Co Media founder and CEO Lucas Cook discusses the five key ways brands can make the most of digital marketing and increase sales online.
In an environment where more and more consumers are buying online, it is essential for retail businesses selling online to ensure their websites and digital marketing strategies are properly optimised.
Every business is vying for a slice of the internet pie and presence is critical.
There are five key things businesses must focus on in order to increase online sales.
Where are your customers
Every platform has a different user demographic.
Understand who your customers are and then ensure your brand is present on the platforms/social media sites they use.
Experimenting can help, but working with an experienced digital marketing partner will help you to find the best place from day one.
They will assist you to craft your message and develop effective campaigns that reach your market and support effective conversion rates.
There are many different platforms including news sites, social media sites and many more.
What problem do your potential customers need solved
Everyone buys because they need or want something.
Find out what your customers' pain points are and offer a solution that encourages them to buy.
In digital marketing terms, this means you need to promote the key elements of your products or service that will hook the interest of customers.
Through digital marketing this can be done through campaigns, imagery, Google advertising, short form videos, sponsored content and more.
Retail is a very image-driven sector, so ensure you provide all the relevant images, footage and specifications that shoppers need in order to click 'buy'.
If delivery is important to your customers, ensure this is addressed upfront and your market edge is clearly explained.
Optimise your website
Google is like oxygen for online businesses. You need it to survive.
Make sure you optimise your website so you can convert everyone convertible.
Ensure your site is easily findable, is listed on all relevant directories and affiliate sites, contains all the right key words and performs at a high level.
Work out what kinds of terms and words people use to search for goods and services similar to yours and then build these terms into as much of your online presence as possible.
Make sure all your images are appropriately titled as well. Everything helps when it comes to optimisation.
Reduce friction
Websites not only need to be findable, they also need to be navigable.
Make the sales process on your website as simple and easy as possible.
Offer various payment options, include lots of reviews, structure the site so that users are only moving through a small number of steps before they reach the checkout.
Many sites look great, but are terrible to use.
The key to creating a highly performing website that sells things online is to ensure it is as simple as possible.
The slightest bit of friction, annoyance or difficulty can thwart a potential sale.
It seems online shoppers are impatient and can be a bit fickle.
Capture details
Sadly, only 3% of people in any given market are ready to buy.
The remaining 97% need some coaxing.
Squeeze pages or other methods of information capture or 'online stalking' are required to remind your potential customers about your business.
Ever wondered why, when you search home lighting all of a sudden you start getting pop up ads for home lighting in your social media and on Google when searching for anything else online?
Cookies are real and they are important.
Offer landing pages that provide new customers with great incentives help to build databases quickly.
Databases enable you to send offers and other sales information to potential customers for minimal cost.
Digital marketing can be a complex science, but the fundamentals are simple.
Be everywhere your potential clients are and make the purchase process as enticing and easy as possible.
As someone who started my business journey with a successful clothing business, I understand the innate challenges of marketing for retail, especially fashion.