E-commerce companies were on the ball for the last several years, creating quality content that organically drove conversions with disruptive ideas. But content shock is shaking them up, because with so much content in the marketplace, what’s worked in prior years is just not cutting it anymore.
Today, marketing in a way that connects with customers is key, and e-commerce businesses need to take new approaches and use top platforms to drive customers through their sales funnel to increase conversions. From courses, to email, to community, there are an infinite amount of tools and resources to find online that can help drive store growth and revenues.
Success-oriented businesses should implement these four trends to connect with their customers in more meaningful ways.
1. Online courses drive conversions
In an age of content overload, users seek quality content that educates, entertains, and stands out from anything else. Videos, webinars and podcasts are trending in the e-commerce space, drawing consumers in by fulfilling their need for knowledge. A Nielsen report showed that 147 million Americans watch videos online, and 46 percent of people take action after watching. One savvy marketer boosted her sales by creating videos about improving one’s on-camera presence. After sharing it with an organic list of followers, she began to sell 7 times more of her existing content than ever before.
2. Email marketing nurtures relationships
Email marketing provides a major opportunity for marketers who are serious about increasing their ROI. With 2.9 billion email users predicted by 2019, more than 86 percent of businesses will be increasing their email marketing budgets to tap into better results. A Campaign Monitor report showed that for every dollar spent on email marketing, businesses experience an average $44 ROI. Businesses that take the time to personalize emails see an 18.8 percent open rate, which is several percent more than non-personalized emails. A Forrester report showed that including video in an email increased click-through rates by 200-300 percent.
3. All-in-one tools streamline marketing processes
Busy e-commerce businesses are increasingly looking to tech platforms to bring key strategies under one roof. While many companies excel at certain aspects of the marketing process, marketers are shunning fragmented strategies that spread their resources thin. That’s why services like Kajabi’s all-in-one approach to building and marketing online courses works so well, generating 350M dollars for their business and info-savvy users.
It brings together proven marketing tactics likes emails, landing pages, optimized websites and video content creation — all in a customized, integrated, metric-driven way. The right all-in-one tool should streamline your process and free your customers from content shock by enabling relevant, user-friendly content.
4. Social media creates community
Community is the fourth and necessary pillar to keep your shop on a strong foundation. Social media, can allow you to share your brand’s voice. Whether it be Quora, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, or YouTube, social media allows you to interact directly with your audience. Creating an engaged community can be the difference between mediocre sales and six-figure launches.
Figuring out the right mix and tools for social media is another important part of the process. There are scheduling tools like Edgar, or optimization tools for YouTube that can help you ensure you’re reaching the right buyers. Instagram has an almost endless supply of tools, including Like To Know It, which allows people to shop their screenshots.
It’s important you do the right market research when determining what mix of social media is for you. Analyzing the market, seeing how you can improve on competitors, and testing ideas is a great way to make the right decision for your social media mix. There is not a cookie cutter approach for any business, so make sure you’re exploring all platforms, tools, ideas and approaches. The most important points are to make sure you figure out a way to stand out, stay consistent, and provide clear calls to action within all of your social posts. Your community will thank you, and you’ll be rewarded with increased revenue.
Having an arsenal of relevant tools positions your e-commerce business to move to the next level. Tapping these trends can empower you to hack your way to better ROI and drive the conversions you want. Utilizing these tools effectively will drive revenue, and establish your dominance in whatever space you’re doing business.
