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Transiting from a brick-and-mortar operation to a partly, or fully, online business can be tricky. While many of the fundamental principles remain the same, it’s important to know how to apply these in this new context in order to maximize their effect. Below we take a look at some crucial considerations e-commerce operations should take note of when reviewing their digital footprint.

Targeted Ads

Social media companies collect data on their users as a means of generating revenue. This is done by selling this data to third party advertisers who wish to be put in touch with specific demographics. Any company can use this targeted advertising, and it is available on almost all social media platforms. By using targeted advertising, you can rest assured that your adverts are reaching people in your chosen demographic, wherever they are. This data is so comprehensive that brands can target specific buyers with granular detail. With 60% of the global population now online, finding a means of cutting through the crowd to get to your core audience is invaluable.

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Promotional Marketing

Promotional offers can take a wide range of forms and are contingent on a range of factors, such as the nature of what is being marketed, and how consumers interact with it. An iGaming platform benefits from promotions that offer sign up bonuses to their patrons, whereas a commercial web-store may find offering deals on bulk orders or free shipping will represent the biggest uplift in their digital footfall. Correctly identifying what type of promotional campaigns will have the biggest impact on your sector can go a long way towards organically increasing your bottom line.

Clear brand message

Having a clear brand identity is important for any business, but for one that’s online it is of crucial importance. The reason for this is the nature of the attention economy. On social media platforms your brand has to find a way to make its mark in an environment designed to be attention grabbing. While there is no one solution as to how this can be achieved, figuring out a uniform, cohesive aesthetic and message will go a long way to making your posts more memorable to followers. 

A big component of this is in utilizing a visual palette and tone of voice that is associated with your product sector. A company selling hot chili sauce is going to have a broadly different presence to one selling spa treatments. Be sure to look at what other companies in your sector are doing, and note the commonalities. These shared aesthetics, such as the use of pastel colors for a wellness company, are what consumers use to identify your products quickly.

Join the global marketplace

While a case can be made that only selling your products through your own website is preferable, especially as you don’t have to pay listing fees, in most cases this will make your product hard to discover for the average user. While having your own website is important, and can act as a focal point for your various social media campaigns, it’s more important to list your products in places where people are regularly visiting. This logic is similar to why a store would opt to open a branch inside a shopping mall, instead of in a hidden side-road. Higher footfall, digital or otherwise, inevitably translates to more sales.

If your product is general and geared towards mass consumption, explore the viability of getting your shop listed on Amazon and other large online marketplaces. Certain brands would also do well to establish a presence on sites like eBay. If you're a specialist brand, it’s a good idea to explore whether there are small marketplaces that cater to your product category, and aim to get listed on them. For example, a vintage clothing company would do well to establish a presence on second-hand clothing store Depop. Likewise, an indie crafts company would find willing buyers for their products on Etsy.