We’re so excited to start a new video series, called “Give me 5 eCommerce tips”. Each episode will feature an industry expert, who will share 5 useful eCommerce tips that will help improve your online strategies and get you on the road to success.
In the first episode, Geoff Knapp, Vice President of Business Development at 2Checkout, will focus on Growth Hacking.
Starting an online business isn’t always the hardest part of being an entrepreneur. Although it does take a lot of work to turn your great idea into a reality, you eventually need to get serious about growing that business.
The good news is that it’s not rocket science. If you don’t know how to get started, we can help you with 5 growth hacking tips that will fuel your engine.
1. Make a Killer Content Marketing Strategy
Content marketing is crucial in today’s marketing environment. Targeted, quality content that attracts prospects and keeps your customers engaged is important from customer acquisition to retention. Not to mention that optimized content helps improve your SEO efforts and enables you to showcase your subject matter expertise.
There are lots of content types to choose from: infographics, videos, webinars, eBooks, case studies, blog posts, podcasts and the list goes on. Just keep in mind that the more value your readers get, the more likely they will be to return.
2. Build Trust and Focus on Delivering a Great Product
Many customers are skeptical of any online company. They question whether they are really getting their money’s worth. They worry about security.
So work on providing some additional trust through your actions: always reply to customer emails, enable live chat on your website and answer social media comments.
Plus make sure to incorporate user-generated content throughout your marketing strategies, such as testimonials, case studies, and customer videos.
3. Go Freemium, If That Makes Sense for Your Business
Freemium is for sure a popular way to engage new customers and prove your value. The product is later offered as a premium subscription with more features and functions, or for increased usage. Although giving away a product free of charge, with no strings attached, may not seem like a way to run a business, with the right freemium strategy, it can be a win/win proposition. Make sure you can support this strategy, for example, if you have self-service and automation in place, a low cost-to service, migration paths and so on.
4. Make Things Easier with Marketing Automation
Use the good old email marketing, but with a smart twist: make things easier with marketing automation. It’s frustrating to get a similar email twice or to be invited to try a feature you’ve already engaged with. Marketing automation keeps email and other marketing efforts in sync with how customers actually use and interact with a brand, product or service, so I strongly recommend that you use such a tool. In the long run, it will help not just with well-timed, personalized messages based on someone’s activity and preferences, but also with lead management and nurturing.
5. Launch a Program to Reward Loyal Customers
Customer loyalty programs are a way of rewarding your repeat customers and encourage them to stay loyal. It’s about building a strong a relationship between your brand and customers.
No matter what your industry or business vertical, you can always find a way to reward customers for their loyalty with additional, exclusive benefits. Loyalty programs come in many shapes and sizes, so make sure to pick or build one that will benefit your customers most.
We hope you enjoyed the first episode of the series! Please comment below if you have any questions, we’re more than happy to help!
See you next time, with more eCommerce tips!
