Do you own an online shop? How are sales going? If you knew that once a week, one in four people in the US buy something online, would you wonder why your sales are not better? The answer may lie in your marketing strategies.
Marketing is a vital part of any online shopping business. It allows you to make your business a familiar name for consumers. It lets you showcase why your product is the best among comparable products. It gives you ways to drive customers to your site, and turn visits into sales.
If you still need convincing, the number one reason your store needs a strategic approach is because your customers are using online tools to find you. If your marketing doesn’t make you the first and best store they find, then it’s time to up your game.
Here are some tips for marketing your online products:
Know your market
Developing your marketing plan means knowing who buys your products. This will help you target your campaign for the most effective return. It also means getting familiar with your competitors and their strategies.
Website
Your website must be easy to find and easy to navigate. If a customer hears about you from a friend, you want your company URL to be intuitive and easy to remember. The query function is one of your best tools. If it’s a shopper who knows exactly what she wants, or one who just wants to see all products with cats, you need to be sure they can find it quickly and easily.
SEO
Short for Search Engine Optimization, this is your strategy for getting a high ranking (preferably first) for your website when customers conduct a search for products. Keywords are just the tip of the iceberg, so be prepared to research the best techniques for SEO.
Despite harbingers trying to sing the death toll of email, it’s still one of the most effective ways to make sales. The people on your email list are usually there by choice, having signed up when visiting your website or downloading your app. Give them a reason to visit with an engaging blog or a great sale that’s exclusive to online consumers.
Video adverts
Heighten the awareness of your product with short videos embedded in your site or posted on a video sharing site. One company that is successful at marketing its products is As Seen On TV. They have raised the bar on the TV Infomercial format by putting videos of their products on YouTube. Your customers can see a product in use, which is a great way to get them invested in the usefulness and quality of the product. It’s also great for customers who want a lot of information about a product before they commit to buying, or who have a specific purpose in mind for a product.
Social media
Having a presence on social media is essential to your marketing strategy. Your content doesn’t have to be about sales – it just needs to get your company’s name in the minds of customers scrolling through updates, tweets and recipes. You can also offer discounts for customers who tag you in their posts or recommend you to new shoppers.
Content marketing
With content marketing, you create a story that incorporates your product and a link to your website. For example, if you are an artist, you can write an article about unique gifts and include an original painting as one of the gifts. Customers will find your article, with its link to your website, when they search for things such as unique, one-of-a-kind or special gifts, or just artwork. You can include the article in your email newsletter, on social media or on a website blog.
Pay-per-click (PPC) adverts
A PPC ad is one where a customer clicks on your ad, at which point you are billed for the ad. The cost of the click is minimal, and it can result in a sale on your website, which essentially validates the fee. Pay-per-click is appealing to customers because they are being offered a product they actually want.
Traditional marketing
Be sure your website is on all your traditional marketing materials, such as business cards and brochures. It’s an efficient and cost-effective way for customers to find you and learn about your products.
After your strategy is in place, you will want to track which tactics were effective. There are great online resources such as Google analytics to do that easily.
With the right tools, your online business can be a success. Use marketing to get you there!