Ecommerce marketing uses promotional tactics to attract new customers to your store, convert them into paying customers, and encourage them to return for future purchases to increase retention.<\/p>\n
Ecommerce marketers use many channels to attract website visitors, including email and social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and pay-per-click (PPC).<\/p>\n
For example, a clothing store might promote a Fourth of July sale through an email campaign to its customer and subscriber lists. They could then retarget those audiences through Facebook Ads to improve conversion rates.<\/p>\n
A\u00a0multichannel strategy<\/a>\u00a0allows ecommerce marketers to reach a wider audience and drive as much traffic as possible to their online stores. That creates a seamless customer experience across all paid and organic channels.<\/p>\n Ecommerce advertising is a subset of ecommerce marketing.<\/p>\n Ecommerce marketing includes product promotion strategies and tactics<\/p>\n Ecommerce advertising refers to paid product promotion on digital advertising platforms. For example, display,\u00a0banner<\/a>, or\u00a0rich media ads<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ecommerce advertising is part of a holistic multichannel marketing strategy, which considers all aspects of the customer journey.<\/p>\n This approach aligns marketing channels like social media, email, SEO, and advertising to create a consistent and integrated experience.<\/p>\n Ecommerce marketing encompasses a wide range of channels like:<\/p>\n Email is a tried-and-true ecommerce marketing tool. It drives\u00a0an average ROI (return on investment)<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0$36 for every dollar spent<\/a>. That\u2019s higher than any other channel.<\/p>\n Marketers use email marketing<\/a>\u00a0to promote products or services, connect with customers, motivate purchases, and encourage retention across the\u00a0customer journey<\/a>.<\/p>\n For example,\u00a0& Other Stories<\/a>, a fashion brand, uses email marketing to promote new styles, share inspiring stories to engage their subscribers, and offer exclusive deals and promotions.<\/p>\n You can set up a reliable campaign quickly with email service providers like\u00a0Intercom<\/a>,\u00a0ActiveCampaign<\/a>, and\u00a0ConvertKit<\/a>.<\/p>\n Marketers use content marketing to attract and retain a specific audience by producing valuable and relevant content, establishing topical authority, and driving qualified leads to stores.<\/p>\n \u201cContent\u201d can take the form of blog posts, white papers, case studies, videos, podcasts, downloadable templates, and more.<\/p>\n Given the many content types available, you need a concrete strategy for each one.<\/p>\n Once you have a\u00a0content marketing strategy<\/a>, tools like Semrush\u2019s\u00a0Topic Research<\/a>\u00a0tool,\u00a0Keyword Gap Analysis<\/a>, and\u00a0On Page SEO Checker<\/a>\u00a0can help you find ideas, identify gaps with competitors, audit existing content, and track performance.<\/p>\n Learn more about how marketers use content marketing strategies in our\u00a0State of Content Marketing: 2023 Global Report.<\/a><\/p>\n Ecommerce SEO<\/a>\u00a0improves your site\u2019s visibility and search engine rankings to drive sustainable organic traffic to your store.<\/p>\n That includes optimizing\u00a0product pages<\/a>, category pages, meta tags, building\u00a0high-quality backlinks<\/a>, and\u00a0creating quality content<\/a>.<\/p>\n The foundation of any SEO strategy is a solid understanding of which search terms\u2014or keywords\u2014your target audience is using to find the products you offer.<\/p>\n For example, suppose you sell artisanal teas, and someone in your area searches for \u201cbuy artisanal tea brands\u201d on Google. In that case, if your store is optimized for the term, it may appear first in the SERP (search engine results page), increasing the likelihood of a user clicking through to your website and potentially making a purchase.<\/p>\n Using Semrush\u2019s\u00a0Keyword Magic Tool<\/a>, you can identify your target keywords and begin implementing SEO strategies that have long-term business benefits.<\/p>\n Social media marketing uses platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to promote a brand, product, or service, build customer relationships, and drive ecommerce site traffic or sales.<\/p>\n Social media marketing includes tactics like:<\/p>\n Some ecommerce brands use social media marketing to promote their mission. Tentree, a clothing company,\u00a0leans into its message through social media posts<\/a>.<\/p>\n Although this post doesn\u2019t promote Tentree\u2019s products, it highlights its eco-friendly mission, which can attract and engage its socially conscious target audience.<\/p>\n Semrush\u2019s\u00a0Social Media Dashboard<\/a>\u00a0allows you to run competitor analysis, create and plan content, and track messages and performance through analytical insights.<\/p>\n Advertisers who use this method pay each time a user clicks on one of their ads displayed on search engines or social media platforms.<\/p>\n Ecommerce businesses use PPC ads to drive traffic to their website while using PPC platforms to target specific customer demographics.<\/p>\n Google Ads<\/a>\u00a0is one of the most popular PPC ad platforms. It enables ecommerce businesses to create paid search ads related to their products or services that appear on the SERPs.<\/p>\n When people search for a keyword like \u201cbest microwave,\u201d many sponsored text and shopping ads appear:<\/p>\n To gain the top paid search spot, businesses bid on specific keywords by setting the maximum amount they\u2019re willing to pay any time someone clicks their ad.<\/p>\n Google uses many factors to determine Ad Rank and placement in the SERPs, which you can read about\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Shopping ads also showcase products directly in the SERPs using images, giving customers a glimpse of the product before they click on the ad.<\/p>\n Use tools like\u00a0Google for Retail<\/a>\u00a0to share product listings, connect with shoppers, and create PPC ads.<\/p>\n With a\u00a0Merchant Center<\/a>\u00a0account, you can list your business on Google for free, get personalized insights, and boost sales. You can also link to\u00a0ecommerce platforms<\/a>\u00a0like Shopify.<\/p>\n Finally, goal-based\u00a0Performance Max<\/a>\u00a0campaigns allow you to track and reach conversion goals.<\/p>\n Each of these tools will help you succeed in ecommerce marketing.<\/p>\n Ecommerce businesses can target a concentrated area by implementing\u00a0local marketing tactics.<\/a><\/p>\n For example, a fashion retailer could use local marketing to promote a flash sale on winter coats to customers in colder regions.<\/p>\n The North Face<\/a>\u00a0used weather-based targeting in their women’s hiking ads, displaying different versions based on the weather conditions in the viewer’s region.<\/p>\n Users in colder regions saw the pullover hoodie ad, while users in warmer regions saw the tank top ad.<\/p>\n Local ecommerce marketing uses strategies like website optimization, tools like Google Business Profile, local citations, backlinks, and positive reviews.<\/p>\n Google’s\u00a0local search algorithm<\/a>\u00a0ranks the business’s relevance, distance, and prominence in search results.<\/p>\n Ecommerce marketing drives new and repeat customers through tailored campaigns that you can implement using appropriate tools. Regardless of the size of your business.<\/p>\n Here are 25 ecommerce marketing strategies to help you, organized by type.<\/p>\n Despite the rise of social media and other digital channels, email marketing still has the potential to increase a business\u2019 bottom line significantly.<\/p>\n Diana Carter, founder of Carter House Copy,\u00a0saw a return of over $1,000<\/a>\u00a0for a client from a single email campaign.<\/p>\n Implementing intentional and strategic tactics can help businesses create email campaigns that engage and convert audiences.<\/p>\n Almost\u00a060% of consumers<\/a>\u00a0say marketing emails influence their purchase decisions, so this platform has significant potential to drive ecommerce sales and grow your customer base.<\/p>\n Platforms like\u00a0Mailchimp<\/a>,\u00a0Constant Contact<\/a>, and\u00a0Campaign Monitor<\/a>\u00a0provide you with tools to design, send, and track your campaigns. A CRM (customer relationship management) software platform like\u00a0Salesforce<\/a>,\u00a0Pipedrive<\/a>, or\u00a0Hubspot<\/a>\u00a0can also help you manage customer data, track lead interactions, and create targeted email campaigns.<\/p>\n Email marketing campaigns encourage direct contact between your company and its clientele. Customized emails provide a more personal reach than social media.<\/p>\n Several methods can help improve your odds and increase audience engagement, including:<\/p>\n For example, in this promotional email, Uncle Jack\u2019s offered customers a \u201cChristmas in July\u201d discount for ugly Christmas sweaters:<\/p>\n Providing personalized content and offers helps businesses foster relationships with current customers and drive online sales growth.<\/p>\n Segmented email campaigns have a\u00a0100.95% higher click rate<\/a>\u00a0than non-segmented ones, making them the cream of the email marketing strategy.<\/p>\n Hypersegmentation takes it further by creating different campaigns for different segments.<\/p>\n While hypersegmentation may result in even higher engagement metrics, such as click-through rates, it\u2019s not right for every business.<\/p>\n For smaller audiences and teams, hypersegmentation may not be the best use of resources and may result in lower revenue.<\/p>\n Kasey Luck, Founder of Luck & Co,\u00a0urges marketers to consider:\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Small businesses with limited resources should consider hypersegmentation\u2019s ROI carefully.<\/p>\n Suppose you have two marketers responsible for an email list of 20,000 people. Hypersegmenting every email campaign could mean you only reach a segment of 4\u2013500 people.<\/p>\n While you may achieve a 5\u201310% click-through rate, your total revenue from these campaigns may be lower than if you sent emails to a wider audience.<\/p>\n Instead, smaller teams should focus on traditional email segmentation and put additional resources toward other marketing campaign goals.<\/p>\n Email pop-ups don\u2019t capture visitors like other methods, but they can still work.<\/p>\n One\u00a0study<\/a>\u00a0of 80,000 businesses found that\u00a0pop-up forms had a 2-3 % conversion rate<\/a>.<\/p>\n Since some pop-ups intrude on the user experience, ecommerce marketers should try tactics like:<\/p>\n Always consider the user experience by limiting interruptions to browsing.<\/p>\n The Influencer Marketing Factory\u00a0found that 40%<\/a>\u00a0of people prefer online shopping, while only 13% prefer in-store shopping.<\/p>\n With more people using social media to discover and buy products, social media platforms are adding shopping features.<\/p>\n TikTok recently introduced a feature allowing brands to add links to products in videos. Users can click on the link to buy the product without leaving the app, offering a frictionless purchase process.<\/p>\n UGC is any content created by unpaid contributors or fans of a brand, product, or service. For example, when a person posts photos or videos on social media using your product and tags your brand.<\/p>\n UGC can add social proof by showing how real people benefit from your products or services. Consumers are\u00a02.4 times more likely to say UGC is authentic<\/a>\u00a0compared to brand-created content.<\/p>\n That can translate to more sales.<\/p>\n Modcloth<\/a>, an online retailer, has a #MyModCloth section on its homepage featuring customers wearing and styling their items in real-life situations.<\/p>\n Modcloth incentivizes people to post outfits on their social profiles.<\/p>\n Influencers on social media can help promote your products or services while using their following and credibility to reach new customers and increase brand awareness.<\/p>\n You pay them to promote products through incentives like free products, lifetime discounts, and fees.<\/p>\n Hubspot found that\u00a01 in 4 marketers<\/a>\u00a0currently use influencer marketing, with\u00a072% of Gen Z and Millennials<\/a>\u00a0following them on social media.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s\u00a0an example<\/a>\u00a0of a sponsored post on Instagram:<\/p>\n And with more in-app shopping features on popular channels like Instagram and TikTok, users can buy directly from the app, simplifying the purchase process and encouraging them to stay on your profile.<\/p>\n Live and virtual events offer a more personal and interactive experience, allowing businesses to connect with their customers in new ways.<\/p>\n You can use them to:<\/p>\n Live and virtual events also create a sense of exclusivity and community among customers, which helps build loyalty to your brand.<\/p>\n Video marketing is an engaging and memorable way for audiences to connect to your brand and better understand your product offerings. You can also use video marketing for PPC campaigns.<\/p>\n Google found relevant video ads\u00a0get three times more attention than generic ones<\/a>.<\/p>\n Consider using video marketing to teach about your product or services. Because\u00a07 in 10 people feel empowered<\/a>, motivated, or confident after learning something new from a Youtube video.<\/p>\n For example, Nespresso made\u00a0this video<\/a>\u00a0to market its new Pixie coffee machine:<\/p>\n Video marketing helps establish your brand as an expert, so you can become the leading authority in your ecommerce industry.<\/p>\n Partnering with guest bloggers drives traffic to your website and can further establish your brand as an authority in your ecommerce industry.<\/p>\n It works like this:<\/p>\n First, find bloggers with an audience interested in your niche or products through Google searches or social media platforms.<\/p>\n Then, reach out to them with a pitch for a guest post. For example, a formalwear brand could feature a blog about Kentucky Derby fashion in the beginning of May.<\/p>\n You can flesh out details like topic, deadline, and compensation. Then provide the blogger with your brand\u2019s editorial guidelines and tone of voice.<\/p>\n Also, allow them to include a link to their website or social media profile in their author bio.<\/p>\n Once the post goes up, promote it on your social media channels and newsletter to increase visibility.<\/p>\n Then rinse and repeat to keep your blog fresh and attract new readers.<\/p>\n Collaborating with guest bloggers also gives valuable\u00a0backlinks<\/a>\u00a0to your website. Backlinks from authoritative pages are a vote of confidence, signaling to search engines that you have valuable content. They\u2019re also a ranking factor.<\/p>\n Tools like Semrush\u2019s\u00a0Backlink Analytics<\/a>\u00a0can help you evaluate and compare link profiles between you and your competitors.<\/p>\n Out-of-stock inventory can lead to lost sales and unhappy customers.<\/p>\n According to data from Statista,\u00a058% of online shoppers<\/a>\u00a0in the United States felt that out-of-stock issues impacted their shopping behaviors.<\/p>\n One way to prevent out-of-stock inventory is to use\u00a0inventory management software<\/a>\u00a0like\u00a0ShipBob<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Zoho<\/a>. They help businesses track inventory levels in real time. This way, you can identify when your products run low and reorder them before they run out of stock.<\/p>\n Another strategy is to use an app like\u00a0Back in Stock<\/a>\u00a0for Shopify. These apps notify customers when out-of-stock products become available.<\/p>\n Common advice is to send your first message within\u00a030 minutes<\/a>\u00a0of the cart abandonment.<\/p>\n But James Laurain, Head of Growth at Aampe Marketing,\u00a0researched the probability of purchase<\/a>\u00a0and found that sending a message pointing to a specific item (blue dotted line) was more effective than most other strategies.<\/p>\n He also found that abandoned cart messages converted a full 3.5 days after customers viewed a product by optimizing the timing and messaging.<\/p>\n The key is finding out when someone is most likely to respond, which requires testing and refining your messaging strategies over time.<\/p>\n A\u00a0survey conducted<\/a>\u00a0by the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) found that the primary action taken by internet users after seeing an ad was looking for information on a search engine.<\/p>\n That gives marketers an opportunity to optimize their digital marketing campaigns with targeted search engine ads.<\/p>\n PPC ads enable you to customize the ad’s message and the audience. By targeting specific demographics and interests to ensure you show your ads to the right people at the right time.<\/p>\n For example, a luxury watch business can create a PPC campaign targeting individuals interested in high-end timepieces who recently searched for related keywords or visited similar websites.<\/p>\n Using targeting options like geographic location, age, gender, and even device type, the business can ensure its ads display to the right people at the right time.<\/p>\n Retargeting involves showing ads to people who have already interacted with your business.<\/p>\n The idea is these customers are more likely to buy because they\u2019re familiar with your brand and products.<\/p>\n Use social media platform ads on Facebook and Instagram to target audiences based on their interests, behaviors, and demographics.<\/p>\n Businesses can also retarget through Google Ads and other search engines. By targeting users who previously searched for relevant keywords or visited specific pages on the website, they have a better chance of converting these potential customers.<\/p>\n One way to create urgency and provide useful information to your customers is to display an item\u2019s stock levels if they are in high demand or close to selling out.<\/p>\n This tactic can also combat cart abandonment by creating a sense of scarcity and prompting customers to make a quick decision.<\/p>\n J Crew<\/a>\u00a0displays stock levels when products are close to selling out.<\/p>\n This feature isn\u2019t distracting. What\u2019s more, it provides extra motivation for customers to complete the purchase.<\/p>\n You can also use this tactic on your cart page as a final nudge to customers.<\/p>\n Using chatbots and live chat makes your product more personalized and engaging. Tidio found that\u00a062% of consumers would rather<\/a>\u00a0talk to a chatbot than a human agent.<\/p>\n Most chatbot services can store general information about users, like their names and email addresses. That can help your ecommerce storeretarget customers.<\/p>\n Integrating chatbots into your support strategy can enhance customer satisfaction and improve your marketing efforts.<\/p>\n Scarcity drives demand.<\/p>\n Demonstrating how many other users are interested in the same product can influence customer perception of the product\u2019s value.<\/p>\n It also creates a sense of urgency to drive them toward a purchase.<\/p>\n Clothing brand\u00a0Madewell<\/a>\u00a0displays how many people added the item to their bag in the last seven days, which helps add value to the product and motivates buyers.<\/p>\n Successful product descriptions speak to the customer\u2019s needs, pain points, and concerns.<\/p>\n When writing descriptions, focus on your product\u2019s benefits and how it can motivate a change in customer behavior.<\/p>\n Glossier<\/a>\u00a0balances its product descriptions by providing detailed information while also speaking the language of its customers.<\/p>\n Read reviews of your products to see how customers talk about them. If common questions occur in the comments, address them in the description.<\/p>\n Offering your customers alternative products to the one they\u2019re viewing can encourage them to continue interacting and engaging with your ecommerce website.<\/p>\n That\u2019s preferable to them seeking out competitors for comparison shopping.<\/p>\n The Good, a conversion rate optimization company, calls this \u201cThe Etsy Test<\/a>.\u201d\u00a0Etsy<\/a>\u00a0displays similar products above the fold of the product a customer is viewing.<\/p>\n Notice how they add the number of items left in the cart to demonstrate additional scarcity.<\/p>\n This tactic is especially effective for brands that run Google Shopping ads because people who land on a site from a Google listing may be comparison shopping.<\/p>\n Adding a \u201cSimilar Items\u201d section encourages shoppers to stay on your site even if the product they found isn\u2019t quite right for their needs.<\/p>\n Showing complementary products or add-ons is a great way to keep shoppers returning.<\/p>\n The probability of selling a product to an existing customer is\u00a060\u201370%<\/a>, while the probability of selling to a new customer is 5\u201320%.<\/p>\n Also, cross-selling accounts for\u00a035% of Amazon\u2019s revenue<\/a>, showing it\u2019s a highly effective sales technique.<\/p>\n You can cross-sell and upsell at three key points in the sales funnel:<\/p>\n One strategy is to offer product bundles that expose customers to new products. By grouping smaller, complementary products, shoppers may be willing to pay more because they also receive more.<\/p>\n Madewell<\/a>\u00a0adds a \u201cYou Might Also Love\u201d section to its product pages to show items that complement one another (like an outfit) and encourage bundling.<\/p>\n The page title and meta description are usually the first elements users see when they search for a keyword. They may determine whether or not users click or skip your page.<\/p>\n We recommend following these recommendations:<\/p>\n In this example,\u00a0Outbrain<\/a>\u00a0uses a clear SEO title and meta description that shows readers what they\u2019ll learn if they click on the article.<\/p>\n Tools like\u00a0Semrush\u2019s Topic Research tool<\/a>\u00a0help you look up successful headlines that searchers click on related to your topic.<\/p>\n Read more about\u00a0how to write effective meta descriptions<\/a>\u00a0to get people to click on your page.<\/p>\n Internal and external links can improve the SEO performance of your website.<\/p>\n Internal linking helps establish a page hierarchy on your website, indicating which pages are most important and relevant to search engines.<\/p>\n For example, hyperlinking text to a blog post helps your audience find related content and encourages them to stay on your site.<\/p>\n External links lead readers to high-quality, authoritative content on another website. When you add external links, make sure the links open in another tab so people can explore without losing their place in your content.<\/p>\n Read more about\u00a0how to build an effective internal linking strategy<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0some of our best external linking practices.<\/a><\/p>\n Audits can uncover overlooked issues like broken links, orphaned pages, or slow load times so you can address them without harming the user experience.<\/p>\n Semrush\u2019s Site Audit Tool<\/a>\u00a0lets you conduct comprehensive site audits quickly, identifying and addressing any issues impacting your website’s performance.<\/p>\n First, create a project and set up the audit.\u00a0This article<\/a>\u00a0will guide you through the steps.<\/p>\n Once the audit is complete, you\u2019ll see issues divided into three categories:\u00a0Errors<\/strong>,\u00a0Warnings<\/strong>, and\u00a0Notices<\/strong>. That will help you prioritize your fixes.<\/p>\n Semrush breaks out the problems by type, like crawlability, on-page SEO, or overall site performance. Some are easy to fix, while others are more complex.<\/p>\n Luckily, Semrush offers an explanation and \u201chow to\u201d guide for each problem. Just click \u201cWhy and how to fix it\u201d next to the issue name.<\/p>\n Learn more about\u00a0how to conduct comprehensive SEO audits<\/a>\u00a0on your site.<\/p>\n If you want users to find your content, it has to provide the\u00a0exact<\/strong>\u00a0information<\/strong>\u00a0they want.<\/p>\n For example, someone searching for “how to choose the right running shoes” wants to learn more about different types of running shoes.<\/p>\n Someone searching for \u201cnike pegasus running shoes\u201d is looking to buy.<\/p>\n Here are some tips to help you match search intent with your content:<\/p>\n Understanding\u00a0search intent<\/a>\u00a0helps you create relevant and useful content that meets the needs of your target audience.<\/p>\n Having a clean URL structure can help search engines understand your webpage and provide you with a more user-friendly appearance in the SERPs.<\/p>\n Effective URLs should:<\/p>\n Read more about\u00a0how to structure URLs in our guide.<\/a><\/p>\n Analyzing your competitors\u2019 websites can provide valuable insights into their strategies and highlight areas they may need to improve.<\/p>\n You can use the\u00a0Market Explorer tool<\/a>\u00a0to track your main competitors and the\u00a0Keyword Gap analyzer<\/a>\u00a0to compare organic keywords to your competitors.<\/p>\nEcommerce Marketing vs Ecommerce Advertising<\/h3>\n
Types of Ecommerce Marketing<\/h2>\n
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\u042d\u043b. \u043f\u043e\u0447\u0442\u0430<\/h3>\n
Content Marketing<\/h3>\n
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)<\/h3>\n
Social Media<\/h3>\n
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Pay-Per-Click (PPC)<\/h3>\n
Local<\/h3>\n
26 Successful Ecommerce Strategies to Get You Results<\/h2>\n
Email Marketing Strategies<\/h3>\n
1. Nurture Email Leads<\/h4>\n
2. Customize Your Email Campaigns<\/h4>\n
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3. Exercise caution with hypersegmentation<\/h4>\n
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4. Capture more email subscribers with strategic pop-ups<\/h4>\n
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Social Media Marketing Strategies<\/h3>\n
5. Add shopping profiles<\/h4>\n
6. Lean into user-generated content (UGC)<\/h4>\n
7. Collaborate with influencers<\/h4>\n
8. Host live and virtual events<\/h4>\n
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Content Marketing Strategies<\/h3>\n
9. Use video marketing<\/h4>\n
10. Collaborate with guest bloggers<\/h4>\n
Cart Recovery Strategies<\/h3>\n
11. Prevent Out-of-Stock Inventory<\/h4>\n
12. Abandoned Cart Messaging<\/h4>\n
Pay-Per-Click Strategies<\/h3>\n
13. Run PPC campaigns<\/h4>\n
14. Retarget your customers<\/h4>\n
Website Optimization Strategies<\/h3>\n
15. Show inventory on your product pages<\/h4>\n
16. Use chatbots for sale promotion<\/h4>\n
17. Show your customers other interested users<\/h4>\n
18. Write product descriptions from the customer\u2019s point of view<\/h4>\n
19. Feature similar products<\/h4>\n
20. Cross-sell or upsell<\/h4>\n
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SEO Strategies<\/h3>\n
21. Optimize page titles and meta descriptions<\/h4>\n
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22. Use internal and external links<\/h4>\n
23. Conduct regular site-wide audits<\/h4>\n
24. Match search intent with your content<\/h4>\n
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25. Incorporate the primary keyword in your URL<\/h4>\n
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26. Study the competition<\/h4>\n