If there’s one thing everyone finds therapeutic, it’s shopping. There are so many ways for customers to get what they want and for businesses to actually make customers want some more.
At this age of technological dependence, it comes as no surprise that online shopping is now a trend. In fact in Singapore alone, about 80% have already experienced shopping online.
If you still don't know what is Inbound Marketing, I have wrote a post What is Inbound Marketing and Why Is It Important last week. You might want to read first before you continue.
So what does ecommerce and inbound marketing have to do with all these?
Well, to put it simply, ecommerce is the very art of online shopping. It is the purchasing, selling and recommending of products and services online. Inbound marketing is what can make ecommerce an artistic masterpiece for your business.
Today, I’ll let you in on the simple steps to incorporating inbound marketing to your business as well as the many perks you can experience. Whether you have a small, medium or large scale of a business, I’m sure you can pick up good points you can benefit from after reading this.
Your 4 Steps To Ecommerce Success!
To make ecommerce work, I firmly believe that you need to take all the necessary steps. If you end up even skipping one, you’ll surely miss out a lot. Below are some steps into using inbound marketing for ecommerce.
1. Create outstanding content
One of the most basic online truths you need to remember is that there are a lot and I mean a lot of information on the Internet. If you don’t know how to make your products/services stand out, then you’re going to be stuck.
The backbone of effective online selling is outstanding content. You need to know 100% what and how you are going to present yourself to potential customers. Sure what you’re selling is unique, but what makes it unique? How can you make your target market want what you’re selling?
There are three adjectives that should describe your content: creative, engaging and tempting. Trust me, you’ve already covered a lot of ground if you make your content work. Apart from that, you should never forget about using the right keywords wisely into your content.
2. Bank on social media
Now that you have your content up and running, it’s time to spread the word. See, it’s not enough that you have a website that has all your products / services in it. You should drive people to your website.
Did you know that 69% of Singapore learn about brands through social networks? All they have to do is access Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and their other accounts to find out about what’s going on.
What you need to do is to bank on that social media by putting your business out there. Develop relationships, gather potential clients and learn about what they have to say about your products/services by engaging in the conversation. Be active online because majority of your target market is.
3. Don’t lose your potential clients
People who do online shopping don’t instantly purchase right then and there. More often than not, they will just “Add to Cart”, possibly come back and probably make a purchase.
Take advantage of this by asking for their email address right at the moment they are at your website. Give reason for them to give you their contact information. Of cause, you need to be creative on this. I wouldn't want to give my email address away unless there is a good reason to do it. This way, you get to keep a contact and not lose a potential sale forever.
4. Make use of your current customers
What most entrepreneurs overlook is the importance of their current customers. I, as a consumer myself, personally would want to be nurtured and valued for my loyalty. By this, I want to be entitled to exclusive promos and discounts.
So you see, another step is to maintain and develop your relationship with your current customers. Understand that these clients are assets. They can continue to patronize your products / services — even recommend you to people they know. As long as you keep them happy and satisfied, you don’t have to worry.
The Perks!
Now that I’ve laid out the 4 essential steps in using inbound marketing for ecommerce, I’d like you to know what you can get out of it. Here are some of the top perks if you do things right:
1. Money, money and more money.
Of course, the best benefit you can get out of this is money. You no longer had to spend for commercials, trade shows or print ads. All you had to do is invest on online marketing tools, which I assure you cost a lot less. Simply put: less spending, more potential earning.
Once you’ve optimized your site and blow it to a full-fledged moneymaking venue, then what better way to spell success right? OK, ok, making money or not it is more than just marketing, but at least, Inbound Marketing solve the problem in getting traffics & visitors for your online store. Sure you need to make sure other components of your business works, before we can talk about making money.
2. You become the customers’ “go-to”
Another beautiful thing about using effective inbound marketing for ecommerce is that a business can become the go-to of current and potential customers. If you do all the steps right, people would directly look for you, say through search engines. It will be easier to drive people to your website, for people to create a buzz about you online and for more people to become curious.
Now wouldn’t you want to be the one trusted and counted on?
There may be many online sites where people sell just about the same things but what makes the difference is how one sells them. So if you want to stand out in the world of ecommerce, take note of the steps I’ve laid out for you. Soon enough, you’ll be enjoying the benefits for a very, very long time.