eCommerce marketing, in the most simple of terms, is the use of certain tactics to drive customers to your website, to encourage them to buy, and to then keep them as customers after a purchase has been made. And, it is not an understatement to say that eCommerce is HUGE. According to eMarketer, eCommerce revenue in the U.S. is slated to hit $4.9 trillion in 2023. Integrating creative and motivational eCommerce strategies are a must.
eCommerce Marketing Strategies
eCommerce marketing strategies don’t have to be super expensive and complicated. Here is a short list of some effective techniques that you should be sure to incorporate into your eCommerce campaigns:
- Optimize your site for SEO. What are your customers and potential leads looking for? When and how do they go online to shop or to solve a problem? Where are they? Make sure you are tuned into your customers and truly understand their needs and their expectations.
- Make sure load times are as fast as they can be. Customers have very short attention spans; if a site takes too long to load, they will move on in a matter of seconds.
- Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% of your content should be informative and helpful to your audience, while only 20% should be about plugging your brand.
- Make sure your site works on all devices.
- Use images. Content is vitally important, of course. Keywords and engaging content are what will make your website and brand searchable and findable. But, don’t forget to include images, too. Illustrations and infographics can sometimes convey complicated information more clearly than words. Moreover, images make your site more visually appealing and interesting.
- Make sure your site is well organized and easy to navigate. Nothing will turn a potential customer away faster than a site that is difficult to find and difficult to use.
- Create “Aha! Moments. Describe your products and services in such a way that your customers can “see” them, “feel” them, “taste” them, and really understand what they do and the solutions they offer.
- Deploy email campaigns that fulfill a need and that have a defined call-to-action.
I’ve interviewed a number of amazing eCommerce experts on the podcast. Matt Rhodus, director and industry principal for strategic initiatives at NetSuite; Derek O’Carroll, CEO of Brightpearl; and Rick Gemereth, chief information officer and senior vice president for Lionel Trains, just to name a few. Each shares ways they have innovated and pushed the eCommerce envelope to grow their brands. Take a listen!
