Where ecommerce content is made simple… really simple.
We take the best ecommerce content on the web and boil it down to the five stages of ecommerce marketing that we think are the most important:
- building the brand AWARENESS of your company,
- improving the DISTRIBUTION of your site content,
- converting customers into SITE SALES,
- getting customers to become EVANGELISTS of your online store and share it within their network,
- and retaining customers and fostering customer LOYALTY,
Ecommerce news, articles and blog posts are all categorized to “make sense” before you even read them, divided into the 5 stages above. If a blog post talks about building brand awareness, we tag the post “AWARENESS.” If it talks about increasing customer conversion rates and site sales, we tag the post “SITE SALES.”
But, what does each stage actually mean??
AWARENESS:
- By “AWARENESS,” we mean to ask the question, “Do consumers know your company even exists?” Developing a brand, and making potential customers aware of it, are the first stages of developing a successful online store. Your online presence is crucial, from Facebook ads and Banner ads to Twitter, Pinterest and blogging. Put to the point, you need to be someone before you get anyone to become your customer.
DISTRIBUTION
- Should you have your online store listed with a shopping engine? Should you be advertising products through Google AdWords or other search engine marketing applications? Should you be focusing your efforts on SEO (Search Engine Optimization)? Deciding how and where to DISTRIBUTE your online store’s content is the second stage in developing a successful online store. It entails getting your product in front of consumers, and where they’re most likely to buy. In order to do this effectively, however, you need to (1) pinpoint who your preferred customer/visitor is, (2) develop relevant and search-worthy content, (3) decide where your preferred customers would most likely be, and (4) make your decision.
SITE SALES
- As an online store, you’re probably concerned about improving SITE SALES… Scratch that, you’re probably very concerned about improving SITE SALES. In deciding the best way to garner customer conversion, consider the following: (1) site structure (how user-friendly is your site), (2) retargeting (focusing marketing efforts on visitors who have come to your site, but have not made a purchase) and (3) marketing promotions specifically aimed at certain types of customers (i.e. providing a coupon code for “first-time buyers”). These three aspects can make all of the difference in converting visitors into customers. Improving SITE SALES embodies the third stage in developing a successful online store.
EVANGELISM
- The concept of an EVANGELIST is really simple – “someone who seeks to convert others.” Getting customers to become evangelists, then, becomes pivotal to increasing your network of potential customers - they share your online store with their friends, family and colleagues because they’re genuinely passionate about your company. Who doesn’t love free marketing? Generating customer EVANGELISM represents the fourth stage in developing a successful store. You want to get customers to want to share your company with the world.
LOYALTY
- When it comes to net profit, return customers bring in more revenue than new ones. The concept of LOYALTY revolves around this key concept, that maintaining a relationship with customers is essential. Fostering customer LOYALTY represents the fifth and final stage in developing a successful store. Continued success depends on a customer’s affective attachment to your store’s brand, products and services.
With these 5 stages in mind, then, head off and read some of the articles we’ve posted! We’re excited to help!
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