As an online store owner, you want to boost your traffic and increase conversions. However, even after putting together a basic strategy you’re still facing challenges and can’t decide which marketing practices would work the best for you. Sounds familiar? That’s why we put together a guide for eCommerce in Marketing that’ll help you understand the basics. We’ll start with understanding the meaning of eCommerce in marketing and dive into digital marketing strategies, eCommerce marketing services, tools and platforms that you should be using. 

Implement these ideas every week and experiment until you optimise your strategy. 

What is eCommerce Marketing?

eCommerce Marketing is a type of marketing that allows you to make sales by raising awareness and building your brand’s value. 

It uses the same practices of traditional marketing however in a digital realm and allows you to maximize sales and conversions.

However, online markets are buzzing with products and the competition is fierce. 

It can help you boost your business however if not done properly, also wipe you out of business.

eCommerce marketing is an excellent way for business owners to tap into a growing market that’s full of opportunities, create advertisements that will guide customers to their website.

You can use different strategies to leverage email campaigns, search engines, social media platforms and digital content to promote your products online.

You must use all of the above-mentioned channels to advertise your products and grow your business. 

Otherwise, you can choose an agency that will help you choose the right eCommerce marketing services for your business.

Channelizing on different platforms opens the customer up to an entirely new world of purchasing opportunities. It also helps them become familiar with your brand at the same time. 

In other words, eCommerce marketing is the practice of using different promotional tactics to direct traffic to your store, convert it into paying and loyal customers and increasing sales.

A holistic strategy comprises practices on and off your online store/website. 

“A sound eCommerce marketing strategy will help you build your brand’s awareness, increase customer loyalty and increase online sales.”

Source: www.shopify.in

Overall, it is considered a win-win strategy.

Types of eCommerce in Marketing

Now that you have understood what is eCommerce marketing, it’s time to help you understand the common marketing channels and how you can use them to build your online presence.

Content Marketing

It is no longer just limited to creating videos or blogs and is now being used to improve your website’s ranking and clarify customer’s questions related to your industry. 

Use the following ways to market your content:

• Optimise your product pages by including keywords;
• Create relevant articles;
• Indulge in guest posting;
• Upload product-related videos on YouTube;
• Have a FAQ section and include keywords in it.

Let’s understand this with an example. For instance, let’s say that you’re running a boutique. 

The first thing you want to do is start by optimising your products pages. If you are selling wedding dresses, include relevant keywords such as “pastel wedding gowns”. This will help search engines direct customer queries to your website. 

After that, create articles on topics such as “Beginner’s Guide to Picking The Perfect Wedding Dress.” This will help attract more traffic to your website.

Next, by collaborating with people in the same industry as you, you will create engagement with your audiences and create a better brand image.

After that, upload videos on YouTube. Why? Because it’s the second-largest search engine. Create content around highly searched keywords.

After that, include a FAQ page at the bottom of your website to address commonly asked questions so that every time an individual has a query, search engines will drive them to your website. 

Social Media Marketing

As a growing business, you must engage with your audience using social media platforms. 

Your website is highly visual.

Therefore, take advantage of the same and try to come up with different ways to repurpose old content and photos. 

Use high-quality photos to capture the interest of your audience.

Instagram is an excellent platform as it allows you to post photos that can expand your product’s reach beyond you can ever imagine.

In addition to this, go a step further by enabling choppable content that allows your visitors to shop right away. 

Let’s go back to the example. If you wish to increase the sales of your wedding dresses, then you can also share your client’s photos and testimonials.

EmailAn email (or electronic mail) is a method of exchanging communications through the internet. It is one of the most used features on the web and the number one mean... Marketing

The best part about email marketing is that it can be automated.

Therefore, all you need to do is set up a drip campaign and let it work its magic. 

Here are two ways you can improve your email marketing strategy:

• Send post-purchase follow up emails;
• Send abandoned shopping cart emails.

Search Engine Marketing

It includes both search engine optimisation (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) and is a great way to increase organic searches and drive a relevant audience to your website.

Local Marketing

You might undermine the power of local marketing when it comes to eCommerce in Marketing. 

However, local metrics allow you to narrow down the areas your most prospects are and cater to them to become a market leader. 

The best way to understand your local audience is to use tracking cookies. so that you can offer discounts or free shipping to boost sales.

Affiliate Marketing

A whopping 81% of brands use affiliate marketing. 

It’s a great way to drive more traffic to your products in the traditional (however effective) marketing style. 

Influencer Marketing 

Another popular type of marketing is influencer marketing. 

You can promote your products by collaborating with celebrities or Instagram influencers who are in your industry. 

Influencers have a community of people that trust and follow them. Therefore, it’s easier for you as a brand to gain new customer’s trust and increase your awareness.

Ecommerce in Marketing Tips

eCommerce in marketing can be aced if you have a proper understanding of how you can market your eCommerce store.

Here are a few creative ways to do that.

#1. Personalization is Key

Personalization of your products or services will lead to a 6-10% increase in your revenue. 

This can be as simple as adding your prospect’s name in your email outreach campaigns rather than sending the same email to everyone.

#2. Take Advantage of User-Generated Content

Find new ways to enable customers to promote your business for free.

This will not only help drive more traffic to your store however also build an authentic brand image in the eyes of potential customers.

#3. Word-of-Mouth Marketing Matters

It will allow your business to become more apparent. 

With the use of advertising channels, buyers are becoming picky with the brands they associate with.

If your brand is recommended by someone they trust, they rebound to consider your brand.

#4. Create a Loyalty Program

Loyalty programs are great when you want repeat sales.

Offer exclusive perks, discount codes or points to keep your customers returning to your site.

#5. Referral Marketing

When an existing customer recommends your product without an incentive, it’s known as word of mouth marketing.

However, when they refer you to your friends, family and colleagues for an incentive, it’s known as referral marketing. 

Encourage more sales or sign-ups by offering discounts or free products to new or existing or both customers. 

#6. Reviews

Customer reviews are a great way to mitigate trust as most customers write authentic reviews and how your product worked out for them. 

Showcase a few best reviews on your website and include a CTAA CTA is a phrase or word designed to get an immediate response from the reader. As the name suggests, it's usually something that involves a precise action performed by... after that. 

#7. Testimonials

Testimonials are tailored reviews as they address specific questions.

Some of the best areas to focus on are set up methods, speedy delivery, ease of bing process, and the level of customer support.

#8. Case Studies

They’re a fabulous way to show your potential customers how your product helped another customer combat the same issue they’re currently facing.

#9. Set up a Chatbot

You can either have a live person or a bot available to chat with potential customers when they visit your store. 

Customers prefer to buy products from a website that can address their questions and concerns immediately.

#10. Have a Responsive Website Design

Your efforts are only going to be fruitful if your website design is responsive.

If not, your customers will not be able to view your products/services, not navigate properly and leave your website and go to another one to make a purchase.

eCommerce Digital Marketing Strategy

Now that you have understood the ins and outs of eCommerce in Marketing, it’s time to put everything together and create an eCommerce digital marketing strategy. 

#1. Set Goals Based on Your Industry Benchmarks

Consider your industry, business size, model and location before setting your goals. 

You can set different types of goals such as customer acquisition costs, conversion rates, click-through rates and website clicks. 

Compare them with your competitors and optimise your strategy accordingly.

#2. Focus on a Handful of Tactics

Building a marketing plan with a lot of strategies is a sure-shot way of failing. 

While we have listed a lot of tips in the article, it is crucial to choose a few depending on the size and nature of your business.

It’s better to ace at a few strategies rather than fail at all. 

Focus on the strategies that will result in the most return on investment. For instance, let’s say you want to build a paid marketing strategy to drive customers to your online store.

You could start by setting up a Google Ads account, determine your budget, create ads by including keywords and monitor your progress every day.

#3. Delight All Your Customers

Marketing shouldn’t stop once the sale has been made. In fact, you should focus on your existing customers just as much as your potential customers.

Keep engaging, nurturing and delighting customers to create a loyal customer base. 

Now that you have a thorough understanding of eCommerce digital marketing strategy, let’s take a look at tools for eCommerce in Marketing.

Tools for eCommerce in Marketing 

We bring you a list of the best tools for eCommerce in Marketing to start with.

• Analytical Tools: These tools will help you get valuable customer insights. Evaluate how your products, content, campaigns and customers are performing using the tools like Google Analytics and Kissmetrics.
• Content Marketing Tools: These tools will help you create better content and attract more visitors to your website. Google Docs, Grammarly, Canva, Trello and Slack are the best content marketing tools for eCommerce marketers.
• Email Marketing Tools: Thank, remind and reach out to more customers using email marketing. As a marketer, you don’t always have to opt for paid tools. Therefore, check out our article 10 best email marketing tools for more information.
• Marketing Automation Tools: Seamlessly automate marketing responses and actions using tools such as Zapier, Smile.io, Google Marketing Platform and Drift.
• Optimization Tools: Conversion rates are crucial and insights related to the same will help you narrow down the areas of improvement. Use tools like Hotjar and CrazyEgg to optimise your strategy.
• Social Media Marketing Tools: Tools such as Facebook Ads and AdEspresso will help you connect and engage with your audience. 
• SEM and SEO Tools: They’re quite complicated and if you’re a beginner, you must invest in some good SEM and SEO tools. SEMRush, Ahrefs and Google Ads are some tools you must use.

Platforms for eCommerce in Marketing 

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/9tYbOIpVcn4

All the platforms can be used by you — as a beginner or if you wish to revamp your site. 

The best part, though? All the platforms perform well even on mobile! 

• Shopify: It’s a huge platform that hosts more than 300,000 online stores and has a plethora of themes including paid and free options for you to choose from. In addition, it has over 1500 apps to help you do everything right from tracking shipments to create a loyalty program.
• WooCommerce: It’s a free WordPress plugin that can easily be integrated into your site and is flexible and highly customizable and gets the job done. 
• BiCommerce: It’s used by some of the biggest organisations in the world such as Martha Stewart and Toyota. Moreover, it has about 55,000 online stores and is an excellent choice if you have little technical knowledge. 
• Wix: Easily set up your online store using its drag-and-drop interface which makes it a great choice if you’re someone with little coding knowledge however wants to build a beautiful store. Manage your store, set up product pages, offer coupons and discounts, set up payment methods and easily run your eCommerce store.

eCommerce Marketing Services 

There are a number of agencies that provide eCommerce marketing services to suit your needs and the most common eCommerce marketing services include (however are not limited to):

• Advertising and social media;
• eCommerce web design and development;
• Amazon advertising and marketing;
• Email marketing;
• Conversion rate optimization;
• eCommerce SEO;
• Content marketing;
• eCommerce PPC.

Therefore, before you choose an agency, remember to evaluate their customer reviews and take a trial.

Choose eCommerce Marketing Services after considering factors such as cost, experience and clientele of the agency experts and their ability to address your needs.

How To Do Customer Advocacy?

As a business owner, you’ll have to deal with customers and if you’re working on how to do customer advocacy, here are 4 tips to pay attention to. 

• Start Small: Increasing customer advocacy by as little as 12% can double your revenue. 
• Pick Advocates Prospects: Use feedback Net promoter score to find out who your loyal customers are.
• Set up a Feedback Loop: They will help you understand your customer’s pain points.
• Keep Your Customers Happy: Happy and satisfied customers are 2-3 times more efficient at selling your product and convincing other people rather than a sales representative.

In Conclusion

Ready? Set and Sell!

In conclusion, as an eCommerce marketer, you have a lot of tools at your disposal.

Therefore, use inbound and digital marketing the right way and create campaigns that will help you attract more customers and grow more.

To get the best results, remember to implement the right eCommerce digital marketing strategy by choosing appropriate eCommerce marketing services.

Did you understand what eCommerce in Marketing is and how you can use eCommerce marketing services to promote your business? Tell us which eCommerce digital marketing strategy and tools will you use in the comments section below!