Your business website is not just a digital placeholder; it's your company's virtual storefront, where first impressions are made, and lasting connections are formed. A sleek, intuitive website communicates professionalism and credibility, whereas an outdated site can deter potential customers.
According to BP Studios, 94% of consumers cite a website's design as the reason they mistrust or reject a business. This underscores the importance of investing in a well-designed website that reflects your brand's values and engages visitors effectively.
So whether you’re hiring a professional website developer to start from scratch or looking to revamp your current website, we've compiled a list of business website designs and best practices to help you craft a website that captivates your audience and achieves your business goals.
Before diving into aesthetics, it's crucial to understand your target audience. Who are you trying to reach? What are their needs, preferences, and online behavior? By creating buyer personas, you gain valuable insights that inform every design decision. Here are some key questions to consider:
⦁ Industry: What are the design trends and expectations within your industry?
⦁ Demographics: Who are you targeting? Age, location, and interests all play a role in website design.
⦁ Tech Savvy: What level of technical expertise does your audience possess? This influences website complexity and user interface (UI) design.
⦁ Pain Points: What problems does your product or service solve for your audience? Highlight these solutions prominently on your website.
Now that you have a grasp of who your audience is, let's delve into some top-notch business website design ideas that can enhance your brand and improve user experience:
One of the prevailing business website ideas is the use of clean and minimalist designs. These layouts, characterized by ample white space, simple typography, and focused content, are favored for their ability to enhance user experience by reducing clutter and emphasizing essential information.
Companies like Apple and Dropbox exemplify this approach with their sleek interfaces that prioritize clarity and ease of navigation. Such designs not only improve user engagement but also contribute to faster loading times, crucial for reducing bounce rates and retaining visitors.
If minimalism isn't your style, consider going bold. Vibrant colors, dynamic typography, and engaging visuals inject personality into a website, appealing particularly to creative industries such as design and fashion.
Spotify and Dunkin leverage bold color palettes and playful illustrations to create energetic and visually stimulating online environments. These elements not only attract attention but also align with brand identities seeking to stand out in competitive markets.
Another one of the significant web design trends is to go beyond static content and to integrate interactive and engaging elements within web design. Features such as animations, hover effects, and interactive infographics are employed to enrich user interaction and convey complex information in an accessible manner.
Brands like Airbnb utilize interactive maps and dynamic content to enhance user engagement by offering personalized experiences. Similarly, Toyota incorporates interactive car customization tools that empower users to explore and personalize their products, fostering a deeper connection with the brand.
Mobile-first design has become imperative as more users access websites via smartphones and tablets. Websites that prioritize mobile responsiveness and fast loading times, like those of Google and Etsy, ensure seamless experiences across all devices. This approach not only caters to the growing mobile user base but also improves overall accessibility and usability, enhancing customer satisfaction and retention.
For businesses operating in the e-commerce space, optimizing the online shopping experience is crucial. Emphasizing easy navigation, clear product images, and streamlined checkout processes can significantly impact conversion rates.
Leaders in e-commerce like Amazon and Glossier excel in creating intuitive and visually appealing websites that guide customers effortlessly from browsing to purchase. By integrating these trends and ideas into your website design strategy, you can create a compelling online presence that resonates with your audience and drives business growth.
Storytelling through design is another powerful business website design trend that helps businesses connect with their audience on a deeper level. Websites that effectively narrate their brand’s journey and values through engaging visuals, compelling copy, and interactive content can create emotional connections and build brand loyalty.
Companies like TOMS and Warby Parker use storytelling to highlight their social impact initiatives and brand ethos, engaging visitors in meaningful ways beyond mere product offerings. By weaving storytelling elements into your website design, you can differentiate your brand and foster a more profound relationship with your customers.
Personalization has also emerged as one of the significant e-commerce website trends. By leveraging data and user behavior insights, businesses can deliver personalized content, product recommendations, and tailored experiences that cater to individual preferences and interests.
Netflix excels in this regard, offering personalized recommendations based on viewing history and past purchases. Implementing personalized elements not only increases engagement but also enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty by delivering relevant and valuable content to each visitor.
Parallax scrolling enhances user engagement by creating a 3D effect where the background moves at a different speed than the foreground, enhancing visual storytelling on websites. This business website technique is adeptly used by brands like Nike and Nintendo to showcase products and narratives, captivating visitors with its immersive appeal and encouraging them to explore further.
By utilizing this technique, these companies capture visitors’ attention from the moment they land on their websites, encouraging deeper exploration and fostering a memorable user journey.
Video backgrounds replace static images with dynamic video loops, injecting movement and visual interest into a website's landing pages. This business website design trend not only increases engagement but also effectively conveys brand personality.
Examples of WordPress websites like Olly’s Snacks and Y.CO demonstrate how brands effectively use video backgrounds to create captivating and immersive experiences that resonate deeply with their target audiences, whether by showcasing products in action or narrating captivating stories.
Creating a compelling business website requires a blend of aesthetics, functionality, and user experience. Whether you’re drawn to minimalistic designs, vibrant aesthetics, interactive elements, or personalized experiences, the right design can significantly impact your business's success.
By partnering with Webmastered, you can take the guesswork out of building a business website. We'll handle the technical aspects so you can focus on what you do best – running your business.
Contact us today to schedule a walkthrough and take the first step towards a website that drives results. Let us bring your vision to life while you concentrate on achieving your business objectives.
The e-commerce revolution is in full swing, with global sales projected to reach a staggering $7.4 trillion by 2025, driven by innovative e-commerce website trends reshaping the way we shop.
Imagine trying on clothes virtually with AR before making a purchase or simply asking your voice assistant to order your favorite items. And let’s not forget about the growing demand for sustainable products and hassle-free checkout experiences that make buying online a breeze.
More people are also shopping on their phones than ever before, AI is getting smarter at predicting what customers want, and social media isn’t just for liking photos anymore—it’s become a powerhouse for buying products directly.
Understanding and embracing these website design trends isn’t just about keeping up; it’s about staying ahead in a market that’s evolving faster than ever.
Here's a glimpse into 10 exciting e-commerce website trends that are reshaping the online shopping experience in 2025.
Consumers crave a shopping experience that feels personal and catered to their unique needs. According lto a McKinsey study, personalization can increase sales by up to 10%. By 2025, one of the Shopify e-commerce trends includes leveraging AI and customer data to personalize the journey in several ways.
Product recommendations will be enhanced as AI analyzes past purchases, browsing behavior, and demographics to suggest relevant items. Shoe retailer Zappos, for instance, uses AI to recommend shoes based on past purchases, browsing behavior, and even foot shape.
Additionally, dynamic content will be used to display different content to different users based on their preferences and behavior, such as personalized banners, targeted promotions, and customized landing pages. Customer journey mapping will help businesses identify pain points and optimize the shopping experience through tools like heatmaps and session recordings.
By 2025, it's estimated that over 70% of e-commerce sales will happen on mobile devices. Embracing these e-commerce web design ideas seamlessly integrates your website to ensure a responsive design that adapts flawlessly to various screen sizes and devices, prioritizing fast loading times and simplifying the checkout process with convenient one-click options. Examples of WordPress websites like Zalora Philippines and Shopee Philippines have built successful online stores using WordPress, showcasing the platform's power to cater to the local market.
A responsive design ensures your site looks and functions well on any device, from smartphones to tablets. Google prioritizes mobile-friendly sites in search rankings, making this an essential aspect of SEO. Fast loading times are vital as mobile users expect quick access to information; compressing images, leveraging browser caching, and minimizing JavaScript can enhance load speeds.
A streamlined checkout process is also important, with features like autofill, mobile wallets, and one-click purchasing being essential. Fashion giant Nike, for example, boasts a mobile-optimized website with a streamlined interface, fast loading times, and easy one-click purchasing options.
Social media platforms are transforming from browsing grounds to purchasing powerhouses. Data from Shopify reveals that social commerce sales are projected to hit $6.5 trillion globally by 2027.
Expect to see shoppable posts and stories, influencer marketing collaborations, and interactive live shopping events. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook allow users to purchase directly from posts, reducing friction in the buying process and increasing impulse purchases.
Brands partner with influencers to reach new audiences and build trust, with influencers often showcasing products in use, and providing authentic reviews and recommendations. Interactive live streams are becoming a popular way for brands to showcase products and connect with audiences.
China has witnessed a surge in live shopping, with major platforms like Alibaba's Taobao Live hosting interactive shopping events featuring celebrities and influencers.
Talking to your phone to order products is no longer science fiction. Voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant are becoming personal shopping assistants. To make sure your products show up in voice searches, use natural language and specific keywords. Imagine how your customers might ask about your products with their voice assistant and write descriptions and product information that answer those questions in a casual, conversational way.
Big stores like Walmart are already letting customers use voice commands to find products and reorder past purchases. Make sure your online store is ready for voice shopping too, with features that allow customers to search and buy using their voice.
Eco-conscious consumers are prioritizing brands that champion sustainability, with a Nielsen study revealing that 66% of global consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable brands. In 2025, expect to see transparency in sourcing and manufacturing, carbon-neutral shipping options, and a focus on reusable packaging.
Transparent sourcing involves providing detailed information about where and how your products are made, highlighting ethical labor practices and sustainable sourcing. Eco-friendly packaging uses recycled or biodegradable materials, with incentives for customers who choose minimal or reusable packaging options. Carbon-neutral shipping options can be offered by partnering with shipping companies that provide such services.
Brands like The Body Shop use recycled plastic bottles in their packaging and source sustainable ingredients for their products.
Augmented Reality (AR) technology allows customers to virtually experience products before they buy. Mordor Intelligence estimates that the global AR market will reach $88.12 billion by 2025, indicating significant growth potential.
Virtual try-ons will enable customers to see how products will look on them or in their homes, such as IKEA Place allowing users to virtually place furniture in their homes to see how it looks before purchasing. Interactive product demos using AR will provide detailed product demonstrations and tutorials, helping customers understand the features and benefits of complex products.
Interactive live streams are becoming a popular way for brands to showcase products and connect with audiences. China has witnessed a surge in live shopping, with major platforms like Alibaba's Taobao Live hosting interactive shopping events featuring celebrities and influencers.
Real-time interaction during these events allows brands to engage with customers, answer questions, and provide personalized recommendations, creating a sense of urgency and exclusivity. Event-driven sales promote limited-time offers and exclusive products during live events, driving significant sales and increasing brand loyalty.
The Subscription Box Boom continues as these curated selections of products delivered regularly offer consumers convenience and surprise. This trend is expected to grow in 2025, with Dollar Shave Club revolutionizing the razor industry with its convenient subscription model.
Subscription Commerce Insider reports that the global subscription box market is expected to reach $23.9 billion by 2025. Curated experiences offer personalized subscription boxes based on customer preferences and purchase history, while flexible subscriptions allow customers to customize their plans, choose delivery frequency, and easily manage their subscriptions online.
Simplifying the checkout process is crucial for boosting conversions. By 2025, expect frictionless checkout options to gain wider adoption. Amazon's one-click checkout eliminates the need for manual form filling, making the purchase process incredibly fast and convenient.
Baymard Institute research suggests that shopping cart abandonment rates can reach as high as 70%, and offering frictionless checkout can significantly reduce this number. One-click purchases allow customers to save their payment information for future purchases, reducing the steps needed to complete a transaction.
Supporting a variety of payment options, including digital wallets, buy-now-pay-later services, and cryptocurrency, caters to diverse customer preferences and increases conversion rates.
Headless commerce will continue as this approach separates the front-end website from the back-end operations, offering greater flexibility and scalability. By 2025, headless commerce is expected to become more mainstream, with brands like Nike and Starbucks leveraging it to deliver seamless omnichannel experiences across their websites, mobile apps, and physical stores.
According to a MACH Alliance study, 62% of businesses are planning to adopt headless commerce within the next two years. This enables providing a consistent shopping experience across all platforms, from online to in-store and allows for greater scalability and customization without disrupting backend processes.
If you've followed these 10 e-commerce website trends, you're well on your way to crafting a future-proof online store. Remember, the e-commerce landscape is constantly evolving, so stay updated on emerging trends and adapt your website accordingly to stay ahead of the curve.
If you want to hire a professional website developer, Webmastered comprises a team of experienced web developers passionate about creating user-friendly, high-performing e-commerce websites.
Whether you're looking for a complete website overhaul or need help integrating the latest trends, we can provide the expertise and solutions you need to thrive in the ever-evolving e-commerce landscape.
Contact us today to get started on achieving your business objectives with a professional, high-converting website!
So what do we know about targeted solo ads?
If you are dedicated to affiliate marketing, you are always looking for new forms of traffic to get conversions. There are indeed many ways to bring visitors to your pages, and ads are just one of them.
The idea of a solo ad is to get qualified traffic directly to your offer or landing page. Solo ads are a very effective way to present a proposal with many possibilities to convert. These are very useful for CPA offers, affiliate programs, and CPM.
In this guide, we will see step by step what a Solo Ad is, and you will learn everything you need to take advantage of this excellent method of paid web traffic. By the end of this article, you'll know what a well-planned Solo Ad is for conversion, and you'll be able to start buying and selling Solo Ads right away.
A single or solo ad is an ad space purchased from an existing email list. There are many websites with large lists willing to sell you a space to put your ad. It is an excellent way to focus your idea better and, by default, get better conversions.
What you're doing is buying targeted traffic to your page, or in other words, you're buying clicks from people who are really interested in your proposal. Without too many complications, find a list that fits your niche, and you'll only pay for the clicks you receive.
It’s necessary to explain who is involved in the process in order to understand what a targeted solo ad is. Solo Ads transactions include three roles:
• Buyer: a person buying clicks
• Seller: the person who sells clicks
• Network: a market/ network for Solo Ads transactions.
In other words, when you buy a Solo Ad, you are paying someone to send an email to their contacts promoting your offer, product, service, etc.
Without a doubt, if you manage to fit the audience of the Solo Ad provider well with your offer, you can have incredible results. Web traffic from targeted Solo Ads can be highly rated, and the best thing is that it is a high-speed traffic method. You can see your results on the same day you buy the ad.
So far everything sounds so easy and fun, right?
We told you about the easy part, but we’re only getting to the hard part. The hard part is trying several vendors to filter only those whose service gives you the best conversion. We will talk more about this issue later in this guide.
If your product or service can be promoted via email, you can take advantage of targeted Solo Ads. If you're doing affiliate marketing with a network, Solo Ads can help. When you promote, for example, ClickBank, WarriorPlus, JvZoo, and other products from these affiliate marketing networks, you can get great benefits from buying quality clicks with targeted Solo Ads.
In affiliate marketing, you can earn attractive commissions simply by promoting other products. Solo Ads are a qualified web traffic method that can serve almost any business. The important thing is to know which list to target, which involves proper research and a clearly defined target audience.
Before buying Solo Ads, you should have a series of things already prepared so that you don’t waste your money. The idea here is to increase traffic and subsequently profit, not losing money. So, here are some steps to take before you buy your Solo Ad:
The first thing is to know where you will send the clicks you buy to promote your offer. That's why you must have a landing page ready for high conversion before you purchase Solo Ads. Otherwise, you’ll surely lose your money, and that’s not what we’re aiming for. Many digital ad metrics tools throughout the internet come with great features so that you can make ads, create the most splendid landing page, and track the whole process.
Several digital ad metrics tools allow you to track clicks. Some of the most used and effective digital ad metrics tools are TinyURL or Bitly, which facilitate the process of tracking your clicks. Or, you could try to install a plugin like Pretty Link within WordPress to keep track of your clicks. If you are interested in premium digital ad metrics tools, there are many other valuable tools to choose from. Our personal favorite is definitely ClickMagick.
ClickMagick is not expensive and offers many exciting features like a cover-up, keyword tracking, rotation, etc. In addition, you can try Clickmagick for free to find out if the program suits your needs before purchasing. It's crucial to use click tracking when purchasing Solo Ads because you'll know if the clicks you're buying are worth it or not. With a tracking tool like ClickMagick, you can learn everything about the clicks you receive. We mean things like: demographics, browser used, or you can even track the keywords people used to find your content.
Sales funnels are used to automate your entire sales process. Keep in mind that the funnel includes one opt-in page and POP( Post Opt-in Page), also called a Thank You Page. The POP is a pretty significant page, so make sure you have it. Sales funnels are a great framework to use once you make ads and follow your business so you can quickly identify the areas that need to be improved.
With Email Marketing, you can promote products and services and build an audience through emails, most of which are sent automatically. This is possible thanks to the Autoresponder tool.
Remember that the goal of your targeted Solo Ad is to get leads; emails from people interested in your offer. For this, you need to build your contact list bit by bit. Then, you'll be able to keep track of your email sequences. There are many free ad servers that you can use to make ads and advertise them. The content of the auto-reply emails will vary depending on the funnel you created. It is recommended to use at least one week of autoresponders and a consistent sending schedule to send emails at least three times a week.
An Email Swap is a sample email that you need to give to the Solo Ads seller. Your Email Swap must have information about your offer or your content. In addition, it needs to have a solid call to action (CTA) button.
Let's talk about Ad Swaps. This is an ad exchange method. Solo Ads Swaps are the center of attention from email marketers today. However, here's the thing: it's still in a developing stage. Here's how an ad exchange works:
Step 1: You contact someone who is willing to exchange clicks. Make sure that the person you choose to swap with has a good clicks history. If they don’t have it, then the leads will be useless;
Step 2: You make an agreement about the delivery date, tracking URL, and clicks with the other party;
Step 3: Both parties will start sending clicks according to the agreed delivery date without paying real money. Bear in mind that you need to make exchanges with only trusted sellers. These sellers should include those with whom you have a personal relationship to avoid losing conversions or, worse, no traffic at all on your site.
Using targeted solo ads can result in significant benefits for your business. Knowing what the benefits are might change your mind if you were skeptical about Solo Ads. Here are some of the most important benefits:
With targeted Solo ads, you get an opportunity to reach your targeted audience. Professional vendors of targeted Solo Ads with thousands of subscribers in their email list, usually 100k+, can help you quickly reach your target audience. We recommend finding a Solo ads seller with great experience that will offer you an email list to really boost your traffic. Without solo ads advertising, there's no way to reach a vast audience.
The Solo ads seller has their own targeted email list, so you will get an offer with a targeted audience or a newsletter when you order ads. Also, you'll get a traffic analysis report. You pay for the ads once you get targeted traffic; for example, the order of 1000 traffic will bring you 1000+ traffic.
There's a reason why targeted solo ads are better than any other paid marketing. They have flexible and affordable pricing options. With Solo Ads, you can negotiate the payment with the vendor. There are two options available to pay: fixed pricing or performance-based payment.
The best thing about Solo ads under the marketplace is that you can make payments after getting the results you want, which means you have a whole-flexible pricing choice. You choose in which way to pay - from per sale to per clicks payment.
The greatest thing about targeted Solo ads is the chance of effective costs. Solo ads are pretty cheap and reasonable, and without limiting your Ad budget. You'll need only a few bucks to start an Ad Advertising.
It is the most cost-effective marketing ever. In general, Solo Ads Campaigns run $0.20 per click. Of course, the cost of ads can be higher depending on the quality of the email list subscribers.
You don't need any list when it comes to Solo Ads marketing, as every solo ad seller has a ready high-quality list to achieve your business goals. The only thing you need to do is to give the email list of your targeted audience.
The most fantastic thing about Solo Ad advertising is that you don't need a lot of effort to grow your business. No technical knowledge is required to make ads and set them up. There is a plethora of free ad server and digital ad metrics tools that will help your business grow faster. Unlike other marketing methods, you don't need to wait too long to accomplish your business goals with targeted Solo ads. The ads seller will do the job for you, and your business will result in rapid growth with less effort.
Solo ad advertising is the best way to boost traffic on your sites. So, the best thing to do is to order ads from prominent solo vendors such as Udimi or Traffic For Me. Bear in mind that if you start any other paid marketing, there is no guarantee that you will get a large amount of traffic with the same budget.
We genuinely hope that this guide was helpful in how to make ads and ad advertising. We've outlined the essential things that you should know when getting into the world of ads. Each detail in this guide is written for a reason, and hopefully, it will help you increase the traffic you need. Targeted Solo Ads will help you a lot in taking your business to the next level. Although Solo ads advertising is a risky game, it is the best way to build traffic leads, and you have the best free ad servers to facilitate the process.
So, ready to make your first Solo Ad and drive your business further?
There are more than 2,000,000 podcasts and 48 million episodes available on the internet. This is a clear indicator that podcasts are a great way to execute digital marketing, and are also highly effective as a monetization tool. But there is too much competition on the podcast scene, so the best thing to do when you publish a podcast is - be unique!
Give your listeners something they never heard of before. Take a new approach.
Be bold and make your own podcast stand out from the crowd.
The point is that, on many occasions, people who might enjoy and be interested in your podcast don't even know it exists. Therefore, it is essential to understand how to publish a podcast. It is also crucial to have a good promotion strategy for your digital product, thus avoiding a possible downfall.
In this article, you'll be able to learn all marketing ways on how to make your own podcast, how to publish a podcast, and the best things to consider when promoting your podcast.
Before we jump on answering your questions, let's explain how to publish a podcast and how podcasts actually work.
Maybe you've already heard this name or read it somewhere, as podcasts are the talk of town today. A podcast is auditory material, similar to the style of radio programs. But, podcasts are also a much more flexible format since they are not linked to any specific schedule or any signal of Hertzian waves.
When you publish a podcast to the network, users can listen to it at the most convenient time. They can even download it and thus access it several times, or store it in a personal hearing collection for later.
When you make your own podcast, you’ll have numerous themes to choose from. Each of these will usually focus on attracting a wider audience interested in the topic. They also know exactly how to address their listeners and give them exactly the content they want to hear.
First, you have to bear one thing in mind: we take less time listening to a podcast than reading the same content in an article. In addition, being able to absorb content while performing other tasks gives podcasts the possibility to connect with the user for much longer.
If your podcast content is not engaging enough, especially in terms of audio engagement, you will jeopardize the dynamics your listeners demand. In essence, you cannot run a podcast without a properly integrated strategy.
For starters, once you have your audio in MP3 format, you have to upload it to the cloud. In this sense, there are two options: store it on your website or use free podcast hosting sites to do it.
After uploading, it will generate the so-called feed or RSS feed to include content on different platforms. This way, every time we make a change in our audios, it will automatically update in all applications, instead of having to do it separately for each.
Pay an additional server to host your content or do it on your website. You'll think, "on my website, I've already paid for it." But, to do this, you have to analyze the weight of your audio and how many listeners you will generate.
Otherwise, too big of a crowd can overload the server and penalize the load.
If you decide on a separate server, of course, there are freemium models. One of the most used currently is Ivoox. But we recommend that you study all options and choose the one that best suits you and your pocket.
Now, onto the next big question - how to make your own podcast and where to publish a podcast when complete.
One of the most famous aggregators nowadays is Spotify. However, for all curious souls out there, it's good to know that the podcast publishing world is bigger than Spotify!
For example, there are also Google Podcasts, where you can enter your audio content to better position it in the search engine. In addition, you can play on the smart speakers without the need to connect your mobile to any app.
Last but not least, when you want to publish a podcast, consider using Apple Podcasts. This is the oldest and largest podcast aggregator in the world.
To upload your content, you will have to go to iTunes podcasts and follow the steps, similar to the previous ones.
Also, consider using digital media metrics to track and measure your campaign's performance to see how successful your podcast is. It will help you set expectations and estimate if your efforts have a positive or negative impact.
If your podcast is ready to be disseminated throughout the network with different promotional methods, some of the indicators to know include:
Content is the backbone of all Internet info-products, whether paid or distributed for free, like most podcasts. You should present your content innovatively and attractively to your audience, so they invest their valuable time listening to your podcast.
No matter what theme you play on your podcast, technical or entertaining, there will never be an excuse not to give the best possible content to your audience.
This content has to do with the preparation you put in your podcast. People who have successful podcasts don't sit in front of the microphone and say anything that comes to their minds. On the contrary, what they say is already thought out and ordered to offer valuable content to the audience.
For example, it is not the same to have a podcast about sports and about that one crucial day in basketball history. In terms of the latter, invite a person who knows about the beginnings of the federation of that sport in your country. The more versions, arguments, background, basics, and information you have to share about the topic, the more content you'll get.
Podcast content is also not a question of you doing tedious and extensive journalistic reporting. Your task will be to take all information you have and deliver it so it appeals to your listeners and sticks to your podcast standards.
Bear in mind that the content should be also consistent. If you start a tourism podcast, for example, all your episodes should be about tourism and its branches.
If you, on the other hand, want to talk about race cars in one of the episodes of the podcast, then you should have another one where you touch on that theme.
Since you have different audiences in both cases, you might risk losing consistency if you pack all different info in one podcast.
Have the profile of your listeners well established, from their ages and sex to their interests, tastes, and occupations. In this way, you will know which language works the best with them, the material's style, and the platform on which you will share it.
For example, if you're targeting a high-segment audience, you can probably stage your podcast on a platform like iTunes. Here, you will have to pay to access the content. Say, you're targeting a youthful audience that still doesn't have ostentatious revenue on their own. In such a case, it would be more convenient if you shared or want to publish your podcast on free platforms, such as Soundcloud. If your audience is more tech-savvy with gadget skills, Anchor might be your preferred option.
The podcast you do has to be something you really like, so you can have the persistence to keep it in time. This is especially crucial at the beginning when you are not yet monetizing the business.
At the same time, for you to publish a podcast accordingly, it should be appropriate enough for your audience to identify with it. At the end of the day, if no one hears it, what is the reason you are producing the material at all?
If your purpose is to monetize and contribute valuable content through the podcast, the audience is indispensable. If you are doing it for the pure pleasure of communicating your thoughts with strangers, this point is not essential.
Technical aspects are also necessary to keep in mind when you want to publish a podcast that deserves to be on air. You don't necessarily need an incredible studio with thousands of tools to make the recordings. But, you do need a space that has good acoustics. I mean, no echo, no external noise that can get into your recording - just a smooth sail experience.
Nowadays, all phones have high-quality microphones in them. Be that as it may, they alone do not do all the work. They need you to be at the proper distance whilst also minding the acoustics of the recording location.
Some people try to escape the external noise and lock themselves in small places to record, but this can be counterproductive. It is preferable that - depending on your budget - you choose a small place inside your home or office that you can soundproof effectively. There, you can record your content by using either your phone or a microphone.
There are quality microphones available for $25 on the internet. Acquiring a microphone is an excellent investment as they can capture voice much better to deliver better audio quality to listeners. In addition, you don't need to be an audio engineer to use it.
Connecting it to your computer and using even the same recording application that brings the software from it is enough. The audio will not be heard with the best quality in the world, but it does have the potential to be very respectable.
The background music and the material you use as a presentation and farewell to the podcast should be memorable. This is because both can give an extra boost to your podcast material and quality. If you are not familiar with music or audio editing, it is recommended that you leave this mastery in the hands of an expert.
Many people work with a lot of quality audio editing as freelancers. So, it won't be challenging to find someone who can bring your ideas to life in exchange for a fair price.
A website or blog is one of the best ways to position yourself on the internet. Blogs are good because you are giving valuable content to your audience. With the excellent use of positioning strategies such as SEO and keywords, you can disseminate your material.
This blog should be the same theme as your podcast. In this way, you can create a solid name and reputation, turning yourself into a mandatory reference of a given subject. This will, in turn, be highly beneficial both for the visits to your blog and the number of listeners of your podcast.
Suppose you want to publish a podcast where you talk about technology. One way to attract more listeners is to mention your podcast across various forums or social media channels of interest. That way, audiences interested in the subject will probably want to dig deeper into your podcast and learn exactly what you’re offering.
Some people think that since the arrival of social networks, forums are not worth the effort. But, this is not true! There is still a very active community engaging across specialized forums.
Given this notion, presenting your podcast over various designated forums is a handy tip in getting its name and purpose out there and right to the perfect audience. In essence, showcasing your podcast across forums is not a question of if it will work, but when.
Now that you have learned to publish a podcast and what things to consider when you get into it, you're ready to podcast. Podcasting is the next winning marketing strategy and has already become a potent marketing frontier.
It is all due to its ease of use, especially in creating quality content for your target audience. So, allowing brands to communicate with captivating audiences will take your business to the next level. Even more, with it, you'll always be a step further from your competition and get your voice heard in every corner of the podcast world.
The global population in 2019 is about 7.7 billion. Out of that number 1.92 billion are digital consumers. Yes, around 25 percent of the entire population on Earth are doing their shopping online. By the year 2021, it is expected to rise to 2.14 billion. It shows just how popular eCommerce has become right?
Now is the best time to start an eCommerce business. Know, however, that it’s not enough to just create an online store. The success of your business depends heavily on the efficiency of your marketing strategy. Even established eCommerce businesses need to be diligent with their marketing efforts if they want to boost their sales. And with 12 million to 24 million eCommerce sites all over the world (including small businesses and marketplace giants), the competition is as tough as it gets.
Marketing for eCommerce is not that easy but it’s not rocket science either. Here’s everything you need to know about eMarketing, plus some tips to strengthen your strategy.
Any commercial transaction that happens online is considered eCommerce. The eCommerce industry does not only include online retailers and online marketplaces that ship out physical products but also those that buy and sell digital “goods” and services. If you have ever ordered an item from Amazon, sold a preloved product on eBay, or purchased eBooks from someone who sells them on Facebook, you are involved in eCommerce.
ECommerce marketing or eMarketing is the act or process of drawing the attention and action of consumers and driving traffic to eCommerce websites. The goals are to gain new customers, keep existing customers, and of course, increase sales. To achieve all these, eCommerce marketers formulate strategies for different campaigns that may involve social media, content email marketing, and more.
It doesn’t matter if you have just started your business or you have been in the industry for a while now. The question you ask all the time remains the same - “How can I promote my eCommerce business?” You want the answer to this question because you know this is where it all starts. If you are able to promote your business effectively, brand awareness and sales increase will follow.
There are several ways you can promote your online business. As time passes, you will be able to determine the perfect combination of paid and free methods that deliver the results you want. Here are 10 ways to promote your eCommerce business that you can start doing now.
1. Apply SEO to your eCommerce site. Your website should be optimized for SEO if you want Google and other search engines to find you. How do you do this? You need to mention relevant keywords throughout your eCommerce website. Sprinkle, not drown. It wouldn’t do you any good to do keyword stuffing because it won’t improve your ranking anyway and you may even be penalized for that.What you can do is find out about those keywords and other related queries that consumers are using and create content around those words and phrases. Search engines are more likely to rank you high if you are able to provide valuable content instead of just using keywords mindlessly in your website that they don’t make sense anymore.
2. Publish blog posts regularly. Maintaining a blog can help promote your business especially if you post entertaining and informative articles that can establish you as an authority in your industry. For instance, if you sell beauty and skincare products then you can blog about the latest trends in skincare or even do some product reviews. You can also write some helpful tips and how-to blog posts.Remember to create content that you would like to read as well. Soon you will see that readers who like what you post are likely to check out the products that you sell and purchase them. Don’t forget to promote your blogs on your social media along with your eCommerce website.
3. Participate in relevant forums. A lot of consumers like to join forum discussions. They turn to forums to find out about people’s opinions on trends, products, and more. Forums are where they ask questions, request for assistance and solutions, and talk about their needs.Being present, active, and helpful in online forums can garner you points with potential customers. It’s great for increasing brand awareness. Just remember not to over promote your website or your products. If it’s allowed, you can use the URL of your eCommerce site as your signature.
4. Make sure you are present in Google Places and other online directories. If you have a physical store then it’s imperative that you get your website on Google Places as well as other directories on the internet. You need to do this if you wish to get the attention of local customers.These online directories are your modern yellow pages. If you want to be found by customers in your area then all the details they need to get to your business should be available to them online as well.
5. Be active on social media. This one is a no-brainer. Where is everyone hanging out these days? They’re on Facebook. They’re on Instagram and Twitter. Obviously, that’s where you should be, too. Don’t use your personal account. Create a page for your eCommerce business that you can use to update people about your latest products.Tweet about your upcoming promos. Create contests on social media. Keep your accounts active and interact with your potential and existing customers in a friendly yet professional manner, especially if they reach out to you through private messages. You don’t have to create accounts on all social media platforms, just the ones where your market is.
Image from: Neil Patel
6. Have a unified system for multi-channel communication. As much as possible, you want your consumers to enjoy a seamless experience with your business no matter what channel or device they are using. With an omnichannel approach, you will be able to provide that. Your consumers will be able to switch from one channel to another seamlessly.
7. Use AI in your marketing strategy. You can use AI for marketing in a number of ways. From helping you with ad buying to providing personalized customer service and making the whole experience more interactive for your customers, AI has proven its usability and efficiency.It’s for these reasons that a lot of major brands, including Tesla and Starbucks, among others, have included the use of AI in their marketing strategies. Another good example is American Eagle’s chatbot named Aerie which has attracted more customers than their other social media channels put together.
Image from: Convince and Convert
8. Consider paid search ads, display ads, and shopping campaigns. These are some of the types of pay-per-click advertisements that are proven to deliver results for eCommerce businesses. Paid search ads appear at the very top of the search results page. They are a ‘text only’ type of ad but they can deliver a high conversion rate. After all, when someone searches for a “pink crossbody bag,” it’s highly likely that he or she is looking to buy one.Display ads are perfect for retargeting customers as they promote products or services that are based on the customers’ browsing history.With shopping campaigns, images of your products directly appear when a user searches for them. For instance, if you have a shopping campaign and a woman searched for that “pink crossbody bag,” she’ll see pictures of the pink crossbody bags you offer and a click on the one she likes will take her directly to your shop.
9. Find an influencer who fits your criteria. There is a sea of social media influencers out there but not all of them can effectively promote your eCommerce business. Finding the right influencers for your business takes a lot of effort but they pay-off is going to be worth it. Endorsements done by trusted influencers are deemed less intrusive compared to traditional advertisements. Influencers are on most social media platforms. They are the mom-bloggers who regularly write fun articles about parenting, cooking and more. They are the fashion gurus who post OOTDs on Instagram that hundreds to millions of people like. They are the YouTube celebs with subscribers who patiently await their latest videos. Figure out what kind of influencer your business needs, narrow it down to the ones who match your brand image, and finally, work with the one who can genuinely carry your message to your customers.
10. Work on your email marketing strategy. Email may not be as shiny as the newer marketing toys but with the right approach, email marketing can still give you positive results. As a customer yourself, you know that you do open emails if they look interesting. So the key is making sure that you send emails that are engaging and ones that offer some value for your customers.You might want to start with a newsletter campaign that offers amazing content that customers will love.
It is not uncommon for businesses to plateau or even to experience a huge drop in sales. That doesn’t mean you should get discouraged and just give up. There are things that you can do to gain more customers and generate sales. Here are some tips for you.
1. Focus on customers that you already have. When things are not so good with your business, it’s easy to think that the reason for that is you are not getting new customers and the ones you have are not enough. That is not always the case.It’s not to say that you shouldn’t work on acquiring new customers but perhaps you should also focus your efforts on retaining the customers that you already have. Loyal customers play a big role in keeping revenues up for an eCommerce site as you can see from this chart from Marketing Charts.
Why is it important to have loyal customers? Well, compared to new customers or those one-time buyers, loyal customers tend to purchase more items every time they shop so they generate a higher revenue every visit.Does that mean you should stop your customer acquisition efforts? Not at all! But do consider how it can be easier and more cost-efficient to take care of your existing customers. After all, they already know their way around your eCommerce website. They know your products, as well as how you handle shipping and all.All you need to do is find ways to improve their user experience. You can start a loyalty program and reward your loyal shoppers every time they make a purchase. You can also give out exclusive discounts. There’s so much you can do to show your appreciation for their loyalty and you’ll reap the rewards of your efforts, too.
2. Add interesting and relevant videos to your website. Everyone knows that consumers love videos, but do you know just how much? Consider this, the average user spends about 68 percent more time on websites with videos than those that don’t have videos. It’s not surprising since videos make more of a lasting impression on people. Consumers tend to remember things that they have watched than things they have read about.
Product demonstration videos perform well on eCommerce sites especially if they are done right and the product you are promoting is relatively new. It’s true, you can make a list of all the benefits of the product and explain how your product works. However, most consumers will agree that seeing the product in action even if it’s just through a video is still more effective and more convincing.Note, however, that not all products warrant a video. If you are trying to promote a new jacket, images would suffice - unless the jacket offers unique functions or has special features that a video can capture really well.
3. Take your reviews a step further by adding photos of your satisfied customers to their testimonials. Testimonials and reviews from customers and users of your product are an excellent way to gain the trust of prospective customers. However, consumers of today are smart and a bit skeptical. A long text of praises that comes from just a faceless name won’t cut it anymore.If you want to convince people, you have to take your efforts a step further. When you get testimonials from satisfied customers, ask if you can post their names and titles and their photos as well. Having those elements on the testimonials make a huge difference. Take a look at how Pangea Organics posts their testimonials.The testimonial
The testimonial, with the image and name of the user, gives customers a glimpse of what a woman who uses Pangea’s products looks like. And because Autumn happens to be a health coach, people would value her opinion of the products even more. This is the kind of review that can encourage people to try certain products.
4. Optimize your eCommerce site for mobile devices. This one right here is not optional - not when about 63 percent of millennials do their shopping on their phones and mobile devices. That’s true. So if you still do not have an optimized mobile website, that may be the very reason your sales are dropping.Also, if you do not have a mobile app yet, you might want to think about building one now. There are a few reasons most customers prefer apps to mobile websites. Many agree that mobile apps are more convenient to use because they are faster, they save your preferences, and there are often exclusive benefits and promos, among others. If you are able to provide your customers with these amazing benefits, then you probably won’t have to deal with issues regarding sales.
5. Offer discounts. Sounds simple enough, right? It’s a wonder why not all companies offer their customers some amazing discounts. Giving discounts on some or all of your products can easily draw consumers to your business. You are more likely to get the attention of customers and increase your sales when you offer discounts than when you drop new products.There are many ways to go about discounts. You can do it per category, like offer 20 percent off all footwear, discount on the second item purchased, or the favorite of all customers - site-wide discounts. Check out how Express did it.Now, as a customer, wouldn’t you be curious to know what items you could get at 40 percent off?
6. Hold sales during holidays. If there ever was a perfect time to hold a sale, that would be during the holidays. After all, these are the times when almost all people are looking to shop and maybe the only times when shoppers are spending more money than usual.So if you own an eCommerce business, you should hold holiday sales and promote them. Remember that you only have limited time to have these sales and thus a small window of opportunity to increase your revenue. Take advantage of the fact that most shopping malls are jam-packed and consumers find it even more convenient to do their shopping online.Also, don’t forget that your customers are not just buying goods for themselves but for their loved ones as well so be reminded of this when you promote your products. You can market them as “the sweetest gifts for friends,” “the most awesome presents for kids”, and more.
There is no one set of rules that you can follow that can ensure the success of your eCommerce business. Even with eCommerce marketing, there are trends that come and go. If you want to keep your online business thriving you have to learn to adapt.
It is not enough to have an aesthetically-pleasing and user-friendly website. Along with making sure you offer high-quality products or services, you have to continuously work on your marketing efforts. Your marketing strategy should not be stagnant; it should change along with the evolution of marketplace algorithms.
Having said that, the changes you make with your marketing should not be sporadic. There should still be some kind of structure. It is important that you develop an eCommerce strategy properly. Going through the following processes step by step can help you come up with a good foundational marketing strategy that can last a long time.
1. Create an Executive Summary
Assuming that you have fully read and understood the tips and guidelines above, you should now be able to focus on the big picture.
The first step in building an eCommerce marketing plan is writing an executive summary. Make it clear and concise. It should be a detailed yet condensed version of your plan.
Aside from a brief description of your business and your products or services, your executive summary should also include details about your target market.
Who do you cater to presently? Who do you wish to reach out to?
Also, write about your distribution plan, the current retention, referral, and conversion strategy that you have, as well as your marketing assets. Do not forget to include your financial projections as well.
Writing about these details in an executive summary can help put things in perspective. You’ll have a clearer vision of what you are working with and the results you wish to achieve. Once you have your executive plan done, you can then proceed to the next step.
2. Determine Your Specific Goals
Right from the very beginning, your marketing goals should be specific. Goals like ‘achieving success in a year or two’ is too vague. Be more clear with your objectives. What particular marketing activities will you have in the next 365 days?
Do not do this part of the marketing plan process in a hurry. Take your time to think of all the goals you want to achieve - from the biggest and most obvious ones to the littlest ones that you have in mind. Then, rank those goals according to importance. Which ones should you prioritize? Answering this question will take time but it’s necessary that you get it right.
Some of the goals that you might want to include in your list are:
• Penetration of a particular market
• Expansion for your product distribution
• Launch of your latest product
• Increase repeat purchases
It would be even better if you can add specific numbers to better define your objectives. For instance, writing down “Gain 400 new customers every month” is so much better than “Gain new customers monthly.”
At this point, you shouldn’t bother yourself about how you are going to achieve those objectives just yet. You will get to that in the next few steps. What is important now is that you set the tone for your marketing plan with the goals you have. You might have to tweak those goals, later on, to make them more realistic and attainable, or perhaps kick it up a notch to challenge your team. There’s nothing wrong with that at all!
3. Write a Company Mission Statement
No matter the size of your business, you should come up with a mission statement. This should be a paragraph or two that sums up everything that is important to your company.
Some of the things that you might want to include in your mission statement are your company history, the vision of the company, and your strengths. If you find it challenging to write a company mission statement from scratch, you can use these questions for reference:
• When, where, and who founded the company?
• Why did the founder start the business and how has it evolved to what it is today?
• What’s the philosophy of the company and what does the business stand for?
• What do you offer?
• What do you want your customers and the whole industry to know about you?
• What makes your products or services special in comparison to your competitors?
• What are your advantages over your competitors?
Once you have answered these questions, you will find it easier to come up with a clear mission statement that you can impart with everyone in the team.
4. Come Up With a Value Proposition
You might be wondering, “Isn’t a value proposition almost the same as a mission statement?” Well, yes and no.
A value proposition aims to provide consumers with a clear understanding of the value you can offer them. Not only will it state what products or services you offer but how those products or services can meet the needs of customers, how they can solve certain problems and what the specific benefits or features are.
In short, it’s all about why customers should choose to purchase from you and not your competitors.
In your website, your value proposition should be one of the very first things your visitors would notice on your home page. It’s also wise to have the value proposition posted in all the entry points of your eCommerce site.
5. Identify Your Market and Learn Everything About Them
You have now reached the part of the planning when you need to determine all the details you can about your target customers.
The basic demographics include age, gender, location, family status, income, and more. In addition to these, you should also take note of important psychographic information such as interests, hobbies preferred websites, lifestyle, and TV shows or movies, among others.
These elements should be taken into consideration when you are planning your brand positioning and when you are creating advertisements and other promotional materials. These are also big factors as to which markets you should penetrate.
Upon identifying your target market and understanding their “culture,” you would be better equipped when you approach them. You can then speak their language and engage them better.
6. Perform a Situational Analysis or Inventory
This is the stage when you need to see where your business is at the time you are formulating a plan.
If your business has just started, the analysis you’ll conduct will help you get a grasp of the market you are about to get into. If your eCommerce business has been running for a while now, this would be like a general inventory to help you see what is working for your business, what needs to be improved, and what needs to be scrapped completely.
Make an analysis of the products you are offering right now. What are its attributes? What are their prices at all levels of distribution? Also, take note of the marketing tactics you have performed and whether or not they have delivered your expectations. You need to conduct an analysis of your financial condition as well - your current sales, your marketing expenses, and more.
If you are working with third-party marketplaces, you need to evaluate how that distribution channel is working. As for your website, you need to figure out the traffic sources that have given you the highest sales in the past.
It’s also important that you take the time to study your competition. What’s their target market? What products do they offer and how are they priced compared to your products? What distribution channels do they use and how do they promote their brand? Making a comparative analysis will help you have a better understanding of how your eCommerce business is really doing.
There is going to be a lot of information to take in, so it would be wise to create a summary that you can use when you discuss things with your team.
7. Fine-Tune Your Pricing Strategy
This is the part of your marketing plan when you determine how your product pricing would help you with the positioning you want.
When determining your pricing you must use what you have gathered from the situational analysis you have conducted. Aside from considering your positioning, location, and other factors, think about your distribution partners, too. Make sure that you do not sell significantly lower than your partners or you might end up losing those partnerships.
Any changes you make with the pricing should be discussed with your distribution partners, too.
8. Work on Your Fulfillment or Distribution Plan
At this point, you are ready to establish where and how your customers can buy your product. If you are starting with a small business, you might think that there’s no real reason for you to do this part. That’s not true because no matter the size of your business, you should clearly understand, from the beginning, the process and requirements of order fulfillment and distribution.
Yes, you may be personally doing the packing and shipping of your products right now but if you intend for your business to grow (and why shouldn’t you?) then you should be ready to oversee a team who would handle this part of the business.
If you don’t see yourself doing that, you might want to consider working with a third party fulfillment business. But even with that, you have to know how things work because you need to ensure that it can meet the demand that will come with the marketing boost you are going to do. You do not want to find yourself in a situation where you are doing great with your sales but you’re lagging behind in your order fulfillment. Customers won’t like that.
Once you have your plans written down, you can start refining them. You might need to make adjustments over time as well.
9. Strategize Your Sales and Lead Generation Plan
By now, you should already have a clear grasp of the ins and outs of your eCommerce business. It’s finally time to get your creative juices flowing. Remember that there’s an unlimited number of ways you can do eCommerce marketing, and while the thought may seem daunting, it is actually a good thing.
If you are a visual learner, you can check out the image below that depicts a simple funnel that shows website visitors at the top until they reach the point where they get converted into customers. Now, it is up to you and your marketing team to come up with campaign strategies that would help guide those prospects through the funnel. You also need to determine where those strategies fit in your funnel.
For instance, posting organic content can greatly help with brand awareness but they are not for immediate conversions, so they would work well at the top of the funnel. Remember that your goal is to get your web visitors to the bottom of the funnel where they would take action.
Image from Big Commerce
10. Utilize an Accurate Reporting Software
You are probably excited about this marketing revamp that you are doing. But before you get a little carried away, do make sure that you have the technology to track and measure how effective those marketing efforts are.
Can you use it to determine your marketing strategies’ ROI?
If you are not sure, there’s a big chance that the tool you have right now can’t deliver what you need. Before you implement the marketing changes, get the right tools for your business. Otherwise, you are just putting your efforts into waste because you won’t even know if they’re working! Even if you’re on a tight budget, there’s no reason for you to use tools that are insufficient because there are tools out there that are available for free.
You might want to check out Google Data Studio, Compass, and LuckyOrange.
11. Test Your Strategies
Congratulations! You have gone through most of the stages of planning and by now you are probably excited to reap the rewards of your hard work.
Before you go all out and spend all your marketing budget on your new strategies, you might want to take time to test them first. Allot a certain amount of your budget to test the waters. You don’t have to spend too much or dive right into a really large market.
You can try running test cases in a smaller market. Doing so can help you establish the need for an increase in budget and figure out if there’s a need for some tweaking somewhere in your strategies. Testing may cost you time, money, and effort but it’s also going to save you from trouble later on.
12. Refine Your eMarketing Strategy
Now that you are done testing your strategy, you are ready for the final stage before you launch your strategy. You already know what works, what needs to be improved, and more.
So what do you need to do now? You can start refining your strategies and prepare for the rollout. Think of it as a fine-tuning for your car before a really long drive. It’s just making sure everything works properly. It’s also time to consider other strategies now that you have your initial ones ready. You might want to think about offering referral discounts or perhaps look into partnerships and joint ventures.
Truly, the possibilities you can explore for your eCommerce marketing strategies are endless.
Right now you are probably thinking that there’s so much work that goes into marketing for eCommerce. You are not wrong. This is just the beginning - but it is an exciting one!
ECommerce marketing is like a never-ending cycle because even if you have your strategies down now, after a while there will be a need for new marketing strategies. Half of the job of eCommerce marketers is keeping up with trends, remember?
You do not have to worry about it now though. As long as you go through every planning stage thoroughly and you remain creative, detail-oriented, and organized, there’s no reason for things to go wrong.
Whether you are a budding entrepreneur or an established eCommerce business with multiple channels, remember that you should never run your business without a complete and detailed strategy for marketing.
You are now equipped with the knowledge on how to strategize for your eCommerce marketing and soon enough you will start noticing an increase in brand awareness and revenue.
