eCommerce Archives

Boost Your Conversions with Rich Content

by Michael Dennis | Jan 26, 2023 | Digital Marketing, eCommerce, News | 0 comments

After hours of writing and rewriting the content, scheduling the ideal publishing time, and promoting it on social media, your content is bringing in traffic but not converting…now what?
Cross your fingers and hope that eventually, enough people see it, and it begins to bring in the numbers your team forecasted?

Hubspot research found that over 60% of marketers measure the success of their content marketing strategy through sales. However, the most successful marketers understand that an effective content strategy that converts browsers into lifelong customers is the foundation of any successful marketing campaign.

That’s why in this blog post, we’ll provide you and your team with tips to boost conversion rates ranging from refocused SEO to CTA tweaks. And the best part is that all these tips are things your content team could start doing immediately.

So get ready to take notes.

What do we mean when we say ‘content marketing’ and ‘conversions’?

Before we jump into the helpful tips, let’s define what content marketing and conversions mean.

Content marketing is explaining to customers how your product or service can solve their issues through written text, images, or videos. It is intended not to be sales-y, but educational, explaining how a product works, its benefits, and the issues it can solve. For more on content marketing, read our blog post, Content is King.

Conversions are centered around a user completing a pre-determined action on your website. For instance, a conversion could be a user sharing one of your blog posts, clicking on a product recommendation, or subscribing to your newsletter. The percentage of users that complete the desired action is your conversion rate.

How to boost conversions with content

Ultimately, the content your team creates aims to increase your conversions. Simply put, your content should be enticing and direct your audience to take action. So, how can your eCommerce website’s content achieve this?

Increasing awareness: Your content should be designed to be sharable across multiple social media platforms. While the nature of these various platforms prevents your content from being perfect or ideal across all your sites, you can take a larger piece of content and break it up so that it works more efficiently on other platforms. Example: a 10-minute Youtube livestream doesn’t stream or upload directly to Twitter. But you can take that 10-minute Youtube livestream and share short clips uploaded directly to Youtube. This means that visitors to your e-Commerce site who read your content are more likely to share it themselves – which quickly and easily increases the reach of your content and your company. By reaching more people, you can increase brand, service, and product awareness, ultimately leading to more conversions.
Linking your products/services: Whether you want people to book your services, or buy your products, ensure that all of your content links back to what you are trying to get viewers to purchase. By linking your content to your product or services page, you provide potential customers with a positive user experience by making purchasing quick and easy. For instance, add your product links to the very top of the video description on your business’ Youtube.
Building brand authority: Whatever your industry may be, tailoring your content according to your audience’s needs and pain points helps show how much industry knowledge your company has and can quickly establish your brand as a go-to. It can boost your website’s standing and help build trust with customers, who may be more likely to make a booking or purchase from your site over the competition.

How will you optimize your content for better conversion?

Improve the content on your landing page/site to be mobile-friendly: Even though mobile commerce now has a sizable user base, the industry’s growth shows no signs of slowing. According to BigCommerce, by 2022, mobile e-commerce sales are expected to account for 6.9% of all US retail sales, double the sales percentage in 2018. When creating dynamic content on mobile, think about how users navigate Instagram and other social media platforms – the content is usually swipeable and scrollable with large, bright buttons as they move from Point A to Point B. Your content pages should follow similar principles – be easy to navigate with minimal interruption and aim to make a seamless experience for users to navigate to your predetermined CTA.
Visible and robust CTA’s: First, ensure your CTA is easily noticeable for your customer. And while you want a clear and straightforward call to action, you still want it to be descriptive. That goes back to good content being inspiring! For instance, would you be more likely to read a story about a man in love or a man whose heart does the cha-cha every time the love of his life enters a room? Depending on your choice, you can see that specifics make a difference. So instead of writing, “Try this free trial,” you could say, “Become more mindful by completing our free 30-day yoga trial.” The specifics will help your customer understand what they will get from the deal. The key here? It won’t matter how well-written your CTA is if the viewer cannot see it or skim right past it.
Incorporate client testimonials and customer reviews: According to BigCommerce, 92% of shoppers read internet reviews before purchasing. Therefore, including testimonials and reviews on your website might demonstrate your professionalism and industry expertise. Case studies are one way of doing this, as they can help you present relevant data on how your clients have grown due to utilizing your services or benefits.
Increasing traffic: Stay on top of relevant trends, create “how-to” blog posts, and frequently update older content to ensure you continue serving your audience with valuable and timely information. You can even accomplish this by updating content long after it’s initially published. Regularly updating your content can organically drive more traffic to your website and more traffic means more opportunities for conversions and, ultimately, more sales.
Shorten your sign-up forms: Long forms can quickly frustrate customers and make them less likely to convert. For instance, if you have a lengthy form, people may not want to fill it out because it takes too much time and can lead them to abandon your site altogether. It’s your job to eliminate that doubt by making your forms short and painless. That’s why we recommend asking for the bare minimum, such as their name, email, and phone number – this makes it quick, easy, and less likely that they’ll abandon the form midway through.
Skimmable content: No matter the industry or brand, unfortunately, most website visitors won’t read every carefully produced word on a webpage. And although having a lot of content on your website is beneficial for SEO, you don’t want to overwhelm your visitors. Therefore, ensuring your content is formatted to highlight the essential parts of your blog, products, or services pages is important. Some formatting tips we recommend incorporating include eye-catching headlines (see below for more tips), short paragraphs, incorporation of videos and eye-grabbing imagery, and bulleted or numbered lists.
Well-written headlines: You have just seconds to grab your customers’ attention when they reach your website. Luckily, that’s what your headlines are for. Some tips we recommend when creating well-written headlines include:
- Give the right amount of information and fast – tell them what they want to know about your product or service within ten words or less.
- Nobody likes clickbait, so make sure your headline aligns with the ad copy or content used to get them to click on your site.
- Don’t over-promise and under-deliver. Some customers will go on to read the rest of the content on the page, so make sure your headline matches up with what’s to come.

Bringing it all together

At its core, increasing conversions is all about creating exciting and engaging content to get people to click on from a Web search and stick around on your site through purchase.

Are you looking for a way to capture the attention of potential customers by presenting meaningful content from a position of authority and converting them into buyers?

We can help you build brand awareness, trust, and loyalty with your audience through excellent site content. Whether that entails helping you develop a site content strategy or direction for your copy by either writing it for you or working with you to edit existing content – we are here to help.

Drop Us a Line At:

email: [email protected] and [email protected]

Or, if you prefer an old-fashioned phone call:
Phone (USA): (513) 469-3346

4665 Cornell Rd. Suite 255
Cincinnati, OH 45241

The Tech & Trends Shaping Automotive in 2023

by Michael Dennis | Jan 9, 2023 | Automotive eCommerce, eCommerce, News, Technology | 0 comments

The automotive industry is amid a period of change and challenges. Supply chain issues continue to trouble manufacturers, while dealers face rising costs and a growing regulatory landscape. Meanwhile, the industry appears to be in transition toward a bigger focus on electric vehicles (EVs), digitalization, and a mix of other technological innovations, making it hard for some companies and consumers to keep up.

In this blog post, we will highlight the answer to this exact question and how this is similar to other disruptions we have seen in the past – think Nokia and Apple.

The Top Tech Disruptors

The automotive industry is at a crossroads where the vehicle itself and consumer experiences are rapidly transitioning from physical to digital. More and more, consumers are shopping online to educate themselves, compare features and prices and also make the major investment of purchasing totally online. To capitalize on these disruptions, automakers will need to shift from their conventional, disconnected, and analog manufacturing methods to a connected and digitized environment.

Strict Regulations: New regulations and testing approvals are pushing traditional automakers to acquire or collaborate with innovative autonomous start-ups. For instance, many states and localities, such as the EPA and the California Air Resources Board, have upped their emissions standards, which immediately impacts your bottom line. In addition, the kinds of vehicles that can be designed to reduce emissions will be costly both in time and money. These incentives will further push manufacturers to include more electric and hybrid cars in their fleets and set the stage for rapid competitive consolidation. In other words, strap up because there’s a massive disruption ahead, and Tesla is winning the race. Consumers need to know the total cost of long term ownership of these vehicles and how it also impacts their bottom line.

Batteries and Motors: The most prominent disruptive trend has to be the innovations in the past couple of years in battery and motor technology. Lithium batteries and electric motors are not a new concept or technology; however, they, along with electric motors, will soon become products every company will try to recreate a better version of, almost like the individual parts of smartphones or PCs. Customers are more likely to look at who makes the best batteries than who brought about the use of lithium batteries. In around a decade, Tesla could own 15% of worldwide EV battery production, which will only give a minor competitive advantage. Likewise consumers need to know the value and life of these new batteries and motors–but how do they learn?

Increased cutting-edge production: Modern technologies are reshaping how the automobile industry manufactures cars. One such breakthrough technology is 3D printing to make vehicle parts. Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is an excellent source of product innovation. Metal 3D printing is already becoming mainstream, and this is just the beginning of what is to come in the automotive industry.

Augmented reality: Auto giant Toyota has joined forces with some digital transformation companies to create an augmented reality system that requires no mobile application and enables consumers to get to know the car models without even setting foot in the brand showroom. Using VR capabilities, auto companies can allow consumers to see inside and outside their potential new model and hear authentic sound effects with 360 degrees. Even on websites like TrueCar and Edmunds, all pertinent buying information is available in a second and at the click of a button. Another AR innovation that will take consumers by storm is displaying information on windshields. This technological safety advancement will allow drivers to process important data without taking their eyes off the road.

Internet on things (IoT): Used to describe the ever-growing networks of physical objects that are online, connected, and capable of communicating and sharing information with us and with each other. The total number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is projected to surpass 43 billion by 2023. As a result, enterprises have begun to adapt to this growing imperative for connectivity, from our homes to smart TVs, connected kitchen appliances, smart alarm systems, and more. The number of businesses deploying IoT technologies has nearly doubled in less than a decade. Still, the pace of past evolution doesn’t compare to what we’ll see in the near future, especially in the automotive industry.

EV pay-per-mile vehicles: We expect companies that develop new, innovative pay-per-mile users-based models, especially in the commercial vehicles and buses space, to attract huge investments. Even during the most challenging periods of the pandemic, EV start-ups continued to pull in sizable funding investments. By showing us carbon-free ways to transform how people and goods are transported, backed by low CAPEX and lifecycle total cost of ownership models, they have put themselves in a position of strength.

Software Integration: Another significant disruption to the auto industry is Tesla and how it’s proving its autonomy of innovations to be the best in the industry. For instance, they are responsible for creating a single integrated computer system that controls their vehicles. Creating a system designed by the combination of separate incompatible computer systems from different suppliers could revolutionize the way Tesla and other companies who want to keep up with this competitive advantage build their products. In addition, Tesla is trying to perfect its Autopilot system to make it the best in the field; however other companies, such as Waymo, are already expanding self-driving cars to public transit. So the question is, how well does your autonomy need to be? How many companies could achieve that? Not to mention that data systems are changing daily, and every innovation must adapt to them, making it hard to keep up.

Evolving Customer Behavior

Current ecological, social, and technological trends are encouraging innovative manufacturers to offer consumers something much more than a typical metal box powered by engines. Carmakers are also showing interest in making good cars on the road and an enclosed space with high-end technology. For many years, carmakers were primarily focused on enhancing manufacturing to become more efficient at scale; the future is about redefining the role of the vehicle.

Consumers are looking for environmentally-friendly vehicles: People’s quest to search for environmentally-friendly cars is increasing. Green earth is a new concept that is attracting wide attention. Moreover, recent wildfires and glacier melting incidents have triggered people to focus on climate change. Henceforth, people look for electric vehicles (EVs) to minimize carbon emissions.

Demand for luxury/premium: Take trucks here as an example. Most people used to associate trucks with off-roading and rugged work, but those are assumptions of the past. Over the years, trucks have become more than that, with consumers preferring to buy luxury and power trucks as a status symbol. In addition to power, luxury trucks have features like extra towing capabilities, spacious seating, panoramic sunroof, rear-seat touchscreen entertainment, advanced safety features, and motorized tailgate and running boards that maximize comfort and style.

Spike in millennial purchasing habits: While many think millennials are not buying cars, the data available tells a different story. In the first quarter of 2018 alone, millennials accounted for all new car sales growth in the Northern American auto industry, with a 6.45% growth in the same period. This statistic has drastically increased since then, as more millennials buy cars when triggered by life-changing events such as switching jobs, getting married, or having children. Consider this statistic when marketing and focus targeted messaging on this segment.

Consumers doing online research: Buying a car is not a task most consumers look forward to, as it can be stressful and time-consuming. Still, since mobile phones have become a part of everyday life, it is easy to look for everything online, vehicles included. A report unravels that eight in ten car buyers use online sources as part of their vehicle purchase process. Moreover, of all online resources, automotive marketplaces are the most popular source used by 77% of new and used buyers. Insert Carvana, who jumped on this opportunity and changed the customer experience by giving power back to customers and letting them find their perfect car from their homes without having to haggle with salespeople. Online does not only mean a Chat bot feature but a real person and toll-free number to connect with for a better experience.

Disdain for the Retail Experience

For most people, buying a car is the second-biggest purchase they will make in life. And while it’s an exciting milestone, many also find it to be full of anxiety and time-consuming. And as more and more consumers discover that they can buy a new car (or leasing?) from the comfort of their home – with voluminous information available about vehicles they’re considering – they’re unlikely to ever return to the old way of doing business. The ability to negotiate with multiple dealers simultaneously without the pressure of the showroom and the time spent going from dealer to dealer will likely become an expectation. Dealerships that adapt will thrive, while those that don’t, will suffer.

How to adapt to DTC purchasing behavior

Unfortunately, no silver bullet can overcome the traditional automotive purchase model. However, there are still significant opportunities for automobile marketers to get up to speed with direct-to-consumer automotive in incremental ways:

One significant DTC opportunity is selling aftermarket parts, which offers big margins and comes directly from the manufacturer.
End-user services related to data connectivity or insurance and financing provider, may provide other possibilities.
Replicating showrooms and sales interactions online.

The digital transformation of some aspects of the buying process is a starting point for building and sustaining connections directly with consumers.

The Future of Car Retail

As the world has already approached digital transformation, the automotive industry is increasingly making technological breakthroughs to stay relevant in today’s competitive landscape. From autonomous vehicles to connected cars and augmented reality dashboard displays to full integration with phones and smartwatches, the automotive industry is on the cusp of innovation, delivering users an enhanced automotive car experience.

When it comes to this experience, Tesla and Carvana stand on top. Why are customers so fanatic about these brands? Is it their sleek design, innovative delivery features, or eco-friendly nature? It is all those things and the forward-thinking, innovative individuality they provide to their customers; which often leads to incredible loyalty and growth. Let’s dive a bit deeper into this.

The hallmark of Tesla’s personalization efforts is its driver profiles. Each driver can change their settings with the single push of a button. For example, instead of manually adjusting things like the wheel and mirror location, Tesla vehicles can make those changes automatically based on who is driving. Other manufacturers may change the seat location setting based on which key is used to open the car door, but Tesla driver profiles go beyond typical car personalization to adjust things like suspension, braking, lights, radio presets, and even driving style to match each user.

Carvana also has a competitive advantage because they meet its customers where they are and provide a solution to one major consumer pain point. They replaced consumers’ time-consuming car dealership visits with a virtual experience. Using their patented 360-degree photo technology, they captured vehicle details from every angle, allowing consumers to browse for a car and explore its features and any imperfections directly from their website or app. And they don’t stop there. They provide customers with the option to either pick up their car or have it delivered to their home. A great option for ecommerce business local or long distance to have this choice based on where they are and how quickly needed.

Simply put, both of these manufacturers have a solid understanding of who their customers are. By understanding each customer, what they are looking for in a driving experience, and why they decided to shop with them, both companies can tailor the experience and change how the car drives to best meet their needs. For instance, a busy professional with a long commute will have different needs and, therefore, a different driving experience than a mom driving her kids around town. In addition, by staying in tune with data, Tesla and Carvana can regularly update their digital offerings, finetune their software and build experiences and features that resonate with each user.

Bringing it all together

As you can see, the decade ahead is going to be very interesting and exciting for the automotive industry, and for you as well. And we’ve only scratched the surface of all of the new developments occurring and forthcoming. Maybe we’ll see Google, Samsung, or Apple enter the market in the future. Maybe cars will begin gathering data on traffic conditions, air quality, and the weather.

Are you ready to capitalize on these disruptions and shift your current manufacturing and customer sales methods to increase your capital and gain a competitive advantage? Schedule a call with a member of our team today.

Drop Us a Line At:

email: [email protected] and [email protected]

Or, if you prefer an old-fashioned phone call:
Phone (USA): (513) 469-3346

4665 Cornell Rd. Suite 255
Cincinnati, OH 45241

The 5 Most Vital Roles for any B2B eCommerce Team

by Michael Dennis | Oct 25, 2022 | B2B, eCommerce, News | 0 comments

5 vital roles of an ecommerce team-1 (1)

Running a successful B2B eCommerce business requires a lot of teamwork. From marketing and product development to fulfillment and customer service, each role is critical to the success of your online shop. In our previous blog, How to Build a Successful B2B eCommerce Team, we analyzed the strategy for building a team. In Part 2 of this series, we’ll look at who to staff on your B2B eCommerce team so that your vision can be executed.

Without further to-do, here are five key roles you need on your B2B team to make your eCommerce business thrive.

Manager!

The old saying goes, “a business is only as good as its management.” Old sayings and clichés become so ubiquitous and a part of our day-to-day lives because they are often true. And this is no different when it comes to managing an eCommerce team. A competent eCommerce manager is essential for ensuring that a business runs smoothly and efficiently. No matter what staff or plan you have in place, it will be for nothing if you fail as a manager or select the wrong team leader. A good manager must plan and organize work tasks, delegate responsibilities, and keep track of progress all while strategizing and keeping an eye on the long term. A successful manager must be able to spot potential problems and take steps to resolve them before they become serious. In short, a successful manager is essential for ensuring that a business runs smoothly and meets goals. In this current marketplace with all its unique challenges, finding and retaining a manager who can be all these things for you may be the toughest HR test to complete. Let’s be frank; it’s much easier to fill many other roles we’ve discussed through gig sites like Fiverr or Upwork, staffing firms, networking, or simple outreach. But you can’t afford to have a revolving door or an incompetent person in your manager role and still expect your eCommerce store to run well. This role is your highest priority.

Digital Copywriter

When it comes to B2B eCommerce, a qualified and experienced copywriter is truly crucial. These professionals understand the language and selling points that appeal to online businesses. More importantly, they effectively communicate these points through website content, product descriptions, advertisements, emails, social posts, and more. For the sake of conversation, let’s say you are in the financial services industry and require a copywriter. You may have a financial services copywriter at your disposal with a long track record of traditional marketing, but if they lack experience writing in the digital space, their financial services expertise may be lost on your audience. Writing for a digital audience differs entirely from writing for print or other traditional marketing avenues. The strategies that work in a mailer or a brochure do not always translate to social posts and subject lines.

A skilled B2B copywriter also knows how to incorporate essential keywords for SEO purposes, helping your eCommerce site rank higher on search engines. In addition, they provide insights on how to engage B2B customers through email campaigns, social media strategies, and other digital marketing tactics. Overall, having an experienced B2B copywriter on your eCommerce team can increase sales inquiries and conversions in a highly competitive market.

Web Developer

For any business working in the digital space, having a highly skilled web developer on your B2B eCommerce team isn’t just a significant asset; it’s a must. Your website is often the first point of contact for potential B2B clients, and a well-designed site with smooth functionality can make all the difference in closing a sale. An experienced web developer also helps you stay ahead of current trends and technologies, ensuring that your own B2B eCommerce efforts are modern and effective and can be applied to your clients. Developers also see a unique set of problems and pain points than creative types since they are the ones working the back-end of websites. They see for themselves what logistically works and what doesn’t. They provide valuable user experience insights, helping improve customer satisfaction and increase conversions. Their unique insights can be used to build better sales campaigns, troubleshoot problems, and present a greater image of your company. Also, having a developer on staff will make your digital life much easier. There will always be functionality and programming issues arising from your site and its various appendages, and you’ll need a developer to fix them.

Designer

When it comes to B2B eCommerce, having a talented designer on your team makes a huge difference in your status and public perception. A good designer has the skills and experience to create visually appealing and professional web pages and promotional material. They understand the importance of functionality, ensuring that your company’s visual messaging matches the intended audience and your own internal standards. The odds are that the first exposure potential clients have to your brand will be created by your designer. Whether that’s a display ad, a social media post, or the header image on an email, your designer will have had a hand in creating that. As the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. The branded material you share with the world needs to make a strong impression that informs and directs your audience to take action. You can’t expect clients to put their faith in you if the elements that bear your company name aren’t good enough.

Marketing Director

Having a strong leader at the helm of your team is crucial. This level of leadership goes for any organization in any line of work. An experienced marketing director understands the intricacies of B2B sales and how to navigate the digital world. They also bring a wealth of expertise on how to reach and communicate with other businesses effectively. Furthermore, a skilled leader will know how to guide their team towards success, ensuring that all efforts are strategically aligned with overall company goals. In short, B2B eCommerce is a unique and ever-evolving space, so take notice of the value of an experienced marketing director as your team’s captain.

As a business-to-business company, a marketing director needs to think and plan for the long term. They need to have a strong understanding of current trends in eCommerce and how they may change in the future. This level of experience requires not only being able to analyze data and consumer behavior but also having creativity and foresight when it comes to developing marketing strategies. In addition, the marketing director must serve as a leader within the company, inspiring and guiding their team towards successful campaigns that drive profits and meet our long-term goals. A successful B2B marketing director must think about more than just the here and now but envision where we want to be in the future and create a plan to get there

Bringing it all together

Now that you know what your B2B eCommerce team needs and who they need, it’s time to get to work! We hope this guide comes in handy. But remember, there is no better teacher than ‘doing.’ So go find your eCommerce all-stars, put our strategies to work and always be nimble.

If you’d like a little more guidance on the B2B marketplace and how to succeed, book a chat with one of our team members today.

Drop Us a Line At:

email: [email protected] and [email protected]

Or, if you prefer an old-fashioned phone call:
Phone (USA): (513) 469-3346

4665 Cornell Rd. Suite 255
Cincinnati, OH 45241

How to Build a Successful B2B eCommerce Team

by Michael Dennis | Oct 20, 2022 | B2B, eCommerce, News | 0 comments

Building a Successful B2B eCommerce Team-1

We’ve been in the B2B eCommerce business for some time now, nearly 25 years, to be exact. And we’ve learned a thing or two about the industry, but we’ve also banked a couple of lessons about internal success as well. The B2B eCommerce world comes with its own unique challenges. You need to have a team and structure in place that is capable of overcoming them. Part 1 of our B2B Team Building series will explain how to fill, support, and manage a successful B2B eCommerce team in today’s digital, remote age.

Seek Talent with Digital Marketing Experience

While there’s no doubt that traditional marketing has its place, the truth is today’s digital world, experience in digital marketing is becoming increasingly important. For one thing, how consumers interact with brands has changed dramatically in recent years, with more and more people using digital to research products and make purchase decisions. To reach and engage these consumers, businesses must have a solid digital presence. Additionally, digital marketing offers several advantages over traditional marketing, including tracking results and measuring ROI more effectively. As the importance of digital marketing continues to grow, experience in this field is becoming increasingly valuable.

Don’t be Afraid of B2C Talent

When it comes to business, there are two types of customers: business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B). Each type of customer has its own needs and wants, and it’s important to understand the difference when it comes to marketing and sales. Too often, B2B businesses overlook people with B2C experience, thinking they can’t transfer their skills to the B2B world. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, B2C experience can be precious in a B2B setting. B2C businesses are experts in understanding customer needs and desires, and they know how to craft messaging that resonates. They’re also skilled in managing customer relationships, using data to drive decisions, and creating loyalty programs. All of these skills are transferable to the B2B world. Businesses that overlook people with B2C experience miss out on a real asset. And, let’s be honest, B2C employees use the same platforms and strategies as B2B employees – Salesforce, Mailchimp, Dropbox, Hootsuite, Hubspot, and all of their competitors are used by both B2B and B2C brands alike. None of their offerings or capabilities are exclusive to either B2B or B2C.

Filling a Team via In-House or Outsource

There are many factors to consider when deciding whether to build an in-house team or outsource team-building services. An in-house team requires a significant initial investment, including the cost of hiring and training staff. Outsourcing team building can be a more cost-effective option since you won’t need to cover overhead expenses.

If you’re looking for team-building services that are highly specialized or cutting-edge, you’ll likely need to look outside of your organization. On the other hand, an in-house team may be a better option if you have a vision for your team-building activities. With an in-house team, you’ll have more control over the direction of the team-building process.

Finally, you’ll need to consider the size and scope of your team’s needs. If you have a large, complex organization, opting for an in-house team may make more sense. However, outsourcing may be the more practical solution if your team-building needs are more modest.

Be Flexible with Remote Employees

Working from home has become the new normal for many people, but that doesn’t mean it’s been a smooth transition. As an eCommerce employer, it’s essential to be flexible regarding remote workers. If you’re not open to Remote Employees, you will limit your talent pool severely. Your perfect, most ideal, most punctual, and productive employee is out there and is ready to join your team, but if you can’t get over the fact that they are in a different time zone, then you’ve already lost that resource.

Simply put, our digital eCommerce space gives us the ability to allow for more flexibility and give our employees the time and space some of them need to be their most productive. Some people may prefer to work early in the morning, while others may choose to work late at night. Some people may need regular breaks to take care of family members, and others may need to juggle childcare responsibilities. The key is to provide employees with the freedom to work when and how they need to be productive. It may be hard to let go of the reins as an owner or manager, but it’s a must in today’s job economy. You can still schedule regular meetings and check-ins. There is no reason your deadlines or expectations need to shift just because your eCommerce employees are working a schedule considered ‘non-traditional.’

Additionally, it’s essential to make yourself available for questions and concerns. Remote workers often feel isolated, so it’s important to check in regularly and create a supportive environment. By being flexible and understanding, you can create an extremely productive and happy workforce.

Make Purchases as Easy as Possible

According to a recent study, even B2B customers prefer to do their business online versus through a sales rep. This mindset is a shift from previous years when the personal touch of a sales rep was seen as essential in B2B transactions. However, the study found that B2B buyers now see the Internet as a more efficient and convenient way to purchase products. In addition, buyers believe that they can get a better deal by purchasing online. As a result, B2B eCommerce companies that do not have an eCommerce presence are at a significant disadvantage.

There are several reasons for this shift. First, the Internet has made it easier for all buyers to research products and compare prices. Buyers can also read reviews and get insights from other customers. Second, the rise of social media has made it easier for buyers to connect with each other and share information. Finally, the growth of mobile commerce made it possible for buyers to purchase products and services anytime, anywhere. It can’t be overstated how phone-adverse many people have become. They prefer to have their interactions be digital rather than face-to-face.

This shift to online purchasing is likely to continue as more buyers prefer the convenience and efficiency of the Internet. B2B. Companies that do not have an eCommerce presence will need to adapt or risk being left behind. What does this mean for your B2B eCommerce business? It means that your website needs to do more than host case studies. Your website needs to present prices, details, and timelines of your products and services. You need to design it so potential companies and partners can click PURCHASE on your Content Creation offerings just as easily as they would on Amazon. If clients want to reach out to a Sales Rep and do business the ‘old fashioned way,’ then give them that option. But just as your eCommerce brand wants to remove barriers to purchase for your client’s websites, you need to do the same to yours. Applying a little bit of B2C ease-of-purchase to your B2B site could go a long way.

Bringing it all together

This all may seem like a lot, and a tad overwhelming. If you’re feeling that way, it’s ok, because this is a lot and it can be very overwhelming. Staffing and leading a successful B2B eCommerce team will be one of the deciding factors in your success. Check back in next week as we break down the most vital roles for your B2B eCommerce team.

We’ve learned a lot about building and eCommerce team in our 25 years. We’ve also learned a lot about eCommerce as well. We’re more than happy to share our knowledge and experience with you, but you have to let us know you’re interested in learning more. Click here to contact us or use the form below.

Drop Us a Line At:

email: [email protected] and [email protected]

Or, if you prefer an old-fashioned phone call:
Phone (USA): (513) 469-3346

4665 Cornell Rd. Suite 255
Cincinnati, OH 45241

Holiday Season 2022: Engaging with Boomers 🎅🎄

by Michael Dennis | Oct 10, 2022 | Digital Marketing, eCommerce

Holiday Season 2021_ Engaging with Boomers-1

Marketing to Baby Boomers can show significant returns for your business if you take the time to do it correctly. Despite the misconception that they are not particularly technologically inclined, the reality is they are pretty friendly when it comes to technology. According to a report from Statista, 78% of this age group own a smartphone, 66% own a laptop, 58% own a desktop, and 46% own a tablet.

Those numbers begin to waver, though, with wearables and home assistants, like Google Home and Amazon Alexa. Still, that leaves a wide berth for you and your team to get their foot in the door when targeting this generation who make 20% more online purchases than Millennials and spend more than $200 billion more annually than Generation X.

As you embark on this holiday season, building a connection with one of the largest sectors of shoppers could be the X-factor in a crowded eCommerce space. Read on for a few key strategies that will help you increase sales and give you a leg up on the competition this holiday season.

Don’t miss our other popular holiday blog, ‘Engaging with Gen Z.“

What Do We Know About Boomers?

The second-largest generation, the Baby Boomers, also referred to as the ‘Me Generation’ consist of those born from 1946-1964. This generation is marked by a more traditional worldview, dominated by the ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ and ‘the customer is always right’ mentality.

What Do Boomers Want?

They are more interested in not only getting the most bang for their buck, but they seek products and services that will add adventure to their lives. Unlike Millennials, they are far less interested in brands’ moral and ethical persona.

Instead, they want businesses to impress them with results that speak louder than any targeted email or direct mail campaign, social media marketing, or PPC advertising strategy.

Boomers expect brands to stand behind their claims and are more than willing to search online, or in-person, for product information before spending their hard-earned cash. That puts a lot of pressure on businesses that want to effectively market and grow online sales with Baby Boomers.

Side Note: Baby boomers spend an average $203 on each online purchase, far surpassing the average spend of their millennial counterparts.

Tips for Engaging with Baby Boomers

Because they are both progressive and traditional, many digital retailers like yourself face challenges reaching Baby Boomers. To help, we want to leave you with some tips you can start working on more effectively today to reach this generation.

Leave Behind the Notion that Baby Boomers Don’t Use the Internet – It might come as a shock to those who believe that it’s only worth executing a digital marketing strategy for the younger generations, Gen Z and Millenials, but 51% of Baby Boomers spend 15+ hours a week online, compared to 41% of Millennials. And according to Forbes, 96% of Baby Boomers use search engines as one of their top resources to gather information on products and services.

In addition, more than half are on Facebook and other social media channels such as YouTube and LinkedIn, but where should you funnel your budgets and strategy?

Boomers Use Social Media to Connect with Family and Friends – While positive sentiments about social media may seem optimistic at face value, you and your team should consider that Baby Boomers see advertising as intrusive and not engaging. This is because they want their social media experience to center around connection instead of commerce. Boomers post and search a lot on social media. They don’t shop.

The only exception to this general rule is to introduce them to video and related blog content that centers around non-sales topics. In terms of overall presence, YouTube is the most popular “social media platform,” with 68% of this generation saying they regularly use it. Baby Boomers often engage with the video content socially by sharing with friends, adding comments, and reposting. This is where your opportunity to find creative ways to skip the sales act and educate them on your product or service by providing insights and information that align with their interests. Create ads masked as shareable content (news articles, how-to guides, crafting activities to do with your grandkids during the holidays, etc.). Tie in features about your company’s products and services. This will get their attention before any retargeted ad or branded content on social media.

Don’t Discount Good Customer Service – As already noted, this generation craves a connection with others, even when it comes to your brand. What are we getting at? Baby Boomers want to speak to a real person. Whether through FaceBook messenger or your eCommerce website, you can help ensure this generation is satisfied with your level of customer service by incorporating non-automated live chats similar to big retailer giants like Amazon or Starbucks.

Skip the Hashtags and Slang – Since Baby Boomers see themselves as active, we recommend staying away from words that mention aging like ‘golden years’ or ‘elderly’ and explicitly referring to them as ‘Boomers.’ Reflect this in the imagery you use in your marketing materials. Whether it shows them kayaking or working out, active, aspirational imagery will resonate with your prospects, who don’t see themselves as old.

They also are not “hip” to internet slang so steer clear of trendy terms that younger generations might be more accustomed to. For instance, you may know what “lol” or” smh” mean, but some Baby Boomers may not. That’s why we recommend passing on the internet shorthand when marketing to Baby Boomers as there’s a high likelihood your message will be misunderstood. Since this generation and consumers, in general, won’t buy a product that confuses them, it’s best to keep your message clear and concise and you’ll gain more traction.

Include Price at the Top of the Funnel – While Baby Boomers have more disposable income than any other generation, they still are comparing prices at the top of the funnel. What does this mean for your marketing strategy? You should always include pricing information or verbiage that highlights a sale or clearance.

Don’t Be Afraid of a Little Clickbait – Although Baby Boomers are digitally savvy, they don’t always possess internet knowledge to decipher between what is legit versus what is not, and thus they may be prone to respond to clickbait headlines. If you want to capitalize on this, avoid writing headlines that are vague or don’t offer them any benefit. When developing your messaging, think about some of the things Baby Boomers value, such as family, health, and finances, then build the rest of the headline from there.

Focus on Keywords and SEO – Search engine optimization (SEO) should top your priority list if you want marketing to Baby Boomers to succeed. If you’ve taken the “set and forget” approach with SEO, now is a good time to refresh your campaign. Ensure you’re targeting the keywords your prospects are searching for so that they can find your community in search engine page results.

Like other consumer demographics, Baby Boomers are careful to do their research before they buy. They like to read reviews and recommendations, and even visit the company’s site to research the product or service. In fact, 70% use search engines to find information about products prior to purchase. Don’t let your SEO strategy fall by the wayside.

With this group spending 27 hours per week online, that’s plenty of screen time to catch their click with the tips addressed above. You could boost a post about an upcoming event or display an ad that touts their ‘active lifestyle.’ The possibilities are endless!

Bringing It All Together

The holidays will be here before you know it, so now is the perfect time to start showing Baby Boomers why your business stands out from all other options at their fingertips. Because of the size of the baby boomer population, nearly every eCommerce retailer has an audience available to them in this marketing sector. Reach this audience and capitalize on their disposable income by marketing with the right tone, speed, and story on the platforms they express they gravitate towards the most – FaceBook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. This is how you can get this generation to interact with your business. In return, they will richly reward you with their loyalty and disposable income.

Drop Us a Line At:

email: [email protected] and [email protected]

Or, if you prefer an old-fashioned phone call:
Phone (USA): (513) 469-3346

4665 Cornell Rd. Suite 255
Cincinnati, OH 45241

Holiday Season 2022 UPDATE: Engaging with Gen Z 🎅🎄

by Michael Dennis | Oct 9, 2022 | Digital Marketing, eCommerce

Holiday Season 2021_ Engaging with Gen Z 🎅🎄

During the last couple of years, marketing to millennials, the trendsetting generation, remained the spotlight for ads and promotions. However, times are changing and there is a new sheriff in town – Generation Z.

Gen-Z is finally taking the limelight from its more well-known and overly studied predecessors. According to research from Bloomberg, Gen-Z surpassed Millennials in 2019 as the most populous generation, comprising roughly 32% of the population with more than 68 million young people in it while millennials account for 31.5%. That’s 68 million potential customers and this number is only expected to keep growing.

Read on for marketing strategies to consider to engage Gen Z to be customers for the holiday season… and for life.

What Do We Know?

Generation Z, those born from 1995-2005, is known for being significantly unhappier than other generations. Not only are they anxious about their careers, but they are more concerned about social equality, speaking up for what they believe in, and ensuring individuals of all backgrounds have a voice than they are about what celebrity you have endorsing your product. To reach this audience, you need to think through new techniques and strategies or you risk losing them as a consumer altogether.

Tech devices, apps, and social media have also been ubiquitous throughout the lives of this generation. A Pew study last year found that nearly half of all Americans aged 13 to 17 said they were online “almost constantly,” and more than 90 percent used social media. The platforms that they expressed they gravitate towards the most include Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.

The 2021 holiday season saw some fascinating stats for Gen Z that are expected to continue into 2022’s holiday season.

59% of Gen Z shoppers are concerned that COVID-19 complications and supply chain interruptions will make it harder to shop
49% of Gen Z shoppers say they search the web for gift ideas
41% of Gen Z shoppers say they will use some sort of installment payments to cover the cost of holiday gifts
44% of Gen Z shoppers say they will do most of their shopping online

How to engage the new generation

Given this group’s purchasing power and self-identity, it is critical that you adjust your offerings and marketing tactics to meet this demographics’ wants and needs in a way you may have never marketed to other generations in the past. This holiday season, not only must your product either work or be made well, but it also needs to be appropriately priced, readily available and sustainably made. Let’s dive a bit deeper into why.

Step away from traditional ways of advertising and get creative

Gen Z customers are used to hearing about and personally experiencing hacking scandals, data leaks, and cyberattacks over their lifetime because they have grown up in a digital bubble. A bubble where communication with their friends and information can be obtained instantaneously. While they understand the pitfalls that come with living in the digital bubble they also understand its potential. With that, they are not looking for a hit and quit product, they are looking to make a connection; which is where your marketing tactics can step in and gain their trust.

Generation Z is cautious when it comes to traditional advertising from brands some of us might not think twice about purchasing from because this audience values the opinions of their friends and social media influences over brand messaging itself. Therefore, if you want to succeed with Gen Z, you not only have to have a thriving social media page, but you have to be in the conversation, and social media influencers can make that happen. How can you do this? Shy away from using traditional big name celebrity endorsers like LeBron James to humanize your brand (even if you can afford them) and start thinking about employing influencers on social media platforms like YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok.

According to a 2019 Rakuten marketing study, 65% of consumers follow an influencer on Instagram and many of them discover new brands and products by following them; which is why you should consider dedicating some of your marketing spend to spend on influencers. Depending on your budget you can either target micro-influencers (those with 50,000 or fewer followers) who are relatively less expensive than if you were to hire macro-influencers (think celebrities with mega followers). For more on micro influencers and their rise then click here.

Have an open line of communication

If there’s one thing we know about Generation Z, it’s that they want to be sure they are heard. Not only when it comes to having a stance on issues around social fairness, but also when expressing opinions on products they purchase or are considering buying. An Accenture report revealed that 40 percent of Gen Zers leave feedback on products if the option is available. Therefore, having an open line of communication on every outlet possible, social media, and your website, for your brand is vital to keeping Gen Z engaged. In addition, it is just as important to make sure you are responding to their reviews – especially if they are negative – it gives you the option to make things right and turn their opinions around. If you want to cover all of your bases – cut to the chase and have a FAQ call to action front and center on your website so that Gen Z’s feel comfortable in knowing what to expect when purchasing from you this holiday season.

Stand for something bigger than your brand

If you want to reach this demographic, you will have to dial back the blockchain to the source to ensure that what you offer truly is sustainable. “Eco-friendly,” “good for the planet,” and “carbon neutral” are just a few of the terms younger generations look for when seeking more sustainable options. With this shift, sustainability is quickly becoming the bare minimum for both Millennials and Gen Z when shopping.

If you want your business to prosper in the changing online shopping space, being environmentally friendly is not optional—it’s a necessity when trying to reach this demographic this holiday season. Gen Z is overly conscious of how their shopping impacts the environment. Many are opting to shop online from businesses that provide sustainable packaging, products, and shipping. In fact, 73% are willing to pay more for sustainable products—a marked difference from older generations. Some brands to look at that are currently paving the way for sustainable options include:

Aerrem is the stylish, new everyday bag with an environmental mission of helping people establish a new daily habit, do their part to help save the planet and look good at the same time. It is the first tote bag specifically designed to carry two refillable bottles or tumblers, allowing people to refuse single-use plastics while away from home.
Brooks Running-The Ghost 14 is Brooks Running’s first carbon-neutral product, as part of the brand’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Caldera + Lab-Caldera + Lab creates sustainable, clean, prestige skincare for men by combining 100% fair trade, wild-harvested, organic ingredients with green technology that reduces the impact on our environment.

Other notable brands include United By Blue, TOMS, Kut from the Kloth, Ikea, and Patagonia.

Make it personal

Everyone wants to feel special, this is not a unique characteristic to just Gen Z. However, we know this generation is significantly more dissatisfied than generations before them. Therefore when marketing your products to this generation, you need to take that extra step to make them feel special. Showcasing your product’s customization options will catch their eyes and possibly make them click the check-out button. It can be as simple as offering different color options like S’ip by S’well or more in-depth where they can add-on products to their shipment like FabFitFun.

Convenience, convenience, convenience

One thing that is certain about Gen Z is that they still love shopping in-store. We’ve all missed out on this experience in the last year and that has left Gen Z craving more of what they’ve lost. But it leaves retailers questioning; what do Gen Z value about shopping in-store? The simple answer – it’s all about the experience.

Fitting rooms: having the ability to try clothes on in-store is more convenient than ordering three different sizes of jeans to have to return two. It’s also a win for the retailer as return costs are lower when shopping in-store.
Social Interaction: Gen Z aren’t just out to shop, they desire social interaction, whether that’s shopping as part of a day out with family and friends or developing that one-to-one relationship while being helped to find their purchases in-store by an associate.

The convenience of shopping in-store also translates to their online shopping habits. Being able to shop from their couch and having things brought straight to their door is an appealing option to many customers, most importantly Gen Z. Not only because they receive their items fast, but it allows them to quickly connect with their peers and your brand via social media when they have questions or want to give a review. Learn more about connecting your digital and retail experience with these blogs; Building an Apparel & Accessories Webstore That Matches Your Retail Space and A Guide to Offline Marketing Tactics for Online Auto Retailers.

Bringing it all together

The holidays are around the corner, so now is the perfect time to start showing Generation Z why your business stands out from all of the other options at their fingertips. Meeting them where they are, engaging them in the conversation, and gaining their trust in what you stand for is how you can reach them. In return, they will reward you with their loyalty and spending habits.

Ready to incorporate these strategies to gain Gen Z customers for life?

Drop Us a Line At:

email: [email protected] and [email protected]

Or, if you prefer an old-fashioned phone call:
Phone (USA): (513) 469-3346

4665 Cornell Rd. Suite 255
Cincinnati, OH 45241

Shopify’s Latest Apps Lead to New B2B Discoveries

by Michael Dennis | Aug 2, 2022 | B2B, eCommerce

Every merchant has unique needs and with so many specialized apps to choose from, finding the right one for your eCommerce business can be challenging. That’s why the Shopify community of app developers has been busy building flexible solutions to help grow your B2B business.

As part of a new avenue of attack against one of the big tech giants, Amazon, Shopify is launching a line of 100 brand new or updated apps all intended to bolster B2B businesses. The launch of these new or updated apps will consist of bountiful tools for your team, designed to scale up B2B sales. some through collaboration with Twitter to boost social commerce and their DTC eCommerce revenue.

This offering will provide merchants with the option to sell to both DTC and wholesale customers from the same online store in Shopify Plus or a separate ‘expansion store’ for B2B. Both options will be baked in with the ability for your team to create company profiles, price lists, payment terms, and customer accounts.

“We’ve long heard from our merchants that they’d like to be able to sell wholesale and direct from one online store,” said Shopify merchant success manager Shakir Gill in a blog post. “To meet this growing demand, we’ve worked to build the most foundational and powerful features B2B merchants need directly into the heart of Shopify.”

Not only will your team be able to sell from one online store, but the integration with Twitter provides the opportunity for you to connect your business profile to your Shopify store. What is the advantage of this strategy? It makes items on your site shoppable through your feed, including a carousel feature that can rotate up to 50 different products at once.

A separate marketplace kit includes API hooks into Spotify, Google, Facebook, TikTok, and others, while Linkpop creates a shoppable landing page connected to social accounts, web stores, and media like music and videos.

Shopify President Harry Finkelstein stated that he believes B2B eCommerce represents billions of dollars of untapped revenue for Shopify to take advantage of and might be the reasoning behind another new app, Shopify Markets.

Shopify Markets will give your team additional revenue opportunities by tapping into cross-border eCommerce through the creation of localized currencies, translation services, domain names, and payment methods.

“This is the next phase of retail,” Finkelstein told Reuters. “In many ways, shopping has become a vote with your wallet to support that brand…and that’s what I think connect-to-consumer is all about.”

Bringing it all together

Even though Shopify offers an excellent array of apps and extensions, these out-of-the-box solutions will still require customization to be fully functional with any large eCommerce store. That’s where we come in. If you want to learn more about these new Shopify features or you simply want to make the most of your current store, schedule a call with a member of our Dev team today.

Side Note: The new Shopify apps were rebuilt with both new and existing merchants in mind, to make it easier for you to find the solutions that you’re looking for and discover apps you didn’t know you needed.

Drop Us a Line At:

email: [email protected] and [email protected]

Or, if you prefer an old-fashioned phone call:
Phone (USA): (513) 469-3346

4665 Cornell Rd. Suite 255
Cincinnati, OH 45241

The 5 Most Valuable, Exclusive, Money-Making Features on Adobe Commerce

by Michael Dennis | Jul 12, 2022 | Adobe/Magento, eCommerce

exclusive money making features on Adobe commerce (1)

As the world continues to evolve as a digital-first paradigm, customers’ expectations are higher than ever. They expect great performance, top-notch security, and engaging interactions that meet them where they are. As an eCommerce manager, it’s important to know you’re on solid ground with every aspect of your storefront, from infrastructure to innovative tools to on-point back- and front-end performance to achieve this level of personalization

Whether you want to offer additional shopping experiences, payment methods, personalization services, or shopping assistance tools, Adobe Commerce (AC) is here to help. The robust set of features this platform provides are powerful and unique, but they might not meet all of your unique needs straight out of the box. Customization to create unique and compelling user experiences is required to make the most out of AC. Our team of experts can help you leverage the powerful features of AC and customize the platform to create shopping experiences that delight your customers and fuel your growth.

In this blog, we will unveil the top features of AC that will empower you to deliver a personalized shopping experience both in-store and online for your customers.

Five features exclusive to Adobe Commerce

The AC platform offers the best of both the Adobe and Magento brands: a world-class, open-source B2B and B2C eCommerce platform, plus a JavaScript-based content management system capable of crafting personalized digital experiences for customers.

Here are some of its exclusive features that will take your customers from browse to buy:

1. Content Staging: This feature allows merchants to schedule the release of new banners, pages, promotions, and content updates. This feature is extremely beneficial for managing (scheduling) sale events. For example, with this feature, your team will have the ability to schedule a new sale to start at midnight and all the content and promotion will automatically update without your content administrator being required to update the site at midnight manually. Conversely, the sale can also be scheduled to end at a certain time, requiring no manual intervention from the content admin.

2. B2B Features: The B2B suite of features is extremely powerful and valuable for merchants in the B2B eCommerce sector. This suite of features represents millions of dollars worth of custom development that all comes as out-of-the-box functionality that is maintained and upgraded by Adobe Commerce. The B2B module also comes with the following list of additional features:

Request for Quote: the customer can request a quote and the admin of your page can either approve or send a revised quote. Once both parties agree, the customer can automatically place the order, with the revised and agreed-upon pricing, directly into their cart.
Shared Catalog: If your eCommerce department requires access to multiple catalogs for different customers based on their customer group, this is pretty helpful. This feature also helps set customer-specific pricing alongside the regular pricing rules.
Company Accounts: This is the key entity within B2B on which all other features are in some way dependent as it allows joining multiple buyers that belong to the same company into a single company account (or corporate account). The company administrator is able to build the company structure (divisions, subdivisions, and users) in the appropriate hierarchy and provide different user roles and permissions to the company members. This hierarchy allows the company administrator to control user activity for the company account: ordering, quoting, purchasing, access to company credit information or profile, and so on.
Requisition List: This is a very helpful tool that allows for frequently ordered items to be created as a list.
Quick Order: With most B2B businesses, the end customer will have the list of SKUs and their quantities to place an order directly rather than having to add them one by one from the respective product detail pages.

3. Customer Segmentation / Rewards & Loyalty: These are often overlooked features, but when they are employed properly they can be great tools for engaging and retaining customers. By segmenting customers and then rewarding them, merchants can greatly increase customer loyalty. A loyalty program for an eCommerce store is a customer retention tool meant to keep customers engaged and loyal to your store. Loyalty rewards may range from freebies, discounts, coupons, or cash back. For example, your analytics department may wish to target all of your female customers who are in the age range of 18 to 40 with specific promotions in real-time. Your team could also take a marketing approach similar to Starbucks who lets individual customers earn stars for every dollar they spend. At 60 stars, they can snag a free drink or get a free slice of cake. For further information on loyalty programs, check out our blog post, What Apparel and Accessories Brands Must Know About Establishing A Loyalty Program.

4. Dynamic Blocks: This tool provides the ability to display banners and content based on custom segments, promotions, and price rules. For example, using dynamic banners your team can display a banner in the cart letting customers that are getting close to a certain cart size and let them know that if they reach a certain spending threshold they can qualify for wholesale pricing and free shipping. This feature can be extremely useful for any eCommerce business owner that might be using the customer segmentation and loyalty features to create a more personalized shopping experience.

5. Visual Merchandiser: This advanced tool allows your developers to position products and apply conditions that determine which products appear in the category listing. The result can be a dynamic selection of products that adjusts to changes in the catalog.

Side Note: Apart from this list, the Adobe Commerce platform also provides your team with hosting, monitoring, and maintenance that are not available in the Magento Community edition.

Your team has the option to work in visual mode, which shows each product as a tile on a grid or to work from a list of products in the category. This tool is very useful for any merchant managing a large catalog of products and can be very helpful in making categories well merchandised and easy to shop.

Bringing it all together

Ready to take your eCommerce website to new heights? Where your team can access cutting-edge commerce features, functionality, templates, and services — all with the click of a button? Adobe Commerce could be the perfect solution your team is looking for.

At InteractOne, we have helped hundreds of merchants set up and migrate their eCommerce websites so they can focus on the long-term growth of their business and meeting customers where they are.

Drop Us a Line At:

email: [email protected] and [email protected]

Or, if you prefer an old-fashioned phone call:
Phone (USA): (513) 469-3346

4665 Cornell Rd. Suite 255
Cincinnati, OH 45241

The Secret Sauce of Search Engine Marketing

by Michael Dennis | May 20, 2022 | eCommerce, SEO, Site Development

Yes, we said it, the secret sauce is SEO.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing your website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. In practice it is about making multiple impactful modifications to parts of your website. When viewed individually, these changes might seem like small incremental improvements, but when combined as a group, they can have a noticeable impact on your site’s user experience and performance in organic search results.

Let’s consider a few telling statistics:

68% of online experiences begin with a search engine.
Google (+ Google Images) currently holds 91.94% of the total search engine market share, followed by Bing, Yahoo!, Baidu, and YANDEX.
61% of B2B marketers stated that SEO and organic traffic generate more leads than any other marketing initiative.
70% of online marketers say that SEO is better than PPC for generating sales.
The top page listed in a Google search has an average click-through rate of 32%.
75% of people never scroll past the first page of search engines.

The above stats from 2022 should be enough to convince you that SEO should be an essential part to the success of your eCommerce business.

In this blog, we’ll demystify the SEO acronym and discuss why it is one of the most important digital marketing tactics. We’ll also take a deeper dive into how to target the ideal prospects you want to find your website through their search efforts, so they are motivated to visit your site and convert to paying customers.

Why is SEO so important?

Do you ever look on the third page of a Google Search? Most likely, you never go that far in your search. And that is the same for 90% of respondents in the Searchengineland report. This is precisely the reason why SEO is so important.

Ongoing efforts should focus on both On-Page and Off-Page SEO. On-page SEO includes Content, Indexing, mobile views and effectiveness, structured data, security, performance, accessibility, technologies, branding, and domain. On-page helps search engines understand your website’s content and what your brand is all about. In doing so, search engines can determine whether your site is relevant to what a user is searching for when they type a query. Investing time and effort into a solid on-page SEO strategy can provide a better user experience to meet your visitors’ needs while meeting your own needs via better search presence, brand awareness, and more traffic. Off-page SEO includes backlinks, traffic, Google Analytics, Local Directories, and Social Profiles. Both contribute a little bit to the total rank, position and overall authority score of a page.

Secret SEO Checklist Revealed!

What most SEO “experts” don’t tell you, and what we will, is that search engines are actually not that different from people. In the same way, you’d look for books in a library, skim-read their content, and judge their quality, search engines do the same. Only the process is a lot faster and more methodical.

Search engines value content that’s original, credible, well-researched, and engaging (like the work we produce for clients right here at InteractOne). And Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs) value websites that are fast to load, simple to navigate, and mobile-friendly. Websites with clear page titles, URLs, and links also are search-friendly. After all, these are the things you and your customers would look for when browsing online.

But how does an eCommerce marketing team optimize a website for search engines? By carefully crafting pages and content to make them as readable and valuable as they can be for your site visitors. Here’s a great place for your team to start:

Choose niche keywords: It’s well-known that keywords are the words or phrases typed into search boxes when looking for something, for example, “Columbus takeout’ or ‘marathon training.’ Google looks for such keywords on websites and uses them to decide how relevant site content is to a specific search query. This means you need to choose keywords that align with your product or service and your customers needs or pain points and use them appropriately in content across your site. To identify your keywords, consider what your business offers and what makes it unique. Since many other businesses will likely share the same keywords, keep yours as specific to your offerings as possible. The trick is finding keywords with low competition and high search volumes. That’s where your expert team, like the folks at Interactone, needs to put in the work.

Relevant title and image tags: On each page of your website, relevant title tags should be present. Title tags let Google know what is on your page, and are the main text element used in search engine results, therefore it’s important to choose keywords and phrases that match user intent and align with the purpose of the search.

Create quality content: You’ve heard it said time and time again that “content is king” and this is particularly true in the modern era of SEO. It is essential that you create unique and valuable content that is a worthwhile read for users. Whatever your industry may be, tailor your content according to the needs and pain-points of your audience. Stay on top of relevant trends, create “how-to” blog posts, and frequently update older content to make sure you’re continuing to serve your audience with useful and timely information, even after it’s initially published. For strategies on writing quality content, check out our blog, Content is King. Rule your Domain.

URL domain: An SEO-friendly URL must be easy for both search engines and readers to digest. How can you make it so? Create URLs that accurately describe whatever content is on the page. This allows the customer to anticipate what they will see if they click the link and gives SERPs the ability to index your content better. Avoid keyword stuffing and looking spammy by including just one or two keywords. If there are any unnecessary words in the URL, remove them for conciseness, as you want to aim for three or four words maximum since shorter URLs tend to rank better. Eliminate any randomly generated numbers, too, as they are not descriptive, make the URL unnecessarily longer, and lack relevance. Some additional tips include the usage of lowercase letters and separating words with hyphens.

Create a good user experience: Make your website easy to navigate, with logical menus, clear page titles, and URLs that tell visitors what the page is all about. For example, instead of “www.trainers.com/123abc,” opt for “www.trainers.com/white-running-trainers.” Consider using breadcrumb trails at the top of your pages. These give one-click access to other pages on your site, and they’re good for SEO as you can weave keywords into them. So much of your online success is tied to the user experience of your website. Your marketing and development team need to be working in tandem to deliver a smooth and functional digital experience.

Make your site mobile-friendly: Given that nearly half of all searches are done on mobile devices, optimizing your website to work well and look great on mobile devices is no longer a nice-to-have but a must-have. And it’s something that search engines consider in their rankings, too. Google says mobile-friendly sites show higher in search results and account for over half of searches on Google.com.

Write unique meta descriptions: Meta descriptions are one of those small tasks that often get overlooked. Although Google has said meta tags are not a ranking factor, they are one of those small on-page SEO details you should incorporate into your content marketing strategy to optimize results. For tips on how to write unique meta descriptions, check out our blog, Meta Descriptions: Small Detail Costing You Big Traffic.

Fast page loads: Neither humans nor search engines like slow websites. In fact, one-quarter of visitors will abandon a site if it takes longer than two seconds to load. If you think any of your pages are running slowly, you might want to perform a quick analysis and identify any areas for improvement. For more information on page speeds, check out our blog, Perfect Page, Poor Traffic? Why Site Speed Matters.

Outbound links: As previously mentioned, off-page SEO is just as important as on-page SEO. This involves building backlinks to your website from high-quality websites. You can do this by publishing guest posts on popular websites, participating in online discussions, and submitting your website to online directories such as Angi or Manta.

Specific Calls to Action (CTA’s): As its name suggests, a call to action (CTA) compels a visitor to take action, such as clicking a link to visit a product page so they can purchase a product/service. The better your CTAs are, the more conversions you will get, and the better your on-page SEO.

Optimizing your website for SEO with some of these checklist items won’t yield overnight success. How come? It’s a long-term investment in creating a seamless user experience and unique, engaging content regularly. If you commit to this, you will reap the rewards by attracting higher-quality traffic to your site and happier customers who trust and respect you, your expertise, and your business offering.

Bringing it all together

It is no small feat to implement a well-designed and effective SEO strategy for your eCommerce website. SEO strategy is something that you cannot ignore or overlook when planning to expand your online presence. While there are many channels through which you can market your business, nothing can overpower the impact of search engine optimization tactics and strategies. All businesses with an online presence, whether small or big, should be opting to implement SEO tactics into their marketing strategies. But given the long list of tactics described in this blog, savvy eCommerce teams or choosing to put their trust in experts like the team at InteractOne to implement advanced SEO practices. If you need help with Search Engine Optimization challenges, let us know, below. We’re digital marketing pros and are here to help.

Drop Us a Line At:

email: [email protected] and [email protected]

Or, if you prefer an old-fashioned phone call:
Phone (USA): (513) 469-3346

4665 Cornell Rd. Suite 255
Cincinnati, OH 45241

Content is King. How to Rule your Domain.

by Michael Dennis | Apr 26, 2022 | Digital Marketing, eCommerce

The Internet is a vast sea filled with everything imaginable. It can be difficult for anyone to find your light on the water. How come? Truth is, there are a limited number of people who are desperately looking for a product, a service, or an answer to some question. And eCommerce merchants are all competing for their attention and traffic. Content marketing can be your beacon. Shining out across the water, making it easier for you and your new customer to find one another against what may seem like impossible odds.

In this blog, we will discuss what content marketing is, why it is important for your bottom line, and ways to incorporate it into your marketing strategy for long-term success.

Content Marketing Best Practices

Content marketing is the process of explaining to customers, through written text, images or videos, how your product or service can solve their issues. It is not intended to be ‘sales-y’ but educational, explaining to customers how a product works, its benefits and the issues it can solve. It can also be about lifestyle or other issues connected to your offerings.

When visitors come to your site, they get the opportunity to go through your content at their own pace. Or – and this is even more powerful, prospects can search the Web for a topic of interest. If your content meets the search criteria, the prospect can link to your content on your site even if they had never heard of you before. Content marketing gives you the opportunity to tell your own story and gives visitors the opportunity to understand your business, your values, and your brand. There can be a sense of discovery, fulfillment, and delight when visitors find what they are looking for within your website or by connecting with your brand’s mission and values. Without original content on your site, or social channels, where else will the general public learn about your story, your expertise or your perspective?

The Importance of Content Marketing

Marketing is moving towards content creation rather than just paid ads and social media posts. This is because content can better address visitors’ pain points and turn them into customers. Content Marketing is the way to connect with customers, create relationships that can turn into sales, and can help your business to:

Attract new customers
Engage current customers
Build trust and credibility
Generate leads
Increase website traffic
Boost brand awareness

Depending on how well your content matches the needs of your audience, you could see conversion rates increase at a rapid pace more so than if you had no content marketing plan in place. Not only does that mean a lot of leads, but you also have a chance to do some qualifying of potential customers before they even send their first inquiry.

An easy way to think about your content is that it is your website, social media campaigns and other efforts, like email campaigns or newsletters. Without content and a strategy behind it, the content you create and the platforms in which it lives would simply be a blank page and not drive any traffic.

In addition, content marketing is an opportunity to not only connect with your audience and tell them a story, but when done right it can help improve your SEO. After all, the more opportunities you have for Google to index your content, the more opportunities you have to be found in searches for a wide assortment of keywords. Oh, and don’t forget, all that content also gives your loyal fans (and new prospects) something to share, which can do even more for your business’s exposure!

Begin Your Content Strategy with the End in Mind

Despite the open nature of content marketing, you cannot just go about it haphazardly. There is a particular order to things, or there should be. You need to have a plan.

Just like with any sort of marketing campaign, you have to deliver content in a way that makes sense and is consistent with the other content you have created in the past and will create in the future.

Below are some steps that play a vital role in the development of your content marketing strategy to ensure consistency:

Side Note: All content marketing must be created with the 3 stages of the Buyer’s Journey in mind. Prospects in the ‘Awareness’ stage are not ready to make a decision yet, so the content must be specifically tailored to them. Likewise, a prospect ready to make a decision is interested in more than just informative content.

Set your business goals and objectives
Develop KPI’s
Know your audience and what you want to achieve with them
Assess your current market position and identify any gaps
Decide on content types and topics you want to cover to position your brand as the authority
Create an omni-channel content calendar to promote your copy

Depending on how well your content matches the needs of your audience, you could see conversion rates increase at a rapid pace more so than if you had no content marketing plan in place. Not only does that mean a lot of leads, but you also have a chance to do some qualifying of potential customers before they even send their first inquiry.

The Best Content Types

The best content marketing is genuinely selfless. It does not overtly sell anything or promote a product. It simply delivers helpful information in an easy-to-understand format for an audience hungry for knowledge. But in all cases it presents information in a way that is consistent with your brand voice and presents your firm as experts. Useful site content comes in many shapes and sizes, including:

Blog posts: Blogs are by and large one of the most popular forms of content marketing. Not only do they allow you to demonstrate your knowledge or provide your firm’s perspective on a given subject or product, but blogs live on SERPs for a long time – if you play your cards right. Blogs give you several ways to keep your business visible, including collecting inbound links and being excellent fodder for social media platforms. Your blogs can and should also be used to cross-promote other pieces of original content, which will help keep posts on a consistent schedule and ensure you remain relevant with your audience. We could go on and on about the number of ways a well-developed blog and supportive paid campaign can improve your long-term traffic and conversions but we’re trying to keep this blog to a readable length. If you need to make an impact with your content, contact us today.

Ebooks and White Papers: This type of content marketing gives creators the opportunity to create more long-form and point-of-view pieces. These would include How-To Guides and videos, collections of previous works, and content that features a more narrative structure. Most merchants put this type of content behind a sign-up wall. The goal of these pieces of content is not only to educate, but also to be used as an exchange to gather prospective customer contact information to help build your mailing list.

Newsletters: Both paper and digital newsletters serve as regular reminders that your company still exists and that you are not just a well of knowledge, but the well of knowledge. After all, why would someone go out of their way to do a lot of research on a subject when they know they can trust you to deliver everything they need in a tidy package? Whether you offer a service or a product, well-designed and executed newsletters are a highly effective way to stay top of mind (and inbox) while connecting your audience to your most recently developed content.

Video: A video can grab a lot of attention in a short time, but its usefulness will depend mainly on your audience and the topic. Some people detest video content as they might come off as spam or too in-your-face whereas other people love video content and seek it out. In other words, you can think of it as a medium of extremes. A solid video best-practice is to turn off Autoplay features. The sound of your video, potentially buried in a browser tab is easily enough to send visitors BOUNCING off of your site. If your brand is well-served by video, use it liberally, but make sure to provide captions and a summary so people can fully appreciate the glory that is your video content no matter where they find it. Transcripts can help those users who detest sound, too.

eCommerce videos are not only an essential part of digital marketing, but they are also a strategy by themselves. These are important not just for B2C companies but also B2B as they can explain a complex product or service using an engaging and straightforward narrative.
When you are using videos to sell online, ensure your storyline solves a problem, highlights one key feature, and provides a clear CTA. Using these tactics, versus being too spammy or in your face will help you see results in no time.

Infographics: The mark of an effective infographic is its ability to make complex information easy to understand and interesting at the same time by using as little text as possible and letting the imagery tell the story. Presenting information in such a compelling fashion encourages visitors to spend more time on your site, and share more of your content. A couple of examples of companies who have done infographics well can be found below:

interactone best types of content infographic

interactone content marketing infographic example

Workbooks and templates: These resources are great ways to keep your brand in front of buyers while continuing to inform. They should be designed for print and made as interactive and practical as possible. These can be built around any internal process or proficiency your brand can speak to with authority.

Case studies: Build case studies with real numbers and complete stories. This will help keep the content focused on the value and results, not the brand.

Bringing it all together

At its core, content marketing is all about creating content that is interesting and engaging enough to get people to click on from a Web search and to stick around on your site. This can take many different forms, as discussed throughout this article, but the goal is always the same – to capture the attention of potential customers by presenting meaningful information from a position of authority and convert them into buyers.

Are you looking for a way to improve your marketing efforts with great content marketing?

We can help you build brand awareness, trust, and loyalty with your audience through great site content. Whether that entails helping you develop a site content strategy or direction for your copy by either writing it for you or working with you to edit existing content – we are here to help.

Drop Us a Line At:

email: [email protected] and [email protected]

Or, if you prefer an old-fashioned phone call:
Phone (USA): (513) 469-3346

4665 Cornell Rd. Suite 255
Cincinnati, OH 45241

What do we mean when we say ‘content marketing’ and ‘conversions’?

How to boost conversions with content

How will you optimize your content for better conversion?

Bringing it all together

Get expert help today!

Drop Us a Line At:

The Top Tech Disruptors

Evolving Customer Behavior

Disdain for the Retail Experience

How to adapt to DTC purchasing behavior

The Future of Car Retail

Bringing it all together

Get expert help today!

Drop Us a Line At:

Manager!

Digital Copywriter

Web Developer

Designer

Marketing Director

Bringing it all together

Get expert help today!

Drop Us a Line At:

Seek Talent with Digital Marketing Experience

Don’t be Afraid of B2C Talent

Filling a Team via In-House or Outsource

Be Flexible with Remote Employees

Make Purchases as Easy as Possible

Bringing it all together

Get expert help today!

Drop Us a Line At:

What Do We Know About Boomers?

What Do Boomers Want?

Tips for Engaging with Baby Boomers

Bringing It All Together

Get expert help today!

Drop Us a Line At:

What Do We Know?

How to engage the new generation

Have an open line of communication

Stand for something bigger than your brand

Make it personal

Convenience, convenience, convenience

Bringing it all together

Get expert help today!

Drop Us a Line At:

Bringing it all together

Get expert help today!

Drop Us a Line At:

Five features exclusive to Adobe Commerce

Bringing it all together

Get expert help today!

Drop Us a Line At:

Why is SEO so important?

Secret SEO Checklist Revealed!

Bringing it all together

Get expert help today!

Drop Us a Line At:

Content Marketing Best Practices

The Importance of Content Marketing

Begin Your Content Strategy with the End in Mind

The Best Content Types

Bringing it all together

Get expert help today!

Drop Us a Line At:

Search for a Topic

Related Posts

Categories

Platforms | Solutions

Digital Marketing Services

Company