Dominating Marketing Trends in eCommerce in 2021

We will take a look at the different marketing trends available and how best to utilize them. Through this analysis you will have an understanding of how to properly navigate the new world we all live in. The subjects we will look at include:

• Increasing Productivity of Sales Team
• Implementing Mobile First Designs
• Capturing and Properly Utilizing Email Addresses
• Optimize for eCommerce SEO
• Developing Value Based Blog Posts
• Letting Users Market for You.

Increasing Productivity of Sales Team

Your sales team is your first line of defense against waste. This starts with hiring a highly qualified team of marketers. During the tenure make sure you are engaging in training. Make available information about new techniques in marketing.

Always talk with the sales team. Make sure they understand the importance of their position. The more valued they feel, the more likely it is they will work hard to get the results your company needs.

Link together your eCommerce marketing specialist and sales teams. Working together allows one to work off of the other. Setting up the marketing for your sales team pushes leads through the sales funnel faster.

Implementing Mobile First Designs

Trends towards mobile utilization were already on the rise before the pandemic hit. As of 2016, according to Think Google, 34% of people used a mobile device to complete online shopping. This number has only grown with more people buying online rather than in person.

Speed not only increases the user experience by making purchases faster. Mobile first implementation also helps sites to rank better. Search engines prioritize based on how websites offer value to users. Since more people want to use their mobile devices, this offers a greater value to the end user.

Mobile first design includes optimizing the page to be seen on a mobile screen. The drop down menus and formulation for layout should be as such the most important information is seen as soon as the page is accessed. The website should include different formats for different size screens. By putting a priority on the smaller screen sizes, you acknowledge the preferences of the users.

Capturing and Properly Utilizing Email Addresses

Email marketing is still one of the most effective methods for reaching your target audience. It is a direct line to people. This is why it is essential you never use a third party email list. Culling email addresses properly allows you to engage with those who are receptive to your marketing techniques.

Among the ways you can attain email addresses is through:

• Lucky draw campaigns
• Offers for freebies
• Inquiries for additional information

You can utilize email follow up tools as well as automated email marketing to reach out. This takes a lot of the guesswork out of initializing contact and maintaining contact. Make sure every email is crafted with your target audience in mind. Highlight what they identify with so they will feel as if the email was written specifically for them. Always start emails with the name of the recipient!

Segment your email list to create emails that are as individualized as possible. Breaking down your target audience into different segmentations takes time, but is well worth the investment. The more people feel you are speaking directly to them, the more likely it is to convert a sale. Take into consideration the values the individuals hold dear and make sure the content of the emails focuses on those values.

Optimize for eCommerce SEO

Your placement in search engine results has always been an important factor in eCommerce marketing. Consider that, according to Neil Patel, 75% of people do not navigate past the first page of results. Most click on the first three results to populate after a search engine query.

It is important to remember search engines are a company also. They build their algorithms based on providing users with a streamlined means by finding what they are looking for. The more you focus on the end user rather than attempting to game the system the more likely it is you will organically rank higher in search engine results.

Google often handles over 5 million queries daily, according to Internet Live Stats. Taking steps to tap into these queries positions your company to effectively market. This includes utilizing mobile first development as well as paying attention to SEO standards.

Content is key to developing a higher placement in search engine results. Make sure to identify what your end user holds most valuable. This should become a theme throughout your website and all related content. By doing so, you will position yourself for a higher placement in search engine results.

Add a live chat program to your website. This allows users to ask any questions they might have. By providing immediate answers you increase the likelihood of a sale. The live chat may be staffed or you can utilize a bot. Keep in mind 47% of shoppers are willing to buy from a bot, according to HubSpot. The important thing is to focus on offering information rather than pushing for a sale. Allow the sales to occur organically.

Developing Value Based Blog Posts

Blog posts are a great example of the type of content you should be implementing for SEO purposes. Take into consideration that there are certain limits a web page encounters. Web pages need to be concise in their purpose. They cannot answer every question. They certainly cannot dig deep into subjects related to the brand.

This is where blog posts come in. Blog posts can explore a whole world of content while answering questions. Each blog post can concentrate on a single keyword that is identified as being sought out. Throughout the posts you have the ability to link to products or services your company offers.

A unique quality blog posts offer is the ability to set you up as an expert in your field. The more value your blog posts offer, the more they will be trusted. When people frequently turn to your blog posts for answers to questions it drives your online ranking higher.

Search engines take notice of when people not only navigate to your pages often, but when they spend large amounts of time on the page. Engaging with users in a manner that adds value decreases your bounce rate. This makes it possible for you to increase the overall ranking for your site.

Letting Users Market for You

If you are doing a good job your products and/or services create loyal users. Why not let them market for you? This is an alternative many companies have turned to. After all, more consumers trust other consumers over slick marketing campaigns.

Among the great ways to allow your avid clients to market for you is through social media. Keep in mind that as of July, 2020 there were 3.5 billion users of social media. These users average three hours per day on different social media platforms. When you market through social media you have more opportunity to be seen as a peer rather than as a company. Additionally, when people follow you through social media it offers you more marketing opportunities.

Affiliate marketing is a good example of how you can allow individuals to market for you. More than 81% of companies utilize affiliate marketing, according to Web Market Support. Simply put, you offer incentives based on linked sales. This is possible through influencers as well as those just looking to make some additional money.

Offer your loyal followers the chance to get some free stuff by mentioning your products or services in their own social media content. Create a hashtag or some other form of recognizable link to your eCommerce business individuals can use. Given that people trust individual opinions about companies it puts you in a light you cannot experience through direct marketing.

It is also possible to ask those who are loyal to your brand to refer to their friends. Offer an incentive for referring people. This will utilize classic word of mouth advertising to increase brand awareness. Make sure the incentive is based on specific parameters like purchase threshold or membership duration.

Final Thoughts

Putting these marketing techniques into practice allows you to dominate eCommerce. Whereas any one of these techniques will garner results, it is important to diversify. This is because different methods allow you to tap into different segments of the market.

Always work on your marketing techniques to improve them. Utilize the information gathered from one campaign to drive future campaigns. More information allows you to better define your marketing practices.

Regardless of what the future may bring it is clear to see eCommerce is going to be a part of our lives. Take charge of your sales by focusing on important marketing techniques. Your results will astound you.

Author Bio

Michael Habiger is a content marketing specialist with over 6 years of experience, currently head of the marketing department at FollowUpFred. He is a marketing nerd and front-fighter for big data and automation.