Top 6 Tips to Make Your eCommerce Brand Stand Out – Info Branding

Techniques You Can Apply Today That Will Make Your eCommerce Brand More Recognizable

The trickiest part of owning a strictly eCommerce brand is getting noticed. There are so many online shops out there; the playing field is crowded. The key is really getting more visitors to your site; just like the key to a brick and mortar storefront is getting more feet in the door. Then once you have them, you need to keep them. But how?

The answer is a combination of things and you may have to tweak a little here and there to get the equation right for your eCommerce brand. The great news is that you can out all of these techniques into practice right away!

1. Get the Most Out of Customers by Upselling

Ask anyone who’s spent a little time in retail; they will tell you, upselling works. In fact, upselling is 20 times more effective than cross-selling when it comes to online services and products. Most of the time it comes down to your customers not knowing a better product or service is available. You are simply educating them on a better product.

For example: Let’s say you sell handmade bags online. You customer chooses a nice canvas bag. On the step right before checkout, you show them a similar bag in leather. They may choose the more durable leather, even though it’s $15 more expensive. You’re just making sure they are making an informed decision.

Before putting this into practice remember:

• Your upsells must be related to the original product
• Stay close to the original item price

Pro-Tip: Product UpSell is an app that gives you the ability to offer a different product during checkout based on the contents of the shopping cart. It works well with the Shopify platform.

2. Be Very Social

When it comes to eCommerce, Facebook and Instagram are your friends. Chances are your audience is heavily using one of these platforms or a combination of the two.

Facebook: Consider launching a Facebook store. It may not drive eye-balls directly to your online shop, but it will get your products in front of more customers. If you have Shopify, it will integrate directly to your Facebook store.

Instagram: A recent study has found that Instagram gives brands 25% more engagement than any other social media platform. Focus your Instagram energy on using the right hashtags, filters, and finding the best time to post for your audience. Campaigns and contests are also a big hit on this platform.

3. Fight Abandoned Carts

Every eCommerce brand experiences abandoned carts. Customers add items to their carts but skip out upon checkout. There’s a way to get them back. Use the data that you have on them. Send a customer an email reminding them they have items in their cart. Take the opportunity to offer a discount if they complete the purchase.

Pro-Tip: Sometimes the shipping cost may cause people to abandon their carts. Include a free shipping offer in your email campaign.

4. Email Campaigns

Email is one of your best and more affordable marketing tools in eCommerce. Take a look at some of the numbers:

• Email has an ROI of around 4,300%
• 70% of people make use of emailed coupons and discounts
• 60% of people say that receiving special offers is THE reason they subscribe to a business email list

But it’s not enough to simply collect email addresses. You have to use them wisely. Here are a few ideas you can try:

• Send a welcome email right away. Include some sort of gift, like a coupon or discount, for their next purchase.
• Put together a newsletter that has regular offers, product tips, and more.
• If you haven’t heard from them in a while, remind them your store is still there and introduce them to a new product or two.

5. Store Design

If your store is badly designed then you’re losing potential customers. A poorly designed eCommerce store can look untrustworthy. No one wants to spend their money at a shady business. Make sure your store:

• Looks Professional
• Is Easy to Use
• Is Not Cluttered
• Loads Quickly
• Is Mobile Friendly

If you realize that you need some help, take a look at this blog on some of the best platforms for your eCommerce brand. 

6. Product Reviews

Good product reviews can be your bread and butter. Most potential customers read the reviews on a product before purchasing. Since they can’t hold or touch the item beforehand, they are looking for information on quality and customer service. Plus, having product reviews increases the amount of content on a page and helps with SEO.

Encourage reviews to build organically. It will be tempting to pay for someone to write positive reviews, but people can see right through the fake ones.

Send email follow-ups after purchase and ask for a review. Respond to negative reviews in a timely and professional way. If you build a relationship with your audience, they will want to let you know how they feel about your brand.

Set a goal for yourself of trying to enact one of these techniques today! In the coming weeks, try working your way through the list and watch for which techniques work best for your brand. It’s a bit of trial and error, but these tips have a proven record.

RUSSO is a strategic branding agency that uses consumer insight to change the conversation; forming emotional connections with the target audience. To learn more, click HERE to subscribe to our podcast.