The global eCommerce industry brings in sales worth $6.4 trillion. That's 20.1% of all retail sales around the world.
As an eCommerce merchant, your business makes up a fraction of this enormous figure. But for you, it's not just about competing with the big players in the market; it's also about carving out your own share of this growing pie.
A solid eCommerce digital marketing strategy can help you do that.
A digital marketing strategy encompasses everything from content marketing to paid ads. It's dynamic and data-driven. More importantly, it's dependent on proper planning and continuous improvement.
Here's a detailed guide on building an eCommerce digital marketing strategy from scratch and keeping it going.
eCommerce Digital Marketing Strategies and Tactics to Increase Sales:
What Is an eCommerce Digital Marketing Strategy?
An eCommerce digital marketing strategy is a plan that outlines how you will use digital channels to reach potential customers.
For example, the most visited online retail site is Amazon, with monthly visits of around 5.2 billion. Which channels does Amazon use?
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising
- A dedicated website
- User-generated content
- Video marketing
Amazon's strategy also includes influencer marketing, email marketing, and social media marketing. These are the main channels the eCommerce giant uses to reach its target audience and drive sales.
An eCommerce brand's digital marketing strategy is not merely for generating revenue. It also helps build brand awareness.
In some cases, this strategy could also be used to enter new markets or launch new products. So, it's more of a holistic approach than a mere revenue-generating plan.
Proven eCommerce Digital Marketing Strategies to Boost Sales
As already discussed, there are different aspects of an eCommerce digital marketing strategy. Let's discuss a few of them.
1. Leveraging SEO
eCommerce SEO is the process of optimizing your online store's content and website structure for search engines. The end goal is to get your online store to rank high for a certain product or keyword.
For example, when we search for ''buy headphones,'' the first organic search result is from Best Buy.
Best Buy in Google SERPs
What does this mean? The online store ranks high for that keyword.
Besides keyword research and subsequent incorporation in your content, here are some other ways to use SEO:
- Using keywords in product descriptions and page URLs
- Creating an easy-to-crawl website structure
- Using image alt tags for products
- Making your website compatible for mobile
- Getting backlinks from well-reputed websites
A strong SEO strategy is a sure-shot way to increase the clicks on your website. It ultimately results in more sales.
A Backlinko study found that the first organic result on Google had an average click-through rate of 27.6%. It's also ten times more likely to be clicked than the tenth page in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
You might think you MUST be on the top to see results. But, even moving one spot up on SERPs boosts your CTR by 2.8%. So, SEO cannot be ignored.
2. Running Paid Ad Campaigns
Yes, organic search results are great, but you can't get to the top of the SERPs overnight organically. It takes time and effort to build a strong SEO strategy.
In the meantime, you can run paid campaigns like Google Ads or Facebook Ads to gain visibility and drive traffic to your online store.
These platforms allow you to target specific keywords, demographics, and interests to get the right people interested.
For example, if we run the same search for ''buy headphones'' again, we see an ad from the US.Creative. As you can see below, the keyword ''headphones'' is in bold.
Paid ad campaign
That's because Google bolds the words that match the user's exact search query in the ad. You can see that the ad entices you to click on it.
For one, it indicates free shipping for orders over $35. Plus, you can see there's a ''wide selection'' of audio tech to choose from. You can use the same incentives in your paid campaigns to attract potential customers.
If your audience is more socially active, turn to social media ads. For example, Facebook Ads run on both Facebook and Instagram.
Or you can run Instagram Ads exclusively. These ads appear in stories, newsfeeds, and explore pages. Select your paid campaign based on where your audience is active.
Paid ads don't necessarily have to be just text-based and appear in Google SERPs. You can also run video ads that run on Google's partner sites, such as YouTube.
For example, if you search for athleisure-related keywords on YouTube, you're likely to come across an ad like this one.
Ad on YouTube
Similarly, YouTube video ads run before or during videos. If your product is more visually appealing and can be showcased in a short video, these ads could do better than their display counterparts.
3. Blending eCommerce With Social Commerce
Statista forecasts that social commerce will generate $8.5 trillion in revenue by 2030. As an eCommerce business owner, you need to jump on the social commerce bandwagon right now to reap the rewards later.
One way to accomplish this is to blend your eCommerce and social commerce experiences. Basically, you want to integrate your online store with your social media accounts.
For example, if you have the most followers on Instagram, you can add a Shop Now button to your profile. A user interested in your products can quickly access your product selection and make a purchase without leaving the app.
For example, Blue Layne Boutique on Instagram has a Shop option on their profile. When a user clicks on it, they are directed to the store's Instagram shop with the option to purchase products.
Shop option on Instagram
Similarly, you can add in-app checkout or upload shoppable stories. The key is to make the purchase process as quick and simple for the customer as possible.
Another option is to use shoppable videos in your content marketing. A lot of TikTok videos incorporate links to products in their videos, allowing users to shop while still being entertained.
4. Using Email Marketing to Minimize Abandoned Carts
We all do this thing where we fill our online shopping carts with products and then abandon them. So, it's natural that our customers do it, too.
Sometimes, they may just get distracted, but other times, it could be because of high shipping costs or hidden fees. Or, they may have just forgotten about it altogether.
Either way, you can send them email reminders to give them a little nudge about the checkout page. For example, you can send a reminder email.
Mention the products the customer left in their cart, along with similar or recommended products. Maybe the recommendations would catch their interest and lead to a purchase.
Casper does a great job in this regard. The company's clever subject line, ''Come back to bed,'' is enticing enough to make you click on the email.
Casper cart abandonment email
Then, they show you the product you left behind, along with a positive review from a previous customer about the same product.
Casper social proof in reminder emails
The social proof could be the push you need to press Buy.
You can also offer a discount or free shipping. Let's say a customer added a few products to cart a week ago. They didn't check out. Now, you have a sale going on, and some of those products are on sale.
Send them an email to inform them about the sale and remind them about the items in their cart. It could prompt them to make a purchase.
For example, Alex Mill sends reminder emails to customers with discounts. The discount acts as an incentive to drive the sale.
Alex Mill reminder email
5. Optimizing Websites for Mobile Shopping
In 2023, eCommerce sales made through mobile phones amounted to $1.7 trillion globally. The figure is projected to increase by 63% by 2028.
Also, mobile devices are the primary source of retail website traffic worldwide. About 80% of website traffic comes from mobile devices, and 66% of orders are also placed through them.
So, you must optimize your website for mobile shopping. Take notes from brands that are doing it well already.
For example, Shinola's mobile website has the following features:
- Easy-to-scroll highlights on product pages
- Product help pages at the bottom of the home page
Shinola website
Yeti is another good example. The brand's mobile website shows upsell options on product pages. Customers can also see color and size selections underneath the product images.
Yeti’s website
Plus, there's a chat option for quick query resolution. Each product page also shows customer reviews to aid decision-making.
Yeti’s website
Some other mobile-friendly features you can incorporate into your website include:
- Simplified navigation bar for easy browsing
- Large, clear product images that can be zoomed in by pinching
- Guest checkout option
- Optimized product images and descriptions for quick loading
- Hover-over buttons for product images
6. Using Influencers for Brand Reach
Nowadays, eCommerce digital marketing strategies can benefit immensely from using influencers to spread brand awareness.
Think of influencers as marketing powerhouses. They're makeup artists, set designers, videographers, photographers, and scriptwriters in one.
On top of that, they have a ready-made audience that trusts their word. So, partnering with influencers can give your brand a massive reach and credibility boost.
GymShark, a fitness apparel brand, works with TikTok fitness influencers like Sophe Allen to promote their products and offer discounts to customers.
@sopheallen GYMSHARK HAUL! For Black Friday ? showing you a few of my recent fav pieces, the fit & sizing. You can get up to 60% off selected styles @ Gymshark Black Friday sale! My affiliate link is in my bio. If you shop using it, it really supports me! Tysm - lmk if you have any questions xx #gymshark #gymsharkhaul #gymsharktryon @Gymshark ♬ original sound - Soph ?
They do the same on Instagram, partnering with both male and female athletes to showcase their products.
If you're a small business with a limited budget, don't worry. Influencer marketing is still within your range.
You don't have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars with influencers with multi-million followers. Instead, you can work with micro-influencers for more targeted campaigns and better ROI.
Micro-influencers typically have a smaller but highly engaged audience. The key is to look for one that's in your niche and has a similar target audience as your brand.
But how do you go about your influencer marketing campaigns? One, you can promote new products or collections through influencers.
Or you can also collaborate with them on product reviews and unboxing videos. Another option is to host an influencer event or trip where they get to experience your brand and products firsthand.
They can then share their experience with their followers and create buzz around your brand. Companies like Tarte Cosmetics use this strategy to launch new products.
Tarte Cosmetics Bora Bora influencer trip
7. Personalizing Emails and Recommendations
Gone are the days when customers were treated like mere numbers on a spreadsheet. Now that there are more options, customers want brands to understand their unique needs. eCommerce businesses that fail to do so risk losing customers to competitors who are able to provide a more personalized experience.
Big names like Amazon offer personalized recommendations to customers. They use data such as purchase history to decide which products the customer is likely to be interested in.
eCommerce businesses can also expand personalization to email marketing. Instead of starting with a ''Hi there'', use the customer's name and reference their past purchases.
Example:
''Hi, Cindy. We noticed you recently purchased a phone cover from our store. We thought you might also be interested in these matching pop sockets and phone charms. They are currently on sale for 20%.''
Such an email is more likely to work than something like this.
''Hi there! Check out our latest phone accessories on sale now.''
The good news is you don't have to personalize every email manually. Tools like Litmus do it for you.
Litmus email personalization tool
All you have to do is integrate your email marketing platform with the tool, and it will automatically pull data from your eCommerce site to create personalized emails. Besides the content, Litmus also personalizes images and recommendations to increase order value by 49% and click-through rate by 76%.
Mailchimp also lets you add dynamic content to your emails. You can create multiple versions of the same email and show the version that is most relevant to each customer based on your selected data points.
Mailchimp Dynamic Content
8. Devising a Content Marketing Plan
Every eCommerce digital marketing strategy should also include a content marketing side. This is where you use content (blogs, videos, images, etc.) to rank better in SERPs and connect with your target audience.
Your content can be:
- Images: Social media posts, infographics, product images, and image ads.
- Videos: Product demos, how-to guides, brand story videos, behind-the-scenes, and live streams.
- Blogs: How-tos, product reviews, product news, and updates.
- Guides/eBooks: Step-by-step manuals for using products.
- User-generated Content: Social media posts, testimonials, and reviews from satisfied customers.
Let's take Shopify as an example. The eCommerce platform has a strong presence on X, where they share polls, links, tweets, and images.
would you rather
— Shopify (@Shopify) March 13, 2024
They also have a content hub on their website. It consists of articles and guides that educate their target audience i.e., online store owners.
Shopify content hub
The company even has an Instagram account where they share user-generated content and inspirational posts. At the time of writing, Shopify's Instagram account has 1.3 million followers.
On YouTube, Shopify creates videos about eCommerce case studies and the platform's features.
As evident, the company leverages a blend of content types. No matter what their audience is interested in, they can find valuable content from Shopify on the platform of their choice.
How to Create an eCommerce Digital Marketing Strategy?
Let's break it down into steps.
Step 1: Decide Your Strategy's Purpose
First off, establish the goal of your strategy. Do you want to drive sales? Is your goal building brand awareness?
Some common objectives are:
- Increasing leads
- Building website traffic
- Boosting revenue
- Improving customer retention
- Generating sales
- Increasing form submissions
Don't stop at setting objectives. Next, set key performance indicators (KPIs) for each goal.
Goal: Increase leads by 10% in 6 months
KPI: Number of contacts captured through lead forms, customer acquisition cost, and engagement rate.
Goal: Boost web traffic by 25% in the first quarter of the year.
KPIs: Number of unique website visitors, page views, organic search traffic, and bounce rate
You can do the same with any other goal or objective. Make sure all your goals have a specific metric and timeline.
For example, if you want to drive sales, how many sales do you want to generate? In what time frame? A quantitative touch to your strategy allows effective performance monitoring and return on investment (ROI) tracking.
Step 2: Determine Who The Strategy Targets
A Chinese company targeting its local Gen Z population will have a strategy different from that of a Swiss brand tapping into the American middle-class market. How your strategy looks will depend on your target audience.
Build customer personas to know your target audience closely. Look for information like:
- Age
- Location
- Interests
- Online behavior
- Pain points
- Gender
- Occupation
- Spending habits
Example: Female, 35 years old, living in New York City, interested in travel and fashion, spends most of her time on social media, struggles with finding affordable yet stylish clothing options, works as a marketing manager and has a disposable income of $60,000 per year.
Step 3: Analyze the Market
Research is imperative to creating a successful digital marketing strategy. Some methods to gather data are focus groups, online research, interviews, feedback from previous campaigns, and competitor analysis.
Once you have this information at hand, analyze it to determine:
- Market Trends: Look at industry reports to understand the current and future trends in your market. For example, at Influencer Marketing Hub, we release annual reports for digital marketing, particularly influencer marketing and social media marketing.
- Customer Preferences: Conduct surveys to understand what your target audience prefers in terms of content, messaging, and channels.
- Pricing Strategies: The last thing you want is for your price to be too high or too low. While the former can lead to losing potential customers, the latter can lower your perceived value. Research and compare prices in your market to determine the best pricing strategy.
- Competitor Strategies: Check how your competitors are reaching your shared audience. Are they running Google Ads? Do they have a strong presence on social media? Take notes.
If you're not sure who your competitors are, run a quick Google search. Suppose you're a plus-size clothing brand in the US.
Search for the ''top plus-size clothing brands in the US.'' The brands that appear frequently in the results are your competitors.
Google search results
Local businesses can use Google's Local Search to find competitors. Simply type in your business category and location, and Google will display a list of relevant businesses.
Suppose you're a coffee shop in Chicago. Here are your competitors.
Local search results
Step 4: Select Your Channels and Strategies
Based on competitor analysis and audience preferences, you can now select the channels for digital marketing. For example, if your audience is mainly active on Instagram and prefers visual content, you should have a strong social media marketing strategy with a focus on Instagram.
The standard strategies are SEO, PPC, content marketing, email marketing, social media marketing, and influencer marketing.
After strategy selection, choose the channels. For example, if you want to tap into paid advertising, where do you want to focus? It could be Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, or all of them.
Similarly, for social media marketing, decide which channels to create content for. If you want to use influencer marketing, choose the social platform where you want to collaborate with influencers.
Step 5: Monitor Your Strategy
How you measure your strategy's performance will depend on the channels you've selected. For example, common metrics for social media marketing are:
- Engagement rates
- Reach and impressions
- Click-through rates (CTR)
For SEO, you can track your website's ranking on search engines and organic traffic. You can also measure the number of conversions or sales generated through PPC campaigns.
Act on whatever the metrics tell you. If things seem to be going well, do more of them.
But if you're not meeting the industry benchmark or your own goals, reassess your strategy. See where you can improve.
Conclusion
An eCommerce digital marketing strategy is an extensive process comprising multiple components. These include email, social media, influencer marketing, paid advertising, and more.
The strategy for your brand will be different from that of others. So, it's not a copy-and-paste solution.
Instead, learn about your audience and what they prefer. Then, create a strategy mix that caters to their preferences. Also, keep monitoring KPIs to gauge if your selected channels and strategies are delivering results.
Make changes wherever your strategy might be falling short. More importantly, keep experimenting and adapt to new trends and changes in the space.
