The competition in the e-commerce industry is cutthroat. A single search for an item you’re looking to buy online turns up thousands of results. The convenience is unparalleled, as some shops even offer same-day delivery services for instant gratification. If your marketing efforts are not polished, you’ll risk losing customers every day.
It’s not enough to rely on the number of your posts when striving for brand presence. There must be a strategic and creative approach to highlight your products online. Many techniques can help you stand out above the rest and get more sales.
Below are some techniques you can implement for your e-commerce platform to win the game.
1. Create wish lists.
Window shopping exists online, too. Just like how people do it in the malls, buyers tend to compare two or more items first before deciding which one to get. Having wish lists in your e-commerce site will give your customers a streamlined space for the items they want to get later.
Wish lists will allow you to see which items are on people’s minds the most. It can give you the opportunity to market the product more or run a promo or contest featuring those particular items. Knowing what’s in your customer’s wish lists give you the chance to hyper-personalise your campaign by creating individualised promos and discount codes for a specific set of products.
Many e-commerce marketers use this strategy when sending follow-up emails or discounts to convince the customer to purchase the item. You’ll be able to test which kinds of e-mails work and in what scenario your customer will buy.
2. Free shipping or same day delivery service.
Free shipping and same-day delivery services will drastically increase your sales. According to Rejoiner, 36% of consumers say that high delivery costs are one of the top reasons why they don’t push through with an online purchase. Another 10% say logistics becomes an issue when they’re not at home to receive their order. Relieving them of their problems will put your business ahead.
Offering free shipping for your first-time customers is good practice. You can also include an option during checkout for express deliveries, so your customers have control over when they receive their order.
Another useful tactic is sending out a free shipping deal along with an abandoned cart reminder. Once shoppers open the e-mail, they’re more likely to complete the purchase because of the perceived savings. These notifications can also strengthen brand recall and lessen the instances of abandoned carts.
3. Integrate social media.
It is now mandatory to have social media accounts for your e-commerce brand. It provides visibility for your store. Similarly, adding social sharing buttons on your product pages allows for organic traffic. People can share an item with their friends, so they can quickly decide if they want to buy, too.
Shopify released a study that 85% of their social media orders and two-thirds of their social media visits come from Facebook. Facebook Advertising tools allow businesses to create different forms of ads, from photo albums to product carousels.
Instagram has also added a product tagging feature on their platform called Instagram Shoppable. Combined with their swipe up feature on Instagram Stories and the option to enable post notifications for your favorite account’s new posts, all create convenience for your consumers.
4. Run retargeting ads.
Remarketing makes use of your visitors’ browsing history and activity while on your site. Whether you use images or text, you can encourage your prospects to return to your site if they see your products on a different page they’re visiting.
Be smart with these ads. Use geotargeting if you want to reach a local pool of consumers. Track your ads and see which types and placements drive the most results. Lastly, time your ads. Having them appear too often may annoy prospects.
5. Show testimonials and positive reviews.
People want validity when purchasing a product. As a result, 91% of consumers read online reviews before deciding, data from Inc Magazine shows. They take it seriously too – 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as asking a friend for their opinion.
Some e-commerce sites incentivise reviews to gather authentic responses. Incentives can come in forms of discount vouchers on their next purchase or the ability to rack up credits that they can convert to cash.
6. Use product videos.
Dream Grow shares that conversion rates can increase by as much as 80% if you have a product video on your landing page. Additionally, 57% of consumers feel more confident in purchasing a product after watching a video.
Sharing the videos on social media will allow you to reach a wider audience while educating your consumers about your products and services. Whether it’s an explainer video or an application of the product in real life, your customers will find value in this type of content and remove their doubts about the product.
7. Optimise your site and product for search.
Using high-ranking SEO keywords on your product page copy is a powerful way for buyers to see your website first. Ideally, if someone types in the word “online shopping Australia” or “backpack Australia,” you want your site and products to appear on top of search engines.
How important is this? Visiture stresses that 93% of all online activity begins with a search. Further data shows that 79% of consumers typed in a relevant search keyword on their devices before making a purchase.
Search engines are a common entry point for customers, so make sure you’re one of the first things they see.
8. Partner with influencers.
Influencer marketing is the digital age’s version of word of mouth marketing. Social media personalities and celebrities are paid to advertise products and post them on their accounts in a natural way. The near-authentic and personal approach makes it more enticing for people to buy. This is why 92% of people trust influencer marketing posts over regular banner ad advertisements.
Influencer marketing becomes a massive drive for brand awareness, and consequently, sales. HubSpot details in a report that 71% of customers are convinced to purchase an item after seeing an influencer post about it on social media.
9. Cross-sell and upsell.
Once you have a record of your consumers’ browsing history, wish list, and transaction history, it will be easier to provide relevant product recommendations to them. This way, you can increase revenue by using your existing pool of customers. This group of people is easier to market to because they already trust your brand.
It’s as easy as suggesting what other people commonly buy with the product on their cart or suggesting a more expensive and higher quality alternative to what they were thinking of getting. These product recommendations can boost your sales by up to 10-30%.
10. Launch a referral program.
Referrals are a great way to get your buyers to market your products for you. It should go without saying that the overall experience of your consumers should be positive from the get-go. This will fuel them to join your referral program.
Cash incentives are an excellent way to keep the ecosystem alive. For instance, Zalora runs a program where their consumers can earn 12% commission for every new customer that successfully buys a product.
This tactic reinforces the need to build positive reviews and dabble in influencer marketing since these strategies are all derived from word of mouth marketing. In addition, word of mouth marketing, remains a powerful marketing strategy today, influencing at least 74% of consumers to purchase. When done correctly, other robust tactics and variations of word of mouth marketing can increase your sales.
Final Thoughts
Most marketing tactics now revolve around your customers’ behavior and experiences. The right level of trust, convenience, and overall satisfaction will breed loyalty and help you amass a larger following. Use the above tips to your advantage and observe which cocktail of practices perform the best for your brand.