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How To Make Your Ecommerce Business More Competitive
A recent study from Statista found that the annual value of the global ecommerce market grew by 16% in the past year alone. In 2022, total annual ecommerce spending hit almost US$1.5 trillion for the first time.
Once something of a niche alternative to the High Street, online retail has become the new standard for today’s consumer. To such an extent that ecommerce businesses are convincingly wiping some of the biggest High Street names off the map.
So with this in mind, what follows is a brief rundown of six simple yet essential marketing tips that could help you gain a competitive edge:
1. Formulate an effective content marketing strategy
First and foremost, you need a strategic and defined content marketing strategy. One of the worst things any online business can do is simply make things up as it goes along. You need a regimented and formulated strategy for your creation and distribution of all essential materials. Newsletters, blogs, videos, articles and so on – planning ahead and getting into some sort of routine is essential.
It’s often said that content is King, which is just as accurate in the e-commerce world as anywhere else. Take the time to communicate and engage with your audience, providing high-quality content that’s relevant, helpful and unique. Most importantly of all, ensure that you are communicating with your target audience on a regular and consistent basis – never haphazardly.
2. Consider an automated email marketing campaign
The impact and effectiveness of a quality e-mail marketing campaign are not to be underestimated. In fact, get it right and a solid enough strategy can deliver an unbeatable ROI. Rather than struggling to keep up with a complex e-mail distribution strategy, why not consider an automated email marketing campaign?
This way, it’s simply a case of creating the content required and letting the distribution system take care of the rest. Regular emails can be great for both building and maintaining strong customer relationships, nurturing loyalty through the provision of engaging content.
3. Diversify Your Communication by Using Social Media
Social media has become an everyday lifestyle for hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide. To such an extent that a surprising proportion now base most (if not all) of their online purchase decisions on the information they encounter on social media. If you can present yourself as a credible and relatable brand on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you’re golden.
In any case, diversification of your communication strategy is a good way to go. Platforms like Facebook are ideal for nurturing engagement and generating conversation. They can also be surprisingly effective as customer service channels in their own right.
4. Focus Heavily on Mobile
Mobile web traffic has already overtaken traditional desktop traffic in many key markets worldwide. These days, consumers expect a flawless mobile experience from start to finish, irrespective of the size and nature of their device. The mobile experience you deliver should be just as responsive and enjoyable as that of your desktop website.
If there are any discrepancies whatsoever with your mobile experience, they need to be corrected immediately. Optimise your website for mobile, test it across multiple devices and invite feedback from customers.
5. Use Customers’ Native Languages
If you plan on selling your products or services in more than one country, it’s worth considering multiple language versions of your website. However, this doesn’t mean simply relying on automated translation services provided by the likes of Google. It means creating dedicated international versions of your website for each market respectively.
If you intend to appeal to Italian audiences, you need to organise flawless Italian translations of your copy. Anything else sends entirely the wrong message. Premium translation services may not be cheap, but it’s an important investment in the quality and credibility of your online business.
6. Set a Plan for On-going SEO
Last but not least, it’s worth remembering that your ecommerce SEO strategy needs continuous focus. To view SEO as a one-time-only responsibility is to guarantee poor performance in the SERP rankings. From the moment your ecommerce store goes live, you need to do everything you can to climb the rankings and outperform the competition.
This means focusing heavily on off-site and on-site SEO alike. If you lack the knowledge and experience to handle your own SEO strategy, you’ll need to outsource to a reputable service provider. Whatever it takes to boost your visibility with the major search engines, it’s an investment worth making.