How to Boost E-commerce Sales in 2019 (Without a Sales Pitch)
As the holiday buzz winds down, your sights are set on growing e-commerce sales in 2019. You’ve set goals to boost the visibility of your brand in the new year ahead, and are anxious to report on the sales to prove it. But, what can bridge the gap between sales projections and tangible profits? Creative digital marketing.
Let’s be honest: Your audience is getting tired of being sold to. As you fine-tune your digital marketing strategy for 2019, focus on educating, informing, entertaining and getting to know your potential customers beyond analytics.
As relationships build, sales organically follow.
Authentically Connect With Your Audience
If you want your consumer products to be found online, your e-commerce site needs to connect with potential buyers in the places where they linger, in the formats they crave. Here’s a round-up of what works.
Partner with complementary businesses.
Gain traction and visibility by becoming a team player. Establishing working relationships with like-minded businesses organically leads to cross-promotion of one another’s products while putting your business in front of a targeted audience that’s likely to show interest.
Nuance Chocolate in Old Town Fort Collins has struck a sweet spot with their fans by sourcing local ingredients (such as honey) and selling their confections at area Colorado businesses including coffee shops, breweries and cafes. Chocolate, chocolate, everywhere!
Find an influencer for your brand.
When you partner with a social-media savvy local celebrity who shows your products integrating into their daily life, viewers take note. Brand messaging originating beyond your e-commerce site reaches new audiences in an authentic, personable format.
Denver blogger Kelly Pfeiffer from Nosh and Nourish is focused on eating healthy despite the hustle and bustle of everyday life. From her log cabin in the mountains, she’s partnered on influencer projects with brands ranging from Silk (non-dairy milk) to Udi’s Gluten Free, introducing her readers to health-focused food brands. Partnering with an influencer who lives the lifestyle of your ideal customer can help you showcase your products to the world too!
Finally start that blog.
This year, dig deeper and explain the whys and hows behind what you do on a business-focused blog. For many e-commerce retailers, this opens the door to deeper understanding and connection with their audience.
For example, Stonebridge Farm in Longmont has a charming name, but I’m not sure what they sell. Pet chickens? Fresh vegetables? Gardening supplies? If you take a moment to dig deeper into their website, you’ll find a recipes blog with specific categories: spring vegetables, early summer vegetables, high summer vegetables and fall vegetables. I’m guessing you now know what they sell? Vegetables! And, they’re making sure their customers learn creative ways to use their fresh produce each season via a blog.
Identify a cause to support.
Partnering with a charity, non-profit organization or community outreach program shows dedication to nurturing others and fueling causes that align with your company’s mission or beliefs.
Café Richesse in Fort Collins publicly professes their love of helping people and puts their dollars behind it too. On the Social Responsibility portion of their website, you’ll find this information:
“Laborers in remote coffee-producing areas often don’t have access to education, healthcare, clean water or training in basic nutrition or hygiene. For this reason, we are proud supporters of Socially Conscious Coffee™, a 501(3)(c) nonprofit organization. Its mission is to provide education and promote sustainable prosperity in coffee-producing communities. A percentage of Café Richesse’s sales is donated to SCS every month. So when you buy our coffee, you are helping to improve the lives of the people who harvest the coffee you enjoy.”
We’re Full of Marketing Inspiration
Of course, there are many more ways to connect with your current and potential customers. This year, vow to ignite at least one new marketing outreach effort and see how your numbers change.
Sharing the story behind the foundation of your business, shooting a product-in-action video, working with the local media to cover your events or even hosting an open house to make personal connections with local customers and vendor partners will also build your visibility in the marketplace.
We’ve put several of these ideas in action for our clients, including The a2 Milk Company, which shares blog content related to nutrition and health, customer testimonials as well as recipe content on a regular basis. Each week, consumers are inspired to drink more milk and use it in new ways — from creamy soup recipes to simple DIY homemade skincare products.
We also love that Cura Global Health, a dietary supplement, food and beverage products manufacturer, has established third-party Scientific Advisors to oversee their products and processes. These public-facing professionals go beyond research and development behind-the-scenes to bolster the company’s health branding and consumer confidence through relevant partnerships.
Are you interested in learning more about connecting with your audience, without a sales pitch? Contact Volume Nine today. We’d love to discuss how we can help your e-commerce brand reach your goals in the new year!
