 50% more conversions than organic advertising.
But PPC is not the only effective e-commerce marketing practice that businesses can use. In this post, we’ll go through the best e-commerce marketing tools and practices.
Best eCommerce Marketing Practice
Optimize your website for SEO
You might have heard of SEO before, but its importance cannot be overstated. It simply involves any activities designed to help content on your website rank higher on search engine page results (which, in most cases, is Google or Bing).
Optimizing your website for SEO is a great practice that will drive more traffic to your website. Some of the most effective practices in SEO optimization include:
- Creating high-quality content
- Researching for keywords and using them strategically
- Building quality backlinks
- Optimizing your website structure
Leverage the power of user-generated content (UGC)
User-generated content (UGC) refers to any content created and uploaded by users (customers) to social media platforms. It includes images, text, videos, and audio.
You should harness the power of UGC as a great tactic for e-commerce marketing as it:
- It helps connect you with your target audience in an authentic way
- Maximizes your reach on social networks
- Is a cost-effective way that can maximize ROI
60% of consumers believe that UGC is the most authentic type of content. And not only that, but Stackla estimates that 79% of consumers’ purchasing decisions are affected by UGC.
And this is only scratching the surface, but it shows that this type of content can be effective in e-commerce marketing and drive traffic to your website.
One way you can leverage the power of UGC is by encouraging customers to share their experiences or creative content related to your brand. Motivate them through contests or giveaways.
Implement PPC advertising campaigns to drive traffic and sales
Paid-per-click (PPC) marketing involves paying a fee every time someone clicks on your ad. Think of it as a way of buying targeted and organic traffic.
It’s perhaps one of the most effective ways of e-commerce marketing, as you know that every time someone clicks on your ad, you’re getting interest from real people who are interested in your site.
Businesses typically create ads that are targeted toward their audience or people actively searching for your products. When using PPC ads, you also have full control over your budget and how much you’d be willing to spend.
But to get the most out of PPC advertising, start with thorough keyword research, enabling you to create ads that speak directly to your target audience.
Use email marketing to build relationships and increase sales
Email marketing is another effective practice with which you should consider bolstering your marketing campaigns. There are over 4.5 billion email users worldwide, with most checking their emails daily.
And besides, a huge number of B2B and B2C marketers feel that the effectiveness of their email marketing activities has been increasing.
A survey by Statista showed that for every dollar invested in email marketing, brands earn about $36. And the ROI is higher for companies in retail and e-commerce. Such stats show the effectiveness of email marketing in increasing traffic to your website and, eventually, driving conversion rates up.
Leverage and manage customer reviews effectively
Customer reviews are integral to your e-commerce marketing strategies as they weigh heavily on your reputation, credibility, and success. They serve as ‘social proof,’ which in today’s market is key to purchasing decisions made by customers.
In other words, positive reviews will build confidence in your products/ services, while the negative ones can shun away potential buyers. As a rule of thumb, consider displaying all customer reviews on your e-commerce platform, especially the negative ones.
Review management involves monitoring, analyzing, and managing reviews and feedback. Companies can identify trends and patterns, gain valuable insights, and identify potential weaknesses. Afterwards, measures can be implemented to improve the customer experience continuously.
And when handling negative reviews, explain the situation that led to the negative review by acknowledging it, showing responsibility, and making customer follow-ups. This will win the trust of visitors who typically go and advertise your brand through word of mouth.
The Best eCommerce Marketing Tools
Now that we’ve covered some of the best practices, let’s look at some of the best e-commerce marketing tools that complement the practices and strategies discussed above.
SEO tools (SEMrush, Ahrefs, Surfer SEO)
SEO tools like SEMrush, SurferSEO, and Ahrefs can help you optimize your website for search engines as they help you find the most suitable keywords to help your content rank.
They can also help you optimize your product pages, create content that resonates with your audience and investigate your rival’s online strategies.
Email marketing tools (Mailchimp)
For your email marketing campaign, consider Mailchimp, as it’s one of the best email and marketing automation platforms designed to help growing businesses. This service will help you create and send customized email messages that will help you connect with your audience and enhance your click-through rates.
Social media management tools (Buffer)
Buffer is a great and renowned social media management tool that will help you plan and publish content across various social media platforms.
Such tools allow you to schedule posts in advance, track analytics and monitor conversations in real-time. They also save you a lot of time while improving your productivity and overall department functionality.
PPC advertising tools (Google Ads, Facebook Ads)
One way to boost your brand’s online visibility is through PPC. And what better tools to use in the search space than Google Ads and Facebook Ads? Google Ads lets you target users actively searching for products, while Facebook Ads lets you connect with potential customers based on their interests and demographics.
Review Management Tools
gominga bundles all online ratings and provides a review management platform to collectively manage all ratings, reviews and Q&As from all national and international platforms. It makes it easier for companies to respond and gain a comprehensive understanding of their customers.
E-commerce security systems
Although the e-commerce sector has experienced tremendous growth, they also face numerous challenges, including ensuring the safety of online transactions, customer data privacy, and authentication.
Some of the threats that e-commerce websites and marketers face include hacking, misuse of personal data, monetary theft, phishing scams, and credit card fraud.
To prevent such digital threats, you should consider securing your ecommerce website with an SSL/TLS Certificate and opt for HTTP. Also, consider the services of a third-party app, such as PayPal, to ensure that you keep data relating to payment transactions off your website.
In Conclusion
E-commerce marketing strategies and tools are vitally important for all online businesses. Apart from drawing your target audience to your site, they also help in converting these visitors into customers. This ultimately leads to increased sales and profitability. Therefore, you should try to use the best tools and practices to take your e-commerce marketing to the next level. Use SEO, review management, PPC advertising, as well as social media and email marketing. With the right tools and strategies, you can increase your brand’s online presence and attract more customers. Don’t forget to measure, analyze and adjust everything accordingly.