Introduction – eCommerce Sales and Marketing
As an eCommerce service provider, I often meet clients who assume that sales will automatically come once their eCommerce websites are launched. Unfortunately this is often not the case, especially if your brand is new. While it is true that your website is now public – anyone can see it, it doesn’t mean that anyone can find it. There is still much work to be done.
We can split the work into 2 parts – Sales and Marketing. Sales work is more about reaching out to individuals to sell. Marketing work is about creating more content for your brand and putting them out there on different platforms.
Online and Offline Approach for eCommerce Sales and Marketing
Although you are running an eCommerce business, not all sales and marketing work need to be fully online. The definition of an eCommerce business is – your customers buy your products online, from your eCommerce shop. You do not have a retail shop. However, your customers don’t necessarily need to find out about you only online. They can also find out about your brand offline. The best way to grow your business is to work on sales and marketing activities both online and offline.
Sales Activities – eCommerce Sales and Marketing
Let’s begin with Sales activities to grow your eCommerce business. Like I mentioned before, sales is about reaching individuals to buy. For a brand, sales activity for you can be more about business development – reaching out to individual partners to distribute your products. This can mean joining networking events to find the right partners to work with, for your products placement at their physical stores.
If you can put together a good network of retail distributors for yourself, you may also update your website to allow them special price when they purchase in bulk from you. You can also set up a dropshipping system for your distributors to sell for you, and you send your products over to their customers.
Other sales activities can involve engaging existing groups or communities to get your brand name known. These groups can be companies that you work with through their Human Resource department, schools that you work with through their student council groups or event organizers, or interest groups.
Sales activity can also come hand in hand with customer service activities. When a potential customer enquires about your brand, you can try to close the deal by offering a special price or voucher.
To summarize – sales activities involve personal touch either with your partners or customers to close the deal to bring in sales for your eCommerce store.
Offline Marketing Activities – eCommerce Sales and Marketing
Let’s talk about marketing. As mentioned previously, marketing activities can both be online and offline.
Offline marketing activities can include:
Working with other retailers to get your brand onto their product brochures. You usually get to know these retailers through your sales activities.
Producing your own brochures and distribute them to households or offices.
Purchasing offline advertisement space to showcase your brand and eCommerce website.
Offering products sponsorships during events.
Online Marketing Activities – eCommerce Sales and Marketing
Here are some suggested FREE online marketing work you can do for your eCommerce store:
1) Search Engine Optimization work – so that you can be found on Google
2) Set up social media accounts
3) Create new content about your brand and products to update on your website and social media accounts
4) Set up Google Merchant Centre for your products to be found on Google Shopping.
Here are some suggested PAID online marketing work you can do for your eCommerce store:
1) Search Engine Marketing to have your website easily discovered on Google search engines. Use this after you have already optimized your website to its maximum potential.
2) Engage content creators to produce content for you.
3) Engage influencers with the right following to get your brand recommended.
4) Use sponsored solutions provided by Shopee and Lazada for more visibility on these shopping platforms.
Conclusion – eCommerce Sales and Marketing
I hope this gives you a better idea of the work to be done after your eCommerce website is launched.
Also, your eCommerce website can be more useful than just selling direct to consumers. So, it is important that you use the right set up that can be customizable to digitalize your other business needs.
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