The digital marketplace has plenty of space for everyone but that also means that competition is fierce. eCommerce businesses keep popping up like mushrooms after a rain as this kind of earning money doesn’t require that shop owners have any practical experience. With the rise of dropshipping, the trend has intensified.
In other words, it takes much more than setting up a website and listing products to build a successful eCommerce brand. To begin with, marketers need to understand consumer behavior and adjust their sales strategies to reflect it.
Understanding Your Audience
Every topic detailing digital marketing strategies inevitably begins with underlining the importance of understanding the target audience. There’s a good reason for this: detailed buyer personas can help you understand demographics, shopping behaviors, pain points, and motivations of the consumers you’re targeting. With this amount of info, every marketer should be able to tailor their message and product offers to meet specific consumer needs.
E.g., if your primary audience is concerned about environmental issues, focus on emphasizing sustainable practices your marketing materials deploy. Leverage the power of social media to share stories about the sourcing of materials for your products and similar practices.
1. Leveraging Social Proof to Build Trust
Social proof is one of the strongest motivators for online purchases. Consumers often rely on reviews testimonials, as well as user-generated content when making a purchasing decision.
The easiest way to apply this strategy is to incorporate a review system on your product pages and encourage customers to leave feedback post-purchase. Highlight positive reviews so that they always stand out.
Further out, keep in mind that social media platforms are perfect for showcasing user-generated content. Encourage consumers to share their experience with your products by using a specific hashtag or by tagging your brand.
2. Crafting Compelling Product Descriptions
The efficiency of product descriptions can make or break any digital marketing strategy. The omnipresence of eCommerce stores necessitates that marketers avoid generic language and focus on crafting compelling, informative descriptions that highlight the benefits of their products.
Of late, storytelling has emerged as one of the most efficient strategies in this regard. Consider this: a product description that simply states that a jacket is water-resistant doesn’t even begin to compare to another one that details how the product keeps a customer warm and dry during a rainy hike.
Couple your product descriptions with high-quality images. Invest in professional photography if necessary, as visuals are the first thing consumers spot. Using the example above, you can include lifestyle shots that illustrate the product in use.
3. Using Email Marketing to Cultivate Relationships
To this day, email marketing remains one of the most effective tools for eCommerce sales. Unlike social media, where algorithms play a huge role in terms of visibility, email allows for direct communication with the target audience.
However, since email marketing is cheap, literally every eCommerce store relies on it. That’s why it is critical to create targeted campaigns that speak to different segments of your audience. This is called segmentation, and it is a primary email marketing strategy.
Also, the success of email marketing campaigns is largely determined by how well you personalize your messages. Use any means necessary to obtain insights into consumer preferences: purchase history, browsing behavior, demographics… Always send tailored messages that offer special promotions, product recommendations, or exclusive content that resonates with each consumer segment.
4. Offering Limited-Time Promotions
Creating urgency is a well-known strategy in marketing and eCommerce isn’t an exception. Offering limited-time promotions — such as flash sales or exclusive discounts — encourages customers to make quicker purchasing decisions. For this strategy to be successful, make sure to promote the deals through email, social media, and your website.
However, make sure not to overdo it. Frequent sales can diminish the value of your products. Promotions should be reserved for special occasions, product launches, and similar.
5. Utilizing Retargeting Ads
Not every visitor to your website will make a purchase on the first visit. To re-engage them, rely on retargeting ads. These serve to remind potential customers of your products. Show ads to visitors who have previously viewed specific products on your website.
Retargeting ads need to be eye-catching and feature a powerful message. Again, use insights to come up with a message that resonates best with the audience.
6. Utilizing Influencer Marketing
For a broader reach of your digital marketing campaigns, consider partnering with influencers. People who are well-known in a niche can help marketers tap into new audiences. They are also quite efficient at helping brands gain credibility.
When choosing among influencers, look for those whose values align with your brand. They need to have a steady and engaged following. Namely, it’s more efficient to choose a micro-influencer with a highly engaged audience than a super popular one with a massive follower count that’s disengaged.
7. Exploring Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations
Finally, consider partnering with other brands that share your values and/or target audience. Strategic collaborations can skyrocket your brand to new heights in a matter of days.
E.g., a fitness apparel brand may team up with a health food brand for a co-promotion. Creating bundled offerings that appeal to both customer bases can do wonders in terms of your marketing efforts.
Partnerships can take various forms, though. You may choose to focus on joint marketing campaigns or on cross-promotions. Either way, keep in mind the needs of both audiences and make the best use of their needs and pain points.
Overall, for eCommerce sales strategies to be successful, they need to be approached holistically. Consider various elements of the customer journey to create a seamless user experience. In this way, you’ll be able to create authentic connections with your customers, which guarantees success in the long run.