In light of the recent quarantine restrictions brought about by the pandemic, aggressive marketing strategies were at play as the world transitioned from brick and mortar shop operations to online. In any form of business, whether large companies, start-ups, or medium scale, it is essential to come up with robust e-commerce marketing strategies to make the brand visible and relevant. Ultimately, they should be able to make your offerings on top. Here are ten essential points to consider in planning for e-commerce marketing strategies for your business.
Search engine optimization
The deployment of site optimization techniques is one of the most efficient means of getting your products, services, and brand on the first page of the search engine results. It is because search engine optimization (SEO) utilizes precise keywords that your target audience is searching for online. So, if your business is a furniture shop, make sure that you are optimizing keywords like sofa, living room, or chairs. It is also best practice to apply geo-tagging like furniture in the city where your business is located.
Online reviews as an effective E-commerce marketing tool
The inclusion of online reviews on product pages is a very powerful marketing strategy. Frequent buyers heavily rely on reviews and testimonials in their purchasing decisions. E-commerce platforms encourage the uploading of customer reviews through plugins. You can conveniently share a photo and video reviews of your brand.
Influencer marketing
An effective way to achieve more engagement with your content is to make influencers work for your brand. It can be a less costly marketing strategy, as it is highly reliant on the influencers you will partner with. This can be beneficial for a medium-scale or a start-up as you will tap your influencer’s followers. Select intelligently; perhaps reach out to micro-influencers like an interior designer. Frequently, buyers tend to trust micro-influencers due to the legitimacy of their recommendations. Also, as subject matter experts, you can conveniently bank on their skills and credibility. In addition, these micro-influencers would not charge an arm and a leg. Ultimately, influencer marketing can be an investment, especially if you are after visibility and engagement.
Content marketing
A significant advantage of content marketing is executing this free of charge. You can easily do this by yourself through blogging. For example, you can link an article on DIY cabinets, shelves, or drawers to your online shop. In this way, there is a higher chance of Google picking “storage solutions for bedrooms” for a possible buyer. Furthermore, a creative way to utilize content marketing is to link lead magnets with it. Lead magnets are tools to lure your target market into sharing critical information such as email addresses. These link magnets can bring customers to your site to purchase or sign up with your email listing. Valuable lead magnets for an online furniture shop are a dining room checklist, designer hacks, renovation plan template, or a design app.
Guest post
Expand your reach by submitting content and posts to quality and high authority publications. Setup key links back to your online shop or website from businesses related to your field and with high engagement content.
Social media
Facebook (FB), Instagram (IG), and Pinterest are the three central social media platforms worth investing resources in. Social media marketing is a staple. Aside from it being free, it is a fantastic way to engage with potential buyers and your target market. In addition, it is an excellent way to tap new consumers through its sharing feature and recommendation algorithm.
Shopping features of Instagram
Instagram is a beneficial platform and tool for furniture businesses. It is a highly visual platform with critical features on images and videos. Make Instagram worthwhile by allowing your IG profile to be shoppable. Platforms like Shopify can create shopping posts by tagging products in your IG posts. In this way, when an IG user clicks on your photo will have access to product information and purchase features.
Email marketing
The most cost-efficient and basic e-commerce marketing is via email. It is an excellent way to send visuals, announcements, and discount offers to your niche. You can personalize content with targeted suggestions based on actual purchases.
Pay-per-click advertisements
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is one of the cornerstones of e-commerce marketing. It works via a bid user placement system and bills when users carry out action steps such as clicks or conversions. It is an aggressive way to put your products directly into your target audience, therefore, a bit cost-intensive. Google AdWords, FB and IG ads, Promoted Pins from Pinterest, and retargeting are several prominent examples of PPC. These platforms are used to make buying decisions; therefore an excellent investment for e-commerce businesses.
Next-level E-commerce marketing strategies
The next-level e-commerce marketing campaigns are high-tech strategies for companies with a relatively higher budget. The two big players are app development and virtual reality. For example, bigwigs in the furniture business would create an app with push notifications and utilize augmented and virtual reality technologies. In addition, online furniture stores can upload pieces and scale them into an actual room with dimensions. In this way, customers can accurately gauge the sizes and cohesiveness of the design. These strategies are tech-savvy and can make your products top of mind.
Ultimately, the online market is a tough place to penetrate. Therefore, the company’s marketing campaign should deploy various tactics to target your audience and make your product dominate a niche.
James Siks is the owner of Oweb digital experience.
E-commerce marketing stock photo by Sammby/Shutterstock
