Best eCommerce Marketing Channels to Use in 2021
eCommerce Marketing is critical for online stores to drive top-of-funnel traffic to their store sites. It helps in converting leads into customers and sales. There are several ways to go about it. First, it is necessary to focus on SEO and organic traffic, in addition to using Google Ads or Facebook advertising to drive targeted traffic.
A variety of strategies in multiple combinations can be used, including paid and non-paid, to figure out which mix proves to convert visitors’ traffic into sales successfully.
Here, it is crucial to note that these ecommerce marketing strategies are ever-evolving. As marketplace algorithms and marketing tactics change, the strategy also changes to gain the highest returns on ad spend. It also has an impact on the operating costs related to non-paid growth strategies like Search Engine Optimization.
eCommerce Marketing is never in a state of stagnation. It keeps changing as per the changing and more competitive environment. To increase online sales, marketers continuously need to make focused efforts. It is one of the several reasons why many businesses fail to achieve a lot of revenue goals.
Statistics reveal that the US eCommerce business’s revenue is slated to hit a $4.9 trillion figure by 2023. It is time marketers start finetuning their strategies and get ready to board the boat.
Besides building a user-friendly, feature-rich, and modern website, they must also focus on eCommerce marketing channels that they can use to reach out to their target audience. Even if you have built a state-of-the-art website but are not focusing on eCommerce marketing channels, you are only halfway there. It is as if your eCommerce website is existing in a vacuum.
It will give zilch results to the employees, the business owner, and the potential customers. Thus, to establish your online retail presence, you will have to develop a well-curated eCommerce marketing plan to drive sales and brand awareness. Here, we bring to you a few of the best eCommerce marketing channels to use in 2021.
1. Search engine Marketing
Search Engine Marketing or SEM works by promoting a website’s visibility on SERP or the Search Engine Results Page. SEM is one of the best eCommerce marketing channels that help online marketers to attract valuable clicks and new visitors to the store.
Suppose your website fails to organically rank high on the first page of SERPs for keywords used by the target audience. In that case, you are certainly missing out on approximately 95 percent of internet users who seldom move on to the next page of Google’s search results.
SEO, on the other hand, helps the website rank higher in SERPs and be more visible among the target audience. Thus, we need a mix of SEO and PPC to get the desired marketing results.
Why did you need to use this channel?
This channel helps online marketers by helping their store to enjoy a robust online presence. It also increases visibility and brand awareness. It paves the way for generating sales and online leads. Organically achieved top rankings help in ensuring long-term growth.
How to implement it in your store?
SEO
It can be implemented in the store with the following steps.
- Do Proper keyword research
- Optimize your site based on the keyword research
- Do On-Page SEO for all your product pages
- Do Technical SEO for your whole website
- Do Local SEO to increase the local traffic to your store.
- Use content marketing ideas to create effective content.
- Use Link building campaigns to create effective backlinks
- Measure your SEO Success with Google Analytics & other popular SEO tools.
SEM
- Establishing SEM marketing Campaign Budget
- Finding the Right Keywords Set
- Create Keywords Groups for the Campaign.
- Run Targeted Campaigns.
- Choose a Search Type campaign.
- Monitoring SEM Marketing Campaign
2. Pay per click or PPC
PPC or Pay Per Click for eCommerce Marketing helps to promote the products and the online store. It is one of the best online advertising strategies. It is done through PPC ads. These ads get displayed on search engines, websites, social media networks, etc. It generates sales by targeting ready to buy customers.
Why did you need to use this channel?
PPC Channel is used for eCommerce stores due to several reasons. The primary reason behind its use is that it fits well with the eCommerce business model. The marketer can set the budget, which ensures that he gets results as per his investment. Most important of all, PPC helps to focus on the targeted audience and drive more sales.
most common PPC methods
Google shopping ads
Google Shopping Ads comes replete with comprehensive product information, like price, image, and description of the product. It also entails a merchant name.
Data attributes are used to create these ads from the product info submitted at the Merchant Center data feed. These ads are seen by people who are looking for products advertised.
Facebook ads
Facebook ads appear at the right top corner of the Facebook version on the desktop and mobile news feed. These ads are targeted to the users based on demographic, location, and profile information. Some of these alternatives are only available on Facebook.
Once the ad is created, a budget has to be set, and bid for impressions or click that the ad will receive. These ads help in reaching the exact audience. If the target customer base is known, these ads can engage them through Facebook Ads.
Instagram ads
Instagram posts, stories, or ads are created and paid for by businesses to promote their Instagram feed. It looks similar to regular Instagram stories, but it has a sponsored label below the brand name.
It is very effortless and straightforward to create Instagram Ads. It begins with the creation of a business page and profile. Next, set up the ad, decide the budget, and publish. Your Insta ad is now live.
YouTube ads
YouTube ads are created and done like Google Ads. It is the best way to advertise video content on YouTube search pages. It shows in the search results and helps in maximizing user reach. The ad can be displayed before the video starts playing.
These ads also show on the Home Page and watch pages of YouTube. Once the user clicks the ad, it will start showing on the right-hand column of YouTube.
How to implement it in your store?
It is effortless to implement PPC for an eCommerce store with the help of the following steps.
- Creation of ads
- Selection of Keywords
- Bidding
3. Affiliate marketing
Another eCommerce Marketing Channel that can be used by online marketers is affiliate marketing. It works by promoting other people’s or company’s products and earning a commission.
The affiliate marketer looks for products they use, like, or enjoy and promote that product. Doing so helps them to earn a commission. For every sale made by them, they earn a piece of product.
Why did you need to use this channel?
This channel is beneficial as it helps the business to create an indirect sales team. It helps to bring a marked improvement in customer loyalty. Affiliate marketing also provides multiple paths to conversion. It also gives better returns on investment and budgeting.
Most important of all, it helps the business to improve its credibility among the target audience. It provides speedy results, which is essential for the marketer.
How to implement it in your store?
Affiliate marketing is easy to implement in the store. Once the platform has been decided, choose a niche and the different affiliate programs to join.
To make these programs successful, it is necessary to create great content to drive traffic to the affiliate site. When clicks are received on the affiliate links, it converts these clicks into sales.
4. Social media marketing
Social Media Marketing uses multiple social media platforms to get in touch with the target audience. It helps in increasing sales, building a brand, and driving website traffic.
Why did you need to use this channel?
ECommerce stores can use this channel to help achieve predetermined goals of staying connected with the target audience, driving leads, and converting into customers and sales. It helps to build a strong brand.
How to implement it in your store?
It can be done by creating, curating, and sharing high-end content, creating blogs, and using micro-content, which should be impactful, informative, and engaging. Social reviews can also be used to engage the target audience.
5. Video Marketing
Videos are used in Video Marketing for the promotion and marketing of products and services. Using this channel helps the store to increase engagement on social and digital channels. It also helps in educating the customers and reaching out to them using a novel medium.
Why did you need to use this channel?
eCommerce stores must use Video Marketing as it helps in increasing revenue. Statistics reveal that online marketers using videos for marketing gains 49 percent faster revenue growth.
Videos are one of the most impressive mediums that help buyers to make quick decisions. It also helps the store rank high on the search engine results page. It gets more backlinks and increases traffic. It is for all these reasons that many online marketers prefer using video marketing for their online store.
How to implement it in your store?
Video marketing can be implemented by understanding the target audience and accordingly setting campaign goals. When creating videos, it is imperative to focus on the brand and ensure that it is put across to the audience. Set your video budget accordingly. Optimize these videos and launch on various channels.
6. Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is one of the eCommerce marketing channels. It is part of the social media marketing that focuses on Industry leaders in multiple niches to drive awareness and brand message to a particular customer base.
Why did you need to use this channel?
There are multiple reasons why choosing this channel is an excellent idea for the online store. It helps in quick trust-building with the customers. It is also one of the ways that help in enriching content strategy and improve brand awareness.
Influencer marketing helps in building winning partnerships and reaches the target audiences. It also helps gain traction in social media marketing.
How to implement it in your store?
Influencer search should be relevant and focused. Start with whatever knowledge you have and look for your following. Make the best use of search engines and several tools and connect with people who enjoy a fantastic following.
Let them know what is there for them and thank them for their services. Marketers need to give them a lot of resources.
7. Content marketing
This is a form of marketing wherein online content is created and shared that stimulates interests in specific products or specific without promoting a particular brand.
Why did you need to use this channel?
Using content marketing, the marketer can comprehensively show his brand using videos, text, images, and audio. It helps in attracting prospective and current customers.
As per research, online buyers seldom trust advertising. Content marketing eliminates selling and informs and educates customers allowing them to make a well-informed buying decision. Thus, there is a degree of trust with the customers, as no one speaks to them as a salesman.
How to implement it in your store?
It is effortless to implement the content marketing strategy for a store. Start with defining goals and objectives and identification of the audience. Create content as per brand message.
Once content is ready, determine content channels. Implement after thoroughly mapping out your content strategy. Check the progress and finetune outline as per the results achieved.
8. Email marketing
When emails are used as a marketing effort, it is referred to as email marketing. It helps in promoting the products and services of a business and build customer loyalty.
Why did you need to use this channel?
Email Marketing works for online stores as it helps in building brand and customer loyalty. It helps to create robust connections with prospects, current customers, leads, and past customers and a chance to get in touch with them. It is cost-effective, economical, measurable, customizable, and personal eliciting excellent results.
How to implement it in your store?
Implementing email marketing is simple and straightforward. Start with setting goals and decide what you would like to say to your customer base.
Next, choose an email marketing platform, build comprehensive email lists, select campaigns that you would like to create, write and design your copy. Once tested, send the emails and wait for the revert in your inbox.
9. Direct Traffic
As the name suggests, direct traffic means users using the website URL directly to arrive at your website. They either use the URL in the browser or bookmark it to access the site now. This Direct Traffic comes to the website at any time. It is a visit by the user without any referring website.
Most people will neglect this direct traffic
It is essential to understand that most of the traffic received by a website comes through references or referred links, but in direct traffic, the user visits a website directly using the URL in the browser.
This traffic must be taken very seriously because these users have arrived at the website because they are particularly looking for a product or service available on the website. They are serious buyers with greater chances of sales and conversion.
10. Social media stories
Why did you need to use this channel?
The Social Media Stories are vertical, full-screen, mobile videos appearing other than the regular feed. It only lasts for a day and then disappears. Thus, it is temporary but can be organized into collections for future viewing.
How to implement it in your store?
Social Media Stories can be implemented with polls in Insta stories and add links to them. Location tags have to be added and Snapchat geo-filters. Live Videos also help in creating Social media stories.
11. Voice search
Voice Search uses voice to search for whatever information you are looking for on the internet. You can ask questions and give directions or commands to smart speakers, smartphones, or other compatible devices.
Why did you need to use this channel?
Using this channel for the online store can help in multiple ways. It is multilingual, saves time, natural, simple, and improves customer satisfaction as they get immediate results.
How to implement it in your store?
Open Google from desktop or mobile, and here you will find a small microphone icon. Click this icon and speak to ask questions or give commands. It will provide you with immediate results.
Conclusion
With the eCommerce landscape radically changing and evolving, it is time to use the best eCommerce marketing channels and make your online store website enjoy a robust presence.
It will help you grow your business and stay connected with your customer base using these multiple channels. Here are some other resources to find more about these channels and how using them can help your business achieve success and desired growth.
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