The ecommerce industry can sometimes feel like an impossible grind; an endless battle to stand out among the often-fierce competition. However, a major part of what defines a successful ecommerce is its ability to distinguish and capitalize on current trends. Online marketing changes and evolves every year, and many entrepreneurs end up getting left behind. This year, you’ll want to pay close attention to the following:
Increasing Focus on User Experience
In the last few years, we’ve heard a lot of talk about the mobile Internet. However, there continues to be many different platforms that people use to access the Internet, making a mobile-first approach less than ideal. Instead, you should focus on the bigger picture, providing an excellent user experience for all your visitors.
From a business standpoint, it’s becoming customers’ anticipations that they can order online in the same way that they can in all other areas of their lives. It’s vital that we continue to evolve in this space, just as we have and continue to in many other parts of our lives
Providing Video Content
As the oft-heard mantra goes, content is still king. However, while written content remains as important as ever; brands also need to diversify their strategies by providing different types of content. As Internet speeds get faster and mobile data limits get larger; video content continues to grow in popularity. For tutorials, product showcases and presentations, video is the ideal format.
Publishing Long-Form Content
The 400- to 500-word article still has a place as fodder for search engines and social media, but long-form content tends to be more valuable in the longer term. Studies have shown that Google has a clear preference for longer articles, typically within the 2000-word range. Although you should never drag out a topic any more than necessary, having a few longer pieces on your blog can be beneficial. (Check out some useful tips on how to improve your SEO Ranking)
Offering Interactive Content
There’s content you can watch or read, and then there’s content you can get involved with. Interactive content, such as quizzes and polls, tend to draw in audiences and get them involved with your website. By providing a way to get your visitors to actively participate, you’ll be able to empower them and gather useful feedback in the process while also keeping them on the page for longer.
Personalizing Your Marketing
These days, consumers see adverts around them wherever the turn. As such, people have become desensitized to most forms of advertising. However, content that speaks to them is something quite different. By segmenting your audience and reaching out to different groups based on their demographical attributes and personal preferences, you’ll be in a much better position to make real connections.
Trends come and go in the world of ecommerce, and it’s important to keep up-to-date in order to have any chance of succeeding. By regularly reviewing your marketing strategy and adapting it to deal with important changes in the marketplace, you’ll have an edge over many of your competitors.
