eCommerce businesses are having a major moment: In fact, U.S. eCommerce sales will cross $1 trillion for the first time in 2022.
While this is good news, it comes with a catch. More people are looking to get in on the action. For example, did you know there were 5.4 million applications to start businesses last year – a 53 percent increase from pre-pandemic levels? Pretty impressive, right?
The takeaway is clear for eCommerce business marketers: While there are more opportunities than ever before, there’s also more competition, which is why it’s so important to create a recipe for your eCommerce business so it stands out.
Curious how to get started with your own secret recipe? Here’s a closer look at five things you can do to catch the eye of consumers in a crowded marketplace.
1. Define Your Brand
When customers buy your products and services, they’re really purchasing something else: your brand. Your brand is the way people perceive your business. The question it answers? What do you want people to feel when they think of your business?
Defining and building your brand comes with many benefits. Helping you understand and attract your target customers, boosting brand recognition, improving customer loyalty, creating positive word of mouth, enhancing the effectiveness of your advertising, lower price sensitivity, and more engaged employees.
At the end of the day, your brand is what differentiates you from your competitors. The better defined your brand is, the more successful your marketing will be.
2. Invest in SEO
More than 3.5 billion Google searches are conducted every day. The key to not getting lost in the shuffle (or the stack of never-ending recipes)? Search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO is the key to ensuring that your customers find your website when they search for your products and services. It helps your website earn a higher ranking on the search results page – And this matters a lot.
For non-branded searches, the top three organic positions account for more than 50 percent of all click-throughs. If you’re not in the top three, your target audience is unlikely to make it to your website.
Higher search engine result pages (SERPs) also help your customer stand out by building consumer trust. Google is the world’s most trusted tech company, so when it serves up your business, it’s a powerful vote of confidence.
3. Update Your Website
An excellent website has many benefits, including making a fantastic first impression, supporting your SEO strategies, building credibility and consumer trust, and creating consistency. And thanks to the global reach of the internet, it can also help you expand your market via your online store – not to mention that it works for you 24/7.
But all websites aren’t created equal, and building a good one means much more than making sure it looks pretty. Many factors go into successful website design, including aesthetics to functionality. Together, these things support a positive user experience to help consumers connect with your brand and keep coming back for more.
4. Reward and Retain
Who doesn’t love a sweet deal or discount? Enter customer loyalty programs, which reward consumers for making repeat purchases.
Despite the many known benefits of customer loyalty programs, few businesses maximize their potential. If your business can get it right, you stand to reap a bounty of benefits, including everything from driving more sales to building metrics.
5. Influencer Marketing
Digital marketing moves at the speed of light, with new opportunities emerging. One relatively new digital marketing strategy undergoing unprecedented growth in recent years? Influencer marketing.
Today’s consumers repeatedly tell us that they trust their peers more than a sales pitch. Influencers have the potential to bridge this gap. The proven benefits include:
- Improving brand awareness
- Boosting your visibility and reach
- Building brand trust and demonstrating authority
- Reaching your target audience and driving purchasing decisions
- Connecting your brand to new generations
- Setting trends
- Driving conversions
These strategies have proven potential to help your eCommerce business survive and thrive in today’s competitive landscape. And they’re just a tiny sampling of how a comprehensive digital marketing strategy can help you gain a critical inside edge.
However, keeping up with the latest digital marketing trends and best practices is a significant endeavor – especially when you’re busy with other mission-critical aspects of keeping your business up and running.
Enter CakeCommerce
Let our team of knowledgeable and experienced eCommerce marketing experts handle what we do best – so YOU can focus on what you do best. Whether you’re looking for help with a particular digital marketing strategy or need a complete digital marketing solution, we can help. To start transforming your business through the power of digital marketing, contact CakeCommerce today.
