eCommerce Website Redesign Tips: A Definitive Guide For Business Owners

The top priority of an eCommerce business is a website. The online presence is a powerful marketing tool that can encourage target audiences to engage with eCommerce businesses.

According to Markinblog, there are more than 26 million eCommerce websites in the world currently.

This statistic proves the cutthroat competition in the industry of eCommerce. Keeping this aggressive competition in mind, it is salient that eCommerce businesses have a robust website design that can effectively convince their target audience to engage with them.

If you already have a website design that is not working out for you, here are some tips to redesign your website:

1. Use of Powerful Images

An eCommerce website is different from other websites. It needs something unique and special to fill the space and content that can encourage people to conduct business with them.

Images are a great way to attract your target audience. An eCommerce website does not possess plenty of space. This makes it difficult for eCommerce owners to fill the space with the most relevant and specific content.

The varying type of content presented on the website includes images too. Your images should be of high quality and optimized to drive more traffic to your website.

Images are the most important element of your eCommerce website. They are essentially the first thing that attracts your target audience to visit your website. Your target audience will read the descriptions of the products later, first, they will see the images. For this, you must use images that provide a descriptive view of the product.

You can also use a slideshow that can include 4 to 5 images with different angles. This way, your visitors will be able to see the product from every angle.

If you are not equipped with the right skills to use the right images for your website, you can hire an eCommerce web development company that will help you expertly.

2. Make it Mobile Responsive

The world is revolving around mobile devices today. Everyone is focused on using their phones more than any other device. They interact with almost everything on their mobile phones only.

This means that people also interact with businesses on their mobile devices. They browse and buy from businesses using their mobile phones. This provides an opportunity for many businesses to reach their target audience on their phones.

For this, your eCommerce website should be mobile responsive which can provide a seamless experience to your target audience.

According to Statista, mobile devices are responsible for driving 54.8% of global website traffic during the first quarter of 2021.

3. SEO Is Important

Search engine optimization is the process of optimizing the content of your website so that it becomes more visible to your target audience and can drive more traffic. As an eCommerce business, the focus should be on using relevant keywords and interesting descriptions of products.

Your website should include the most relevant keywords that are popular in your industry. This will optimize your website to rank well on search engine results pages. Putting efforts into SEO always yields great results for businesses as it is one of the primary digital marketing tools.

Through SEO, you will get more exposure, improved ranking, increased and refined traffic, etc.

Any eCommerce development agency can help businesses effectively implement SEO strategies that will fit their specific needs.

4. Appealing & Engaging UI/UX Design

Your website should have an appealing and easy-to-navigate UI/UX design. When your target audience visits your website, they should have a great experience when they interact with your business.

The look and navigation of your website matter a lot in convincing your target audience to interact with your business. If your website is not attractive and easy to use, it will fail to satisfy your target audience.

The concept of UI/UX includes but is not limited to visual elements, colors, themes, fonts, navigational elements, buttons, user experience, etc.

You need to make sure that the page loads effortlessly and in no time, the checkout process is easy and swift, the search feature is prominently present, the navigation option is clear, fonts and colors are clean and simple, etc.

According to Top Design Firms, almost 38% of users consider the quality of the page layout and navigational links of the websites.

5. Popular Products At The Top

There must be some products in your store that are popular among your target market. These products are sold more and are in demand by your customers. You need to put these popular products at the very top and the center of your website.

You should make these products a bit more unique than your other products so they are highlighted. You can differentiate them with a different color, change the size of the images and layouts, etc.

This way, any new visitor to your website will immediately know that these products are your most popular and sold ones. It will help you in selling your products more and gain new customers.

6. Up-To-Date Design

The technological world is evolving faster than ever. Every day some new technology or feature gets introduced and the previous practices become obsolete. Your eCommerce website design should be modern enough to keep up with the changing trends and needs of your target market.

Having a traditional and old website design will result in frustrating your target audience and they will not interact with your business. You should constantly study the new trends and make necessary changes to your website to ensure that you are providing the best quality to your customers.

According to GoodFirms, approximately 38.5% of web designers believe that an outdated and old design is the reason that users leave a website.

7. Scannable Content

A unique feature of your website can be scannable content that can facilitate your target audience in swiftly using your website.

Nowadays, people do not have too much time on their hands to browse through hundreds of websites and their content to find their desired products. They want quick solutions to their answers.

You should add a scanning option on your website that will help your website visitors in scanning your site and find exactly what they are looking for. Try to use big and prominent headers and segregated sections to help your audience in finding their required products.

8. Correct Pricing

The eCommerce industry is littered with hundreds of eCommerce sites selling the same products more or less. They are all fighting in the same industry. The only difference can be their customer service or pricing.

When there are too many suppliers of the same product in the market, it becomes a threat to the businesses as the power lies with the buyers. Buyers can choose any supplier and they have control in the market.

Here, you can get ahead of the competition by listing the correct prices of your products. You should not sell your products expensively as your target market will immediately turn towards your competitors. Also, you should not sell your products cheaply as it will also tarnish your reputation and your target audience will wonder why you are selling your products at a lower price.

Your target audience can question the quality of your products. They will be reluctant to shop from you for fear of getting bad quality products.

The only way to shine here is by mentioning the right prices of your products. You cannot win in the market by lying or cheating your customers. Your customers will not be able to see the total amount until they complete the whole checkout process. But you can minimize the shock by not listing any hidden fees.

Many eCommerce businesses struggle with expertly developing and designing their website. In addition to this, startups specifically suffer because they are new in the market. They are not adept with the required acumen and skills to effectively design their websites.

For this very reason, eCommerce development company USA helps businesses by accurately studying their businesses. Then they develop and design the websites according to the specifications of the businesses and their target audiences.

Read More»

Ultimate Ways To Multiply Your eCommerce Sales Using SEO

Assuming you have an eCommerce online shopping website, your timetable should be very chaotic. This is because it is the most delicate yet well-known industry in the digital marketplace when contrasted with different areas. The essential part of the eCommerce domain is the exceptionally involved stage in this academic field.

The influential online audiences trust in making a buy over the web, and it is the explanation that an eCommerce business visionary needs to exhibit his business across the web with areas of strength for a.

A fair web presence will positively put you on the highest point of the web search tool rankings. In any case, how you will get that position; The response to your inquiry can be to carry out the savvy SEO in your website so it can sprint in the eCommerce development domain to win the fight.

Your next concern will be how to carry out the best Ecommerce SEO rehearses in an ideal way with the goal that it can cook the outfitted sales.

The sky's the breaking point when online commerce conveys a distinct SEO strategy. The improvements amplify the brand's traffic and lift sales higher than ever. Thus, you're overlooking cash if SEO is not a significant piece of your inbound strategy.

You can follow the tips to improve your Ecommerce SEO rehearses.

Admirably Use Category Pages

In an ecommerce store, category pages are the second most significant page type after landing. You ought to deal with classification pages very much like individual home pages. One requirement is to check the classes as firmly related item pages. It is likewise prudent to add content to the category pages. It should permit sharing on social media platforms like Twitter or Google Plus.

Add Sitemaps and Robots.txt Files

Google's crawlers are machines. Concurred. Be that as it may, assuming that you make their positions simpler, they'd reimburse you here and there without a doubt. With sitemaps and the robots.txt file on your site, you assist the crawlers with tracking down all file index-worthy pages and links on your site effortlessly. Furthermore, with that, there is no possibility of a portion of your item pages not being listed. This has likewise generally shown an augmentation in page rankings. Adding a sitemap and robot.txt file at the ecommerce store development stage enables your website to crawl faster.

Utilized Long-Tail Keywords

Overall methodology, business keywords are a mix of approx 2 to 3 words. It prompts better SEO results. In the present situation, clients make use of long sentences and expressions to channel the critical data. The benefit is that long-phrase keywords go straightforwardly into the buying pipe and let web storekeepers distinguish what their clients are searching for.

Search engines show matching outcomes for clients' inquiries relying on the expressions. With these filtered choices, clients can investigate more into the store.

Make Sure Product Descriptions Are SEO-Optimized

A serious mix-up that numerous retailers make is duplicating precisely the exact item portrayal from their producers onto their eCommerce sites.

While this procedure might seem the most straightforward method for taking care of business, it doesn't help your SERP rankings.

Why?

Indeed, your item portrayal will have been the same as every other retailer selling a similar item.

To guarantee you get the inquiries and changes you want, contemplate the keywords and inquiries your clients will probably pose while looking for your item.

Make a purchaser's persona and plan various forms of feedback in light of the necessities and inclinations of that persona.

Why do individual trouble spots require arrangements? What points or things could they be keen on? What might prevent them from purchasing your items?

Write the entirety of this down on a notepad or an enormous whiteboard for a more straightforward reference.

Whenever you've finished your rundown of inquiries, you can continue to answer everyone by composing a complete item depiction. Utilize the right theme and develop your online store with the best ecommerce website builder.

Work On Quality Backlinks

According to the SEO viewpoint, backlinks are the most significant component. They permit you to give a domain rank to your business area, which is a score out of 100. This rank assists you with recognizing where you stand in the Google search results for a particular keyword.

You can likewise check the organic traffic coming to your site. It is a healthy routine to get backlinks to rank higher on Google.

Remember Local SEO

If you have an actual store, expanding footfall, there is likewise an expansion in your organic sales, correct? Claim your Google My Business listing; Add your location to your site; Get neighborhood backlinks from different organizations, business directories, and professional references. This will support SEO and hence, sales.

Not confident you are adept in that frame of mind of local SEO? Profit of master local SEO administrations, yet remember about it.

Regardless of whether you have an actual store and solely sell on the web, your ecommerce sales will go up with local SEO. It works like letting imminent clients know they can purchase XYZ items online from your store instead of raising a ruckus around town shops.

Ace Tip: Besides enhancing your site and online store, additionally advance your marketplace stores. Specialists can assist with improving your Amazon customer-facing facade, for instance, within several hours. Yet, that channel's lift in natural deals will endure significantly longer than one bookkeeping year.

Go Along With Conversion Rate Optimization

Change rate enhancement can bring you specific outcomes if your business has been laid out in the digital marketplace for quite a while. You can gather and analyze personal and quantitative information to comprehend the reason why individuals are returning quickly without making any buy.

With the experiences from UX research, analytics, and personal information, one can move for an A/B test on a store by illuminating plan changes.

Optimized URL

The vast majority imagine that the response to the inquiry, "How might organic sales be improved?" lies in some tech-weighty assignments. Yet, really the seemingly insignificant details matter. If your item and class page URLs contain keywords and depend on the route level, they will probably rank higher for a pertinent catchphrase look.

Implement PPC

Social media is a broad network to give you comprehensive openness. You can utilize your Instagram profile or Facebook advertisements to drive traffic and thus enhance your deals. Strolling on a similar track, business people can enlarge search engine taps on their site through SEM. It is an effective method for snatching the extra traffic from Google search queries to your site.

One can run various missions with Google Ads, including search, display, and shopping. You want to conclude which type suits you. The instruments like Adroll and Criteo can run web retargeting promotions.

Optimize Your Website Design and Speed

The entire time your site needs to stack is fundamental in ranking in the search results. As a rule, individuals favor a page to stack inside 2-3 seconds. Else, clients will return to a contender's place. Google likewise regards this idea as a solid ranking element. To accomplish something similar, you can take a gander at a few variables like:

• Exclude those diverts that are excessive.
• Pagination by dividing the results of class pages into numerous pages.
• Diminishing the picture sizes to permit less load of your website page.
• Empower HTTP reserving to store components like CSS, JavaScript, and related pictures.

Set Up 301 Redirects

At the point when you cease a specific item category or assortment, the SEO ability of that page doesn't need to go to squander. Setting up a 301 redirect to one more used item page can move the SEO esteem from the old page to the enhanced one. This helps your used item pages rank higher and quicker.

Use Schema Markup

Schema markups are codes that can utilize online journals, items, reviews, registries, and strong neighborhood organizations to give productive SEO outcomes. These codes can be handily added to a site so that Google will grasp your site superiorly. It permits the smooth analysis of the information you have posted on the site.

Assuming that you carried out these tips to your site well, you can see your business rising proactively.

CTA :

Let us know if this article is helpful for your concern.

About the Author:

Ashish Jain is the global head at Addweb Solution for handling Offshore Strategic Partnership. Addweb is a leading IT development, consulting and outsourcing company which offers website, app, blockchain, eCommerce development, and digital marketing service. We are agile and dynamic, which gets transmitted through our work.

Read More»

6 Significant Ecommerce Trends To Watch Out For In 2022

Whenever a business pushes a new marketing campaign or a product idea, they tend to look at what is trending.

Google Trends can give a general idea of what is hot and what is not, though one can also find other tools, particularly if they wish to research specific and get more details.

Having said that, the ecommerce industry is a good example of trends that come and go. Even if the idea of selling goods or services on the internet is relatively new, it is still developing quite fast.

For someone who wishes to start an online business, it is important to familiarize yourself with the trends. Otherwise, you fail to miss out on important aspects and fall behind the competition, which is likely if you are new.

Customer Reviews

Let's start with customer reviews. Do not make the mistake of neglecting to encourage shoppers to leave feedback.

Customer reviews work as social proof. In other words, if someone visits an online store and finds it missing prior feedback, the odds are that they are unlikely to shop.

If a store uses the dropshipping model, it can utilize the Opinew product reviews app to import reviews directly from platforms like Amazon.

Encouraging customers to submit a review by giving them a perk, such as a discount or free shipping, is worth a shout as well.

Chatbots and Data Processing

Chatbots and data processing are two for the future, thanks to machine learning and artificial intelligence.

There are some businesses that have already established a system to utilize the technology, and many more stores are catching up.

It is hard to process vast amounts of data about competitors, customer behavior, and so on if you do it manually. Leaving the work to smart algorithms makes more sense.

A similar thing can be said about chatbots. Replacing real people with bots in customer support is an efficient investment.

Chatbots learn with time, and they become smarter in their responses to customer queries. And one of the best things about chatbots is that they are available 24/7 without needing a break, which is far superior to an average human.

Visual Content

Visual content plays a prominent role as well. The shift from walls of text to videos and high-quality pictures is understandable given what is the average attention span of people these days.

Instead of adding numerous words to a product description, increase conversions by recording a guide video. Even if it is a short instruction in a simple animated form, it will still be more effective than forcing potential shoppers to read through a boring text.

For product photos, you want to take appealing pictures. It is not a stretch to hire professional photographers that can do a good job of emphasizing the good sides of your product. It should be a no-brainer that the higher the picture quality, the more sales an online store can expect.

Influencer Marketing

Creating an effective marketing campaign is a problem because you do not have guarantees that the investment will pay off.

Right now, brands are finding it profitable to collaborate with influencers. From social media and YouTube influencers to podcast hosts and streamers on Twitch TV, there are a lot of personalities with loyal audiences brands can utilize as a means to drive traffic and make sales.

Of course, it is important to determine whether an influencer is a good fit. In case you find it difficult to strike a partnership deal with A-tier influencers because they charge too much, do not bother with them.

Just because someone has a lot of followers, it does not mean that they are worth the hassle. A micro-influencer with fewer followers might offer more value overall because of their engagement rate and lower charging fees.

Voice Shopping

If there is one thing we can take from the popularity of Siri, Alexa, and other digital assistants, it is that carrying out voice commands has become quite popular.

Online shopping is not that far behind in this aspect. Right now, there is a noticeable trend to see more interest in voice shopping.

Considering the convenience of shoppers, it makes sense to see the rise of voice shopping. People can order goods or services via a microphone on their smartphone or tablet, for example.

One other thing to note about voice shopping is that it offers an alternative to people with disabilities. For someone who relies on their voice, such a shopping method could come in quite handy.

Freedom In Customization

Customization is not applicable to every niche, but if it is, it is recommended not to limit potential ways customers can change the appearance of a product.

Print on demand is a good example of this. Giving shoppers the freedom to choose design colors, fonts, and so on is the right approach.

Customers who do not have the freedom to customize their products are more likely to seek alternatives if they cannot find a combination to their liking.

Read More»

The 3 Most Effective Ways To Use Video For An Ecommerce Site

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If that’s true then how many words is a video worth? Video is a very powerful medium for marketing and needs to be part of every e-commerce shop owner’s strategy. Not only does it do a great job at getting the word out, but it is a fantastic tool to give the customers a unique buying experience.

Not only is video a good idea, but it’s also become a necessity. Without it, an ecommerce store is going to have an uphill battle getting their brand out there and be able to compete.

In this article, we will go over several ways that video should be used by an ecommerce store and not just for marketing purposes.

1. Tell The Brand’s Story

Copywriters have been trying to tell the story of their brand for decades now. And words are a great way to do this. Video is far better at it than any written copy could ever be, however. When it is done right, of course.

When a visitor lands on the store website, there should be a professionally made video that entices somebody to start watching. Miami-based video marketing company Zipinmedia is an expert at creating a video that will engage visitors and keep their attention to be able to tell the story of the brand.

Since there is a lot of competition and people have a wide variety of choices, they would rather shop with a brand that they identify with. These videos help them feel a connection to the brand instead of just clicking a few buttons to make a purchase that is devoid of any human emotion.

A well-made video makes the visitor want to purchase again and again from your store because it makes them feel like part of a community or movement.

2. Increase Conversions

It is increasingly difficult to grab a site visitor’s attention for very long. It is essential to be able to draw them in right away and lead them to purchase. Usually, it can take a few visits for a visitor to come back and make a purchase. Mainly because they need to research on their own to understand if the product can actually solve their problem.

Having a video do all of this work increases the conversion rate as it gives a good perspective on how the product works. When people click away without making a purchase it is mainly because they aren’t sure if the product is right for their problem.

For instance, if the product is a bidet then somebody might not be sure if they are going to be able to install it in their bathroom. Or, they might not understand how it works. A video is a great way to show them the benefits and gives them a visual idea that is far better than trying to explain it by text. When they can see for themselves how it works then they are more likely to be convinced and ready to make a purchase.

Within the video, there should be a clear call to action to click and make a purchase. Luckily there are many ways to embed this interactivity into the video itself for a seamless transition to a purchase page.

3. User-Generated Content

People tend to trust others like them when it comes to buying a product. This is the reason that unboxing videos on Youtube are so popular because it is an unfiltered look at the product by a real person.

Allowing users to submit their own videos is a powerful way to add credibility to your product. While it’s nice to have a polished video for increasing brand awareness because it looks professional, there is always room for unpolished videos from users. Cynical consumers are wary of overly polished sales videos but trust one that looks like it was made by their neighbor.

Not only are these good ways to increase conversions but it is also free content. Many website owners spend quite a bit of money on videos and on content overall for the shop. This is free and powerful at the same time.

Conclusion

There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to building a successful e-commerce site. Attention to detail is essential and involves doing a lot of testing. Take some time to test videos and see how it works for your shop. It may take some tweaking but once you settle on the right approach, video can only help.

Read More»

Must-Know Ecommerce Return Rate Statistics and Trends

How Return Rates Affect Customer Experience

Something to keep in mind is that a high return rate doesn’t always signal that your business is doing poorly. In fact, it can lead to more loyal customers and shoppers that want to continue purchasing larger orders. By allowing customers to return things easily you can make their shopping experience even more enjoyable.

Here are some ideas to make your return policy better:

• Have easily accessible return and custom labels consumers can print at home.
• Encourage an easy returning experience with prepaid labels.
• Create a longer return window that lasts over 90 days.
• Let shoppers know from the start what your return policy is.
• Give a refund before processing so the customer receives their payment quickly.

How Ecommerce Returns Has Changed Since 2020

Online shopping has increased in popularity due to the pandemic closing down of most in-person stores for over a year. Here are some of the major ways that things have changed since 2020 when it comes to eCommerce returns.

Retention and Returns Policy Are Connected

We have entered a new era of loyalty shock, which means customers aren’t as loyal to brands as they once were. They now are relying on other factors such as budget, convenience, and more to dictate their purchasing decisions. One of those factors includes having an easy return policy.

Customers Don’t Want To Pay For Return Shipping

Over half of customers stated that one of the major reasons they avoid purchasing new things online is because of the return fee. Having a quick refund policy or an easy drop-off location for returns can help your customers trust your brand and encourage them to make another purchase.

Easy Online Exchange Policy Can Save Your Sale

If you offer an easy exchange policy then you’re more likely to retain the sale. This is because customers might like an item, but simply want to swap out a different size or a similarly priced item.

The Environmental Price Tag Of Ecommerce Returns

There is a high environmental price tag associated with ecommerce. According to Optoro, in 2019, online shopping returns generated five billion tons of landfill waste and produced the same amount of carbon dioxide emissions as three million cars.

With this in mind, many customers are willing to step into a physical store to return packages rather than increasing their carbon footprint by shipping their items back to the retailer.

However, not all shoppers are as environmentally conscious and a practice called bracketing has been on the rise. This is when someone purchases multiple versions of the same item, trying them on, and sending back the items that don’t work. During the pandemic, most consumers explained that the reason for this had to do with weight gain or loss.

Ecommerce Returns Policy Best Practices: A Checklist

If you’re wondering how you can update your ecommerce return policy then we’ve got you covered. Here are seven items to check off your list on your path to ecommerce best practices.

1. Your policy should appear on your main menu
2. Your policy should showcase positive and negative testimonials
3. Your policy reinforces your commitment and features helpful feedback from customers
4. Your policy should not use intimidating phrases and words
5. Your policy should be clear on what customers can expect
6. Your policy should be memorized by each team member
7. Your return policy should always make it right with the customer

Read More»

Top 7 Digital Marketing Strategies To Grow Your E-Commerce Business

If you run an e-commerce business, digital marketing is a must. Digital marketing has become ubiquitous in the modern world, and it's more important than ever to use every possible channel to reach your customers. This article will talk about 7 of the best digital marketing strategies for e-commerce businesses.

1. Use Ad Words and Pay Per Click Advertising

One of the simplest ways to market your business online is through pay-per-click advertising. You can advertise on Google via their program, Ad Words. It's actually a really simple process that allows you to put specific ads in front of targeted customers. You simply have to create an account and bid on keywords, and then Google will determine how much you'll be charged whenever someone clicks on your add. In other words, it is the best strategy to grow your e-commerce business. It is the most affordable way to get your business in front of a given audience, and it will help you gain traffic from the places that matter most.

2. Utilize Social Media Platforms

Another popular digital marketing strategy is by utilizing social media platforms. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest are all great ways to get in touch with your customers. With so much competition on these sites, it's more important than ever that you take advantage of them in every way possible. Social media marketing has become extremely influential over the past few years, and there are now hundreds of them available on the internet today. Social media is incredibly popular, and there are tons of ways to use social media to market your business online. Some social networks are better than others for promotion, and there are even opportunities to use social media for influencer marketing.

3. Make Use of Mobile Advertising Opportunities

Mobile marketing refers to marketing via mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. More and more people are browsing the internet through their mobile devices, and it's important that your business makes use of this trend. If your business is a physical store location, you should look into mobile advertising opportunities like iBeacon's or Google's Nearby Ads API. Both services allow you to target customers based on their current location, which is incredibly useful if you have a physical store location. Mobile advertising is becoming more and more important, and it's a great way to get in front of your audience where they are. People are on their phones almost all the time these days, so it's a great idea to try and capture their attention.

4. Make Use of Email Marketing Services

Email marketing is one of the oldest and most effective digital marketing strategies on the internet today. It's how I got started with making money online, actually. Email marketing was originally used to send offers and newsletters to customers, but there are plenty of ways you can use it to get attention. There are even companies that offer email marketing services for e-commerce businesses to help you market your products and services. Email marketing is still incredibly influential and a great way to stay in touch with your customers.

5. Utilize Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing means that you are paid a commission when customers buy products or services based on your recommendation. You don't need any technical experience to start an affiliate marketing program - it's really simple! Affiliate marketing is usually done through a third-party company. The great thing about affiliate marketing is that it's a very effective way to get your audience interested in the products and services you are selling. Affiliate marketing is one of the best digital marketing strategies because it's free, and it can help with branding as well as growing your customer base. Utilizing affiliate marketing is a great way to get people interested in your products, and it's an excellent strategy if you're just starting out and don't have many customers.

6. Focus on A/B Testing What Works

If you've only tried one or two digital marketing approaches, chances are you haven't seen all the results that your business could be getting. You need to keep testing until you find what works, which means trying lots of different things with the expectation that some will fail. You'll have to accept that your marketing won't be perfect until you figure out exactly what it is your customers want from you. This type of marketing is often referred to as A/B testing, and it's a great way to figure out what's working.

7. Make Use of Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO refers to improving the visibility of your website or other online assets in search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo with the help of a seo expert. It is important to look into SEO if you want to get more customers. These days there are all kinds of automated ways to increase your rankings on search engines in order to show up in Google's search results; you need to make use of search engine optimization (SEO). By implementing these strategies, you'll be able to find more customers and increase sales - which is what any business wants! This is similar to how you buy Ad Words, but rather than paying for specific ads on a per-click basis, you pay with your time and effort.

If you are looking to grow your e-commerce business, it's important that you explore all of the digital marketing strategies available. The 7 tips we've outlined in this article should help get you started on a path towards success with growth hacking and lead generation for your store. There is no one silver bullet when it comes to getting more customers - instead, there are countless ways to make use of different channels like mobile advertising opportunities, email marketing campaigns, affiliate marketing programs, and search engine optimization. Hope this article helps you with your digital marketing efforts!

About the Author:

Leanne Brooks is an informative content writer who is passionate about writing on digital marketing, search engine optimization, social media and more. She is currently working with Treasure Valley SEO, the leading seo expert in Idaho.

Read More»

Online Retail: Latest Digital Trends You Need to Know

The pandemic has made a large part of the global population reliant on e-commerce. People will be continuing to depend on it even after the pandemic, as its speed and convenience have made it a difficult habit to shed. This has also made the e-commerce landscape highly competitive, though. To be able to compete, businesses must learn the latest technological advancements in e-commerce and e-commerce marketing and apply these elements effectively.

The Global State Of The Digital Market and E-commerce Today

The Digital Global Statshot Report of DataReportal shows that out of a global population of 7.87 billion, almost 61 percent or 4.8 billion people used the internet as of July 2021. More than a quarter of a billion have been added since the same time last year, representing an annual growth of nearly six percent. Users are spending almost seven hours online, more than twice the time they spend watching television.

Almost 67 percent of the global population or 5.27 billion people are mobile users. Among them, 117 million were added over the past year, representing nearly 10 million new users every month and annual growth of 2.3 percent. Nearly 57 percent of the global population or about 4.48 billion people are now social media users. Among them, more than half a million were added over the past year, representing an annual growth of 13 percent. Almost all of them or 99 percent access social media through their mobile phones, and they spend an average of two hours and 24 minutes daily on social media. Among working-age internet users around the world, more than 95 percent use social media networks and messaging services every month, making these the dominant online activities.

The top social media platform is still Facebook, followed by YouTube and Whatsapp. Instagram, Messenger, and WeChat take fourth to sixth place, respectively. Still trailing behind in descending order are Tiktok, QQ, Douyin, Telegram, Sina Weibo, Snapchat, Kuaishou, Pinterest, Reddit, Twitter, and Quora. Among users of social media, 26.1 percent use various platforms to find products to purchase, and 22.9 percent use them to find content from their favorite brands.

Regarding the global internet users' e-commerce activity, about 60 percent visited an online shopping platform in the past month, while more than 50 percent shopped or browsed for products online every week.

The Global E-commerce Forecast 2021 by eMarketer shows that retail e-commerce sales worldwide increased by 25.7 percent in 2020 to reach $4.213 trillion. The forecasted annual growth for 2021 is 16.8 percent, which is expected to reach $4.921 trillion. The leaders in global regional rankings will be Asia-Pacific and North America. Asia-Pacific's 60.8 percent share of retail e-commerce sales worldwide will be largely from China. North America's share will be 20.3 percent, while Western Europe's share will be 12.6 percent.

What You Need To Compete

E-retail businesses must adopt the latest technological tools and stay updated on the latest digital trends to use the data on global digital behavior and e-commerce behavior most efficiently and effectively and to gather even more targeted data. It is still imperative to hire a professional e-commerce marketing service to navigate the field expertly.

According to BigCommerce, augmented reality (AR) enables consumers to digitally try on a product such as clothes, makeup, or hair color. It also enables them to digitally place products, such as furniture or decor in their homes in proper proportion to see if these complement their interiors. If they can virtually try on a product before buying it, 35 percent of consumers state that they will shop online more. If AR is available in their favorite e-commerce store, 22 percent of consumers state that they will be less likely to visit a brick-and-mortar store.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning create automated, personalized shopping experiences for consumers. AI collects data continuously on a consumer's online search and purchasing behaviors and uses data analytics to predict preferences. It then personalizes product recommendations and gives appropriate customer service through AI chatbots. According to a study, retailers who scale advanced personalization capabilities experience an increase in revenue of up to 25 percent.

Having a wide range of payment options for consumers is necessary. Consumers today do not use only credit cards but also many other digital payment services. This enables consumers to save their payment information on the site for easier and faster checkout every time they buy.

Make your site easier to find by putting it on top of voice searches and image searches in addition to traditional searches. Consumers now use voice search a lot, and the use of image search is growing.

Stay On Top Of The Pile

With the high level of competition, an e-commerce business cannot afford to be complacent. Technological tools continue to improve, and new ones are constantly appearing. It is crucial to always be informed of developments to be able to acquire and implement whatever works best for your business swiftly.

Read More»

7 Ways To Convert E-Commerce Browsers Into Buyers

Fortunately for budding digital retailers, it has never been easier to put together all the necessary ingredients for a functional and attractive free e-commerce website. However, even when you bring together social media promotion, targeted SEO and great products, you might find that your operation is inexplicably less than the sum of its parts. If this is the case, it’s time to take a long, hard look at your approach to e-commerce. Chances are that there are some changes you can make to improve the flow of your brand journey and remove the obstacles that are holding back your sales figures. Are you struggling to bring your conversion rate in line with page views? Try some of these e-commerce tips to revitalize your storefront and turn your audience’s interest into action. Even subtle changes can nudge potential customers back on track and create a loyal audience that will help you become a successful entrepreneur.

1. Put The Spotlight On Your E-commerce Products

Any successful retailer understands that a great store is not just an array of products on sale; it’s an experience that engages and inspires customers. However, sometimes by trying to bring this dynamic to life online, we don’t quite know how to arrange our e-commerce store to make our inventory sing. Attractive, high-quality media like videos and photos are an obvious way to attract audiences. So is great written copy powered by e-commerce SEO. But don’t make the mistake of just relegating these elements to your product pages. By implementing images into your category pages and menus, you can get a head start on your audience’s attention and build up their expectations earlier in the e-commerce brand journey. After all, these are the parts of your site that the majority of audiences will navigate before they get an opportunity to make a purchase. Imagine you’re selling women's wear and you have large, bright shots of beautiful dresses on your category page: a woman looking for a dress is automatically going to start picturing herself owning the dress much sooner. This is how you nurture the emotional connections that can be the difference between a purchase and a bounce, and help amplify your products throughout your e-commerce sitemap.

2. Keep Your E-Commerce Discounts In Plain Sight

Many of us have been there: you’ve registered a new e-commerce account or signed up to a mailing list with the promise of an exclusive introductory discount. However, you find out it’s buried at the very last pages of the checkout process, leaving you confused and inconvenienced. This tarnishes the value of the discount, and also makes your e-commerce platform look as if it lacks transparency. The discount could well have been one of the primary factors behind an e-commerce customer positively responding to your call to action. Snatching it away from them diminishes their feelings of empowerment, which we know to be crucial in making customers comfortable enough to make a purchase. So, make sure your discount takes effect towards the beginning of the e-commerce process, such as on the “Your Basket” page or even on the product page itself.

3. Put The Choice In Your Customers’ Hands

Adding a mini-cart function should be a no-brainer if you’re trying to make the best e-commerce platform you possibly can. Research has shown that e-commerce customers don’t put everything in their cart with the intention of buying it. Rather, they use it as a space to compare different products and assess their respective merits before settling on the items they ultimately intend to purchase. Unfortunately, many online retailers don’t allow easy access to this kind of service, and customers can only belatedly edit their carts at the final stages of checkout. This e-commerce software muddles what should be a process dedicated to finalizing a purchase, not rejecting items from the cart. Offering a dedicated e-commerce checkout page gives customers room to come to an unhurried decision about making a purchase. This way, you’ll allow them to proceed directly to completing checkout without the need to second guess their choices.

4. Make Adding and Removing Items Simple

As we’ve discussed, customers frequently use their carts to organize the products they are interested in before coming to a decision. Now, obviously, we as e-commerce retailers obviously don’t relish the idea of shoppers putting our products back on the shelf. However, trying to frustrate customer choice is the last thing we should be doing to grow our business. That’s why you need to make it as easy as possible for customers to be in control of their e-commerce experience. Letting them easily edit their baskets and alter the quantity of purchase with zero hassle can help your e-commerce store in the long run. Although it might feel like you’re letting an e-commerce conversion get away from you, you’re really helping them stay focused on pursuing the products they really desire and are ultimately more likely to buy.

5. Allow Customers To Maintain Their Anonymity

Marketing is a powerful tool in the crowded arena of eCommerce, which is why customer data is so valuable. Naturally, we want to know more about our potential audiences, hence why mailing lists and registration promotions are such popular e-commerce tools. That said, some customers value their privacy more than others, and may be cagey about sharing their data with an e-commerce company in perpetuity. Someone may simply want to pay for their product and go, rather than agreeing to a lifetime of special offers in their inbox. And that’s perfectly fine. Using your e-commerce website builder to offer guests quick checkout and the use of intermediary payment services like PayPal can make a purchase more attractive to casual customers. Especially those who are on the fence about buying and see registration as that extra piece of effort that they’re unwilling to go through. A guest checkout still allows you to retain useful e-commerce marketing details such as email addresses. But it also offers customers a relaxed and undemanding shopping experience.

6. Clarify Shipping Costs

No one wants to feel they’ve landed an e-commerce bargain only to find out that they’re about to pay through the nose to cover shipping costs. Studies have found it to be a major cause of customers bouncing from a checkout page and abandoning a purchase altogether. Even if you need to finalize shipping costs according to particular weight and location, it will still buy you a lot of goodwill if you can offer an estimate at an early stage of the e-commerce purchasing process. Another added bonus is that if you happen to offer free shipping, customers will be able to see that straight away, which should further improve the value proposition of your e-commerce business ideas on offer.

7. Keep Your Shoppers’ Concentration

A smooth, unobtrusive e-commerce process that flows from one stage to the next can do wonders for the overall health of your business. But you can only achieve this by keeping your customers’ attention focused on the things they’re realistically going to buy to give your e-commerce meaning. Don’t weigh down your e-commerce pages with a surplus of offers that bear no relation to the items they’ve got in their cart. This will throw up more questions than answers, and could end up derailing what should have been a quick and simple e-commerce purchase to begin with. Also, never, ever ask for the same piece of information from a customer more than once, especially if they happen to be registered. Pre-existing shipping details and other information you’re storing should fill out forms automatically to help create a smooth, well-lubricated purchasing process. This is the essence of good e-commerce website design, and ought to inform as many aspects of your site’s functionality as possible.

Conclusion: Effective E-Commerce Keeps Customers In The Driving Seat

Whether you’re wondering how to start an e-commerce business, or want to improve your existing service, these tips come with zero downsides and can benefit any business. You can’t offer your customers a great online retail experience if you’re not putting yourself in their shoes. Think about what keeps you coming back to your favourite storefront, and how you could implement this in your own e-commerce business. It could be a great user interface. Or maybe it’s a sitemap that efficiently connects you with the products you want. Whatever it is, chances are it’s something that makes your life easier as a customer. You’re not going to win a conversion from every visitor that lands on your pages, but offering an attractive and intuitive e-commerce experience gives your products their best chance to sell. These e-commerce tips are universal, no matter the product or market. Give your customers the benefit of the doubt and help empower them whatever their choices, and you may well be surprised at how willing they’ll be to repay your trust. Are there any tricks or strategies that you’ve used to complete difficult e-commerce jobs above and beyond customers’ expectations? Feel free to share them with us in the comments section below.

About the Author:

Emily Moore is an English and programming teacher with a passion for space and blogging. She believes that current exploration should be focused on preserving our planet’s resources. With satellites circling the orbit, it is easier to get relevant data on any environmental changes. This, in turn, should help people quickly address any challenges.

Read More»

The Science Behind Flawless E-Commerce Brand Video Script Writing

When Arthur Miller wrote the play, The Crucible, he meant it to be performed. And it was. Eventually, it became a movie as well. Miller’s play had a message for Americans in the early 1950s, and his work achieved a bit of notoriety, something which today we might consider “going viral.”

Authors and playwrights are artists, and their work falls into categories of the fine arts. Literature is meant to be read; plays are meant to be performed. Scriptwriting, even for marketing purposes, is also an art form. It requires creativity, a message that is clearly delivered and well-received.

But there is also a science to scriptwriting for brand marketing. If that “science” is not taken into account, the video will never reach its audience, much less engage and motivate customers to buy.

The Importance Of Video Marketing

Consumers today are in a hurry. They don’t want to read lengthy marketing text, extolling the benefits and value of products. They are on the go and on their mobile devices. When benefits and value can be presented via video, they are far more likely to stay engaged. In fact, research has shown that human brains process visual content 60K times faster than printed words. And one study from Social Media Today shows that a full 72% of a company’s customers state that they prefer to learn about products and services via video.

No e-commerce company can engage in marketing without using video. Some studies show that users spend up to 2.6 times more on sites with videos. This does, however, present a new challenge. How do you make your video stand out from among those being produced by competitors? It’s not just a matter of the visual features. It is also very much a matter of the script that is produced.

Here’s where the “science” of scriptwriting comes in.

Unpacking the Science of Marketing Video Scriptwriting

1. The Plan:

Every hard or soft science project must begin with a plan. The same goes for scriptwriting. In this case, the goals of the video must be detailed. These will include: who the video is produced for, how and where it will be published, and what call to action will be presented as a takeaway to the viewer. And the overriding goal is that your video script and the ultimate video does not “look” like a traditional ad.

2. Research The Audience:

All marketing pros continuously keep an eye on their audiences. As a business grows, its audience expands. Also, as times change, so do audience behaviors. This is where data science comes in. There are now tools that will crawl all over the web and gather and organize information on specific groups of consumers, based upon questions a business wants to be answered. Among other things, data science will point to new suitable audiences, as well as provide information regarding their values, principles, and what they enjoy in the way of entertainment, inspiration, etc. These things will help with the tone and style of your marketing video scriptwriting.

3. List The Stories You Can Tell:

If you have watched any of the major insurance company TV ads in recent years, you understand the appeal of storytelling. Flo from Progressive Insurance, the GEICO gecko, and the Aflac duck all have “adventures” of sorts. You may not have such adventures, but you do have stories to tell – about your company, your customers, about your employees, and, most important, about the value your product or service brings. These are the topics from which good video marketing scriptwriting comes.

4. Match The Tone and Style Of Your Brand With The “Personalities” Of Your Customers:

There is a huge difference between a video crafted for Rolex watches and Red Bull energy drinks. And the script for these will vary significantly in sophistication, language, and tone. Be certain that you not only honor your brand “voice” but that the tone and style are a match for your audience preferences.

5. Research Your Competition and Related Niches:

What types of videos are getting the most play among your competition? If you study the scripts of these, you will gain insights into what “works” and what does not. You will also get ideas for writing scripts that will engage your audience.

6. Research Statistics On General Video Successes:

There’s a lot of data and statistics of videos used for marketing purposes. For example, a video used specifically to present products or services and their values is most successful when it is under two minutes in length. As you craft your video marketing scriptwriting, keep this in mind.

7. Think About The Visuals To Be Used:

Is the video going to show still shots while the script is read? If so, then you need to think about who will create the graphic design tasks and what they should be. Will it involve live actors? If so, who will they be? Once you have your written script, study it and those of others who have crafted similar-type scripts. You will have a much better idea of the visual style that is best suited for your message. Just remember – if the visuals are not appropriate or poorly done, your script will lose value and engagement.

8. Review and Revise Your Script:

What you don’t want in your script is “fluff.” You have a message to impart, and it must be simple, clear, and direct. Anything that “muddies” or detracts from your message is not relevant and should be deleted. It’s always a good idea to get a second set of “eyes” involved. RushEssay writing company has creative script copywriters, in addition to its academic writing services, though many do not know this. Barring using an outside resource, have some colleagues take a listen and provide suggestions. Getting rid of the non-essential script will also shorten the length – always a good thing.

9. Take A Serious Look At Your Call To Action:

You have three things to do in your marketing video scriptwriting - introduce your product or service, show how it will solve a “problem” for your audience (your value proposition), and then tell your audience members what you want them to do. That call to action is a critical piece of your script, so do not make it “fuzzy” or unclear.

10. Establish A Publishing Calendar:

Scriptwriting for video production takes more time than simply writing a blog post. It will be important to set a calendar that fits these in with the other marketing content you create and publish. Setting a calendar for this content will keep you on track for production.

A Case Study In Great Marketing Video Scriptwriting

In 2012, Michael Dubin and Mark Levine met at a party. Part of their conversation involved the high cost of disposable razors and the inconvenience of remembering to stop at the store to get them. Out of this conversation came Dollar Shave Club, a subscription service to inexpensive razors, delivered to customers each month. The website was launched in April 2011, with an opening marketing video, with Michael Dubin as the actor. Take a look at the video, and then we will discuss its elements.

Here are the critical elements of the Dollar Shave Club video:

1. Quick introduction of the company and what it offers.
2. First statement of value to the audience – much lower cost than store razors.
3. The second statement of value to the audience – shipped right to their door every month; no more inconvenience of stopping to purchase from a store.
4. Resolution of a pain point – forgetting to stop at the store and being forced to use an old, dirty razor.
5. Call to Action: Stop forgetting to buy razors and paying too much – go to DollarShaveClub.com – the party is on!
6. Language Style and Tone: Matches the audience (millennials and now Gen Z) – they appreciate this type of humor too, and the one curse word doesn’t bother them at all. The style and tone are also perfect for a new startup in the 21st century – a bit “snarky” and irreverent, but not overly so.

It should also be noted that this video went viral within hours – so much so that the company sold out of its stock within a few days. It was a professionally produced video, but it cost a total of $2500 - not a bad price for a company that ultimately had a net worth of billions when it was sold to Unilever. Your video may not reach these heights, but this is a prime example of how a scientific approach to marketing video scriptwriting can engage.

The Wrap

Marketing video scriptwriting involves both art and science. Art is a creative endeavor. But all of this “art” is worthless unless you can adopt a scientific approach that gets you to the right audience, that engages and appeals to that audience, that stands out among the competition, and focuses on the three goals – introducing the product or service, demonstrating its value and solution to a pain point, and then presents a compelling call to action.

About the Author:

Dorian Martin is a writer, editor, and proofreader with years of experience. He also applies his writing skills while writing a case study or research proposal for a major thesis writing site. His specialty is in the areas of business and marketing. When not at work, Martin enjoys subjecting his friends to gourmet cooking experiments and participating in biking marathons.

Read More»

Tips For New eCommerce Businesses In The New Normal

Consumers who were traditionally skeptical of eCommerce business or online purchases have had no choice but to adapt to changes in the market as disrupted by the recent pandemic. As the environment continues to retain physical distance, eCommerce, delivery, store-pickup, and buy-online-pick-up-in-store have become the new standard.

Having better Search Engine Optimization or SEO can help produce the content that aids the best search results at the forefront of this transition. Online purchases and transactions are becoming more relevant than ever as customers demand how companies deal with COVID-19 constraints. They also assess their choices for purchasing basic needs as they transition to remote working at home. Many people are also found online to remain updated on what is happening around them. Therefore, if your business or brand is not online, you are missing a huge opportunity, and you are allowing your competitors to step ahead of you.

Don't forget to check out: Key Internet Statistics To Know

Things You Can Do Make Your eCommerce Business Thrive

Having an online presence is not enough. You should ensure that you appear in online searches. You must be at the right time and whenever your target audience looks for you in search engine. Here are some tips you can never forget to make your eCommerce business thrive.

1. Leverage The Power Of Keywords

Scoring on the first page of Google is incredible, but it won't do you any good if you are not ranking with exemplary performance. That means you need to conduct keyword analysis. It feels incredible to rank on Search Engine Result Pages or SERP with a competitive keyword. For your pages that aren't performing well, you can try a long-tail keyword technique.

Find keywords that will help you rank while also answering your target customer's request. That is a win-win situation for both your prospective buyers and you as a vendor. If you're unsure where to begin, you can look at your competitors' keyword details to see which keywords they're bidding on.

2. Produce The Right Content

Aside from targeting keywords, the next thing you can do is create the right kind of content to become a content machine. Content entices prospective consumers to spend more time interacting with your brand. The right content can make them feel much more connected to your brand than they would otherwise. Figures show that 70% of users would instead read about a brand from a blog post than through corporate marketing press releases. By offering meaningful, quality blog material, you can help your audience get to know you and your brand.

Don't be surprised if designing content for your eCommerce business does not come easily to you. You don't have to develop an all-encompassing SEO technique in one fell swoop. Choose any online platform like any social media channel and experiment with it. You can also try other types of content like GIFs, appealing images, and videos that you can create using video editing software. Studies show that many users spend 2.6 times more on sites with video than on pages without any videos on them.

3. Always Do Your Research

Because of the pandemic's behavioral and lifestyle changes this year, it's much more crucial to do your future and not focus on what succeeded in the past. Check on search demand for various product categories and subcategories. Find out which keywords and products are trending. In addition, benefit from the expertise of collaborators, influencers, and other vendors. With less socializing and hosting, partywear, for example, may not be a significant item. Simultaneously, gifts for at-home activities like exercise equipment, baking, and gardening may continue to do well.

4. Establish Authority In Your Niche

Nobody knows for sure, but if a website or brand is on the internet does not have other authority pages connect to it, it will never leave a mark. That is a vital idea to think about when developing your eCommerce marketing campaign.

Links like backlinks and inbound links are essential for every website on the internet and have long been recognized as a significant rating signal in Google. Aside from this, influencer marketing is another method for establishing authority online. It adds value to your narrative and extends your scope, and can help increase your ROI.

5. Make Sure You Use HTTPS

These days, Chrome warns users when pages that request confidential input details such as passwords or credit cards are vulnerable if they do not use the HTTPS protocol. Google also revealed that they would notify users of any sites that are only using HTTP. The site alert is a significant turn-off for prospective buyers and could significantly reduce your conversion rates. Currently, HTTPS is used by about half of the top 10,000 websites.

eCommerce business vendors should now be using SSL on their pages for authentication. That is also to provide prospective buyers with the assurance that they are dealing with a protected site and a responsible site owner. Most large shopping carts, such as Shopify and Bigcommerce, now provide free SSL certificates for all of their plans. However, if you're self-hosted, you may need to configure this yourself.

6. Improve Your Site Speed

Potential consumers will leave your website without seeing your products or services if your page load speeds are slow. that beginning last July 2018, page speed would be a ranking factor for smartphone searches.

Always have in mind that time is of the essence. It shouldn't be a surprise. The advantages of mobile greatly outweigh the investment, resulting in an improved user experience that leads to higher conversions and revenue.

It is simple to begin checking for site pace, and you cannot afford not to do so. To monitor your mobile results, use a free tool like Page Speed Insights, and then do the same with your websites.

7. Automate Your SEO Tactics

Taking the tedium out of repetitive SEO activities will help marketers become more effective, freeing up precious time for more innovative optimizations and strategies. Of course, intelligent automation can increase search efficiency significantly by detecting and searching for openings in real-time.

By automating your SEO strategies, you can gather a lot of benefits for your eCommerce business. It is relatively cheaper while being faster in doing any SEO task. SEO automation can also lessen time-consuming tasks and handle even the most tedious activities. Moreover, automating your SEO can also provide you with accurate data essential in your SEO that influences your overall digital marketing campaign. Aside from that, it can also provide you with a proper competitor check as you can analyze their most used keywords, tags, Meta content, and backlink. While it can cost you an extra in your expenditures, you can be assured that it can help you have a good ROI in a lesser time compared with manual SEO activities when used correctly.

8. Optimize Mobile-First

Google revealed in early March 2020 that it would continue using mobile-first indexing on all websites. That means that Googlebot will favor any site's success on mobile devices over desktop. That is because the majority of people already use smartphones when searching online. If your eCommerce platform hasn't been wholly optimized for mobile-first, now is the time to start.

However, you need to ensure that your mobile-friendly platform offers the same content as your website. Since the screen on handheld devices is small, more developers can simplify their themes. Although you could require a new design and layout, you mustn't exclude content for any mobile device versions. You have to remember that this is now the data that Google can index first.

9. Grow Your Subscription List

Building your email subscription list should be a top priority if you want to produce leads that will convert even after the pandemic. If your sales are declining, this will help you keep customers focused and your brand at the forefront of their minds.

Consider the reasons why consumers interact with brands. The most common reason people interact with a brand is that they were involved in the product, promotions, want to earn a reward, or simply because they found the brand amusing. That should be the key focus of your email material and the selling point for your subscription.

Your email material should have meaning that goes beyond sales and promotions. If you share revenue-focused content, you will not have much of an effect – particularly if your product segment is declining. Make sure you grow your subscription list and provide valuable content to make it appeal to your audience.

Final Thoughts

Investing in SEO can benefit your eCommerce platform by increasing revenue and discovering your goods, labels, and services. If your rivals are ranked higher in Google search than you are, they are using more of the seven strategies outlined in this post.

You desire a competitive advantage. The supermarket behemoths would not make life convenient for you or your rivals. Improving the rating would necessitate an expenditure in time and effort.

Online retailers who take the time to study keywords, create entertaining and informative material, and customize their platform for shape and purpose will still take a large slice of the retail pie. Give your clients an incentive to return for more.

About the Author:

Maricar worked as a marketing professional for almost a decade and handled concerts, events and community service-related activities. Leaving her corporate job for good to pursue her dreams, she has now ventured in the path of content writing and currently writes for Softvire Australia and Softvire New Zealand. Harry Potter fan, she loves to watch animated series and movies during her spare time.

Read More»

Instagram For eCommerce: Everything You Need To Know

With Instagram Shops continuously broadening its eCommerce functionality and user database, taking advantage of this popular social media platform as an additional ground for selling your products online is the least you can do to give your sales a boost!

In this post, we’ll get you acquainted with the capabilities of Instagram Shops, go through the key points that are required to start one, as well as show you a couple of examples of how renowned brands are already using their business accounts on Instagram to sell more.

Instagram Shops and What They’re For

As stated earlier, Instagram Shops are your chance to start selling more via your favored social media channel. By connecting your Instagram Business Account to your store’s inventory you get the ultimate opportunity to sell your products. This is done by tagging the items that are displayed on the post’s photo or video or in the Instagram Stories that you’re posting on your account.

The person who’s browsing the post could then see the details of the item (i.e. its name and price) when clicking on “View Products”. When tapping on the product tag, the user sees a pop-up with not only the description of the item but also gets a direct link to your store to purchase it. Take a look at the screenshots taken from the official Victoria’s Secret Instagram account as an example.

Among the other perks worth mentioning is that all the products that are featured on the Instagram account are conveniently placed in a separate tab that’s marked by a shopping bag icon. This tab is placed near the IGTV and grid icons, and provides easy access to all the items that are on sale. The listing is reminiscent of a category page of an online store, providing the products’ names, prices, and images.

How To Start An Instagram Shop?

Luckily, getting started with an Instagram Shop of your own isn’t complicated. You should keep in mind a couple of things though:

• Instagram Shops only work via the application that’s available on mobile devices (i.e., it won’t be possible to use this functionality from the desktop version);
• Not all countries have access to this functionality yet, therefore it is best to check whether your country is on the list or not before you begin (to possibly save you some time, the USA, the UK, Canada, and Australia are a couple of the countries that do have access to Instagram Shops).

Now let’s move on to the steps of creating your Instagram Shop.

Step 1: Getting All The Accounts

Apart from having the website of your online store, you’ll need to have a Facebook account that’s been created for your business and to get an Instagram account too. If you already have both, skip this step.

Let’s cover the Instagram account part if you don’t have one for your company yet. You’ll have to download the freshest version of the application to your mobile device either from the AppStore or Google Play or access the site from your desktop computer. Then register a regular “User” account for your business for free.

Step 2: Facebook Catalog + Inventory Integration

In order to get an Instagram Shop, your company’s Facebook account must have a launched Facebook catalog. That said, in this scenario, Facebook is somewhat an obligatory intermediary between your online store and the Instagram Shop. This is needed to give your customers the opportunity to access the product checkout and to buy the selected items.

Thus, this means that it doesn’t matter which eCommerce platform you are using for your online store, be it Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, or anything else, as long as you can connect your inventory, you’re good to go. For some tricky cases, such as Magento integration, you’ll most probably need to turn to Magento developers for assistance.

In other cases, you can most likely connect the two yourself, thus, log in to your online store’s admin. For instance, in Shopify, then go to the “Sales Channel” section and press “+”. There you can add Facebook as a sales channel. Then, in the Facebook section that appeared in your panel, connect your Facebook account, finish the setup, and choose your store’s Facebook account from the drop-down list. It’ll take up to 48 hours to review the connection. Once approved, your store’s products will appear on your Facebook account’s “Shop” section.

Step 3: Instagram Business Account

Now that your eCommerce website and Facebook catalog are connected, you can go back to your Instagram account and switch it to Business Account (Profile → Settings → Account). At this point, you’ll have to join your Instagram Shop with your Facebook catalog. Again, it’ll take some time to pass account verification.

Step 4: Start Posting!

As soon as your Business Account of Instagram is confirmed, you can rush on to posting and tagging items on your posts! Some of the tips here include:

• properly line out your profile data (with all the links and contact data being in place at the top of the page, in the “bio”);
• make use of the “Highlights” circles (that are created based on the posted Stories on the account);
• choose a style and try to adhere to it (colors, fonts, etc);
• add relevant hashtags and geo-locations to the posts;
• plan your postings both visually and schedule-wise (quick tip: there are various tools for planning Instagram content that you can use for saving your time such as tools for seeing how your posts will appear in the Instagram grid and various schedulers that can post automatically for you in the indicated date/time based on the posts you have prepared, an example tool you can check out is Preppr).

Don’t Miss Out On Instagram Stories

Aside from the posts with product tagging that you make in the Instagram feed, you should also do the same when sharing your Instagram Stories. Although the Stories are up for only 24 hours, you can later place them in your “Highlights” circles. Stories are perfect for showcasing products, informing about new arrivals, upcoming sales, and other things.

Here’s an example of tagged products in Stories of the official NYX Professional Makeup Instagram account. When clicking on “See More”, the corresponding page appears with products on the official website.

IG Try-On Functionality

One more Instagram Shops benefit to surely be mentioned is the advanced technology that allows us to virtually try on a product with the help of the camera of the mobile device. Such an augmented reality feature is highly in trend due to the fact that it’s not only engaging but is also helpful when making up your mind whether the item or product suits you or not.

As such, the official M·A·C Cosmetics Instagram account already offers its shoppers this IG try-on feature. Using their camera, the users can see how this or that cosmetics product looks on them. As you can see, this is especially convenient when selecting shades of lipstick.

Client Feedback and User-Generated Content

Coming up with a content plan that’ll be consistent and to the point is tricky. In this part of the post, we’ll give you a few pointers that can give you a hand.

Firstly, a tip that you can note is making use of the testimonials and reviews that your customers give you on your eCommerce site. You can repost the texts of the reviews, be they product-specific or related to your company and its services. Such social proof positively influences sales. And as long as you don’t post the reviews too often, you’re on the right track. Furthermore, you can collect them in “Highlights” afterwards.

Secondly, a great way eCommerce stores can beneficially use Instagram is by conducting simple surveys. Such multiple choice surveys can be created in Stories. Perhaps the coolest thing about them is that since Stories are up for only a day, you can get fast results. Therefore, if you’re in two minds about something or need the opinion of your audience quickly, polls can be a wonderful solution.

What's for other user-generated content, this is a goldmine that you shouldn’t overlook. Videos and photographs that were created by your clients featuring the products that you sell should certainly be given the right attention. You can even motivate your audience to tag your account and use specific hashtags to get featured. This exposure is outstanding for the brand since it reaches a much broader audience at no cost!

Topping that, since cross-posting on multiple channels is considered good practice, you can then add a widget that’ll connect your eCommerce website with your Instagram account. The widget will pull out the client posts that feature your products. Here’s how such a section looks like on the official Converse website.

Final Word

Summing up, Instagram has a very broad audience, therefore, it makes sense to use this social media channel not only for building your online presence and sharing news but also for selling your products. As you can see, it’s not that difficult to start your Instagram Shop. So, with some effort put into the Business Account, you can be selling on Instagram in addition to your eCommerce store in no time!

Check out more articles: 

• 8 Best Strategies To Help Your eCommerce Business Succeed 
• How To Create Your e-Commerce Business Plan [Step By Step] 
• 5 Simple Pinterest Tips To Grow Your eCommerce Business

About the Author:

Alex Husar, CTO at Onilab with 8+ years of experience in Magento migration and Salesforce development. He graduated from the Czech Technical University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Computer Software Engineering. Alex’s expertise includes both full-stack dev skills and a strong ability to provide project-critical guidance to the whole team.

Read More»

How To Start An Ecommerce Business?

Several business-minded folks focus on using the Internet to gain financial advantage. However, the seemingly easy way to touch base with potential customers blinds many individuals into thinking that ecommerce is a ‘build it and leave it’ ordeal.

Like developing a physical business, it’s essential to go through the necessary steps to promote opportunities and lower risks. So, here are four ways to help you start an ecommerce business:

1. Document A Rough Plan

Perhaps, you already have an idea for an online business. But, it might be a tougher road ahead if you don’t document a rough plan to kickstart the idea into motion.

A business plan should help you identify goals, create action plans, recognize risks, and implement solutions to potential problems. Moreover, it may help you estimate costs to start the new online business.

Also, here are some elements that you should consider identifying in your business plan:

• Brand description
• Products and services
• Business operations and procedures
• Competitive market analysis
• Marketing strategy
• Cost and profit analysis

Keep in mind that ‘haste makes waste.’ You might feel excited to start your business and cover the market as soon as possible. However, don’t let that excitement cloud your better judgment. Instead, take the time in identifying and documenting the outline of your online business model. Are you going for quality or quantity based pricing? What are the steps to create efficiently smooth business operations? How much money do you expect to receive in net profit during the first three months?

Ask yourself these questions while you’re developing your plan. In turn, you may encounter ‘eureka’ moments that might help you reduce risks before, during, and after your ecommerce business’s development.

2. Research On Your Target Niches

Various beginner online business owners often make the mistake of creating fantastic products and services without researching their target niches. It’s as if you have an amazing item to sell, but you’re shouting your offers through a megaphone, hoping that someone will notice the announcements.

Reduce the time needed to accomplish sales conversions by identifying and researching about your target niches. Do this step, and you should reduce the effort needed to turn potential leads into loyal customers.

Start this procedure by seeing if your prospective niche has competition. If you’re entering a relatively saturated niche, outline the steps that you can level or even beat competitors. However, the absence of competitors may also mean that there’s no potential business in that sector. Thus, search for a niche that’s not overly crowded, yet has enough potential customers to keep your ecommerce business alive and kicking. Furthermore, aim to be quite specific about your chosen niche. You may less likely face less competition if you enter a specific market.

3. Select A Business Name

After solidifying your plan and choosing your specific niche, the next step is to choose your brand’s name. Like other businesses, either online or offline, you need to choose a business name that’s both unique and memorable. Moreover, that title should also symbolize your ecommerce company’s offerings. You may also need to check if the name is original and not claimed by another entity.

Consider listing potential names on paper. You may also use a document creation app if you desire. Nonetheless, seeing your options helps you separate the titles that 'click' from those that feel too cheesy.

4. Create A Website

Perhaps, it’s safe to say that an ecommerce company can’t exist without a website. You may use social media to leverage chosen niches and gain sales, but creating a website would make your brand look as professional as possible.

Having an ecommerce website for your brand promotes many benefits. For starters, it gives you complete administrative control of the site's functions. In comparison, businesses in social media tend to use a few features as these functionalities are the only ones usable by non-administrative users. Additionally, you can use the website to help your brand build a customer email list. Use this contact list for future marketing campaigns, while maintaining optimal accuracy in targeting.

Note that you don’t have to spend a significant amount of cash just to create an ecommerce website. You can still choose free or inexpensive options. As your brand grows, you can add more features to your website to enhance user experience.

5. Attract Customers

Now that you have your website, the next step is to attract customers from your chosen niche. Remember, your online business isn’t like a magic magnet that can attract buyers without you doing practically anything. You have to put in the effort to help your ecommerce business grow.

One way to attract organic customers to your website is through search engine optimization (SEO). Use legitimate SEO practices that would help your ecommerce site rise in search ranks.

Note that the days of overstuffing keywords into articles are gone, which might have existed back in the early 2000s. Back then, search engine algorithms might be simpler than today as these programs tend to read the quantity of content instead of its quality.

Now, sophisticated algorithms are in place as search engines may punish websites that overstuff pages with an unnecessary number of keywords. It’s now better to publish natural-sounding content than trying to appease search engine crawlers instead of human viewers. It’s because today’s search engines, particularly Google, offer value to websites that can provide value in return. Hence, doing legit SEO practices may help please search engine algorithms, thereby giving your site more opportunities for attracting customers as it shows up on the first page of search results.

Some examples of legitimate SEO techniques you can use for your ecommerce website are:

• Complete the meta fields in each page on your website.
• Develop an easy-to-navigate website.
• Place importance on fast site speed.
• Offer quality content to visitors 

Remember, your site’s rank might not rise overnight. It might take days, weeks, or even months of frequent on- and off-site optimization to help your website rank in search engines. But, you may see positive results over time if you’re consistent in doing these techniques.

Conclusion

Start with a plan, research a niche, select a business name, and create a website—these four steps help guide you to the successful launch of your ecommerce brand. Remember, developing an online business might not happen overnight. Practice patience and perseverance, and you might attract more interest than intended at launch.

Read More»