| Every business needs a marketing strategy, and that includes those within the realm of ecommerce. It is incredibly easy for anybody to start an online business, but the vast majority of them will fail miserably. While there are many reasons that any business can fail, it's a safe bet to say that the successful ones have all implemented an effective ecommerce marketing strategy. The following information will help you set up the best strategy for your internet business.
The best marketing strategies are those that are incorporated into the initial planning stages of the business. In other words, consider what your marketing strategy might be while you are figuring out what to sell, selecting a domain name, designing your site, and so on. Marketing is much more than advertising; marketing permeates every aspect of your business and paints a picture of your company and your offer in the minds of your prospects. Don't make the mistake of marketing only after everything else is up and running.
You need to have a firm idea of who your target market is before you can start marketing to them. Who is your product for? How old are they? What is their education level? Income? What are there hobbies and interests? What do they identify with? What problems do they have? And the list goes on. The more detailed your image of the ideal customer, the easier your marketing will be.
The next step in a good ecommerce marketing strategy is to determine where your customers are most likely to see your message and be receptive to it. You could just plaster a link to your site anywhere and everywhere that will allow you to do so, but if your target audience doesn't go there, or if they perceive your ads as intrusive, then they won't be inclined to follow those links back to your site. For example, if they are likely to be watching music videos, you could put ads on video sites, but you would want to avoid any ads that interrupt the viewing process.
Knowing your ideal customer and how best to reach them is a good start, but you also need to market to them using their language. We aren't referring to English, Chinese, or Norwegian, but rather using the terminology they are familiar with. Be careful that you don't overdo it, and that you fully understand their vernacular, otherwise you run the risk of coming across as phony.
Once you have all of those things in place, you can decide which methods you want to be a part of your strategy. There are many options for online marketing, and there are also options that can fit into any budget. Again, your decision as to whether or not to use a certain method should be based on how your target market is likely to respond.
Now it's just a matter of implementing everything and tracking the results. Test variations and make adjustments as needed. Following this blueprint for an ecommerce marketing strategy will lead you to success. |