The ecommerce industry is booming in Australia, and that in itself is an understatement. Australians spent over $50 BILLION on online shopping in 2020 alone, which is an incredible stat given the state of the world. So as an owner of your own ecommerce store, it’s no surprise that you would want as much of that slice as possible! That’s where ecommerce marketing can help you out.
Ecommerce marketing, when done properly, can make your online store the one that customers go to. But what is ecommerce marketing? What types of ecommerce marketing are there? And how can I start using it to grow my online business? We’ll answer all those questions and more in this comprehensive guide to ecommerce marketing! Let’s get right to it!
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Own an ecommerce store? You’ll want to read this!
What is ecommerce marketing?
If you open up a dictionary or a business thesaurus, you’ll discover that the definition of ecommerce marketing is:
“The act of driving awareness and action toward a business that sells its product or service electronically”.
In layman terms, ecommerce marketing is everything you do to help encourage people to buy from your online store. Whether you’re selling 1 product or 1000s of different items, ecommerce marketing brings customers to your (online) door.
Ecommerce marketing and other digital marketing services aren’t mutually exclusive – in fact, it’s the combination of different marketing strategies that determine which type of ecommerce marketing you can use.
Types of ecommerce marketing
As we mentioned, the type of ecommerce marketing is largely dependent on the digital marketing strategies and channels you choose to use. Here are some examples and how you can use them to grow your online store.
1. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Search engine marketing is the combined effort of both search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay per click advertising (PPC) to drive traffic and turn them into customers.
SEO strategies such as creating SEO-charged content and link building can help your online store rank well in search results, putting you over your competitors on the pages of Google. When your target customers search for a solution that your store provides, you’ll be the first thing they see (and hopefully click on!).
PPC puts your ads at the very top of search engine results, ads which can directly link to your stores’ product purchase pages. And even though you’ll be paying for each click, the potential return and sales you’ll make is absolutely worth it.
When SEO and PPC are properly used together, your online retailer or store will see a ton of traffic and an increase in conversions.
2. Content Marketing
We touched on creating content that is focused on SEO and keywords, but you should also be creating content that provides value and encourages customers to make a transaction with your business. What kind of content are we talking about? Here are some common examples:
- Blog posts: blog posts don’t have to solely be for SEO purposes. If the written content within them is helpful, informative and provides value, readers are likely to view your brand in a more positive light and help them start considering your business as a solution to their problems (essentially turning them into leads).
- Videos: giving your customers useful information in video formats is a unique and fun way to build relationships with them. A popular example is tutorial videos which increase customer satisfaction.
- Infographics: Infographics combine information and visuals into one single piece of attractive content.
- FAQ sheets: these are great resources to have on your website since customers will inevitably ask questions. How long is shipping? What size fits me best? What’s the return policy? Having a section on your website dedicated to answering these questions can help foster customer satisfaction and encourage them to make a purchase.
3. Social Media Marketing
With the amount of social media users there are in Australia alone (that’s 20.50 million, in case you were wondering), it’s almost required to advertise your store on social media these days.
When advertising your online store on social media it’s important to know who your target audience or customers are, and which social media platforms you should be marketing on. From there, you should be creating captivating content that helps spruik your product or service and encourages engagement from social media users. This is especially true if you decide to advertise on a visual-heavy platform such as Instagram.
Some social media platforms like Instagram can also allow you to create shoppable content which enables users to buy your products right away.
You can also use influencer marketing to help drive brand awareness. Social media influencers give you access to their niche audience, letting you tap into a target market that is ready to buy whatever it is you’re selling.
4. Email Marketing
Email marketing is a tried and true marketing strategy and is just as powerful as ever. The secret to email marketing’s success is its automation capabilities and its ability to deliver personalised, highly-targeted emails.
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Email marketing automation means that you can set up fully automatic email campaigns that send subscribers emails based on your own parameters. These parameters or criteria can include product interest, stage in the buyer journey or purchase behaviour.
Personalised emails are effective in promoting conversions and building customer relationships since you’re practically sending a message that is tailored and relevant to the receiver. Some examples of personalised emails include:
- Abandoned shopping cart emails
- Post-purchase follow up emails
- Lead nurturing emails
5. Additional tips for build an ecommerce marketing strategy
These 4 digital marketing channels will make up the bulk of your ecommerce marketing. Using a strong mix of them will help your ecommerce business truly grow. But what are some other things you can do (outside of those 4 strategies) to help increase leads and conversions even more? Here are some additional ideas.
Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs reward well, customer loyalty. For customers who continually interact and engage with your business, a loyalty program can be a great way to keep their business, as well as building goodwill and word-of-mouth. Rewards within your program can include discounts or free shipping.
Sephora’s Beauty Pass program rewards frequent buyers with free products.
Referral Marketing
One of the best ways to bring more customers to your ecommerce store is through referral marketing. It involves offering a reward (usually in the form of discounts or coupons) to existing customers for recommending your brand to their friends and family.
Testimonials
Testimonials are a great way of building credibility and trust between you and potential customers. Customers are more likely to build a positive impression of your product or service after they read someone else’s experience with your store. Including a testimonial or review section on your website is an easy way to show off both the quality of your product and the buying experience.
JB Hi-Fi’s Review and Testimonials section gives shoppers the confidence to make a purchase.
Live chat
Providing customer support can help guide customers through the buying process and reduce friction and obstacles to making a purchase. Whether you’re using a live bot or have an actual customer service rep, you’ll be able to solve questions right away and answer any objections your customers may have.
Image sources from BingLee
Set up your ecommerce marketing strategy today
The future of ecommerce is a bright one, and one that you and your business should absolutely be a part of! Now that you’ve learnt the basics of ecommerce marketing, it’s time to develop your own and start making your ecommerce store the one that people will flock to.
We do understand however, that developing an ecommerce marketing strategy takes a lot of time and effort. This is where we can come in and help you! Our ecommerce experts know how to create a strategy that is tailor made for you and your business, and one that will increase your sales and revenue. So what are you waiting for? Get in touch today and see how we can make your revenue skyrocket!