In today’s age of digital marketing, more and more retail stores are creating e-commerce websites. An eCommerce site enables 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.
In parallel with the tremendous growth of e-commerce, most industries and product sectors are dominated by a few major e-commerce giants. These power players often have a prominent brand image accompanied by targeted search engine ads and rich online marketing budgets. This has made competing against such e-commerce sites a difficult task, especially for small e-retailers with limited ad spend.
In sectors where it seems impossible to steal market share from the e-commerce giants, there is usually always a way to capture a good part of the customers. The trick is to get the creative juices flowing and figure out which channels are the most relevant, least competitive, and profitable. Below, we’ve highlighted 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 highly distinguished inventory. Unlike some large e-commerce stores that offer a wide range of products, determining a very focused niche will help establish a retailer as a specialty supplier 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, like “biker gear.” Take the time to do some research on the inventory your e-commerce competitors offer in regards to their own product lines. Your goal is to identify the areas that could be most profitable for your e-commerce efforts. This may involve narrowing your focus to very select product categories as the general theme of your online store, such as “leather motorcycle jackets”.
Starting slowly in a niche that you are sure will drive sales is a great tactic for small business ecommerce. As you begin to master a product category, 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 a few main channels that are essential for e-commerce. These include pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, organic search engine optimization (SEO), and social media marketing. In a nutshell, ecommerce marketing relies on being found in search engine results as well as being recognized on social media platforms. But before choosing which channels to prioritize, consider approaching a marketing plan with a more holistic approach.
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 down the road when optimizing for keywords that only provide 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 eCommerce 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 fueled by insightful information presented in a rich media format. The use of images, audio and video can be important for e-commerce marketing. The ways you can use these mediums offer endless ideas.
Reviews are a big deal in the field of e-commerce. 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 video form can be an e-commerce game changer, 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, mini product page 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 electronic commerce is based on empathy. That is, how well you, as a marketer, 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 marketers 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.