Ecommerce Digital Marketing Strategies for Independent Retailers

Independent retailers need to do more marketing with fewer resources to keep their businesses growing while dealing with evolving revenue models and getting a crash course on e-commerce digital marketing. Read on to learn how to grow your e-commerce business with digital marketing strategies.

Key Elements of a Successful Digital Marketing Strategy for E-Commerce

To build a successful digital marketing strategy, it’s crucial to prioritize specific elements that serve as the foundation for your online presence. By focusing on these key aspects, you can establish a solid framework that will allow the rest of your strategy to flow seamlessly. 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO increases visibility and drives organic traffic for e-commerce websites. It’s more than just keyword optimization: as you build your SEO strategy, focus on technical aspects like site speed, mobile responsiveness, and structured data markup. 

On the non-technical side of things, try creating unique and high-quality product descriptions to improve your site’s search engine rankings (SERP). Optimize your store’s category pages, and build authoritative backlinks from trustworthy and relevant websites. You can also add pages based on your audiences’ main concerns and drivers to purchase (see Content Marketing below). 

Paid Advertising

To boost the impact of your e-commerce advertising, you can also go beyond the conventional platforms such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads and explore emerging channels like native advertising networks and influencer marketing platforms. By venturing into these other channels and following your audience to where they spend their time, you can leverage the potential of your paid advertising and achieve remarkable results. 

Here are some other tips for upping your paid media: 

• Leverage remarketing campaigns
• Optimize ad targeting based on user behavior and demographics
• Try A/B testing to see which content works best with your target market
• Regularly analyze performance data
• Adjust campaigns as you go along

Content Marketing

Content marketing helps you establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry and drives traffic to your e-commerce site. Videos, podcasts, blogs, and infographics show customers you’re an expert at what you do and builds trustworthiness. Collaborating with industry experts and creating valuable resources such as buying guides or tutorials can attract and retain customers. And, once your content is written and on your site, you can make it work double-duty for you by promoting it through social media and email marketing channels for maximum exposure.

Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms are excellent for independent retailers because they allow you to engage directly with your customers. You can create a sense of community and brand loyalty through social media events like contests and exclusive promotions. Moreover, social listening tools like Brand24 and Tweetdeck provide valuable customer insights you can use to optimize your brand’s presence on social media.

Email Marketing

Similar to social media, email marketing enables direct communication with customers and prospects. When done right, you can build and nurture relationships with your audience, drive sales, and generate repeat business.

Email campaigns can include various types of content depending on your target segment and goals. Different types of emails you can send can include:

• Product updates
• Exclusive offers
• Helpful tips
• Personalized recommendations

Some other email tips: 

• Ensure the email content is relevant and provides value to your subscribers. 
• Use clear and concise subject lines, personalized greetings, and mobile-friendly designs to increase email open rates.
• Keep your emails clean and professional looking. 
• Don’t over send, as you’ll risk getting marked as spam. 

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Conversion rate optimization means improving how many website visitors take a desired action – for example, subscribing to your business’s newsletter. It involves analyzing user behavior, testing different website or landing page elements, and making data-driven adjustments. CRO aims to make the most out of existing traffic by improving the user experience and guiding visitors towards desired actions. CRO helps you identify and address whatever it is that’s preventing visitors from making those conversions on your site. 

How You Can Measure And Analyze the Success of Your Digital Marketing Campaigns

Some of the most important key performance indicators (KPIs) you should track include the following: 

• Conversion Rate – the percentage of users who’ve completed a specific action on your page, such as making a purchase.
• Average Order Value – how much customers spend, on average. AOV is calculated by dividing your revenue by the number of orders you received.
• Customer Acquisition Cost – how much money you spend getting a customer to make a purchase.
• Customer Lifetime Value – how much money a customer will spend on your products over the course of their lifetime.
• Return on Ad Spend – how much you earn back versus how much you spend on advertising.

Tools like Google Analytics and other e-commerce tracking platforms help you track these KPIs, as well as website traffic, user behavior, and conversion data. Set specific goals for each campaign you launch, then monitor how they perform, so you can make the most out of the data you collect.

Emerging Trends and Technologies In Digital Marketing For E-commerce

According to Forbes, “As the world becomes more connected and digital, e-commerce continues to grow at an unprecedented rate.” Successful e-commerce digital retailers must “stay ahead of the curve and understand the latest trends shaping the industry.” 

Here are a few trends to watch.

Voice Search Optimization

Voice search marketing has become increasingly important as accuracy rates have improved (up to 95% accuracy in English), with at least half of US residents using voice search daily. Consumers prefer the convenience of hands-free searching, and the prevalence of smart speakers, like Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Apple’s Siri, has made users more comfortable with voice commands. 

E-commerce digital marketers can optimize for voice search by using commonly searched queries to build content. Keep your content concise and well-organized. 

Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR)

VR is a fully immersive world that allows marketers to give customers a fully branded, unique, and interactive experience. It also enables you to showcase new products and gather feedback. With VR, consumers actively seek out brand experiences, changing the dynamic between brands and consumers. 

AR adds to a customer’s existing world. It allows brands to give customers unique experiences through mobile devices, driving sales and enhancing brand value. Augmented shopping experiences, such as trying out products in the real world, are gaining popularity: 72% of shoppers have said they purchased a product because of AR.

Chatbots & Artificial Intelligence-Powered Customer Support

AI programming allows chatbots to automate communication with your customers while maintaining quality customer service. Chatbots can efficiently gather initial information from leads, schedule appointments, answer frequently asked questions, greet website visitors with personalized messages, and more, allowing you to focus on business matters. There are various chatbot platforms available that allow customization to match your website’s design and branding.

Keep your chatbot simple to start. Make it respond with natural, conversational language. And make sure your customers have the option to speak with a human if need be.

Common Pitfalls and Mistakes to Avoid When Implementing Your E-commerce Digital Marketing Strategies

E-commerce digital marketing strategies can be an excellent way to optimize your business. However, there are some common mistakes that you should try to avoid.

Focusing Solely on New Customers

New customers are an important part of business growth. You need to strike a balance between customer acquisition and existing customer retention to maximize your profits. Trying to attract new customers takes more time, money, and focus that might be better spent on rewarding the loyalty of existing customers – who are more likely to use word of mouth to attract new customers for you.

Excessive Discounting

Constantly offering discounts may diminish the value of your products and harm your revenue. Instead, make discounts more effective by using them only occasionally. Stick with early bird specials or promotions for customers who spend a certain amount of money.  

Inconsistent Brand Image

Your brand’s image should align with your core values and mission. Inconsistent branding means focusing on tactics and sales rather than a consistent message, which can confuse customers and decrease sales. Maintaining consistency helps create a sense of trust among your customers, which leads to brand loyalty.

How to Personalize Your Marketing Efforts and Enhance the Customer Experience

Use your customer data and analytics to personalize your marketing effort you can segment your audience and deliver targeted marketing messages by analyzing customer behavior, purchase history, and preferences. Use dynamic content and product recommendations based on individual user profiles to enhance the customer experience – and drive conversions. Remember to prioritize data privacy and comply with applicable regulations, such as GDPR or CCPA.

Key Areas to Focus on for Optimized Digital Marketing in E-commerce

As you prepare your digital marketing strategy, we recommend focusing on these key areas for maximum success.

Brand Identity

The e-commerce landscape is competitive. That’s why you need a strong brand identity to help you stand out. Beyond visual branding elements like logos and colors, focus on cultivating a unique brand voice and personality based on your mission. Consistently deliver on your brand’s promises to customers, providing them with exceptional customer service. Create a memorable and cohesive brand experience at every touchpoint of the sales funnel. Remember that you’re building trust among your customers, which will lead to brand loyalty and word-of-mouth advertising.

Customer Reviews and Ratings

Customer reviews and ratings also play a significant role in building trust and credibility. Encourage your customers to leave reviews. Actively respond to positive and negative feedback to show your commitment to customer satisfaction. Use a review widget on your store site to positively influence purchase decisions. 

Customer Retention and Loyalty

Focus on fostering loyalty through personalized email marketing campaigns, exclusive promotions for existing customers, and loyalty programs. Offer things like proactive order tracking and hassle-free returns. Actively engage with your customers through social media and maintain open lines of communication to strengthen relationships.

Mobile Marketing Efforts

More consumers use mobile devices for online shopping these days, with 76% of Americans saying they’ve made purchases using phones or other mobile devices. Optimize your website for mobile devices with responsive design, fast loading times, and straightforward navigation designed for smaller screens. The easier it is for customers to find, navigate, and make purchases on your website via their phones, the more customers you’ll get through your sales funnel.

Staying Updated with Industry Trends and Best Practices

One of the best things you can do for your digital marketing strategy is to stay up-to-date with what’s going on around you. Follow industry leaders on social media. Subscribe to digital marketing newsletters and blogs. Attend conferences and workshops. And finally, don’t be afraid to experiment with new marketing technologies and techniques, especially if you’re targeting younger demographics.

How Silverback Strategies Can Help

Silverback Strategies gives independent retailers the confidence and clarity to accelerate e-commerce digital marketing performance and prove revenue impact, so they can do more of what works. 

We offer an integrated team of experts across Analytics, Content, Creative, Paid Media, and SEO to customize unique campaigns and revenue attribution models. 

Our dedicated Account Managers work side-by-side with you to maximize your marketing efforts, coordinate across resources, and get value out of every dollar you spend. 

Want to learn more? Request a consultation today.