Category Archives: E-commerce

A Quick Guide To Choose the Right eCommerce Website Design Company in Noida

 

The importance of a good website design in the current digital era cannot be understated. Your website represents your brand on the internet and is central to winning over potential users. A not-so-well-designed site will make people leave and adversely affect your brand. This is why it is important to opt for an eCommerce website design company in Noida, that not only knows how to come up with an appealing website design but also offers quality user interaction.

Optimal Design Experience 

Your web design agency should provide a careful site structure and an appropriate page design because these factors significantly contribute to the usability of a website. Your users should be able to conveniently flip through your catalogue and pinpoint what they are looking for almost instantly.

In addition, your eCommerce website design company in Noida must create designs that are easily navigable and responsive on mobile devices to ensure easy access to all users irrespective of the devices they are using.

Technical Expertise 

Creating a standard site and creating an online eCommerce site are two separate creations. To illustrate, an online eCommerce site possesses features that allow processing orders and incorporates functioning payment systems, while the other type of site does not. It is also worth noting that eCommerce sites are more protected than any other type of site, and there are reasons for this. 

Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the development team selected has worked within the eCommerce domain for a while. Apart from that, it is preferable to pick a firm like vStacks that utilises the eCommerce platform and technologies that one plans to use on their website.

Clarify Maintenance Terms 

Most of the eCommerce development firms offer just website development services. This means once the website is developed, any modifications to it will attract an extra cost. In the long run, this may in turn increase the expenses of running the website quite considerably. On the other hand, some firms will offer annual maintenance contracts together with development packages. Business owners are encouraged to go for an eCommerce website design company in Noida that offers such service because there is a professional on standby whenever they want to alter their website.

Understand the Company’s Specialisation and Expertise

Web designing includes different aspects such as visual design, UX and UI, programming, and SEO, also known as search engine optimization. Think about the kind of website you would want to have and the elements you want it to have. When you are designing the website of an e-commerce business, for example, it is advisable to look for a web design company that has built online shops with payment systems and inventory management systems. 

In addition, look into their expertise in other areas such as responsive design and search engine optimization. It is also worth noting that SEO is crucial to enhancing the chances of your website being ranked higher in search engine results pages and acquiring organic traffic. 

Conclusion 

After assessing the parameters above, you must have a compiled list of prospective web designing firms that qualify your expectations. Now, ensure effective collaboration with a firm like vStacks Infotech, your eCommerce website design company in Noida to bring out the best!

Choosing the Right E-commerce Development Company for Your Online Store

 

In the dynamic world of e-commerce, establishing a strong online presence is essential for any business. A well-designed and functional online store can significantly boost sales, expand your customer base, and enhance brand visibility. However, the key to achieving these goals lies in selecting the right e-commerce development company. With numerous options like AMR Softec, PQube, Softtrix, and vStacks Infotech available, making the right choice can be daunting.

Following essential tips will help you in choosing the right e-commerce development company for your online store.

Evaluate Their Experience: Experience is a crucial factor when selecting an e-commerce development company. Look for a company that has a proven track record in designing and developing successful online stores. Check their portfolio to see if they have worked with businesses like yours. An experienced company is more likely to understand your specific needs and deliver a solution tailored to your industry.

Technical Proficiency: A proficient e-commerce development company should be well-versed in various e-commerce platforms, such as WooCommerce or custom solutions. Assess their technical expertise and ensure they are up to date with the latest e-commerce trends and technologies. A company that understands the intricacies of different platforms can recommend the best one for your business.

Customisation and Scalability: Every business has unique requirements. Ensure the development company can provide a customised solution that aligns with your brand and caters to your specific needs. Additionally, consider the scalability of the platform. Your online store should be able to handle increasing traffic and business growth without major disruptions.

Mobile Responsiveness: With most online shoppers using mobile devices, having a mobile-responsive e-commerce site is crucial. The development company should prioritise creating a seamless mobile shopping experience. Test their previous projects on various devices to ensure they deliver a consistent and user-friendly interface across platforms.

User Experience (UX) Design: A well-designed online store with an intuitive user interface can significantly impact sales and customer retention. The e-commerce development company should prioritise creating a visually appealing and easy-to-navigate website. Check their design portfolio to gauge their expertise in creating compelling and user-focused designs.

Integration Capabilities: Your online store may need to integrate with various third-party services, such as payment gateways, inventory management systems, CRM software, or marketing tools. Ensure that the development company has experience in seamless integrations and can help you implement the necessary functionalities to streamline your operations.

Support and Maintenance: Building an online store is not a one-time task. It requires ongoing support, maintenance, and updates. Inquire about the company’s post-launch support services. A reliable partner should be available to address any issues promptly and provide updates or improvements as your business evolves.

Cost and Timeline: While cost is an important factor, it should not be the sole determinant. Focus on the value you will receive for your investment. A transparent company should provide a clear estimate of the project cost and timeline. Be wary of companies that offer extremely low prices, as it may indicate a compromise in quality.

Selecting the right e-commerce development company is a critical decision that can impact the success of your online store. A well-chosen e-commerce development partner like vStacks Infotech will not only create a functional online store but also help you achieve long-term growth and success in the competitive e-commerce landscape.

Optimising Your E-commerce Opportunities

 
Digitization has opened up a lot of opportunities for businesses, both big and small. And, one vertical that has seen exponential growth over the years is the e-commerce vertical. However, with competition on the rise in the e-commerce industry, you can miss big time on opportunities if you don’t manage your online storefront the right way.

From reputed online stores to startups, one thing that matters the most to e-commerce business is the conversion rate. And, if you are not converting all of your clients, there is always room for improvement. Converting all your customers is a near-impossible task, which means you need to do something to improve your conversion rates.

So, what is it that you should do to optimize your e-commerce store?

There are numerous aspects to optimizing your e-commerce site. And, unless you optimize your site the right way, it is very difficult to increase your conversions and sales.

To optimize your e-commerce conversions, here is what you need to do. But before getting into what you need to do to optimize your e-commerce site, let us take you through what is a good conversion rate.

What is a good conversion rate?

What does conversion mean?

When someone saves an item to buy later, adds an item to their shopping cart, or makes a purchase, it means you have made a conversion. To be more precise, among those who visit your site, the percentage of those who take action on your page is what is known as the conversion rate.

According to Monetate, the global average e-commerce conversion rate stands at 2.86% (as of Q2 – 2018).

The average e-commerce conversion rate in the US is 2.63%, and that for the UK is 4.31%.

When it comes to conversion rates, you need to understand that conversion rate is highly contextual. For example, a store selling high-value electronic goods is bound to have a low conversion rate from a store which sells t-shirts at one pound.

So, what impacts conversion rates?

Some of the things that impact conversion rates include product type, average order value or the cost of the product, traffic source, location, platform (Windows, Mac, Android, IOS, etc.), and device type (desktop, tablet, mobile).

You can find your site’s e-commerce conversion rate on Google Analytics and set for yourself tangible goals to improve it. And, to improve your conversion rates, here are some e-commerce optimization techniques that help you achieve your goals.

How to optimize your e-commerce opportunities?

If you are the owner of an e-commerce store, your primary aim should be to increase your conversion rates. And, to do it the right way, here is what you need to do to optimize your e-commerce opportunities:

You should improve your product pages – You need to make sure that your product pages are up to the mark. It should convince your buyers to buy the product from your site. Make it easy for your shoppers to navigate your site so that they can find the product they want to buy. According to the Baymard Institute study, you should use two types of breadcrumbs for your e-commerce site, namely, history-based and hierarchy-based breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs link shows a visitor where you are in a store, which is displayed at the top of your product’s catalogue.

You can also improve your product pages by using catchy SEO friendly titles for your products.

You also need to lay a lot of emphasis on product images. Make sure that you show the product from different angles so that it helps the buyers close the sales quickly.

You should also add product videos to help your buyers get more clarity about the products on display.

Also, make sure your product descriptions are concise, crisp, to the point, and clear.

It is important to use personalization – It is vital for the businesses in the e-commerce vertical to personalize their offers, content, and make them more relevant for their buyers. With the data you collect from the web and social analytics, you can personalize your offers because you get to know what your visitors like, who they are, and what they want, and where they have been on your site. When it comes to e-commerce personalization, make sure you follow the following tips:

You should always be relevant, smart, and targeted.

Highlight the related products.

Personalize site navigation based on your visitor’s interest.

Also, based on behavior, personalize your email marketing campaigns.

Make sure you show discounts by category.

Announcing flash sales is another option to optimize your conversions – Many people love to buy when they see the four-letter word SALE. When you let your customers know that they stand to gain if they buy during the sale period, it creates a sense of urgency. People tend to buy because they don’t want to lose an opportunity, and therefore, it increases your conversions. Hence, it is vital for your e-commerce business to use flash sales to improve your opportunities.

You also need to optimize your pricing – You need to make sure that your pricing is right, or else it is difficult for your buyers to buy from you. Here are some ways of getting your pricing right:

Compare your products

Add a clear call to action

Don’t give too many options

Entice your users by using charm pricing (for example, .99 or 1.99)

You can also use live chat to clarify your buyer’s doubts

All of this will help you optimize your opportunities.

You should try to reduce cart abandonment – Cart abandonment is one of the most significant issues which you need to address. According to the Baymard Institute, the average cart abandonment rate is 69%. But you surely want to improve your cart abandonment rate. And, to do that, here are some tips which you should follow:

Don’t surprise your buyers when they are about to check out, especially on the cost front. Most of the buyers leave the cart due to shipping or other cost surprises. If possible, you can offer free shipping.

Always have multiple payment options. You need to ensure that no one abandons the cart because of the lack of payment options.

Make sure that you keep a visible cart. You can have a cart icon on all your pages.

You should also offer guest checkouts.

Also, send cart abandonment emails.

And finally, offer a coupon.

Make sure that you optimize your site for mobile – With the rise in smartphones all over the world, you can’t ignore mobile optimization for your e-commerce site. People these days have a habit of researching products and services on their mobile. To optimize your mobile conversion rates, here are some tips:

Make sure that the load speed of your site on mobile is excellent.

Use videos because most people watch videos on their mobile.

Also, optimize for mobile search.

You should also use mobile marketing campaigns.

Pay attention to email marketing – Email marketing is one of the best ways to build a relationship with your customers. Email marketing offers the best ROI, which means more conversions. Some tip that can make your email marketing more effective:

Always have a catchy subject line

Make sure you personalise your email.

Target your audience on special occasions and holidays (holiday season and occasions like Valentine’s Day, Memorial Day, Back to school, etc.).

Always use transactional emails.

Automate your email marketing.

Don’t forget upselling – If you want to increase your e-commerce conversions, you should pay a lot of attention to upselling. If your visitors are interested in buying a product, you should encourage them to buy a more expensive item. You can upsell on your product page, during the checkout process, or after the checkout. You should also upsell your products to your existing customers. It is important for you to let your customers know why they stand to gain if they upgrade to an expensive item. You also need to ensure that you always get your pricing right.

Don’t forget to take the feedback of your customers – Customer feedback is extremely important, never ignore it. It is the only way to know whether your customers are happy with you or not. When you get customer feedback, you know where you need to improve.

If you want to learn more about optimizing your e-commerce opportunities, you should get in touch with vStacks Infotech now. Being a digital marketing company, we can help your business reach new heights.

How To Use Google Analytics To Boost Your E-commerce Sales?

 
If you have an e-commerce storefront, you must be aware that there is a lot of competition in this vertical. Not everyone in the industry is surviving and thriving in this industry like Amazon. If you have an e-commerce storefront, then you need to understand that you have to do a lot of things correctly to survive in this industry. And, one of the things that you need to keep a tab on is Google Analytics.

Yes, if you are not leveraging Google Analytics properly, then you are doing a great disservice to your brand and storefront.

Google Analytics came into being in 2005, and since then, it has been providing reliable data for websites in all the verticals. Google Analytics is one of the most important tools, and businesses need to keep a tab on it to beat the competition in their niche. There is no doubt that all websites should use Google Analytics, but if you have an online store, it becomes more important for you to leverage Google Analytics.

So, why is Google Analytics important for e-commerce businesses?

If you want your online store to do well, then you need the data the most because e-commerce business flourishes on data. Accurate data in the e-commerce industry can help you scale new heights. Conversely, misinterpreted data can do a lot of damage to your e-commerce business.

You can use Google Analytics to analyze the success of your online store and develop smart strategies that also help you drive sales.

But it is important for businesses to know how to use Google Analytics. Here are seven ways to use Google Analytics which helps you to increase sales.

7 ways to use Google Analytics to increase your e-commerce sales

  1. It helps you familiarise with your buyer’s journey – Before your buyers finally decide to purchase from you, they go through a step-by-step process. The buyer’s journey is different for different businesses.

    Buyer’s journey generally starts with personalised customer service. The duration of each buyer’s journey differs from the other, but all of them follow a certain path.

    Throughout their journey, your buyers develop some pain points (queries) which you need to address to satisfy them. You need to follow a structured guide to know what the pain points are so that you resolve their queries satisfactorily.

    Personalized customer service is when your prospects think that they are being looked after at every stage of their journey.

    But how does Google Analytics help you here?

    The data from Google Analytics helps you find out the touchpoints where your customers stop engaging with your website. So, what can you do to bring back these clients? The Behaviour Flow report helps you address the problem. From this report, you can find out the point where the engagement comes to an end.

    It is possible to filter by Source or Medium to find out your customer’s journey based on channel. Move to the Behaviour Flow report and change the drop-down in the first column to alter the results.

    Next, check the Starting Pages section and first interaction column. You will get to know from this report the stage till which your buyers were with you. Study this report to learn about the touchpoints and try to resolve the problem, especially those from where most of your customers are dropping off. The exercise will help you enhance user engagement and improve conversions.

    Based on what each channel shows you, you can tailor your content so that you meet your customers where they need you the most.

  2. It helps you optimize content with on-site search – Customers these days want value for every penny they spend. And, if you don’t provide them value, then they will not hesitate to desert you.

    With its Search Term report, Google Analytics helps you learn what exactly your visitors are searching for on your site. It is not difficult for you to find out the exact words, products, keywords, and content that your customers are using.In case you are not analyzing this report, then you are missing big time on valuable data. The data can also help you improve your search engine rankings.

    When you analyze the Search Terms report, you can easily get to know what your customers want which can help you tailor your content accordingly.

  3. It helps you learn more about your customer’s interest – It is extremely important for you to know what your customers want and things that interest them. With its Affinity Categories report, Google Analytics provides insight into your customers’ interests. You can get these interests by demographic.

    When you know what your customers want and things they are interested in, it becomes much easier for you to make a sale. The data here can help you understand how you need to position your brand according to the interests of your customers.

    Per the interests of your customers, you can create better content and personalize marketing.

  4. It allows you to track product performance – One of the ways Google Analytics help increase your conversion rates is to track product performance. It is important for e-commerce businesses to know which of their products are selling more and those that are not doing well among the visitors. And, with Google Analytics in place, you have the Product Performance section which helps you to analyze user interactions with products. The report helps you understand which of your products are selling more. You can, therefore, adopt ways to increase the performance of other products that are not doing so well in your store.

    You can break down the product sales performance by dimension – by product name, category, brand, or stock-keeping unit (SKU).

    For example, in the report, if one of your most popular products show a substantial dip in sales and another product shows a significant increase, then you need to find out the reason for the sudden drop and increase in sale and address the issue.You can check various product metrics like revenue, quantity, unique purchase, average price and quantity, card to detail rate, and product refund amount. Do have a look at products with a high total refund amount and if there are satisfaction issues, then you need to resolve them to increase your sales.

  5. It also lets you assess the duration by which your leads convert – It is important for you to learn what your buyers think during their purchase journey. With Google Analytics in place, you don’t need to do any guesswork. Its Path Length report allows you to find out precisely how many interactions it takes before your customers make a purchase.

    Also, you can find out the conversion values for every path length. With these reports in place, you can determine whether you need to increase the duration of your marketing campaign or you should focus your efforts somewhere else.

  6. Find out on-site engagement – It is important for businesses in the e-commerce industry to know how their prospects engage with their site. And, your landing pages can help you find out on-site engagement pretty effectively. The Landing Pages report gives you a statistical view of how much time your visitors are spending on your site.
    The report allows you to see the duration and bounce rates for all your pages, and you get to know which pages get more user engagement and those that are not providing sufficient value to your visitors. Since bounce rates have can impact your ranking on the SERPs, it is in your interest to pay attention to this report.

    You can use this report to improve your landing pages, enhance your ranking, and increase user engagement.

  7. Find out the customer value – Lifetime Value report was recently added to the arsenal of Google Analytics. Businesses are generally aware that it is worth investing in a returning customer because repeat customers are a better bet in comparison to the new ones. But it is also important for businesses to know the worth of their customers so that they can accordingly allocate their resources to cater to the needs of their customers.
    And, that is what the Lifetime Value report tells you about your customers. It tells you the value of each customer throughout their journey with your business. It tells you the lifetime value of your customers acquired through various channels like email, social, search, etc.

Also, with Google Analytics, you can view the Average Time on Page stat which helps you to improve your content so that your visitors start spending adequate time on your site.

Moreover, Google Analytics has a specialized feature that provides data for every e-commerce site which helps you in streamlining your marketing efforts and creating effective sales strategies.

If you have an online storefront and you want to boost your e-commerce sales, you should get in touch with vStacks Infotech now. We have been in the digital world for long, and we know what it takes to formulate a comprehensive strategy to boost your sales. You can also contact us if you are facing hosting issues for your e-commerce storefront.

Why Cloud Hosting Is Good For Your E-commerce Business

 

E-commerce industry has seen phenomenal growth in the recent past, and the trend is set to continue in the years to come. You need to have an e-commerce platform in place if you want to beat the competition in today’s times. That is the reason why businesses these days want to have an online presence to sell their products and services.

In 2017 the total e-commerce sales amounted to roughly $2.3 trillion which is set to touch $4.5 trillion by 2021 (Statista).

But with so many e-commerce platforms already out there in the market, it is not easy to climb the success ladder in the online business unless you have a well-defined strategy in place. And, when we talk of a well-defined strategy, it is important for businesses to select the right kind of hosting for your e-commerce business.

Many businesses, especially those entering the ecommerce market for the first time wonder whether to choose an on-premise or cloud-based online interface. It is a decision that has a far- reaching impact on your ecommerce business. It not only controls your capital and operating budgets, but it also determines your ability to grow and the way you respond to the opportunities present in the market.

Why cloud-hosting for your ecommerce business?

It is no secret that businesses all over the world are moving to the cloud thick and fast. According to Gartner, in 2018 the worldwide public cloud services market is expected to grow at a healthy rate of 21.4% and will touch $186.4 billion, up from $153.5 billion in 2017.

According to Forbes, the cloud equipment market worldwide is expected to reach $79.1 billion in 2018.

According to the LogicMonitor’s survey, 83% of enterprise workloads will run in the cloud by 2020. It is not surprising to note that on-premise workloads are expected to come down from a present 37% to 27% of all workloads by 2020.

Companies, cutting across all verticals, from financial services and manufacturing to healthcare and retail, are planning to shift their operations to the cloud because it offers the ultimate storage solution for a range of activities that include online storage gateways, backup storage, and data movement and access.

So, if your ecommerce business is looking for an efficient data storage solution, then the cloud can offer numerous benefits, and hence makes it a perfect option.

The ecommerce companies are opting for cloud services because it allows them to reach their goals and provide a customized experience to its customers. Also, those who have adopted the cloud have a distinct competitive advantage over the ones who have not yet embraced the cloud.

Here are some major benefits to consider cloud hosting if you are planning to start your ecommerce business.

Benefits of cloud hosting for your ecommerce business

The ecommerce industry has hugely benefitted from the cloud computing market. If you are planning to start your ecommerce business, you should consider cloud hosting for the ecommerce platform. From cost and scalability to reliability and flexibility, cloud computing can offer several benefits to your ecommerce business.

Here are some of the major benefits cloud computing has to offer to your ecommerce business:

Cost savings

Whether you are planning to shift your present operations to the cloud or start your new ecommerce business, there are a lot of savings that are up for grabs in case you move to the cloud.

When it comes to cloud computing, you only need to pay for the services you take and use. Also, as and when you grow, you don’t have to worry about investing huge amounts in upgrading the hardware and software infrastructure. You also don’t have to bother about developing and maintaining the IT infrastructure which amounts to substantial savings.

When businesses plan to foray into new geographical locations, cloud-based ecommerce solutions offer them a great deal of flexibility and scalability at prices that are reasonable.

Unmatched accessibility

When your ecommerce business is hosted in the cloud, all the relevant business information is easily accessible by the users through any standard web browser. When you start or move your ecommerce business to the cloud, you don’t have to worry about setting up an in-house system. Your business processes can be fast and easy because all your employees, partners, distributors, and suppliers have easy access to information.

Unquestioned scalability

One of the most important attributes of cloud computing is scalability. When businesses opt for cloud computing, you don’t have to worry about increased customer activity or a surge in the number of customer visits. As and when your requirements go up, you can easily scale up the resources in any given active session. Whether it is a promotional activity or flash sale, with cloud hosting you can easily manage your resources to suit your needs. Cloud servers are designed to provide maximum performance. Moreover, as easily as you can scale up your resources, you can also scale them down after your requirements are over. Scalability for the ecommerce business is an important consideration as it is difficult to upgrade and downgrade your IT infrastructure.

Unparalleled security

Security for an ecommerce business is always an important consideration. It is important to secure your business files, applications, tools, and networks. Since cloud hosting solution is professionally managed, you can rest assured that your business data remains secure at all times. Providers of cloud hosting solution ensure that the highest levels of security measures are put in place to keep your data secure. From end to end encryption, antivirus programs, and managed firewalls to multi-level authentication process, cloud hosting provides complete protection of your business data and files.

Recovery and backup

Cloud hosting allows you the best available option for backing up your customer data. There can be a lot of problem for your ecommerce store if your data isn’t secure and backed up at all times. From natural disasters and hard drive failures to power surges and corrupt software, you have to keep your data protected from a lot of factors. Local data backup can provide you some protection, but it proves insufficient in case of extreme emergencies. Cloud hosting offers you better control over the data you want to save and gives you the option of the place where you want it stored.

Your business operations can get adversely affected if there is a power outage or system failure at your place. And, in any such eventuality if you lose your business data, then it is a big problem. But, when you have your ecommerce business hosted on the cloud, you don’t have to worry about system failures or physical damage. When your website is hosted on the cloud, your servers remain functional at all times which ensures smooth customer operations.

More flexibility

Cloud powered solutions are perfect for ecommerce websites because they generally have fluctuating bandwidth requirements. It is easy to scale up the resources as and when your bandwidth requirement increases. And, since scaling up of resources is possible in cloud computing, hence there is no reason why your website will become slow.

Enhanced mobility

Your employees can access important data and applications from anywhere they want and when ever they so desire. This allows the employees to manage their work at their convenience from their smartphones and tablets. Your employees can also share important documents and data through the cloud without any hassle. This helps you reduce the time-to-market and improves product development and customer service.

Increased reliability

In the case of cloud hosting the servers are linked to the same network because of which they work in a complimentary fashion. This helps the load to get evenly distributed between the cloud servers which improves the functionality. It means your website has an on-going backup system which makes it more reliable.

Competitive edge

Since you don’t have to invest time in IT procurement, the cloud hosting resources gives you a distinct edge over your competitors. You can get significant business benefit by deploying critical applications for your ecommerce website. And, you can do all of this quickly and at no additional cost. With cloud hosting, you can concentrate on expanding your business instead of investing too much of your time on IT infrastructure.

Complete Root/ RDP access

When you opt for cloud hosting, you get complete control over your hosting platform. You get complete root/ RDP access which allows you to install applications and do a lot many other things. This feature can be used to enhance the activities of your ecommerce platform and for the smooth functioning of your website.

If you want to propel your e-commerce business to the next level, you need the necessary resources and cloud computing is what offers you all of that and more. If e-commerce business is what you are planning to start, you should get in touch with vStacks Infotech now for affordable cloud hosting plans.

vStacks Infotech has been in the cloud hosting and storage business for a long time now, and we know what it takes to make your e-commerce business a success.

Reasons Why Your E-commerce Business Needs To Do Content Marketing The Right Way

 

If you are familiar with the internet, websites, and SEO, you probably understand the importance of content marketing.

But is content marketing crucial for the success of your e-commerce business?

Yes!

Your e-commerce business needs it the most.

It is important for businesses to keep devising ways so that they can effectively communicate with their prospects and customers. Businesses adopt different ways to put across their messages to their customers and prospects. And, content marketing is by far the most effective way of communicating with your target audience, especially if you are in the retail vertical.

The retail sector needs content marketing the most because their target audience is selective and they interact only with the content that interests them.

Sample these statistics:

Effective content marketing can increase the conversion rates by almost 6X for an e-commerce brand.

Websites that do not have a content marketing strategy in place have an average conversion rate of 0.5%, whereas those brand websites that focus on content marketing have an average conversion rate of 2.9%. What a staggering difference to say the least.

Also, we know that the time spent by the adults on the digital media has constantly seen an increase over the years and is set to go up further.

Content marketing, therefore, helps you conquer the social media battle as well and is the best place for the word of the mouth publicity. Social media is the go-to place if you want to create a buzz for your product, service, or brand.

In this blog, we will take you through why content marketing is important for your e-commerce business. But before getting into that lets first try to understand what is content marketing?

What is content marketing?

According to the Content Marketing Institute, content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.

Naturally, content marketing has found favour from all forward-thinking marketers because traditional marketing is getting less and less effective. All the leading brands across the world are using content marketing to promote their brands.

You do not have to hard sell your product or service in this form of marketing. All you do is provide truly relevant content that is useful to your customers and prospects that help them solve their issues, in turn, making them your loyal clients.

And, why does content marketing work?

Customers are fed-up with offers, advertisements, and sops to buy products and services on a day to day basis. The slide in traditional marketing has led to the rapid rise of content marketing where companies and brands publish relevant content in the form of articles, blogs, etc. to provide useful information targeted at their customers. It is an inbound marketing strategy where you do not go to the users at the point of sale instead content visibility ensures that customers come to you.

Content marketing helps you generate brand equity and attracts new customers. Content marketing educates your prospects which helps in building a rapport with them that can lead to an immediate sale and long-term loyalty.

When you ensure that your content marketing is effective, it spreads like wildfire on the social networks, and word of mouth publicity can generate a lot of goodwill for your brand which helps drive sales.

Why do brands need a content marketing strategy?

Content marketing educates and solves your customer’s problems and is the perfect way to create customer engagement. Content marketing improves your search engine rankings, increases brand awareness, and drives traffic. Also, content marketing promotes integrated marketing, generates leads, and provides you the competitive edge.

In content marketing, your message directly interacts with your target audience which creates a direct connection with them causing deeper levels of emotions as compared to the traditional ways. This leaves a lasting impact on your customers as you can convey your brand message more effectively.

According to Demand Metric, content marketing is three times more effective in lead generation than traditional forms of marketing.

Content marketing is more cost-effective which works out to 62% less than traditional marketing.

With custom content, 82% of the customers develop a positive opinion about the brand.

Content marketing helps 70% of the customers to develop a personal connection.

Content marketing helps 72% of the customers to develop a relationship with a brand due to custom content.

This is how your e-commerce business can benefit from an effective content marketing strategy

People in the sales function know it pretty well that selling is more about building an emotional connection with your customer.

Sample these statistics:

  • 60% of the customers plan to buy a product only after getting informed about it.
  • 90% of the customers like to read custom content that is relevant.
  • And, 86% of the customers are ready to pay more for better customer experience.

This is how your e-commerce business can benefit from an effective content marketing strategy:

Content marketing helps in product research – Before buying a product, more than 80% of the online shoppers first conduct detailed research. What is more interesting is that around 60% of these customers start their product research over search engines. Hence, with a content marketing strategy in place, businesses in the e-commerce sector stand a better chance to attract online shoppers to their site through the process of search. For example, up-to-date product reviews and insightful buying guides are an effective content marketing strategy that can do wonders for your e-commerce business.

It increases your brand awareness – It is a known fact that brands that produce custom content are more likely to develop a positive connection with their customers. This proves that putting in place a content strategy is an effective method of building customer relations. If you generate high-quality content, then people will retain information about your brand and can also make a positive association with it. And, in case you use social media to promote your content, then it can create a lot of awareness and buzz about your brand. It is no secret that relevant and useful content is shared on the social media like wildfire which increases your brand awareness significantly.

It improves the overall experience of the shopper – Content marketing provides relevant and useful information to your online customers, which generates more user engagement and also keeps them entertained. When you provide custom content to your online shoppers, they tend to spend more time on your site. For example, adding terms and conditions policies increases your customer’s understanding as well as enhances his or her trust in your site. Hence, content that is high in quality increases the overall experience of your customers.

It allows you to display your products in a more meaningful way – Custom content can display the products in the right frame and in a more meaningful way. While going through the content, an individual can understand the value he or she would get if they buy the product which increases their urge to own your brand. The custom content educates the customers on how to use the product and informs them about its useful features. All this develops a stronger emotional bond with your customers which encourage them to buy the product.

It increases conversions and augments brand loyalty – If people can relate to your content more, then they develop trust in your brand and feel connected to it. Hence, if your content is useful and relevant, then people get attracted to your brand more and this, in turn, can increase your conversions. If you carefully position call-to-action in your content, you can redirect many individuals where you want them to go. You can increase your conversions if you have a good content strategy in place.

Useful and relevant content not just improves your conversions, it also boosts customer loyalty. People who find your content interesting and useful will keep coming back to your site to gain knowledge which, in turn, can boost customer loyalty.

Content in the form of product videos increases the trust and augments sale – Adding product or explainer videos to your site is another way of influencing your customers positively. Almost three fourth of the online buyers make their decision after watching the video. Not just that around half of the online buyers (46%) avoid shopping if they don’t get to see a video. Also, 71% of your online buyers consider that a video offers a better explanation. And, not to forget that 58% of your online shoppers trust a brand more if it has a product video. Hence, you need to add product videos to increase the trust and augment sales.

If you want to improve customer engagement for your e-commerce store, you should get in touch with vStacks Infotech now. We will make sure that you get a smart content marketing strategy for your e-commerce business.

vStacks Infotech has been in the world of digital marketing for long, and we not only create meaningful content for your e-commerce store, but we can also create, run, and manage your social media activities.

Five Tips To Make Your E-commerce Business Successful

 

According to Statista, Indian mobile phone internet user penetration is expected to reach 37.36 percent of its total population in 2021.

With the growing digitisation, expanding mobile smartphone market and ever increasing middle class aspiration, India is one of the most promising ecommerce markets worldwide. If you are planning to be part of this internet revolution and want to start your online store you are at the right place, read on.

It is right that there is a lot of scope in an ecommerce business, but not everyone is making big money. Why?

There is tremendous amount of competition in the ecommerce industry. Everyone it seems wants to make it big like Flipkart, Snapdeal or Myntra. Sure, you can emulate them, but you need to have a strategy in place, work hard and most importantly understand what is right for your ecommerce business.

5 tips to make your ecommerce business a success

To make a mark in the ecommerce industry that is poised to touch 5.092 trillion rupees in 2020 (estimated ecommerce retail sales according to eMarketer), you need to follow some ground rules. Here are 5 tips that can make your business a roaring success:

1. It pays to invest in web design

Perception plays a crucial role in the virtual world. A positive opinion can result in a conversion, while a negative view would lead to clients abandoning your site. A professionally designed website reassures the client, while a slapdash design raises suspicion. There are too many frauds happening on the internet every day. Your site needs to look genuine and appear convincing. After all, the person who is spending his or her hard earned money to purchase merchandise from your site needs some reassurance upfront.

This is where a website high on quality wins the race. Hence, the reason why you need professionals to work on your website.

2. Strategize before the launch

A well thought out strategy before the launch can take your ecommerce business to greater heights. On the contrary, an ill-planned launch can take the steam out of your business.

To start with, think if your business can have a niche of its own. Decide on your marketing plans in advance. Also, firm up your SEO and social media tactic appropriately.

3. Hunt for your customers

There are many ecommerce businesses on internet, some are thriving, while others are struggling to cope. If you want your online store to do roaring business then you have to work hard to achieve it. It is your responsibility to bring customers to your site.

Find out where you will get your target audience. You need to figure out what works for you – social media, PPC advertising or link building. To make your ecommerce business successful driving customers to your site is the only alternative.

4. Have fast web page load speed

This one can kill your sales. Nothing is more frustrating than slow web page load speed. Customers these days do not have the patience to click and wait endlessly for the product page to load. If it takes a lot of time then customers most often than not abandon your site and try another site. And, customers abandoning a site is the worst that can happen to your ecommerce business because studies show that most of them never come back.

It has been conclusively proven that even a one second lag in page load speed can cost an ecommerce major millions of rupees.

5. Let your customers vouch for your site

A satisfied customer is an asset for your business, make them your brand ambassadors. Add a page of reviews and testimonials on your site. Nothing can be more credible than customers themselves vouching for the veracity of your products or services. This is a sure shot way of increasing your sales.

6. Make sure your checkout process is fast

Complicated and slow checkout processes are a big irritant with customers. Always ensure that your checkout process is fast, simple and easy. The easier the checkout process greater would be the sale generation. Create several payment options for your customers, save their billing details and eliminate account creation to make the checkout process smooth and simple.

In case you are planning to start your ecommerce business, or if you are not getting the desired result from your online store, contact vStacks Infotech today.

From a great website design to planning and fast web page load speed to managing your social media campaign, vStacks Infotech can actually make your ecommerce dream a reality..

vStacks Infotech is a professionally managed company that provides complete ecommerce solution to your business.