Sales, sales, sales. A word that can induce night sweats for some and spark a fire in the belly for others. The main objective in eCommerce is always the same, to increase sales. While there are amazing things that companies are doing (CSR, sustainability, looking after their team) this wouldn’t be possible without money in the bank.
This blog will cover ten of my top tips (who the hell am I to comment? An avid online shopper and marketer that’s who) to add that bit of magic to your online marketing and make some more Wonga.
Firstly, make sure that the basics are done well before you start adding spice to your marketing efforts. Come on now, we all know that there are three other Ps (price, place and product) in the marketing mix. Don’t go all singing and dancing, eyes bulging into promotion. That’s just silly. No jazzy Facebook Ads are going to make your wallet pop if your product is absolute garbage – sorry not sorry.
Since I’ve mentioned Facebook Ads, let’s investigate what you can do to stop the scroll and make some sales.
Use user-generated content for your Facebook Ad creative
In a competitive market, creating an emotional connection with your customers is your magic sauce. You can do this through your copy and content. Customers share their photos on social media and tag brands. Guess what? You can use these pictures and videos for your Facebook Ad creative! Don’t take their engagement for granted. Nobody likes being taken for granted, I mean, ask my ex if you don’t believe me…
Using your customer’s content and reviews makes for WOW Facebook Ad creative. It creates brand superfans, increases customer engagement and loyalty. There’s no better sell than seeing products being used by humans that don’t have an ulterior motive (sales!).
SNAG Tights do this insaaaaaaaaaanely well. A lot of their social media posts and models are their customers. Brie Read talks to us about the power of being customer-centric on our eCommerce podcast. Rule one, don’t just say you are customer-centric, be it. Customers can sense a lie a mile off.
Optimise your Google Shopping Ads with our hybrid model
Combining the power of Google’s AI (Automation) and manual campaigns makes for a pretty stellar Google Shopping account.
Google has a cheeky tendency to overspend – naughty. Therefore, it is imperative to have a combo approach. This is our bread and butter, reach out to us if you want to see results from your Google Shopping management.
Add your brand personality to your Search Ad copy
Search Ads are boring, said no creative copywriter ever. They are only dull if you type them on Friday afternoon when you have one brain cell left…
Use your brand voice to engage the searcher, enticing them to click on the Ad. After all, copy always presents itself as an opportunity to build an emotional connection with your customer.
As you can see below, we are bidding on the keyword, “Bidnamic” – one of our “competitors”. We are having fun with it. The top two spots are having a bit of banter and we have added our two pence in. It makes for a funny read. Users aren’t stupid, they know we aren’t Bidnamic, but our copy has won them over for a very low cost.
Create a cracking converting acquisition series with your email marketing
Shopping makes people feel good because it releases the happy hormone, dopamine. And boy, that sweet release feels good. You can use this to your advantage and increase your sales by creating an acquisition series. A fancy word for something that is so simple to do, but it’s easier to explain with an example.
When someone buys one of your products, for argument’s sake let’s say a fancy dress, you can then send them emails with relevant products straight after they have purchased. So, you could send them items which match the look or other dresses in that style that they like. Personalisation goes down a treat with any human being and you get them in a buying loop, win-win!
Increase your backlink profile to improve your rankings to make more Dolla
Sadly, SEO isn’t as magical and mysterious as it’s made out to be. I mean, I wish it was. It would make for great stories sitting around the fire singing it wasn’t me – by Shaggy, if you didn’t get the reference.
Search Engine Optimisation is a set of processes to improve your website for your customer and Google. Think UX and content.
One thing you can do to show Google, HEY I AM A TRUSTED SITE PLEASE BELIEVE ME, is by increasing your backlink profile. Aka, getting links to your website from other trusted sources. It’s the digital version of having someone tell your future employer that you are a good person.
This shows Google that you are valuable and trustworthy. All things Google loves.
BAM, page one of Google, say hello. We all know that no-one goes past page one and if they do, welllllll, I would keep a very close eye on them. Being on page one, preferably as close to position one as possible, increases your traffic and sales!
Don’t know where to start with Backlinks? Check out SEMRush or let us do it. Our SEO RECIPE is pretty banging.
Use Micro-influencers who actually care about their followers
Money money money, must be funny, in an influencer world. Social media is fast changing to a creator economy and honey, I am here for it. The rise of TikTok and “normal” people doing well is just refreshing. Micro-influencers are more authentic than the likes of Kim Kardashian.
If you are an eCommerce brand, reach out to people with “smaller” followings. Their engagement tends to be far higher than the big boys and that’s what gets the conversions. Make sure the influencer you work with stands for your values and is where your audience is.
In my opinion, do you know what is better than micro-influencers? Using your customers as part of your influencer marketing campaign. Imagine the lifetime value of that human. Forever and a day.
Create content with a social-first mindset
Yawn, there goes that company again pushing their products down our throats….unfollow. Think. What do people go on social media for? Not to be sold at 24/7 that’s for sure. People want to escape daily life, have a laugh, learn something and be inspired to be the best version of themselves. Tap into that.
Each platform has a different purpose. I mean, Facebook seems to be a huge moan fest and Twitter is just troll central, but there are good, pure, kind intentions there too. People go on TikTok for different reasons than they go on Facebook. Create your social content purely for how people digest information on that platform.
What about memes? In my opinion, they belong everywhere!
Lucy and Yak are a great example of a brand using Instagram well. Reels are getting pushed out massively by Insta at the moment. They are making them fun and engaging while wearing their beautiful products.
People build an emotional connection with Lucy and Yak and subconsciously see their products and think WOW, I need that in my virtual basket.
Use the pillar and cluster framework to shape your content plan
Creating content for the sake of creating content is a complete and utter waste of time. If you plan your content strategy with a pillar and cluster approach you are on to a winner. A pillar is a primary topic that someone is searching for. For example, for us, it could be Google Shopping or eCommerce SEO.
Clusters are focused on longer tail keywords and more specific topics based on the pillar. For example, data feeds, account structure, link building, on-page SEO.
The clusters then link back to the pillar, making for a super wicked content hub on your website.
Find out more about creating a killer content strategy by reading my colleague, Eleanor Agnew’s blog post, Creating a Winning Content Strategy for your eCommerce Store.
Struggling with pillar ideas? Check out SEM Rush’s how to below.
Source: SEM Rush
Here comes two tips for the most important part of your digital marketing, your website!
Focus on creating a banging User Experience on your website
What does good UX look like? Quick, easy to navigate, rapid checkout and no grey hairs. There are enough things in life that grind my gears, shopping should certainly not be one of them. I want a nice little dopamine release, not cortisol (my Biology teacher would be so proud right now).
My one tip for improving UX? I would say, quick checkout. The longer something takes, the more opportunities the customer has to change their mind. Offer as many payment options as possible and don’t force people to make accounts.
Add personalisation to get your customers coming back for more
We want you back, we want you back, we want you back for more…sales. Whatever I said, whatever I did, I didn’t mean it…okay, I am getting carried away.
Personalisation is essential in 2022 and it’s so easy to do! There are many software providers, for example Salesfire, that do the work for you. You could show products that your customers could be interested in (based on the data) and items that complete a “look”.
Your customer purchases a new wheel, do they have one of those tool things that take the nuts off? You know which one I mean. I’m not a mechanic ok. Show them the product before they checkout.
This increases your sales, average order value and increases your chances of them coming back!
So, here we have it. Ten spicy online marketing tips to increase your sales. Remember, the most important thing to do is always have the customer at the heart of every decision you make.
If you want to work with a humanistic agency that specialises in eCommerce SEO and PPC, book in a chat today.
