eCommerce is a massive industry and only expected to grow larger! By 2021, it’s projected that eCommerce will be responsible for $4.5 trillion in sales. If you are looking to get your slice of this massive, continuously-growing pie, one of the best ways to do so is to start an eCommerce blog.
What is an eCommerce blog?
It’s simple – an eCommerce blog is a blog created in support of, or in tandem with, an ecommerce store. In most cases, ecommerce blogs discuss topics that customers of the store would be interested. For example, if you were running an ecommerce store that sold baby clothes to new mothers, you might have a blog on the site to provide tips to young parents.
In this case, the blog would offer advice on clothing brands, safety tips, and perhaps share stories from other moms. Of course, this is just one example – you can have a blog for almost any type of ecommerce store, from fitness to camping to ballet dancing.
Why start an eCommerce blog?
I already know the big question on your mind.
“This sounds great, but I’m running a store to sell products, not produce content. How is a blog going to help me find and retain customers for my ecommerce store?”
It’s a valid question, no doubt. But blogging is actually one of the best things you can do to attract visitors to your site – and these visitors can eventually become customers of your ecommerce store.
Here are five reasons you – or someone you hire – should be blogging regularly, in addition to all the normal tasks you handle while running an eCommerce store:
1. An eCommerce blog helps with SEO
If you haven’t heard of search engine optimization (SEO), it’s one of the most important digital marketing tactics of the modern era. SEO refers to a set of practices that are designed to help your website rank more highly on search engines, especially Google. The higher your search ranking, the more people visit your site, which means you’ll have more chances to sell your ecommerce products!
Using your blog, you can write about topics that are of interest to your target audience. This creates a cycle: As more people visit your site and read your blog, your search engine ranking increases, which attracts even more people who want to read your articles and potentially buy what you are selling in your store.
2. An eCommerce blog establishes authority
Appearing highly on search engine rankings because of well-done SEO is great, but it takes more than a high ranking to convince modern consumers that you are worth doing business with. Most people who come across a website on a search engine will click around the page before buying anything, to ensure the vendor seems trustworthy.
One of the biggest indicators of trust for the average web consumer is being able to write with authority about topics that are of interest to them. In the best-case scenario, your blog becomes a standalone source for quality advice that people visit even if they aren’t buying something. This will offer major benefits for your brand’s reputation as a trusted resource in your field.
As a great example of this tactic, take the company HubSpot. They sell a suite of different products, primarily relating to inbound marketing: a CRM, a marketing automation platform, and a customer service hub.
HubSpot was founded in 2006 as a startup in Cambridge, MA. Since its birth, HubSpot’s growth has been extraordinary: As of 2017, the company was doing over $375 million in annual revenue.
Much of HubSpot’s success can be attributed to its highly-ranked customer support and intuitive products. But another big reason the company is so popular is its blog, which offers some of the most solid inbound marketing advice around. HubSpot’s marketing blog receives north of 30 million hits every month, making it a valuable property by itself.
3. An eCommerce blog creates a community
One of the most important ways for brands to interact with their customers and fans is through forming a community. And one of the easiest ways to build and grow your community is through a blog. With accompanying social media profiles, you can use your site’s blog to encourage people to partake in contests, giveaways, and surveys.
You may even form a community in your comments section. If your blog posts are compelling and well-written, it will encourage readers to leave their opinions on your content. This is an excellent way to also help your community form bonds with each other.
4. An eCommerce blog offers thought-provoking material
Despite all the hype about how video is the wave of the future and everything will be in virtual reality soon, people still like to read. There are dozens of well-known CEOs who have reading habits, from Elon Musk to Bill Gates to Mark Zuckerberg. While these leaders often prefer reading books, they’ll still often read longer articles, especially from a reputable site.
You might not have Mark Zuckerberg checking your blog for its most recent update, but you can still get important people reading your site: customers! If people find your blog posts to be truly valuable, they’re more likely to become patrons of your ecommerce store.
5. An eCommerce blog helps you connect
Finally, don’t underrate the importance of having a strong personal connection to your audience. Whether you are a solopreneur or work at a thousand-person company, people tend to be more trusting of someone they know about. Even if you don’t have a personal brand to showcase on your blog, you can still use your company voice to forge a bond with your audience.
Sites like BuzzFeed and Groupon do an excellent job at this. They’ve created a playful, snarky tone that customers have come to recognize and appreciate.
What to do Next
Now that you know why starting an ecommerce blog is so beneficial, all you have to do is get started! You can install a blog on your existing site and start brainstorming content topics. If you’re looking for some assistance with blogging or other digital marketing, contact our expert team at ZGN Creative.
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