Building and Growing Your E-Commerce Business

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Grow your Ecommerce Business|Building and Growing Your E-Commerce BusinessWhether your business has been established for a few years, or you are a new startup business under 12 months old, building and growing your e-commerce business is the way to go if you want to future-proof your business. If you want to achieve quick results, then you will need a large growth budget, and you will need to set SMART goals and targets, but if you want to build and grow slowly and more naturally, perhaps through social media marketing and good old-fashioned word of mouth, then your costs will be lower. Of course, both types of growth strategies require some amount of research and planning as it would be foolish to just see how a business grows, even if you are aiming to grow slowly and naturally.

Find New Target Markets and Audiences

Who are you currently selling to, and where are they based? What demographic is your existing audience in? Will your new target audience be the same age group of people, perhaps just in a different location, or are you looking to sell to both a completely new age group in a new country? Once you have established who your new target audience is, you will be able to start reaching them through your marketing efforts.

Focus on Upselling and Cross-Selling

To grow your business, you do not just have to focus on new customers; you can also focus on your existing customers. Perhaps they have been with you from the start. Focusing on cross-selling and upselling is beneficial to you as you already know who your audience is, and you know how to reach them. To be successful at selling more to existing customers, you must ensure that you provide good value for money. You must give your customers something that they need and want and something that will enhance their lives.

Get to Grips with Outsourcing and Freelancing

To grow an e-commerce business, you must learn to delegate to others, and you must use external providers. Utilizing others will ensure that you do not spread yourself too thin. You need to ensure that you focus on overseeing your whole business rather than being weighed down by individual areas which can easily be outsourced. For example, you could utilize a fulfillment company; click here to learn more about order fulfillment services and how they can benefit your business. In addition to using fulfillment services, you may also want to hire freelancers for one-off jobs or ad-hoc work, from weekly website management to social media management for your business accounts. Hiring freelancers can allow you to source just the skills you need to grow your e-commerce business successfully.

Look to the Future

You must keep pushing your business growth even if, at times, it is feeling like it is not going in the direction you want it to go in. If you can create a plan for growth (even if you want to go down the slower and more natural route), then you will ensure that you can get the most out of everything you do, and you can also make sure that you implement ideas and tactics which can be tracked and monitored.

Scale The SEO Mountain and Get On The First Page Of Google

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |SEO|Scale The SEO Mountain and Get On The First Page Of GoogleDid you know that ¾’s of all users never even bother to look at the results beyond the first page? It’s true, and it also means that one of the most important things you can do to generate traffic, secure leads, and establish your business as a stalwart in your field is to ensure you are on that first page of search engine results. The good news is some strategies can help you scale this SEO mountain, read on to find out what they are.

Find and use relevant keywords

Optimizing your site, as well as your blogs for keywords is an essential aspect of good SEO. However, to be able to do this effectively you will need to know the words and phrases potential customers are using to search for your business.

This means you will need to perform a keyword analysis before you get started, as this can be used to guide your entire optimization process. Remember to include long-tail keywords as well as single words and short phrases too, as they are also highly regarded by search engine algorithms.

Blog your heart out

Search engines love blogs, indeed their algorithms are designed to prioritize organic content above all else. That is content that is genuine and written with a purpose and value in mind, rather than just as a vehicle for keyword stuffing ( the latter being something that search engines actually penalize!).

Of course, for your blogs to be as successful as possible they will need to be a few things. The first of these is longer form, so opt for 1000-1500 words instead of 250 where possible. Next, be sure that they offer genuine value to your readership and/or target demographic.

After all, the more clock through you get, the better your SERPS position will be. Not to mention all the kudos you will be accumulating with potential customers. Additionally, there is even another benefit of creating quality valued content, and that it makes the likelihood that it will get shared even higher. This then enhances your chances of getting backlinks, which are hugely valuable in SEO because search engines treat them in a similar way to references. That is the more you have from a reputable site, the higher your SEO position will be.

Also, remember that both SEO and content writing are specialist disciplines within themselves. This means you may be able to create a more effective campaign by working with Seoshark and other specialist SEO agencies like them. After all, it is their business to understand all the minutiae of SEO from the ever-changing algorithms to the timescales involved until you can expect to see real results.

Optimize for mobile

Finally, if you want to see your company on the first page of Google, then you must ensure your site is optimized for mobile. This means that it will automatically display the best version whether the viewer is using a PC or a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet.

Indeed, not only is this an important aspect of providing your customers with the best experience, but it is also another factor that is held in high regard by search engine algorithms. Therefore by optimizing in this way you provide the best chance of scaling the SEO mountain and being featured front and center on the first page!

How to Build an Online Advertising Campaign

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Online Advertising|How to Build an Online Advertising CampaignYou might think you’re nailing it on advertising already; maybe your business is doing well without appealing to the online community. There’s no denying, though, as someone who perhaps doesn’t make use of online advertising, that there’s an untapped market there that you’re missing out on. Most shopping is done online; most communication is done online, and a large part of our lives, let’s be honest, is conducted through the piece of technology we put in our pockets.

Business might be booming right now, if you’re lucky, what with the pandemic, but why not do better? Maybe you’re someone who’s already using online advertising but you’re not getting the return you’re expecting. Are you doing it justice, like a real ad campaign needs? Read on for some tips on how to get the best response.

Define Your Audience

It’s all good trying to chuck you-know-what at a wall and see if it sticks, but you shouldn’t expect to get the best results from such an approach. You need to know who your customer is; you need to know who your ad campaign will appeal to. If you don’t, you can’t expect to see the best results.

Knowing who your audience is key to the success of your business; you might be lucky, your customers may always find you, for example, but not using the data you have at your disposal means you’re limiting yourself and the potential profits in front of you.

Choose Your Message

It’s one thing to know who you’re speaking to, but if you don’t know what to say, then you’re not doing a good job of getting your point across. Figure out what your message is – is it new products, company heritage, cross-selling the benefits of one product you sell with another, or all of the above? Even then, you’ll need to figure out the best way of putting this across to your core base. One demographic may respond to a campaign differently, for example. Use your team’s knowledge to figure this out and give them the breathing room to produce the best campaign.

See What Your Rivals Are Doing

There’s no shame in looking at what your competitors are doing. It’s not copying. But if they’re taking a certain approach, whether through the copy they use or they’re taking an uncommon approach that can lend ideas to your next campaign, learn from it. Take what you can from their creations but create your own approach – make something entirely unique and use what you can to be inspired. It doesn’t even have to come from your competitors if you’d prefer to stay away from this area. Just don’t be afraid to use others’ material to carve out your own out-of-the-box approach.

Learn From The Past

If this isn’t your first ad campaign, you’ll likely have a lot to say about the successes of your past attempts. But, really, what you need to look at, is where things could’ve gone better. The perfect team offers a multitude of perspectives – both at the point of conception to beyond implementation. Tap into that. A decent ad campaign is made using the strengths of you and your team, so, naturally, a good reflection on how things could’ve gone better works the same way.

Seek out candid responses from your key players – get their thoughts and trust how they feel. Sometimes, letting your team of experts take points on this stuff, rather than relying on your own judgements, can be the difference between a successful online advertising campaign and stagnating.

See It Through

Devising an advertising campaign is a process – it doesn’t start or end with half measures. You have to see it through to the end, and the end is an important part of the strategy you and your team have pulled together. With all the above in mind, once your campaign has run its course and you’ve achieved what you can from it, it’s time to debrief. What could’ve gone differently? Do you need to learn more about online ad formats and the ones that could’ve served you best?

Statistically, some forms of advertising are more effective than others, but which ones resonate best with your audience? It’s time to push those to connect with existing customers and figure out which formats work best to entice new loyalty to your brand. A lot more can be learned from our weaknesses and failures, so don’t neglect them.

Building A Friendly Digital Marketing Plan For 2021

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Forbes magazine wrote early on in the pandemic, and further identified that a key component in responding to the crisis lies in digital transformation. Many businesses have identified the opportunity and are working to strengthen digital marketing activities. At a time when flights are being canceled and business gates are closing or shrinking, digital marketing serves as an active channel with no boundaries of time zones and geographical boundaries and allows for business activity, capacity expansion and more. The way in which we used to market traditionally is changing, in all areas. In B2B, too, most of the marketing activity has gone digital So what do we identify? And how are you prepared? As a trend, there is more activity online, literally in the amount of surfing hours. More and more people are using the internet, therefore, marketing is making a larger switch from traditional to digital; even more so than the beginning of the century.

Many work from other work environments than usual or from home and surf from mobiles for their business needs as well. The big advertising companies have identified this and lowered advertising rates during the crisis. Those who continued to advertise gained an opportunity for exposure and prominence. Now, even in B2B, contact is also made through social networks, including requests for technical specifications and quotes. This direct connection with the buyer, sometimes gives a close look at our new and potential customers beyond those we have known so far. Digital marketing has turned a marketing effort into the center of gravity of the business – a channel open to communication 24/7 So what exactly is the change in marketing channels?

Changes across all areas

Network exposure has more value today If network advertising was once considered a luxury and a place for updates for special activities or consumed by certain populations for certain needs, digital channels are now a cornerstone of any business – a real mouthpiece and a direct means of receiving inquiries and providing a truly valuable response to customers. The demographics of the seekers have also changed and millennials now make up the majority of buyers.

With more and more customers turning to technologies and online platforms for their day-to-day needs, businesses need to make an aggressive transition. By working with a reputed digital marketing company, they can hope to build and improve digital performance on search engines and social media platforms. This can help them drive awareness for their brand, connect with target audiences, build branding and ultimately contribute to sales, revenues and profits. Being successful on digital platforms requires a sustained approach that needs to be both unique as well as innovative.

Studies show that B2B buyers conduct online research just like a final consumer, before turning to a company. That is why, having a great online presence is going to help sell the business. People put trust and faith into a company that has a good online reputation, a good website, easy contact information and they can see what other people are saying about the brand too. The discourse is moving to digital and digital marketing channels have become power multipliers. With direct inquiries and targeted messages, it is possible to reach a variety of target populations and audiences and generate exposure to potential customers and even, generate interest and receive real inquiries. And this investment is long-term. A successful infrastructure will serve you well even when you decide to open an online store or a special area for distributors to download content and marketing tools efficiently and quickly. All together it will create a complete ecosystem that is your new business environment. It’s time to renew things! Companies are also exploring saas marketing in 2021 which is something to read up on.

How does digital transformation serve us?

It is definitely worth establishing digital marketing capabilities because our customers, business partners and distributors are already changing their behavior according to constraints and should be prepared accordingly. The expectation of easy and convenient access to information about the service or product you are looking for, accessibility to contact, receiving a quick and even immediate response requires preparation accordingly, including automation for response in other time zones. The gates have opened and we can work globally and now more easily than before. Budgets vacated from canceled exhibitions and flights, can now be invested in activities that will benefit us and can be measured live. No need to wait – the results are noticeable straight away because as with anything on the internet, there is instant gratification. The questions to be asked are: Are you interested in the ad, commenting on the message and contacting us? And who exactly is the company? Where is it located? People can find this information immediately on social channels and therefore these are the channels to invest in and how to direct the annual budget.

Building an ecosystem for winning digital marketing

We will donate a lot if we know how to appear and be exposed on a variety of platforms, of course in accordance with our product or service. As we create a denser ecosystem, we will increase the chance of creating a hook that will raise the next lead. In the components of the ecosystem, it is worth preparing the following:

  • Understanding your target audience – what and where they are looking for.
  • Original professional content with a tailored answer
  • Reviews of the product and services
  • Visual materials match for prominence and reinforcement

Visual content

The visual content is already used for searches in a variety of channels, including of course shopping through online advertisements. Interactive content such as surveys, 360 greatly raises the interest as well as video and voice search is also here and the preparation for it should include reference to the manner and length of the wording. Mobile adaptation is of course a must in an age where browsing is done from anywhere, individual-level appeal whether on mailing or ad platforms also yields better results than general inquiries to our audience made up of individuals who appreciate addressing their unique need – even when the customer is a company.

Business flexibility

A long-term strategy is a necessity for the business, but the recent period has shown us how important it is to be prepared even with short-term goals and objectives for quick wins. It all depends on the general business purpose of the company, of course. Accordingly, metrics will be set, accurate and improved as the process progresses. It is important to understand the great advantage in that with one click, a campaign can go up and down, a target population can be created for us based on insights and increasing the exposure is also possible relatively easily by budgeting. It’s time to make the most of 2021!

How social media can help build brands

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StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Social Media|How social media can help build brandsIn its short, 30-year history, the internet has come to transform almost all areas of modern life – everything from how and where we work to the way we shop and find/watch media. However, while the web has changed our business and personal lives, one particular technology has utterly upended the online experience – namely, social media.

In the not-so-distant past, if you wanted to get your firm online, you would have needed to employ the services of a web design agency to develop a website and, hopefully, start building your online profile. With the advent of social media sites, all that changed and now anyone with an internet connection can have a personal or business page up and running in minutes and start reaching out to clients (existing and potential).

The power of posts

Social media has revolutionized publishing, putting firms big and small in control of their online profile and allowing customer penetration and reach on a scale never before possible. Where once firms would publish content on their corporate sites in the hope that visitors might take the time to come and read the content, nowadays companies can broadcast on social sites and their posts will appear automatically on their followers’ timelines. Furthermore, using social media marketing software, firms can now schedule the time of their posts to coincide with when the majority of their users are online to have a greater impact. Furthermore, the software can also offer useful insights on the effectiveness of posts.

‘Going viral’ – a phenomenon born by social media

Most of us are familiar with the ‘going viral’ concept but perhaps haven’t contemplated how it works in practice. When you consider the average Facebook user has 338 friends (obviously some have many more, some less) – if one of your followers shares your post, it has the potential to be seen by each of those 338 friends. Extend that process again with just one of those additional 338 also sharing your post it will have already reached almost 700 users. And so the phenomenon continues.

Viral posts have the potential to be seen by thousands – if not millions – and all at zero cost to your firm. It’s little wonder traditional media is having such a hard time in the social age with many traditional magazines, newspapers, radio and TV stations finding themselves unable to compete.

The importance of having a strong social presence

Today’s internet users expect firms to not just have a website but also be present across the major social platforms. Indeed, these days it’s not uncommon for customers to use social sites almost like search engines – an idea proven by the fact that YouTube is now the world’s second-biggest search engine, just behind Google (both platforms are owned by parent company Alphabet, which shows just how important its search-based platforms have become).

Posting regularly to social sites allows companies to build a stronger, two-way relationship with clients, making them feel actively involved in their brand and encouraging dialogue and reactions.

The major players in the social landscape

All firms are different and have different target markets, however, the mainstays in the world of social media typically include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. Depending on your type of company, you might also consider Pinterest (particularly successful for clothing companies, especially women’s clothing) and LinkedIn.

While there are many, many other online social platforms, if you attempt to publish to all, you run the risk of spreading yourself too thin. You should constantly be mindful that the quality of your posts is the most important aspect of building a strong social media profile, so be wary of trying to take on too many accounts and potentially watering down your content.