WebProNews

Category: EcommerceMarketing

EcommerceMarketing

  • Google Brings ‘Retail Search’ to Cloud Customers

    Google Brings ‘Retail Search’ to Cloud Customers

    Google is expanding its cloud services, bringing Retail Search to its clients in an effort to help them provide the best experience to their own customers.

    One of the biggest issues online shoppers face is finding the products they’re interested in. This can especially be apparent when comparing retail platform search capabilities with the Google Search features customers have become accustomed to.

    Google Cloud is now bringing the power of its search to retail clients, with Retail Search, which the company unveiled in a blog.

    This fully managed service is easily customizable, enabling organizations to craft shopper-focused search experiences. Our site search solution builds upon decades of Google’s experience and innovation in search indexing, retrieval, and ranking. Retailers can make product discovery even easier for shoppers, while optimizing for their business goals with advanced capabilities

    Retail Search gives clients the ability to offer advanced query understanding, meaning customers will have better success finding what they’re looking for even with the broadest of search terms. The service also includes semantic search, which matches product attributes with relevant products.

    Customers are already seeing the benefit of Retail Search.

    “With limited customer signals and no historical data, descriptive long-tail searches are some of the most challenging queries to understand,” said Neelima Sharma, senior vice president, technology, e-commerce, marketing and merchandising at Lowe’s. “We have been partnering with Google Cloud to give our customers relevant results for long-tail searches and have seen an increase in click-through and search conversion and a drop in our ‘No Results Found’ rate since we launched.”

    Google Cloud customers interested in learning more can visit Discovery Solutions for Retail or contact their Google Cloud field sales representative.

  • eCommerce Email Marketing: Why Do You Need It?

    eCommerce Email Marketing: Why Do You Need It?

    eCommerce email marketing is one of the earliest forms of internet advertising, and studies show that it’s still just as effective today. Social media advertising may be new, flashy, and appealing to younger audiences, but when choosing between an eCommerce email marketing agency and a social media marketing agency, there are a few other factors to consider. Emails have been a tried and true method of marketing for a long time and are trusted by many generations of consumers. While social media allows for more creative expression in terms of graphics, gifs, and video—as well as the interactive nature of comments—social platforms like Instagram are quickly becoming oversaturated with ads. Not all of these ads are trustworthy or legitimate, and it’s not infrequent for scam ads to appear on social feeds.

    Partially due to the increasing scams and oversaturation of ads on social media, eCommerce email marketing is many consumers’ preferred form of advertising. While you do want to use marketing mediums that fit your team members’ expertise, your consumers are the ones who are ultimately exposed to the finished product. Moreover, if you or your team members are struggling considerably with writing creative email copy, it may be worthwhile to invest in an eCommerce email marketing agency. But why is email marketing such a preferred advertising method by employees and consumers alike? What makes it superior?

    What is the Difference Between eCommerce Email Marketing and E-Marketing?

    Before exploring the ways in which eCommerce email marketing can improve your business, it’s essential to understand what eCommerce email marketing does. Any company can use email marketing—that is, sending product information or ads for new products via email. It’s becoming increasingly rarer for a store to have a physical shop without an online shop, but those stores that do can still make sure of email marketing. If you have a business, you can send out marketing emails. Similarly, if you have an online store, you can send out eCommerce marketing emails. This means that a non-profit can use email marketing but not eCommerce email marketing. E-Marketing, on the other hand, refers to any online marketing medium, including social media platforms and email. eCommerce email marketing can include general emails about upcoming sales in an online shop or emails that are tailored to a shopper and the items in their cart.

    Consumer Control

    Unlike social media marketing, email marketing allows consumers more control over the advertisements, coupons, and deals that they receive. Because consumers are required to subscribe to your company’s mailing list or newsletter in order to receive emails from you, consumers are less likely to receive emails from brands that they don’t know and trust. Any scam emails are directed to spam, and consumers have the freedom to unsubscribe from a mailing list in order to stop receiving product information.

    More Trustworthy

    While it may seem counterintuitive to allow consumers to stop receiving product information from your company, it is imperative to win their trust. In fact, 77% of consumers prefer to receive marketing information via email. It makes sense that emails are the most trustworthy. We’re already using our email addresses for work and networking so it feels professional whereas social media ads are fun, but a little too casual to be legitimate. Email marketing feels trustworthy and professional, but how can it work for your business? How do you ensure that your emails are being opened and your content consumed?

    High Open Rates and ROI

    It’s more likely than you think that consumers will open your marketing emails. According to Forbes, 65% of small businesses report that between 11 and 50% of their marketing emails are opened. It’s easy to track open rates using tools like Cirrus Insight. Even if a customer doesn’t open your email as soon as they receive it, there is a potential that they may do so later. Social media posts, on the other hand, disappear as soon as someone refreshes their feed—meaning they might never even see it. It’s also hard to beat the price and return on investment of marketing emails.

    Forbes tells us that you earn $42 for every dollar you spend, and most email marketing campaigns cost very little. You might find that your open and click-through rates become even higher when you put effort into the design and layout of your emails. As long as you don’t flood your consumers’ inboxes (40% of small businesses send marketing emails weekly while 30% send them at least once a month), your clients are sure to appreciate a thoughtfully made email with memorable colors and graphics. Cleverly worded subject lines that include slang and emojis are especially popular with more “hip” brands like skincare lines and fashion companies.

    Conclusion

    Even with the rise of social media, eCommerce email marketing is still a trustworthy form of marketing—and, in fact, one that is usually preferred by consumers. The return on investment and ease of content creation makes email marketing a no-brainer for your next campaign.

  • The Growing Importance of Supply Chain Visibility (SCV) in Ecommerce

    The Growing Importance of Supply Chain Visibility (SCV) in Ecommerce

    Supply chain visibility (SCV) is the ability to track and monitor a product or shipment from its origin to its destination. This allows businesses to stay informed on their shipments’ progress, anticipate delays, and make adjustments if needed.

    With eCommerce growth continuing at an exponential rate, supply chain visibility has become increasingly important for companies looking to remain competitive in today’s digital marketplace. Not only do businesses need to meet customer demands for fast delivery times, but they also need to manage costs, minimize losses, and ensure security. 

    Be that as it may, only 65% of companies are able to report full visibility across their supply chains, and 43% of small businesses are not tracking inventory levels at all. With economic uncertainty on the horizon and customer expectations at an all-time high, now is the time to invest in supply chain visibility so you don’t find yourself falling behind while your competition sails away with their loyal customers.

    Benefits of Supply Chain Visibility for Ecommerce Businesses

    There are a multitude of benefits to be realized through the implementation of supply chain visibility in eCommerce. These include:

    Improved customer satisfaction and loyalty

    The more visibility you have into your own supply chain, the better equipped you are to anticipate customer needs and deliver products in a timely manner. With improved visibility, eCommerce businesses can increase customer satisfaction by reducing their response times, improving delivery accuracy, and providing customers with real-time updates about the status of their orders. This helps foster greater loyalty from customers, which in turn increases the likelihood of repeat business.

    Reduced costs associated with inventory management

    “Knowing inventory costs is extremely important because they affect the majority of decisions one makes as a retailer,” explains Abir Syed, co-founder of UpCounting, an eCommerce accounting firm.

    Unsurprisingly, inventory management is the single largest expense for eCommerce businesses. For every dollar a US retailer generates through revenue, they have $1.35 tied up in inventory. As such, being able to accurately track and monitor inventory levels is essential for minimizing losses and maximizing efficiency.

    By leveraging supply chain visibility technology, businesses can reduce the amount of inventory they need to keep in stock and their associated costs. This can be achieved through better forecasting and planning, more precise order fulfillment processes, and improved inventory accuracy.

    Increased efficiency and speed of delivery

    Knowing where products are throughout their journey allows businesses to better plan and adjust for delays, ensuring customers get their items as quickly as possible. Supply chain visibility also facilitates increased collaboration between all parties involved in the delivery process, allowing for a transparent and overall more efficient supply chain.

    Enhanced flexibility and scalability in supply chains

    As the demands of customers and markets shift, businesses need to be able to quickly adjust their supply chains accordingly. With supply chain visibility, businesses can quickly adapt to changing conditions, such as unexpected spikes in demand or supply disruptions. This increased flexibility and scalability of the supply chain is essential for businesses to remain competitive and responsive. This scalability also benefits businesses as they grow and expand into new markets. 

    Increased control over returns management 

    Returns are an unavoidable part of eCommerce and managing them can be difficult. Supply chain visibility gives businesses the ability to track a returned item as it moves through the supply chain and make adjustments to minimize losses. This includes tracking returned items on their journey back to the supplier, identifying potential issues and quickly resolving any discrepancies.

    Challenges of Implementing Supply Chain Visibility

    While the benefits of supply chain visibility are clear, there are still some challenges associated with its implementation. These include:

    Establishing and maintaining relationships with suppliers

    Before any supply chain visibility technology can be deployed, businesses need to build relationships with their suppliers. This requires open communication and collaboration between all parties involved, as well as a certain level of trust.

    “When it comes to choosing partners, it’s wise to do some research to ensure the best deal possible while emphasizing transparency and flexibility. This is invaluable during times of frequent supply chain disruption,” explains Roei Yellin, Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer of 8fig, a planning and funding platform for eCommerce companies. 

    “Sellers shouldn’t be afraid to negotiate for a better deal and they should make sure that communication is open and honest. This is true of suppliers, 3PLs (third-party logistics providers) and any other partners brought in to help manage the supply chain,” concludes Yellin.

    Complexity of the supply chain and data formats

    Securing buy-in from all parties and managing the data exchange between different organizations is challenging. Not only do various supply chain participants have differing needs and processes, they also use different systems. Unifying these systems and ensuring harmonious data exchange can be difficult.

    To overcome this, businesses need to create a single source of truth that all supply chain participants can work from. This means creating common protocols and standards that all parties are comfortable with and can adhere to, and potentially leveraging a third-party solution to manage the data exchange.

    Costs associated with technology and infrastructure

    The technology and infrastructure required for supply chain visibility can be costly. Businesses need to invest in the right hardware, software, and people to ensure that the system is secure and effective.

    Fortunately, there are solutions to this issue. RFID and code-based tracking solutions, in particular, are relatively inexpensive and easy to implement. Companies such as Scurri allow you to easily create a single bar code for all carriers, as well as a reporting dashboard that gives you full control over your operations with actionable insights. 

    Cybersecurity concerns

    Data is the lifeblood of supply chain visibility and ensuring its security is paramount. However, supply chains are coming under increasing attack from hackers and malicious actors, making them vulnerable to data theft and manipulation.

    In fact, 97% of organizations say they have experienced the negative consequences of a supply chain cyber breach within their operations, demonstrating just how prevalent these attacks have become.

    As such, businesses need to ensure that they have the appropriate protocols in place to protect their data from cyber-attacks. This includes using secure networks and encryption, as well as regularly auditing system access and usage. Multichannel cyber security solutions, such as VMware, can also be of great help in mitigating cyber risks.

    Conclusion

    Supply chain visibility is becoming increasingly important in today’s volatile and highly competitive marketplace. However, if businesses are to reap the full benefits of a visible supply chain, they must first overcome the various challenges associated with implementation.

    Ultimately, with careful planning, a comprehensive approach to risk management, and the right technology in place, businesses can ensure that their supply chain visibility efforts are successful and that they remain agile and competitive in the long run. 

  • 5 Best Tips To Improve eCommerce User Experience

    5 Best Tips To Improve eCommerce User Experience

    With the increasing competition in the eCommerce market, it has become challenging to keep the clients interested long enough to make the sale.

    Around two billion people purchase goods or services online. In fact, by 2025, world eCommerce sales are likely to exceed $7.3 trillion.

    Moreover, there are around 12-24 million online stores globally. However, only 6,50,000 generate annual sales over $1000.

    This shows that the market is huge, competition is high, and the number of eCommerce sites is increasing, but only a few are able to generate sales.

    Therefore, the best way to gain customer attention and drive sales is by improving user experience.

    Here are the reasons, why a seamless user experience is important to the success of your eCommerce business:

    ●  51% of customers switch to competitor brands if they have one negative experience.

    ●  68% of customers are ready to pay more for products and services from a brand that offers a good customer experience.

    ●  89% of consumers are more likely to make another purchase if they receive a positive customer experience.

    ●  Businesses can improve their revenue to 4% to 8% above their market by prioritizing better customer experience.

    But how will you improve the eCommerce user experience?

    Well, this guide explains the top five ways that you can use to offer a great customer experience.

    Let’s start!

    1- Provide Personalized Customer Experience   

    Around 80% of shoppers are more likely to purchase from an eCommerce business that offers a personalized experience.

    Here are the best personalization strategies that you can try:

    ●  Build personalized homepages: If you are collecting cookies on your eCommerce website, then you can use that information to understand your customers better. Use this information to remember your customer’s interests and preferences and create personalized homepages for them.

    ●  Offer personalized guide: Provide on-site assistance to your visitors with quizzes and size, style, and budget guides. This will help you to offer personalized product recommendations. 

    ●  Display recently viewed product: Create a recently viewed section that allows customers to see what products they checked the last time. Add strong call-to-action, such as ‘Pick up where you left off’ to remind your customers about the products from their last session.

    ●  Personalize product pages based on location: Customize your product page based on location. Provide options to your customers to choose their country. You can also use geo-targeting to display relevant campaigns based on the customer’s location.

    ●  Make more personal recommendations: 31% of eCommerce revenue is generated from personalized product recommendations. Suggest similar or complementary items on the product page to your customers. One of the best tactics is by using product recommendations on abandoned cart emails.

    You can also think of using third-party tools, such as Barilliance, Monetate, and Evergage to personalize your visitors’ shopping experience.

    2- Choose Faster Hosting Service Provider

    No doubts, slow websites kill conversions.

    Around 47% of customers expect websites to load in two seconds. In fact, 40% leave a website if it takes three or more seconds to load.

    A one-second delay in page load time can result into:

    ●  Decrease of 11% in page views

    ●  25% decrease in conversions rates

    One of the major factors that affect your site speed is hosting service and infrastructure. 

    Therefore, when you choose a hosting plan, check:

    ●  Memory or bandwidth limits for scaling and seasonal promotion.

    ●  Expected traffic and peak user load to avoid crashes from a sudden spike in visitors

    ●  Compare the top hosting providers based on starting cost, money back, load time, uptime, and customer support services. For instance, BlueHost offers an uptime of 99.96% while Siteground has an uptime of greater than 99.99%.

    3- Utilize Third-Party Online Ecommerce Platforms

    It is better to go for third-party online eCommerce platforms if you do not have the time or resources to build your own websites. They help you in setting up a website, offering pre-made templates, ensuring necessary security features, and scalability potential.

    The top three most popular hosting solutions are:

    ●  Shopify: It is quite easy to set up a store and start selling products on Shopify. Also, it is inexpensive to build your shop on Shopify. You can sell unlimited products and have unlimited bandwidth. However, you have to pay for features such as abandoned shopping cart recovery. Brands such as GE, Tesla, and Red Bull use Shopify as their online shop. The starting price at which Shopify offers its services is $14/month.

    ●  BigCommerce: It is another great option for small to midsize businesses. It offers inventory management tools, boosts SEO strategies with customizable URLs and robot.txt access, provides plug-in POS integrations to leading providers like Square and Clover, and sells more with channel integrations like Amazon, eBay, and Facebook. You can create your own store on BigCommerce at $29.95/month.

    ●  Magento: Magento is an open-source platform, which is great for those who want to develop a long-term professional eCommerce site. The basic features provided by Magento are product, category, and inventory management, client account, customer service, order management, different payment options, and promotional and marketing tools.

    4- Hire Skilled Customer Management Team

    Focus on improving your customer support service. One of the best ways is by hiring the right members. Select candidates with a master’s degree in business administration.

    Look for candidates who can grow customer loyalty, build a competitive edge in the market with their communication skills, and develop real brand ambassadors for your organization.

    To fast track the hiring process and get the skilled customer support team faster, you can use the following ways:

    ●  Tap into your professional networks, such as network referrals or staff referrals.

    ●  Search LinkedIn and LinkedIn groups.

    ●  Search in specialist customer support job boards, such as Support Driven Jobs, Slack at Work, Remote OK, We Work Remotely, and AngelList Jobs.

    5- Create an Omnichannel Experience for Your Users

    Customers are present across all channels on the internet. Therefore, it is crucial that you deliver an omnichannel customer experience.

    Using three or more channels in an automated and linked way leads to an engagement rate of 18.96%.

    Here are the ways to create an omnichannel experience for your users:

    ●  Develop your mobile capabilities. Create a website which is mobile-friendly. Consider having a mobile app

    ●  Incorporate live chat

    ●  Integrate social content into your website

    ●  Add your product listings into social media posts

    For example, Starbucks uses an effective omnichannel strategy. Customers can use their app for information and ordering. They also provide a newsletter to engage across touchpoints.

    Final Thoughts

    As the number of customers interacting with online businesses is increasing, eCommerce sites need to prioritize the customer experience to stay ahead in the competition. Ensure that your website is simple, responsive, user-friendly with clear images, videos, engaging content, and a smooth checkout process.

    Therefore, designing your eCommerce stores that match customers’ expectations makes it way easier for you to increase conversions and stand out.

  • How To Increase Sales and Traffic With eCommerce Mobile App Development

    How To Increase Sales and Traffic With eCommerce Mobile App Development

    There is no doubt that the popularity of online shopping keeps increasing year by year. Customers prefer to use their PCs or smartphones for making purchases of everything from drinks to apartments. That’s so simple, efficient, and profitable that no buyer can stay aside from such an attractive offer.

    As a result, the popularity of eCommerce apps has also grown. According to the latest statistics, more than 90% of the time mobile users spend on mobile software. And almost 80% of people have an experience with online shopping. So developing an app does really make sense. This is your opportunity to increase traffic, sales, and revenue in the end. 

    If you haven’t launched a mobile app for your project yet then hurry up to do it. While you doubt your rivals attract customers, sell their goods, and get insane profits. And if you have already developed mobile software for your company then take care of its promotion. Make people want to install and use your app. Try these tips to make your eCommerce mobile apps truly popular and efficient.  

    Follow the Requirements of ASO

    The basic principles of App Store Optimization are called to promote your application in the App Store and Google Play. By using proper keywords, adding informative descriptions, placing relevant screenshots, and so on you will allow users to find your software among thousands of other apps.  By increasing your recognition, you’ll notice a higher amount of downloads.

    In general, ASO is powerful enough to guarantee the following benefits:

    – increase retention rate. It demonstrates that the number of active users installing your app is much higher than the number of those customers who have uninstalled it;

    – scale the loyalty of users. Paid ads also boost your mobile app traffic but organic search forms a loyal community of people truly interested in using your software for a long time;

    – further app improvement. By getting feedback from your users you will be able to detect bugs and get rid of them efficiently. 

    Take Advantage of Email Marketing

    Newsletters and promotional emails aren’t dead in marketing meaning, as you may think. No matter new and original advertising tools, email marketing is still known as one of the most efficient and low-cost tools to reach desired goals. By sending regular emails and newsletters you are able to share with subscribers new information about your sales, promote special offers, gift them with personal discounts, and so on.

    Many companies use email marketing to announce the launch of their apps. You can propose users download the app and get special benefits, for instance, a coupon or early access to a new collection of your products. 

    Use a Landing Page

    A customized landing page is a great mobile eCommerce platform to promote your shopping offers. It helps in brand recognition so potential buyers can find out more about your company. In addition, powerful CTA elements will intrigue users and motivate them to try your software for a better shopping experience. 

    All you need is to create a one-page website with a detailed description of your app’s features and advantages. Don’t forget to add downloading links so the visitors of your landing page can easily reach your software. 

    Promote Your Apps on Social Media

    Depending on the type of your business, you may be interested in investing more funds in SMM marketing. It means you need to grow the number of subscribers and share with them viral content. Such an approach is powerful because an average user spends approximately 2 hours and 27 minutes on social media every day. 

    If you have a successful account on social media platforms you should definitely promote your app. There are many ideas on how to encourage your subscribers to do it. For instance, you can explain the beneficial eCommerce app features and customers’ benefits. Launch a relevant hashtag and let people share their opinions about your offer. Thanks to using the power of your social media accounts, you can make your app popular too.

    Launch Referral Marketing

    Have your friends ever shared with you any link, product, or app? This is an example of referral marketing. It means the recommendation of something to other people for a bonus. Person A only needs to have a unique affiliate link or code to share it with user B. After user B installs your app, user A will receive a reward. 

    As you can see, the mechanism of referral marketing is very simple. No need to invest funds in software ads – your users will be your ambassadors for free. As a result, you can reach your planned goals: increase the number of app installs, save money on advertising campaigns, scale your loyal community, etc. 

    Try to Work with Influencers 

    Influencer marketing isn’t a new thing. You can contact social media personalities with great bases of subscribers for cooperation. Such influencers may advertise your mobile eCommerce app without noticeable signs of traditional advertisement. That’s the point of native marketing: by working with influencers you’ll make your ads look like friendly recommendations. 

    As a result, online buyers will be much more excited to purchase your products using your mobile software. Once the social media personality shares a recommendation with them, they may rely on it and give your offer a chance. 

    Develop Your Business with a Mobile App

    A mobile app is a key to massive sales nowadays. It allows you to reach new target audiences, motivate your loyal customers to make orders, improve conversation rate, increase brand recognition, build better relationships with customers and, finally, reach your business goals. 

    It seems you can generate mobile app sales. It’s possible that your app isn’t good enough to bring you desired results. Then you must improve it to make its features and interface user-friendly. But if your software is great but traffic and sales leave much to be desired then rely on the listed above tips. Make a step forward in your eCommerce success now and your business will demonstrate better results soon.

  • Ecommerce, Search, Social… and Conversational Space?

    Ecommerce, Search, Social… and Conversational Space?

    “When I look at the conversational space I think it’s going to have as much impact as ecommerce or search or social,” says LivePerson CEO Rob Locascio. “The conversational space is going to be just as big. I think you’ll see one day that there will be a trillion dollar company in this space and I want it to be us. The things we’re investing in right now and setting up for will allow us to do that. That’s what’s important.”

    Rob Locascio, CEO of LivePerson, predicts that the AI-driven conversational space will ultimately have as much impact and be as big an industry as ecommerce, search, or social. Locascio was interviewed by Jim Cramer on CNBC:

    Ecommerce, Search, Social… and Conversational Space?

    When I look at the conversational space I think it’s going to have as much impact as ecommerce or search or social. The ability to talk to a machine and have a natural conversation, it’s in the collective consciousness of people. We all believe the Alexa type situation should happen with every company. 

    We do that with Delta and T-Mobile and all these big brands. What we’re looking at now is how do we take that to the world? LiveIntent is proprietary technology to look at the intent that a consumer is having with the brand. In terms of I want to buy something, we have a way to analyze that and then use machine learning algorithms to then scale those conversations. That’s what this is about. 

    Healthcare Companies Defending Themselves From Amazon Via AI

    In Q4 we signed a couple healthcare companies. They want to talk about defending themselves from Amazon because Amazon said they want to go into healthcare. The way they think they can do that is scaling the conversations they are having with their customers and creating a totally different experience. You go to a doctor, you have an experience with them, you capture that on a messaging platform and an AI will help you with whatever is wrong with you. You want to process a bill instead of calling and being put on hold, you do that through a conversational experience. 

    They want to game change it. The only way they’re going to defend themselves is to get into the conversational space. That’s what they see and we’re the company they’re trusting to scale their operations with the conversational platform.

    Conversational Space Is Going To Be As Big As Search and Social

    The conversational space is going to be as big as search and social. I think you’ll see one day that there will be a trillion dollar company in this space and I want it to be us. The things we’re investing in right now and setting up for will allow us to do that. That’s what’s important. The Amazon’s and the Facebook’s and Apple’s, they’re in the space. Jeff Bezos made a big bet obviously in Alexa to say this is the way it’s going to be. 

    It can’t just be Amazon and Alexa. It has to be other companies getting access to that technology and that’s what we are providing. Who else is providing it? We’re one of the largest companies in the world to do this. Even though we’re not big tech, we are large enough to go ahead and go after them. We are large enough to go ahead and define a space and win it.

  • How to Start an Online Business Selling Digital Products

    How to Start an Online Business Selling Digital Products

    A digital product is a type of product that you can create, market, distribute, and sell digitally. This product only exists digitally, and you cannot touch it.

    Our lives are affected today by digital platforms and content taking over today. The demand for digital content keeps rising. For instance, the global digital content creation market size is expected to touch over $16 billion by 2025. This means a business that invests in digital products has a chance to thrive.

    There is a lot involved in making a hustle out of a digital product like eBooks, tickets, podcasts, manuals, or tutorials. It all begins by having the basic knowledge to run a successful online business. Here is a guide on starting an online business selling digital products.

    Register your Business

    The first step to starting an online business is registering it with the relevant authorities. You want to ensure your business is legitimate and recognized. You can register your business as an LLC and get the proper certification and copyright for your digital products.

    The cost of registering an LLC may vary depending on your state. For instance, in Delaware, it costs about $415. This cost includes a state filing fee, name reservation, and adding a registered agent. When you register your business as an LLC, you can reap the benefits of a partnership and a sole proprietorship.

    An LLC allows you to reduce personal liability to your business while gaining flexibility in operation and taxation. The process of registering an LLC is not that long compared to other types of business. You should also learn more about the benefits of an LLC for different types of business before deciding the best type of business to register.

    Define Your Image and Brand

    If you are selling digital products online, you will need a brand image that can sell your products and battle the stiff competition in the online market. Your brand is like an overall vibe of the business. It will need to be iconic enough in case you do expand enough to have more products or even a business delivery fleet.

    You want to ensure everything in your business, right from the business name to the design, conveys a consistent idea and visual image of your business.

    When working on your brand, you should focus on the logo, color scheme, page layout, typography, photos and graphics. These elements should work together in portraying your brand image out there.

    Build a Responsive Website

    A website is a must-have if you want to sell digital products. As soon as you’ve validated your business idea, you should proceed to build your website. A website is like your storefront for selling digital products.

    It is not that difficult to build a website nowadays. You can create your website in just hours without coding skills using any of the best website builders. You can also hire a website designer to design your website who will also help you choose the best host server that will keep you online round the clock.

    When designing a website to sell digital products like courses, written content, and podcasts, you should ensure it has all the required functionalities. Here is what you should do:

    • Incorporate forms so visitors can subscribe and join your list.
    • Build customized landing pages that can educate your audience to learn more about your products and services.
    • Design your website to accept payments so it is easy to sell online.
    • Optimize your website for mobile and make it responsive to most visitors who access your services using their smartphones and tablets.

    Build an Audience to Sell to

    For a physical store, this will sound like building a customer base. If you are selling digital products like a coding course, you want to first build an audience that needs your product. At this point, you want to make use of your greatest asset, the email list.

    Everyone on your email list is interested in your brand, which means they trust you. There is a high probability that they will buy from you if only you market your products and services. Add people to your email list and begin marketing your brand to them. Send emails with information on your products and services. This is called list building.

    You can give people freebies in exchange for their contact information. For instance, if you are selling a course, you can give a short coaching session to everyone that subscribes to your email list. Freebies can act as your lead magnet. It can attract leads to your business and help you grow your business.

    Optimize Your Website for Conversions

    You are already selling your digital products to your customers at this stage of the business. What remains is finding ways to increase your sales. If you want to increase your sales, you should optimize your site leveraging SEO to convert most visitors to customers.

    To optimize your website, you should look at the data on your site. What do the numbers say about your most trafficked pages? You should also identify the pages on your website that most people rarely visit, and once they do, they leave the page fast.

    You want to ensure you can hold your visitors for long so you can get the chance to convince them into buying your products and services. Focus on removing the things that don’t work on your site and improve those that work to optimize your website sales funnel.

    You should focus more on how you can sell your digital products on the website. Therefore, make it clear that your website aims to attract people willing and able to buy your products and services.

    Make sure you can send every visitor to your landing page, and you persuade them to buy. To achieve this, ensure you have a call to action on one very single page of your website. Go straight to the point and tell your visitors what you want them to do.

    You can then reward them accordingly for taking action you asked for.

    Final Thoughts                                     

    Suppose you are out to start a business selling digital products, now is the right time to start. Register your business and get a copyright for your products. Build a website, brand, and audience for your products and services.

    Start your business today by following the five steps listed here and turning your fantastic idea into an income-generating business.

  • How the Ecommerce Theme You Choose Helps to Deliver the Best Brand Experience

    How the Ecommerce Theme You Choose Helps to Deliver the Best Brand Experience

    Ecommerce is a lucrative market for many businesses. By now, nearly every retail brand has either started or is working on launching an ecommerce store.

    Global ecommerce revenue is projected to reach 5.4 trillion US dollars by 2022. Therefore, more and more retailers have jumped into the ecommerce space to make more money. With increasing competition, however, it has become crucial for ecommerce businesses to deliver the best brand experience for improved customer retention and brand loyalty.

    The choice of your website’s ecommerce theme plays a vital role in preparing an UX-friendly digital destination that helps to acquire more customers.

    What is an ecommerce theme?

    An ecommerce theme is a pre-built design that you can select for your online store. It helps to deliver the best user experience to your customers.

    Why is the choice of your ecommerce theme significant?

    Around 40% of site visitors will stop interacting with your site if the layout is unattractive. Selecting the right ecommerce theme for your online store helps your customers to do business with you with ease.

    What features should you look for in your ecommerce theme?

    The features that you should have in your site depends on the kind of website that you are looking to build.

    That having been said, here are the top features you should look for in every ecommerce theme:

    Responsive Design

    A responsive website is mobile-friendly. Having a responsive site design ensures that your website’s look and functionality stays the same irrespective of the browsing device. It doesn’t matter whether the visitor is visiting your store using a mobile device or a desktop, they will be able to complete the purchase easily.

    A responsive design also has a positive impact on Google rankings, because Google and other search engines consider site design, user experience, and mobile browsing experience before ranking a website.

    Hence, a responsive website has more chances of ranking higher in the search results as compared to a non-responsive site. Besides, a responsive site is easy to maintain and cost-effective.

    Speed

    Faster loading websites naturally offer a more smooth user experience. Google and other search engines now consider site speed in their ranking algorithm.

    The recent Page Experience update from Google takes into account Core Web Vitals as a key ranking algorithm factor. Core Web Vitals comprises metrics such as LCP (Largest Contentful Paint), FCP (First Contentful Paint), and FID (First Input Delay), which collectively measure the real world user experience. Sites that pass the Core Web Vitals test have the best chances of being placed higher in the search results.

    You can use the Page Speed Insights tool to check the page speed score of a website. The higher the score, the better would be the UX and organic rankings.

    Therefore, before selecting a theme, you should conduct some research on the theme loading speed. Sometimes, fancy elements and design don’t matter much when compared to simple site design with a high speed.

    Ease of Use

    You should always select an ecommerce theme with a simple and easy to use navigation.

    For example, your theme should have a search bar, because often visitors are looking to search for a particular product to complete the purchase. If your site doesn’t have a visible search bar, then it might lead to poor conversions and a high bounce rate.

    Opt for a theme that has nicely designed “breadcrumb navigation” and prominent category and subcategory links. Besides, the CTAs should be large and clear. There are maximum chances of conversions when the CTAs are placed higher in the page leading to more clicks.

    Security

    Website security is crucial for a good user experience. Google takes website security very seriously. Make sure your ecommerce site offers good security.

    Opt for an SSL certificate and pick a trustworthy web host. Ensure, your ecommerce theme does not have any vulnerabilities that makes it easier for hackers to steal customer data.

    Support for integrations and widgets

    Most of the time, you will realize that it is much easier to install a widget or an app to add an additional feature to your online shop.

    You can find essential apps and plugins in the respective directories of your ecommerce platform. Plugins are powerful because they let you add beneficial functionalities to your store without the need to hire a developer. You can easily search and install a plugin of your choice to add different functionalities to improve UX and SEO.

    Hence, you should see whether your chosen theme is compatible with the plugins you plan to use. You should select an ecommerce theme that offers the support for maximum plugins, apps, and widgets.

    Final thoughts

    Building and managing your ecommerce business is challenging nowadays. The choice of your ecommerce theme decides the future of your online business.

    An SEO friendly store layout helps to acquire relevant organic traffic to your site. Besides, an UX-friendly theme keeps customers happy as it improves conversion and retention, which are significant to boost your online revenue.

    You should have a brilliant online marketing strategy, powered by a robust ecommerce theme to drive more qualified traffic to your site.

  • TikTok May Launch Live Shopping in the US for Holiday Season

    TikTok May Launch Live Shopping in the US for Holiday Season

    TikTok may be preparing for a major launch, reportedly bringing “TikTok Shop” to the US in time for the holiday shopping season.

    Already one of the biggest social media platforms, TikTok is looking to expand into shopping. According to The Financial Times, via Engadget, the company is planning to outsource technology to launch its TikTok Shop for the US market.

    According to the report, the company will work with “large brands,” using technology sourced from TalkShopLive. The format will be similar to Douyin, TikTok’s sister app in China.

    Read more: Hotel Marketers Are Turning to TikTok…and You Should Too

    When FT contacted TikTok for comment, the company neither confirmed nor denied the rumor.

    “When it comes to market expansion for TikTok Shop we are always guided by demand and are constantly exploring new and different options for how we can best serve our community, creators and merchants in markets around the world,” the company told the FT. “These efforts include exploring partnerships which further support a seamless ecommerce experience for merchants, which is an important part of our ecosystem.”

    One potential hurdle for the company is the privacy implications. TikTok is already under fire for sending user data to China, despite previous claims that US user data was handled by a US-based security team.

    It’s a safe bet legislators and regulators will not be thrilled with the idea of TikTok gaining access to users’ financial and shopping data.

  • 3 Digital Marketing Methods Every Business Needs

    3 Digital Marketing Methods Every Business Needs

    As a business owner in the 21st century, it’s important to take advantage of the tools and technology available when engaging with your customer base. Not only will this help you reach wider audiences and maximize your revenue,  but it will also help you to stay competitive and current.

    One of the great things about digital marketing is it can be done from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection and a laptop. Check out these options for travel laptops.

    As marketing methods such as print advertising and direct mail have begun to be phased out and a greater number of people consume content online a traditional approach alone will no longer cut it. If you are reluctant to embrace the digital age, or don’t know where to begin, this article has outlined three digital marketing strategies to help you connect with your customers and capture the attention of new ones.

    Content Marketing

    Content marketing is a type of marketing strategy that focuses on creating and sharing valuable, relevant  and consistent material in order to stimulate interest and attract and retain customers. By distributing high-quality material such as blogs, emails, videos, podcasts, articles and eBooks, a business can engage with its customer base while indirectly generating interest for its brand.

    Well-written content which is relevant and informative can reveal more to your customers about your business, its values and ethos as well as the products and services you offer. Content marketing can even help you present yourself as an authority in your field.

    Coca-Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign is a good example of content marketing that used personalization to increase customer engagement. By establishing stronger relationships with your potential customer base you can also help build brand awareness and loyalty.

    SEO

    Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process of improving your website to increase the quality and quantity of traffic to it. As a result, it will rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). As your business becomes more visible online, you will improve your chances of attracting more customers and increasing your revenue. 

    As well as more potential clicks to your webpage, SEO is also beneficial when it comes to establishing the credibility of your business, as sites that rank more highly on SERPs are considered to be of higher quality and seen as more trustworthy than those that rank lower. Strategies to boost SEO include keyword optimization, building backlinks and removal of zombie pages. 

    Email Marketing 

    By building a relationship with your email subscribers through relevant and personalized content, you have a low cost way to deliver targeted messages to an already engaged audience. This is also advantageous for gauging feedback on ways to improve your service, better meet customer needs and develop new products.

    Email marketing can also help you to nurture leads by sending personalized messages in set intervals designed to convert readers into paying customers.

    By implementing the digital marketing methods mentioned in this article you can help your business reach a wider audience while retaining and nurturing the valuable customer base you already have.

  • Get Ready for Ads on Your Phone’s Lockscreen

    Get Ready for Ads on Your Phone’s Lockscreen

    A Google-backed startup plans to bring its lockscreen platform to the US within a couple of months, turning lockscreens into another way to serve ads.

    Glance is a subsidiary of InMobi Group, the Indian ad giant. The company introduced a way to display news feeds, ads, games, and more on Android lockscreens. As a result, users are bombarded with content before they unlock their phones. The company claims its software is preinstalled on some 400 million smartphones, with its previous focus being the Indian, Asian, and EU markets.

    According to TechCrunch, the company is now in talks with US carriers to bring its platform to US phones within the next two months.

    It’s hard to fathom users actually wanting to be bombarded with ads on their lockscreens, especially when they’re already paying for both the wireless service and the phone they’re using.

    As we have stated many times at WPN, it’s one thing — and entirely expected — for a company to rely on ads when it is providing a user with a free service. It’s a completely different story when companies that are already making billions of dollars in sales and services want to degrade the user experience by placing ads atop those paid products and services.

    Perhaps the most unsurprising factor in this whole story is Google’s involvement. The company already has a near stranglehold on the online advertising market. It should surprise absolutely no one that the company is backing Glance.

    Here’s to hoping US carriers provide a way to opt-out of Glance’s “service.”

  • Predictive Forecasting For Ecommerce In 2022

    Predictive Forecasting For Ecommerce In 2022

    Ecommerce has been growing at a faster pace than traditional shopping, and there’s no sign of it slowing down.

    Research indicates that eCommerce sales will account for 16% of the total retail market in 2022– a figure far higher than the previous year’s eCommerce retail market share (13% in 2021). By 2022, eCommerce sales are expected to reach $5.4 trillion.

    An enormous amount of data is generated each second, which companies are using worldwide for several purposes like web log analysis, traffic analysis, and customer profiling.

    The exponential increase in big data presents tremendous possibilities for businesses.

    Benefits of Using Predictive Forecasting for Ecommerce

    Predictive forecasting can be used to forecast expected sales for eCommerce businesses with confidence.

    This means that businesses are better equipped to make smart decisions, like how many items they should stock or whether they can afford to lower prices without sacrificing profits.

    Additionally, this would help businesses effectively allocate their resources and adjust their business strategies accordingly.

    Predictive forecasting data suggests that a number of key drivers and technological shifts will shape the future of eCommerce in 2022 and beyond.

    Here are the top predictive forecasting trends for 2022:

    Competitive Website Homepages: The first is that retail websites must become more competitive on their homepages for both new and returning visitors. This will require new technologies and site improvements, such as improved personalization and localization, the ability to add products dynamically throughout the sales funnel, and an increased focus on the shopping experience.

    Demand for Content Marketing and SEO: The second driver that will be shaping retail websites is the increasing importance of content marketing and personalization for SEO. In 2017, Google began using machine learning technology to process user experiences on eCommerce sites and present them more prominently in search results. This trend is likely to continue growing, which will increase the importance of sites’ content marketing efforts and user experience. Leading eCommerce agencies such as Bing Digital leverage data to upscale their client’s revenue using a combination of marketing analysis techniques. In the future, eCommerce marketing companies that will use data will always have an upper hand as compared to their competitors.

    Automated Recommendations: A third driver will be the increasing use of automated recommendations based on previous shopping cart activity or searching behavior. These technologies would suggest items like: “People who bought this also bought these items,” “Customers who viewed this item also viewed these items,” or even more advanced solutions, such as “Most popular products recommended based on past purchases.”

    Rise of Mobile Devices: The shift from a PC to a mobile device world is perhaps one of the most significant in recent times. In 2014, mobile surpassed PC Internet usage in the UK, and in 2016, search from a mobile device surpassed that from a PC for the first time. This shift will continue to grow as more consumers purchase smartphones and tablets. Consequently, retailers must design their websites to accommodate smaller screens and optimize speed. Mobile page load speeds have been an increasing concern for both consumers and search engines, so this is an area that many retailers must focus on improving.

    Voice Assistants: Predictive data shows that consumers are becoming more comfortable with voice assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, and Apple’s Siri when shopping online. Therefore, retailers will be challenged to accommodate these new technology preferences in the future. While the technology is still in its infancy, approximately 40% of US consumers already own a smart speaker and more say they are likely to purchase one soon. The growth of voice assistants will impact how consumers search for products and consider purchases. This new technology will influence their purchasing behavior by providing product recommendations based on previous online searches and product purchases.

    Machine Learning and AI: Another important technological shift is the continued growth of machine learning and artificial intelligence. For example, it is predicted that in 2022, AI will create more jobs than it will destroy. This suggests an increased need for employees with digital skills to manage these technologies in eCommerce stores to increase their online effectiveness.

    One-day Delivery: One final key factor shaping eCommerce is the growth of one-day delivery. This is the result of several factors, including consumer demand for ever-faster shipping speeds and improvements in logistics technology that allow retailers to fulfill such orders. One-day delivery is already available in certain cities and regions worldwide and will become more common as eCommerce gathers pace.

    Examples of Predictive Forecasting

    1. In 2014, Google analyzed over 100 of the most popular Android apps and uncovered some interesting stats about how they use data. For example, Google found that most apps determine a user’s location almost instantaneously when the app is opened but then stay in the background for the rest of the day, gathering data on other habits. They also found that apps pull out personal information more often than you might think – even if it’s only done to provide a more personalized experience.

    2. In 2015, Facebook implemented an artificial intelligence software called “DeepText” to analyze and understand all of its users’ posts in real-time, as well as who those posts were being shared with. This was used to help prevent the spread of violence or terrorist propaganda on their website by detecting any dangerous language.

    3. In 2015, Google introduced “RankBrain” to its machine learning program to help it understand search result intent better. The idea was that if RankBrain could detect one user’s intention by recognizing their pattern of previous searches, it would be able to make accurate predictions on future searches. This proved effective for Google over the next few years, and the program has since become one of the most important parts of their business.

    4. In 2016, Netflix launched a new feature called “Suggested TV,” which provides recommended TV shows based on your viewing habits. This is done through predictive forecasting by tracking your recent searches to get an idea of what kind of shows you’re watching and what you might be interested in.

    5. In 2017, Google released a video talking about how they use predictive forecasting to better predict people’s flow on their website. For example, suppose a user is looking for information on a local restaurant. In that case, Google will analyze data from previous searches to determine where this person is located and show results for nearby restaurants. This allows Google to display relevant and timely information, which is important for businesses.

    The above examples of predictive forecasting in the eCommerce world have been used over the years to improve website rankings, recommendations from streaming services, product development decisions, advertisement relevance, and more. There are many other examples that can be used to show how predictive forecasting has been used to improve businesses across all industries.

    Challenges in Using Predictive Forecasting for eCommerce

    The biggest challenge for companies using predictive analytics is to figure out which data they should be collecting and how it should be used. The type of information that would be useful for a specific company depends on their interests and what they hope to achieve through forecasted data.

    Another challenge is dealing with large amounts of data. It takes a lot of planning and time before you even start gathering the data required for effective predictive forecasts. Once you have everything you need, you have to put it all together and use special software to make sense of it all. This is especially necessary if your business has a lot of customers or a high number of different products to keep track of.

    Conclusion

    In 2022, predictive forecasting for eCommerce will have many different applications within all areas of business operations. Combining the information from customer searches with historical data from previous purchases and other variables will help companies make better decisions about their inventory and what products they should develop next.

  • 8 Key eCommerce Conversion Rate Benchmarks

    8 Key eCommerce Conversion Rate Benchmarks

    What would you say is the most important metric for a business? Is it profit? Revenue? Customers served per day? The answer may surprise you. In fact, according to eCommerce conversion rate experts, the number one metric for any business should be its conversion rate.

    Conversion rates indicate how effectively your marketing strategy attracts visitors and converts them into customers. To help you get started on improving your conversion rates, we’ve laid out some of the most critical benchmarks in this blog post.

    1 – eCommerce Conversion Rate 

    This is currently around 6%. Though the average conversion rate may vary by industry, this is a good eCommerce benchmark to aim for. As per the SimilarWeb eCommerce benchmarks report, the average conversion rate for eCommerce sites in 2021 was around 6.6%. If your conversion rate is below this number, there’s room for improvement. If it’s above this number, you’re doing well but could still stand to make some tweaks.

    Also, it’s important to note that the average conversion rate varies significantly based on traffic source. Paid search and email campaigns typically have higher conversion rates than organic search.

    2 – Mobile eCommerce Conversion Rate 

    This is typically 1.3% for mobile. While desktop conversion rates are still higher, the gap is narrowing, as more and more people shop on their mobile devices. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re missing out on potential business.

    The good news is that there are many simple things you can do to improve your mobile conversion rate, such as ensuring your site is easy to navigate and has a responsive design.

    3 – Social Media eCommerce Conversion Rate

    This is about 0.35%. Yes, that’s a tiny number, but it’s multiplying as people shop on Facebook or Pinterest. According to research from Monetate, social media conversion rates have doubled over the past year. One-third of all online purchases now come from social media.

    So, if you’re not yet using social media to drive conversions, it’s time to start. The best way to do this is by creating targeted ads and optimizing your site for social sharing. Social media also strongly influences SEO and should be optimized accordingly.

    4 – Cart Abandonment Conversion Rate

    This is typically around 68% – the percentage of people who add items to their cart but never complete the purchase. If you want to improve your conversion rate, you need to address this issue.

    There are some ways to reduce cart abandonment, including providing incentives for customers to finish their purchase, such as free shipping or discounts, and providing detailed product information and images.

    Also, cart abandonment rates vary by industry, so you need to benchmark your rates before making any optimizations. The average cart abandonment rate for health and beauty products, for example, is much higher than the average for digital downloads.

    A bigger percentage of online shoppers abandoned their shopping carts because of poor page layout and design. The shopping cart abandonment rate is now the leading indicator for eCommerce website performance, as it can rise to as high as 97% before a site is abandoned. That means if your site shopping cart abandonment rate hovers around 70%, you’d better know why.

    5 – Checkout Process Time

    This typically takes customers around 3 minutes. Once a customer has decided to purchase something from your site, you want to make the checkout process as quick and easy as possible. If you ask customers to fill out lengthy forms or provide too much information, they will abandon their carts.

    The good news is that you can do several simple things to improve your checkout process, starting with only asking for the information you need and providing detailed product descriptions. The checkout screen is notorious for being the abandonment focal point, so improving the UX and design of the page will lower your abandonment rate.

    No need to reinvent the wheel here. Website builders devoted numerous man hours to create checkout pages based on best practices. In their most recent product release, Elementor, the leading WordPress website builder, put a special focus on improving their WooCommerce checkout widget, for this reason exactly.

    Just keep in mind, checkout process length varies by industry, so benchmark your site before you make any optimizations. 

    6 – B2B eCommerce Conversion Rate

    B2B companies have lower average conversion rates than other industries, around 3%, especially eCommerce companies. B2B transactions typically involve a longer sales cycle and more complex buying decisions.

    Though the average B2B conversion rate is lower than that of other companies, there are some things you can do to improve it. One example is using content marketing to position yourself as an expert.

    Another is implementing a lead nurturing program that allows you to build trust with tips while identifying their specific pain points and needs. By providing value at every step, you’ll be able to close more deals in less time.

    7 – Average eCommerce Order

    The number varies significantly by industry, but it’s a good benchmark to use as $122 when setting your own goal for average order value. There are many ways to increase your average order value, including offering discounts for larger orders, providing free shipping on orders over a certain amount, and bundling products together.

    You can also improve your conversion rate by increasing the average sale amount of each customer. You can do this by providing more detailed product information, including images and videos, and using targeted marketing such as creating shoppable videos to increase the value of each purchase. The order value of eCommerce also varies by region, so make sure to benchmark your site before making any changes.

    8 – Conversion Rate for Paid Search

    This typically falls around 2.35%. Search engine optimization is still the best way to drive traffic to your site, but the paid search can be a valuable addition to your marketing mix. Paid search allows you to target specific customers who are already interested in what you offer. You can then bid on keywords related to your products or services and show ads to those customers.

    The average conversion rate for paid search varies by industry. The average conversion rate for the travel industry, for example, is much higher than the average for the legal industry.

    Conclusion

    The eCommerce landscape is constantly changing, and it’s more important than ever to stay up-to-date on the latest trends. By understanding these statistics, you can ensure your eCommerce site is performing at its best.

  • How Do You Measure the Success of a Content-Driven Marketing Strategy?

    How Do You Measure the Success of a Content-Driven Marketing Strategy?

    Content marketing is reshaping ecommerce for companies large and small. That’s because marketing is about trust first and foremost and marketers are realizing that quality content builds trust quicker than traditional advertising. Tim Turner Forman of a new startup called The Tot and Matt Osias of Hawke Media recently discussed how to start a content-driven marketing strategy.

    Why is it important to resist the urge to have your content do the selling?

    Tim: What we do at The Tot is provide trust and advice and mindfully curated products. For it to be considered trusted advice it needs to come from a credible real place. It needs to be authentic and it needs to come from experts, people who know what they are talking about. At The Tot we work with a network of experts around the globe to create parenting content. What first-time parents are looking for most is information and they are just as likely to turn to a website as they are to go to a doctor and they are even more likely to go to a website than to ask their own Mother. If we are able to develop and curate content of moms sharing to other moms, that develops a relationship and provides values for them.

    How do you measure the success and performance of a content-driven marketing strategy?

    Matt: When you consider measuring in general, there are so many different formats that are out there that people can leverage. Oftentimes, people are saying… well I want articles for my blog. What type of article are you looking for? What is the goal of that piece of content? Are you trying to drive organic search and bring in new audiences so they can learn who you are or are you trying to engage them a bit more with videos and infographics? Every single format has a very specific measurement.

    Beyond that, your measurements are somewhat different than your basic media buying for example, where you spend a dollar and hope to make back three, or some version of that. When we are looking at content marketing, especially when it is brand agnostic, the real important ideal there is to think about how can I actually give something to my audience that resonates with them, teaches them and solves a problem. Then ultimately, your brand is there waiting for them.

    Awareness, Engagement, Advocacy

    The three things that I look at are awareness, engagement, and advocacy. The first thing you would want to do in building a content marketing strategy is to consider the idea of awareness, giving awareness to the people you are working with. Then having intent-driven content. People are asking questions in Google all the time and they are getting answers. If your site has the answers in its content, especially if it’s early stages, then that’s going to do something that most (ecommerce) sites aren’t doing, which is to put eyes onto your site, without the brand and product coming into play at first.

    With this brand agnostic content, the bulk of your content is primarily text-based content. With measurement I look at eyes on site and what they are doing when they get there. Are they jumping around to different pages or are they bouncing right away? When you bring in somebody to your site where it is solving something you have to have something that is engaging to keep them there and keep them coming back.

    Tim: We definitely watch inside of Google Analytics to be able to see the pageviews, what people are doing, and how they move from the editorial side of the site to the product side of the site. We also use content as part of our marketing program. It’s definitely an upper funnel prospecting piece.

    Quality Content is Just as Important as Ad Spend

    Tim: As somebody who came from an ad agency working with clients who had large ad spends and then coming to a start-up to help them grow and find customers, we didn’t have a large ad budget. What we did have though is this wonderful bank of content. This quality content has become just as important as the ad spend. Every month we put together a new prospecting campaign with a variety of articles and then we keep some evergreen pieces of what performed and that gives us a really good indicator of the type of people we are able to draw and attract to the site. It’s very contextually targeted so somebody that is clicking and looking at an article titled, “9 Ways to Prepare for a New Baby,” is probably going to be our customer.

  • Amazon Pushes Its Own Brands at the Expense of Others

    Amazon Pushes Its Own Brands at the Expense of Others

    Amazon is being accused of pushing its own products at the expense of more popular, better reviewed products from other companies.

    Amazon is the world’s biggest e-commerce site, but the sellers that use it often have a love/hate relationship with the company. Many sellers have long suspected Amazon favors its own brands, something the company denied in testimony to Congress in 2019.

    According to The Markup, however, Amazon does favor its own brands, or brands that are exclusive to its platform, even if that means promoting them over other brands that are more popular or have more reviews.

    The Markup cites the example of Robert Gomez, founder of 4Q Brands, who worked tirelessly to get his Kaffe coffee grinder ranked in the top three Amazon search results. Gomez even paid Amazon $40,000 a month for advertising. Once Amazon introduced its own competing coffee grinder, and started carrying a partner exclusive, both of the competing grinders almost immediately started showing up in the top three search results.

    Further exacerbating the issue is that many listings for Amazon brands or exclusives are not explicitly listed as “sponsored,” despite showing up in the part of the site reserved for search results. This is also in direct contradiction to a statement from company spokesperson Nell Rona, who said the company adds “Amazon brand” to its own products. The Markup found that only 23% of the Amazon-branded products it researched had that tag.

    This behavior could land Amazon in hot water, according to Bill Baer, former director of the Bureau of Competition at the FTC, as well as former assistant attorney general in charge of the DOJ antitrust division.

    “If basically you’ve got somebody with market power that is restraining competition both in terms of site access or where things appear on the site,” he said, “that is potentially problematic.”

    Despite Amazon’s ethically — and potentially legally — questionable behavior, few sellers are willing to speak up. Blake Adami, VP of Government Relations, National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, explained the problem to The Markup in an email.

    “Our members are still very hesitant to speak out against Amazon for fear of retaliation, even anonymously.”

    The Markup’s full report is well-worth a read, especially for anyone in the e-commerce industry, and illustrates why legislators are increasingly looking to crack down on anticompetitive behavior.

  • Italy Fines Amazon $1.3 Billion For Antitrust Violations

    Italy Fines Amazon $1.3 Billion For Antitrust Violations

    Italian regulators have fined Amazon $1.3 billion for promoting third-party sellers that buy its extra services over other sellers.

    Amazon is the biggest e-commerce platform on the planet and, as such, serves as a gateway for countless other companies looking to sell online. Unfortunately, Amazon’s position as the market leader also makes it the gatekeeper for those third-party companies. The decisions it makes about which companies to promote can mean the life or death of a smaller company’s business.

    According to Italian regulators, Amazon has been abusing that position, favoring sellers that buy into its extra services over sellers that don’t. As a result, Italian antitrust regulators have fined the company $1.3 billion

    Amazon provided a statement to GeekWire disagreeing with the ruling.

    “We strongly disagree with the decision of the Italian Competition Authority (ICA) and we will appeal. The proposed fine and remedies are unjustified and disproportionate,” Amazon’s spokesperson said.

    “More than half of all annual sales on Amazon in Italy come from small and medium sized businesses and their success is at the heart of our business model,” the spokesperson added. “Small and medium-sized businesses have multiple channels to sell their products both online and offline: Amazon is just one of those options.”

  • Square Changes Its Name to Block

    Square Changes Its Name to Block

    Taking a cue from Google and Facebook, Square has changed its name to Block, retaining the Square name for its Seller business.

    Square is Jack Dorsey’s second company. Dorsey stepped down as Twitter CEO Monday, presumably giving him more time to focus on Square. As the first big move since Dorsey’s pivot to focus exclusively on Square, the company is changing its name.

    Block will be the name of the corporate entity, with its various businesses — such as the Square Seller business — forming the building blocks of the company.

    “We built the Square brand for our Seller business, which is where it belongs,” said Jack Dorsey, cofounder and CEO of Block. “Block is a new name, but our purpose of economic empowerment remains the same. No matter how we grow or change, we will continue to build tools to help increase access to the economy.” 

    Other than the name change, there will be no other organization changes.

  • Sezzle Is the Creditization Of a Debit Card, Says CEO

    Sezzle Is the Creditization Of a Debit Card, Says CEO

    “Consumers love our product because it represents purchasing power but also budgeting for them,” says Sezzle co-founder and CEO Charlie Youakim. “They feel safe with it just like they do with the debit card. We’re driving a new wedge into payments between credit and debit. I call it the creditization of a debit card. I think it’s here to say because of that safety element that we give to the consumer.”

    Charlie Youakim, CEO and co-founder of Sezzle, discusses the massive growth of the Buy Now, Pay Later industry and how that is reshaping ecommerce and retail in general:

    Focused Uniquely On Credit Building

    Sezzle is generally focused on the ecomm space, that’s where we do most of our work. We are present on over 44,000 merchant websites. The Buy Now, Pay Later industry, in general, is typically focused on ecommerce. So as that push back into ecomm occurs (potentially due to increases in COVID causing more people to shop from home) we generally benefit from that.

    We compete in this space by really focusing on our stakeholders, focusing on the merchants, focusing on the consumers, and doing the right thing by both of them. We really stand on the high road for the consumer. We are the only player in the space that focuses on credit building which is totally unique. We love it, our consumers love it and our merchant partners love it. By focusing on their needs, these consumers’ needs, and doing right by them and right by the merchants, you have a chance to do a really strong job within the sector.

    Sezzle Pushing Into the Enterprise

    With SMB’s we’ve been growing like wildfire. It just continues for us. That’s how we have that big count of merchants and we expect that to continue. We’re doing a great job there and the merchants love us. It’s viral in that space. For us now the push is into enterprise and in Target, Bass Pro Shops, those are two great examples of that for us. The reason we’re doing that is that our consumer wants to shop with us everywhere so we have to be everywhere. That means we have to be with SMB, we’ve got to be with mid-market, and we’ve got to be with enterprise.

    That will be the push for Sezzle to continue to push in those spaces. If you look at the enterprise players in those spaces, what they want is they want a brand that they can believe in. That’s where you have Sezzle and our halo around doing right by the consumer helping them build their credit score up and being a partnerships player. That’s what really sets us apart.

    Sezzle: The Creditization Of a Debit Card

    The average order value per customer has been relatively stable. We’re around $100 per order. The only reason it’s been tracking a bit up for us is we’ve been expanding our services. We started with a pure ‘pay in four’ for over six weeks interest-free and so that’s where we tracked right around $100. But as we add long-term into the mix we’ve been starting to track upwards. The order values on a 12-month order or 12-month installment plan, tend to track towards $1,000. We feel it’s probably going to stay stable, it’s just going to be a mixed shift that creates any change for Sezzle.

    We see from our consumers that they love our product because it represents purchasing power but also budgeting for them. They feel safe with it just like they do with the debit card. We’re driving a new wedge into payments between credit and debit. I call it the creditization of a debit card. I think it’s here to say because of that safety element that we give to the consumer.

    Sezzle Is the Creditization Of a Debit Card, Says CEO Charlie Youakim
  • Microsoft and Shopify to Display Listings in Microsoft’s Products

    Microsoft and Shopify to Display Listings in Microsoft’s Products

    Microsoft and Shopify are partnering to display merchant listings in Bing, as well as Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Start.

    Shopify is one of the leading e-commerce platforms, with over 1.7 million merchants. Microsoft is looking to bring more products to its users across its Bing, Microsoft Edge and Microsoft Start products.

    The company made the announcement in a blog post.

    For the millions of shoppers using Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Bing, and more recently Microsoft Start, this means a deeper selection of products from more than 1.7 million Shopify merchants. Using the Shopping tab on Microsoft Bing, and Microsoft Edge, you will now see more diverse products, better prices, and improved discovery of deals. You will also be able to simply check out via the Shopping tab on Microsoft Bing quickly and securely.

    The new partnership will also significantly improve visibility and reach for Shopify merchants.

    For Shopify merchants, this partnership will help significantly expand the reach of their brands and products with just a few clicks. Getting started is simple; using the improved Microsoft Channel app, merchants can easily connect with shoppers across the Microsoft network. Shopify merchants’ products will also automatically show on the Shopping tab on Microsoft Bing and the Microsoft Start Shopping tab for free as product listings. Shopify merchants will also find value in creating new ad campaigns and viewing marketing performance through real-time reports in their Shopify store.

    Microsoft says the new partnership is just the beginning of enhancements it has planned for shoppers.

  • Lawmakers Accuse Amazon of Misleading Congress, Threaten Criminal Probe

    Lawmakers Accuse Amazon of Misleading Congress, Threaten Criminal Probe

    Amazon is in the hot seat, with US lawmakers accusing the e-commerce giant of misleading Congress and threatening a criminal probe in response.

    Amazon is the world’s largest e-commerce website, but not everyone is happy with how the company conducts business. The company has recently been accused of promoting its own brands at the expense of other, more popular options.

    Lawmakers are now saying Amazon lied to them about how it uses third-party seller data, accusing the company of using that data for its own benefit. Doing so would give the e-commerce giant a significant advantage over the companies using its platform to sell their goods, allowing Amazon to determine what products and features are particularly desirable to consumers and then create knockoffs. Combined with its practice of promoting its own goods over others, it paints a picture of a company that preys off of the very companies that have helped make its platform so successful.

    In response to a report in Reuters, the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Amazon giving the company one last chance to correct the record.

    “At best, this reporting confirms that Amazon’s representatives misled the Committee. At worst, it demonstrates that they may have lied to Congress in possible violation of federal criminal law. In light of the serious nature of this matter, we are providing you with a final opportunity to provide exculpatory evidence to corroborate the prior testimony and statements on behalf of Amazon to the Committee. We strongly encourage you to make use of this opportunity to correct the record and provide the Committee with sworn, truthful, and accurate responses to this request as we consider whether a referral of this matter to the Department of Justice for criminal investigation is appropriate.”

  • Reddit 1-800 Flowers Ad Goes Viral

    Reddit 1-800 Flowers Ad Goes Viral

    “Our ads on Reddit have gotten a lot of traction and puts a big smile on people’s faces,” says 1-800 Flowers CEO Chris McCann. “That’s what we’re trying to do is just make sure we’re relevant and create that cognitive speed bump when people think about our company. They see something different and I’m thrilled with the creative team for coming up with something like that.”

    Reddit Ad That Went Viral for 1-800-Flowers.com

    As usual, some opinionated Redditers expressed their thoughts on the ads:

    1-800 Flowers CEO discusses the company’s growth that was accelerated by the pandemic:

    Ecommerce Growth Accelerated During Pandemic

    What we’ve seen is an acceleration of growth in our company that began back in 2018 and really then accelerated even further in 2020 with the pandemic. It’s driven by the need for us as people to connect and express ourselves. As a company whose vision is to inspire more human expression, connection, and celebration, and as an ecommerce leader, we’re well-positioned in the trends that we see coming out of this pandemic. We think these trends are sustainable going forward.

    We started out as one flower shop many years ago. What we’ve done is created this e-commerce platform for growth, a platform for expression, connection, and celebration. It starts with this all-star family of brands that we have led by Harry & David, 1-800-Flowers, Cheryl’s Cookies, Shari’s Berries, and our recent acquisition just this past August of Personalization Mall. You see us now as a company in the expression and connection business with a leadership position in floral, a leadership position in gourmet food gifting, and certainly now leadership and position in expressions and personalized items which is a fast-growing market.

    You’ll continue to continue to see us grow by organic product development of products that help customers express and connect. And as we’ve done through acquisition, adding to that platform and leveraging that platform that we’ve built.

    Need To Express and Connect Is a Lasting Trend

    Hopefully, the vaccines accelerate and we turn to some sense of normalcy sooner rather than later. As we look at our business, the momentum we saw began in 2018 and 2019 and then accelerated with the pandemic. We’ve been on a good momentum growth even before the pandemic and we really see ourselves now as a bigger stronger company than we were prior to it. We’ve acquired Personalization Mall just this past August and by putting it on our platform and leveraging our digital marketing expertise we accelerated the growth of that company. It grew by 50 percent this last quarter.

    A year ago August we acquired Shari’s Berries and took a business that was stagnant and losing money to now one that’s got a nice growth rate and is generating a nice contribution margin as well. If we just keep our focus on what the consumer is looking for to help express and connect then we’ll be continuing to see double-digit growth for some time to come. That trend that we’ve all learned from being isolated, our need to express and connect is a lasting trend coming out of this pandemic along with the shift from offline to online.

    1-800 Flowers Ecommerce Growth Accelerated During Pandemic