Many big organizations and small businesses maintain their blogs, but latest surveys indicate that e-commerce retailers are yet to implement this solution. If you are one such e-tailer, understand that a business blog is a powerful tool to engage your customers and build a sustained rapport with them. Blogging is an important part of any site optimization effort, the objective being to make your brand more visible, encourage more visitors to your site, and give income a boost.
No blog as yet? Start now!
An e-commerce site without a blog is less likely to be indexed by Google, which is always on the lookout for new content. With limited content on your site and no new content being added to it, you cannot expect to attract web traffic. Starting a blog and keeping it updated is doable, even for super-busy e-tailers. So, go ahead and start your business blog to enhance the visibility of your online store.
Tip #1: Engage your target audience
Without an in-depth understanding of your target audience, you cannot create blog content. The idea behind a blog is to catch the attention of your audience by delivering content they can actually use. Before writing a post, put yourself in your target customers’ shoes and think of the different types of content – news, industry trends, trivia – that may interest them.
Tip #2: Avoid over-selling
Overt promotions of your products on your blog are overkill. They can put off readers and make you come across as a pushy salesman. This doesn’t mean that you don’t talk about your offerings at all – keep the sales message subtle and have an experienced copywriter draft your promotional posts.
Tip #3: Educate your visitors
If your blog offers useful tips and advice, it is likely that your visitors will keep coming back for more. A good e-commerce blog seeks to educate customers and over time, influences their buying decisions. Savvy shoppers don’t just want to know how great your product is, but they’re also keen to understand how it compares with other products, and what your industry has to offer in general. By educating shoppers and appealing to their sentiments, you can earn brownie points and also establish yourself as an industry authority.
Tip #4: Show your appreciation for customers
By rewarding your customers, you earn their loyalty and also get referrals. There are many ways (quizzes, contests, early bird offers) to demonstrate your appreciation towards customers through freebies and discounts. Such efforts will show customers that you care about them, and also spawn greater involvement with them.
Tip #5: Solicit customer feedback actively
Your blog is a valuable resource to collect customer feedback and opinions. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or request visitors to share their feedback. You can use this information for product or customer service improvements, and branding strategies.
Tip #6: Back link and guest blog
A good optimization technique is to add links from your blog to your e-commerce pages. You can also publish your posts on popular blogs in your niche. By getting valuable links from authoritative blogs, you can attract traffic to your site and also strengthen brand identity.
As a parting reminder, make sure that you draft blog posts with care. You don’t want to offend visitors by referencing controversial topics or voicing personal opinions about religion, politics or sex.