Digital Marketing in ecommerce: 13 ways to increase online sales
How can you stand out and cut through the noise to make sure that people can find your online store and follow through with a purchase?
The digital marketplace is more crowded than ever, with many other ecommerce brands all fighting for the same audiences and market share as you are. How can you stand out?
At Hitsearch, we believe that it's important to keep in mind that every customer is different. There are multiple pathways to conversion, even within specific segments of your audience, because there are so many different possibilities for touchpoints and influencing factors on the journey towards a sale. Understanding the many different ways that your existing customers are currently finding their way to making a purchase is key in figuring out how to scale up the transactions you're currently getting and maximising the resulting revenue.
Whilst this list is always growing and evolving, we have identified 13 distinct ways in which we have helped our clients to increase their online sales.
1) Have a clearly defined strategy that incorporates every type of activity and channel - rather than a collection of disjointed tactics.
2) Set up cohesive tracking (and the attribution model(s) that best suit your business) to accurately see which areas of your strategy are performing well and which need more attention.
3) Plan activity well in advance. Leave room for reactive marketing but have your core strategy in place at least 3 months in advance. Use historical data and seasonal influences to help shape your marketing calendar.
4) Ensure your messaging is consistent across all channels - both on and offline.
5) Have a cross-platform approach that follows your customers' own buying journeys.
6) Personalise your messaging - humans connect with humans - so a personal approach is needed for potential customers to engage fully.
7) Allow for several visits before expecting a sale - especially for bigger ticket items that are usually more considered purchases. Use remarketing and email marketing to nurture leads and bring them back. Abandoned basket marketing can also yield great results.
8) Use data well - monitor your marketing performance closely alongside ongoing CRO tweaks. Don't settle for good results if you have a chance at great results!
9) Maximise your average basket value by cross-selling from related products, offering bundles and upgrades and setting incentives (like free or faster delivery) when a certain order value is reached.
10) Utilise automated emails - whether it's abandoned basket reminder emails that include a discount, exclusive perks to being on the mailing list or time-based offers and complementary products highlighted after a purchase - this can be a great way to bring in sales and repeat customers.
11) Keep relationships going after a completed purchase - the journey doesn't end with a sale if there is a possibility for repeat custom and brand endorsements.
12) Deal with returns positively - plan for them in your revenue forecasts and don't make returning products difficult. Return custom is more likely when someone feels it's low-risk to buy.
13) Offer a tailored experience for online shoppers - you don't need to go to Amazon-esque lengths to make it worthwhile. Show reminders of previous orders or pages viewed or offer different paths on the website for particular demographics or browsing behaviour.
Find out more about the 13 common attributes of successful digital marketing in ecommerce, to help ensure that you can develop an overarching strategy that gives you the best possible return on your time and financial investment.