In today’s era of digital marketing, more and more retail stores are creating eCommerce websites. An eCommerce site allows retailers of any size anywhere in the world to have a global market reach. When promoted effectively, an ecommerce site can also offer immense returns for customer acquisition and product sales.
Parallel to the tremendous growth of e-commerce, most industries and product sectors are dominated by a few major e-commerce giants. These powerhouse players often have a prominent brand image accompanied by targeted search engine ads and rich online marketing budgets. This has made competing against such eCommerce sites a difficult task, especially for small e-retailers with limited ad spend.
In industries where it seems impossible to steal market share from e-commerce giants, there is usually a way to capture a good chunk of customers. The trick is to get the creative juices flowing and figure out which channels are the most relevant, least competitive and profitable. Here are three tips that can help small business eCommerce sites compete with big-budget brands.
Carve a fine niche
One of the most important approaches to building a successful eCommerce store is to establish a very specific niche market. This is particularly significant for boutiques and small business retailers with high-end inventory. Unlike some large e-commerce stores that offer a wide range of products, determining a very focal niche will help establish a retailer as a specialized provider for a certain category of products. This can help promote greater trust and credibility with potential customers.
Well-established e-commerce sites often sell all sorts of products within a certain category, such as “biker gear.” Take the time to do some research on the inventory your ecommerce competitors are offering regarding their own product lines. Your goal is to identify the areas that could be most profitable for your eCommerce efforts. This may mean narrowing your focus to very select product categories as the overall theme of your online store, such as “leather motorcycle jackets.”
Starting slowly in a niche that you are sure will drive sales is an excellent small business eCommerce tactic. As you begin to master a category of products, you can start exploring new categories to expand your sales potential.
Mix up your marketing efforts
Marketing your ecommerce site can seem like a daunting task. However, there are some main channels that are essential for e-commerce. These include pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, organic search engine optimization (SEO), and social media marketing. Simply put, ecommerce marketing depends on being found in search engine results, as well as being recognized on social media platforms. But before you choose which channels are a priority, think about taking a more holistic approach to a marketing plan.
Between SEO, PPC, and social media, none is more powerful than the other. Although each channel is very different, they all share the same degree of potential to attract more customers. Most of the time, including a mix of search engine marketing tactics that use both SEO and PPC is the best approach. Because SEO is a long-term endeavor, using PPC to test which keywords are most profitable is one of the best strategies. This can save a lot of work in the future when optimizing for keywords that only bring enough profit margins.
Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Google+, and Twitter, help build more awareness for your brand. These platforms can help maintain loyalty and drive traffic to your website. Social media offers a great way to share content, generate interest, and build a following. This can help maintain your e-commerce success by promoting repeat purchases and viral sharing of great content that is connected to your brand.
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Online shoppers, in particular, are fed insightful information that is presented in a rich media format. The use of images, audio, and video can be momentous for eCommerce marketing. The ways you can use these media offer endless ideas.
Reviews are a big problem in the field of eCommerce. Customers see a lot of value in quality reviews that accurately describe the features, benefits, and drawbacks of certain products. For this reason, recording your own reviews or product highlights in the form of a video can be a game changer in ecommerce, especially if those videos are optimized and found in search engine results.
Visual stimulation is huge on the internet. In addition to videos, including a large number of images on your product pages can significantly help sales. In fact, product page mini galleries are becoming popular for many eCommerce stores, so adopting this strategy is becoming essential. Using more informative images, or infographics, is also a creative way to attract customers. Social media can be used to share this content, which can help generate more exposure and the potential to go viral.
The success of e-commerce is based on empathy. That is, how well you, as a seller, can put yourself in the perspective of your target audience. Understanding how to present your brand, as well as your communications, is key. Good eCommerce sellers have a keen sense of conscience. They know what their target customers are looking for and how to best inform them about how your eCommerce store can meet their needs.