5 Tips For Helping Your Ecommerce Site Compete With The Big Boys

The internet is the entrepreneur’s most powerful resource. It can put a company out of business, give them a bad reputation (when disappointed customers post negative reviews) or it can hoist a business into success. It depends upon how effectively the internet is used. While your e-commerce website may have a lot of rivals, such as Amazon or Best Buy, there is a reason that they are successful. You can establish your website as a trusted resource just as these websites have by employing the same strategies. There are several ways your e-commerce site can compete with the big boys.

1 – Personalization
If you had a physical store, and the same customer came in every day, you would likely expect your employees to remember that individual and establish a first name relationship. They will feel comfortable in the store and they will be more inclined to come back. The same principle can be applied to the internet. When people come to your website, they should be personally greeted. Their name should appear on the screen, their shopping cart still loaded from their previous visit, and there should be recommendations based on their previous purchases. If they think you understand their needs, customers will want to come to you.

2 – Long Form Content
You need to be able to establish yourself as an authority in your particular industry. When people come to your website, they should see content that is beyond the surface articles that are all over the internet. Long articles with a lot of details are integral to this process. But there is another principle to keep in mind while producing long form content. People generally have a short attention span. While they want details, they also want it to be digestible. Create long form content that has a lot of subheadings and bullet points. When they scroll through the page, there should be a lot of interesting elements that capture their attention. This will establish your authority and improve your SEO score as people stay on your website longer.

3 – Unpaid Advertising
This is otherwise known as inbound marketing. When people come to your website naturally, whether by SEO or social media, you are more likely to retain visitors. When people learn about your website through a billboard or a paid advertisement, it is an invasion. Inbound marketing flows out of the natural progression of their lives. A lot of effort should be spent advertising to your followers on social media, putting out content that they want to engage with and improving your SEO score so that people come to your site naturally.

4 – Focus On Competitors
Every company has a few weaknesses that people notice and complain about. Find out what those weaknesses are so that you can make it into a strength on your website. If one of your competitors does not have an option for PayPal checkout, then you should add it to your page so that people would rather use your website. If a competitor has a big promotion, match it. Promote your product or service and explain why it should be preferred. Many companies focus on customers. But by focusing on competitors, they can stand out.

5 – Videos
There is a reason that videos are more likely to go viral than articles. Many websites even create companion videos for their articles. People are more likely to watch than they are to read. Reading requires more mental stamina. Watching a video is easy and it is also a great way to communicate your message to your audience. Think about the challenges of your industry and the common questions that people have. Employ your unique expertise to answer those questions. Work on your showmanship and learn to speak confidently into the camera. If your website is producing quality content, it will establish you as an expert in your industry and draw traffic.

Starting an e-commerce website is a great investment of time and resources as more people are shopping on the internet. Do the research and use these basic tips and you will be well on your way to success.

Jessica Kane is a professional blogger who has worked in eCommerce for the last five years. She currently writes for Rakuten Super Logistics and recommends them for all your product fulfillment needs to further your success.