eCommerce is fierce. There are approximately 24 million eCommerce stores in the world, with the number steadily growing. People are depending more and more on online marketing, which is making room for more eCommerce business growth. Staying up in the eCommerce game is the first priority for all online marketers now.
The Dire Need for a Well-Designed and Developed eCommerce Website
Users are keen for a better experience while shopping online, making it a mandate to create flawless eCommerce sites. And who doesn’t know that customers are not easy to engage! The average shopping cart abandonment rate is 69.2%.
This is scary for online marketers who have just rolled out their business. So the need for a seamless eCommerce store is all that marketers need at this hour.
Customers Buy a Brand! Not Product!
However, the work doesn’t end by just developing an eCommerce website. You need to put the words out about your store. As it is always said, that customers do not buy a product, but a brand. They are enticed at the branding they see, and that is what triggers them to make a purchase decision.
The eCommerce landscape is pretty crowded with millions of online sites mushrooming every now and then. Standing out in the crowd and cutting through the noise is only possible when your eCommerce branding is right. And if you are just about to start your online store, then you might be wondering where to get started.
One of the first steps to starting an LLC or a business of any kind is to give the LLC a name. This name needs to be unique otherwise states will not allow a business to register. States also have other requirements for business names which can also shrink the pool of available business names. For help determining whether your business name has been taken already, consider using this LLC search tool.
The eCommerce Branding Landscape!
Well, not very long back even, branding used to be comprised of just the brand name, the company logo and the packaging. But it’s more complicated now. As we stand in a digital world, the way business was done a few years back has metamorphosed immensely. If you’re considering developing a unique eCommerce platform, check here.
Now, just a name and a logo won’t suffice for brand creation. If you fail in proper branding for eCommerce business, you would likely lose customers. Because the more you strengthen your branding, the faster your prospects get to know your site.
Simply put, it doesn’t really matter what you sell, from cosmetics, food items, to garments and medicine – if you want to succeed, you need to break through the clutter. And eCommerce branding is the only way to achieve that.
Developing a successful eCommerce brand and a robust corporate identity is a growing trend among newbie marketers. In case you also want to beat the vicious competitive eCommerce space, keep scrolling!
1. Leverage PPC Advertising Strategies for better Branding
This is a kind of marketing that ensures every click made on a website is paid. PPC enables an individual to evaluate whether the campaigns drive ROI by comparing the ad costs to the number of website traffic and sales generated by the ad.
You can promote your online store and market your products through this online advertising method. PPC works great for eCommerce sites as it targets buyers who are ready for purchase.
2. Successfully Set-up Facebook’s Dynamic Ads to Promote your Products
Nothing can make your message reach the world faster than Social Media. Social media channels help your prospects discover your brand, look at your reviews, go through your products, and influence their purchase decision.
You can not only build brand awareness with social media, but also can generate leads and sales. Social media mobile ads are the best way to brand your newly launched eCommerce business. So much so, that 49% of in-store purchases are influenced by social media engagements. Facebook’s Dynamic Ads let a business link their ads to their local products. Thereby you can create custom ads based on product catalogs, pricing and promotions.
For e.g., a retail store that might organize a nationwide sales event; however, Facebook Dynamic Ads will only display the nearby store. These ads target users with relevant products mapping their previous actions and user behavior. Branding your new eCommerce business becomes all the more easier when you get new prospects based on your past user behaviors.
3. Seek Positive Reviews from Customers and Followers
Honestly, this is a time when online reputation is everything. It doesn’t matter what you perceive of yourself. What others think of your brand and how they regard it, is all that matters. And therefore, customer reviews about your eCommerce site and your products are of paramount importance.
Customers these days are bombarded with zillions of commodities online, which makes it extremely difficult for them to choose between brands. And since online consumers do not get to see the merchants or their items in-person, social proof is critical in building trust and guarantees that the brand is legitimate.
As per the stats, 90% of consumers consult online reviews while making a purchase decision. Simply put, reviews are the quintessential cornerstone for branding.
4. Establish an Effective Brand Positioning Strategy
The eCommerce landscape is one incredibly crowded place. To make a permanent mark of your brand, try defining your UVP (Unique Value Proposition), that makes your brand identifiable.
With your UVP defined, you can better fit your brand within the pre-existing market and own a conceptual place in your audience’s mind. An effective brand positioning endeavor maximizes customer relevancy and distinctiveness of your brand. There are a few hacks to achieve this:
- How different is your product packaging?
- How does your service solves problems in a unique manner?
- How much out-of-the-box is your eCommerce store design?
- What has been your pricing point that makes you competitive?
When you define these aspects of your online store, you can successfully win the attention and interest of your consumers. Simultaneously, your branding will be established as credible with these offerings.
5. Determine a Legitimate Social Media Presence on Relevant Platforms
When it comes to put your brand message out to the world and make everyone aware of your existence, nothing is as effective as Social Media channels. For instance, among the 25 million active eCommerce brands on Instagram, 90% of them have an Insta handle. And a whopping 80% of Instagram users follow these brand accounts.
So one can imagine, how beneficial it is for a newly launched online business to leverage social media. It is a vast online marketplace with free access that increases brand outreach, enhances brand awareness, and of course, amplifies the conversion rate.
And while showcasing your brand on multiple social media, ensure consistency between all the platforms. As in, use the same logo across all channels, keep the tonality and language similar. It’s good to have a legit corporate identity strategy for this effort. And just for our readers’ ready reference, here are the social media channels critical for online marketers:
- Facebook – 67%
- LinkedIn – 12%
- Instagram – 10%
- Twitter – 5%
- YouTube – 4%
- Pinterest – 2%
6. Develop a Peppy Brand Slogan/Tagline
Peppy and catchy brand slogans or taglines instantly hook the audience and facilitate a recognizing factor. Thereby whenever the consumers listen to a slogan, the respective brands come to their mind almost instantly.
Apart from a great logo design, a sleek, responsive eCommerce site design and an appealing corporate identity, a brand also needs something differentiating it from the fierce competition. And slogans are the must-have component for eCommerce marketing strategy.
Say, for example, “Finger Lickin’ Good”, “I’m Lovin’ It”, “Think Different”, “Just Do It” – all these taglines almost instantly bring the respective brands to your minds, I believe! So if your online business is comparatively new, think of a quirky slogan that conveys what your brand stands for, and provides a vision to your prospects about your products.
And while creating a brand slogan, keep these smart tips in your mind-
- Make sure it is memorable, unique, and appealing.
- It is short and crisp
- Easy to pronounce
- Honest with your Brand Value and USP
7. Try to Create Stellar Personalized Customer Experience
It is usually difficult for newbie online marketers to compete with their peers, especially in terms of pricing. So what else can you do that promotes customer loyalty and your brand goodwill? By personalizing your packaging and offering a personalized customer experience. Just with this small effort, you can profitably build an unforgettable eCommerce brand.
As per the stats, customers are likely to do business with brands that offer a personalized user experience. As your brand expands and grows, consider using branded packaging to create a memorable unboxing experience. This also has a higher potential of being socially shareable.
8. Reach out to the Marketing Influencers to Form Strategic Relationships
Networking plays a big role in branding your newly launched online store. Unless you create a buzz around your business, you cannot make heads turn. Reach out to the marketing influencers of your niche and form strategic partnerships with them. Request for reviews or backlinks from their sites to yours.
If you can secure a Guest Post from a leading Blogger championing your products/services, you may drive thousands of curious minds to your eCommerce store. If you sell high quality fabric or dress materials, find an influencer who would give you a shoutout. Interacting with these big shots of your domain would give you the desired outcome in the long run.
As of now, 63% of online marketers work with more than 10 influencers for every campaign. Influencer marketing has been significantly critical for online businesses. And if you find it hard to find and pick the right kind of influencer for your eCommerce branding strategies, check out the following quick tips:
- Use relevant hashtags to increase your brand visibility.
- Find out who all are already mentioning your brand and try to identify the worthy.
- Leverage Google Alerts, by setting alerts for relevant keywords of your brand.
- Use Blogger Outreach Platforms, like BlogDash, GroupHigh, BuzzStream, Inkybee, etc.
And finally, create a compelling proposal that increases your chance of getting a response; and give them an offer they can’t refuse!
9. Develop an App for your eCommerce Store for better Customer Experience
If I tell you that there is an incredibly simple way of sprucing your eCommerce promotion and branding, increase sales and conversions, and reduce cart abandonment rate? One would flinch for sure. But, all of these are truly achievable, only if you have a functioning app for your eCommerce website. Smartphone usage has surpassed all the records and mobile-commerce has been rising rapidly.
In 2017, the mobile retail market, aka M-Commerce, is estimated at $151 billion globally. And by this year, the global M-Commerce revenue is expected to cross the $3.56 trillion mark. It will account for 53.3% of eCommerce sales. The US mobile commerce volume is predicted to rise to a colossal $418.9 billion in 2024.
So, you can imagine how much revenue you may reap by having just one seamlessly working mobile application. And undoubtedly, an app is an integral part of your branding strategy. And given the current pandemic situation, people have become drawn to their phones more than ever. From entertainment to dating, to shopping, everything is mobile now!
10. Define a ‘Brand Voice’ and Ensure it is Abided by in your Content and Digital Assets
As we all know, branding is not just colors and logos and fonts. Branding is a feeling, that cannot be touched, but felt. It is an intangible brand ambassador for your company. Likewise, your brand has a distinct voice. It is about being consistent how you communicate and interact with your target audience in the form of brand content.
Your brand voice can be of any style, as long as it is true to your brand persona and values. Your style of communication can be fun and frolicsome, serious and formal, or neutral. Whichever style you choose for your brand, adhere to it religiously. Whether you create an Infographic, or post something on social media channels, or create a campaign – make sure that your brand voice remains intact across all the content forms.
Wrapping Up!
So, as you have known by now, branding is not just your brand name and a fancy logo; it’s way more than that. It is a way of conveying to your prospects everything that your brand actually stands for. Once you establish a connection, a bond with your target audience, you can form a genuine relationship beyond money.
Though it might feel overwhelming at the start, branding your newly launched eCommerce business is not as intimidating as it seems to be. With slow and steady moves, you can promptly develop a sustainable online business with a robust branding that weaves memories, expectations and relationships. Also, you may think of consulting a professional eCommerce branding agency to get cutting-edge branding solutions. A plethora of free advice on the ultimate guide for online branding is available online. But not all are worthy enough. Often, most companies act in haste, ending up in failure.
Think of using more than one branding tactics mentioned above to increase your chance of eCommerce success and master the branding game. And if you need any help in understanding how to brand your online business successfully, our dynamic eCommerce website design and development team can create custom solutions for your brand. Get started today and start branding your eCommerce store!
