Are you a traditional business owner delving into e-commerce business just recently?
Are you getting overwhelmed with marketing jargon like SEO and SEM and even more confused about what you need to do online to stay competitive in your industry?
If you answered yes to the above questions, then this blog post is for you.
As a starting e-commerce business owner, you might have heard that investing in paid advertising like Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads is the only way to go. However, to do these correctly you need to build the foundations. These are the 3 things that you need to get in order before you consider online advertising.
1. Your E-commerce Business Website
In a traditional physical setup, your website is your storefront and your main headquarters. Your physical store is where all the good stuff and action happens. This should be the same as your website.
With the boom of online businesses, we have seen many e-commerce websites that are not fully optimised for online sales.
These websites don’t have a logo, contact numbers, email addresses, or a clear customer journey that leads them to add to the cart. They’re also missing other vital items that can impact how your potential customers perceive your brand.
Suppose you compare it to a physical establishment. You wouldn’t leave your storefront bare, leaving customers in the dark about if you’re open for business or how to contact you.
So DON’T do this with your website!
TIP: Always ensure that your website has all the necessary fundamentals for your customers, including:
- Clear prices
- Complete product/service descriptions
- High-quality product photos
- Reviews and Social Touch Points
- Contact Page
- Search function with highly detailed product keywords
2. Your SEO
What is SEO or search engine optimization, and what’s the real deal about it?
Imagine your bricks and mortar store. There is a garden out the front with flowers and shrubs and your windows display decals of your latest collection. People walking past can only see a small part of your business from the sidewalk. If you grab their attention from the sidewalk, maybe they will enter your store to get a better look at what you have to offer.
The same analogy goes for your website. Visualise your Facebook ads, Search Ads, social media accounts, guest blogs, sales, ratings and review;s as the flowers, shrubs and window decals of your website. Your ‘sidewalk’ needs to be appealing to attract traffic to your website. Now your landing page, blog posts, offers, products and services are going to get the attention they deserve
SEO makes your e-commerce business more visible to potential customers if done right. They will be able to see the full picture of your products and services even while searching for other products in mind. SEO puts you at the top of their search and will provide your website with more chances and a higher percentage of being viewed or visited.
Almost 33% of traffic comes from people scouring the internet for products and you want to be able to maximise that number for your business.
TIP: While SEO traffic is free, it takes a lot of trial and error to perfect. You need to update your website every now and then to stay competitive in your industry.
3. Your Social Media Platforms
There is a reason why social media networks are really important nowadays, not just for individuals but for e-commerce business owners as well.
Your social media accounts are like your business or referral card. If you don’t have one, your potential customers will think you are not serious or professional enough to provide a certain level of service or provide a high-quality product.
How many times have you searched Facebook or Instagram for a certain brand or company and when nothing comes up, or their pages are not updated, you think to yourself why are they even selling online if they can’t keep up with their social media presence?
Social media is your digital footprint that can lead your product or service to your potential customers’ doors! You need this to be as up-to-date as possible with all your pertinent information customers are searching for.
HOT TIP: Always ensure that your social media profiles are connected to your website’s landing or shopping page. Even if you are not running ads yet, your Facebook pixel should also be installed on your website for proper monitoring of traffic and potential retargeting of the leads you have generated from your social media.
There is a lot of stuff that can distract you when you are starting out as an e-commerce business owner, paid ads included. However, these 3 things should be your top priority before delving into other things to make everything work together.
If you’re looking for experts to grow your e-commerce business through digital marketing campaigns. Book a Complimentary Strategy Call with us!
