As e-commerce has grown significantly in recent years, it is gradually dismantling traditional retail sales and establishing itself as the preferred method of purchase for most consumers, especially among the younger members of society. Especially up until late 2019, when global lockdowns confined most people to their homes and make people shop online more.
It is a challenge for any business operation to keep itself afloat if they had not fully integrated themselves on the internet before the pandemic started. Even likelier is the loss of sales associated with this critical period.
Even businesses that have already fully integrated themselves on the internet by having a website, they may still lack the technical skills needed to fully utilize their virtual presence to drive sales.
We can certainly expect the trend toward e-commerce to continue, and it offers opportunities for businesses to boost their bottom line, optimize their marketing strategies, and get their products noticed by as many potential customers as possible.
Here are three tips for getting your company's products noticed.
- Develop a social commerce platform
Let's face it, we practically live on social media these days. Whether we like it or not, social media impacts our lives even if we don't recognize it.
Despite this being the case for most of us, this gives business owners the opportune moment to capitalize on marketing tools made available by the major social media platforms as a way to widen their reach to potential clients. However, with the amount of advertisements they consume on the daily, they will probably be unreceptive to them or simply not notice them at all.
Social commerce can solve that problem. This can take the form of sponsored content that blends seamlessly with the platform making it appear to be a normal post; this way business owners can organically reach new customers.
Using this strategy benefits the business owner in two ways. One, the unassuming nature of the ads makes it so that people are more likely to engage them and learn more about the product on the way to ultimately purchasing it. Also, the likes or retweets an ad garners serve as positive reinforcement for others to rely on, which aids in boosting engagement and even driving sales. When used properly, social commerce acts as a mechanism that enhances customer experience and accelerates the sales process.
- Engage product users to create content supporting your brand
Consumer purchasing decisions may be influenced significantly by content created by your brand, but that effect will almost always be smaller than that of customer endorsements of your product.
93 percent of consumers say online reviews influenced their purchase decisions, according to a recent survey by Podium. The value of a good review left for your product can greatly increase consumer trust, and hearing feedback will give you valuable insight on how to help improve customer experience. Authenticity goes a long way in increasing customer interest in your business since they know you really "see " them.
Notice that some brands flash 5-star customer reviews during commercials which acts as social proof effectively increasing the attractiveness and reliability of the product. Campaigns which take advantage of customer testimonials create the notion that your product is widely utilized and well-liked, making it the next must-buy for many potential consumers.
- Communicate effectively with email
The most effective email marketing strategies go beyond just sending out mass emails to your subscriber base. Then send them emails tailored to their particular qualities by segmenting your list depending on several variables such as how customers/leads were obtained, their search history and whether or not they've added things to their cart. You'll be able to tailor your emails better and have a greater impact on conversion rates if you use finer granularity.
In the long run, marketing will be one of the most important differentiators among the many e-commerce companies springing up all over the place. There will be no sales if you aren't visible to your consumers. You'll be on the right road to gaining and keeping loyal consumers if you use these methods to discover and engage with them where they spend their time online.
