Why eCommerce is not Just About Selling but Should Cultivate Leads from Prospect to Long-Term Customer
The biggest goal any website or business is going to come to the table with is to generate sales. Sometimes we get caught up in so many other aspects of leads, conversions, digital marketing, and everything that we lose track of how important sales are. In eCommerce, we see a lot of strategies fully aware of the importance on sales and contrary to what happens with other businesses, online shopping websites tend to hit the ‘sales’ element of their marketing VERY hard.
When you’re selling, selling, and selling, all a prospect is waiting for is for you to finish. ‘Selling’ doesn’t generate leads. It annoys them. The eCommerce brands – like Amazon – who succeed to the highest degree do so by focusing on lead cultivation digital marketing strategies. These techniques focus less on making an immediate sale and more on what the customer needs. Cultivate and nurture a lead in social media, email marketing, and on-site, and eventually, you will make your sale.
No consumer wants to make an action towards a sale they’re unsure of. There are some sales techniques which work at enticing the prospect – such as creating a sense of urgency. Most marketing will have to be more patient to get a prospect there, especially if this is their first purchase from your brand. Thereby, when you assemble your marketing, approach it like ‘the eventual goal is for them to make a purchase but for now, it’s all about brand awareness and connection’. In this context, you’re building trust and familiarity instead of issuing poorly timed sales remarks.
Prequalifying customers in this way gets them interested in your brand and buying from you. You don’t need to try so hard, in eCommerce marketing. If you can get something from a customer like a social media sign-up, follow, or their email, this shows the prospect is interested without relying on them making a purchase right then and there. This is an excellent start!
After you have a connection to a lead that is interested, what do you do from here? If you said ‘SELL!’, you’re wrong. As an eCommerce site, it’s probably pretty obvious you’re selling product online so a customer does not need to be hit over the head in every marketing message with sales-y language. Instead, after you have your customer on the hook, tell them a story. Share products or services and what makes them unique. Share their value and the role they have to play in the lifestyles of your customers.
Online giants like Amazon have redefined a lot of what eCommerce digital marketing was originally fitted to do. It’s not always about the sale anymore – it’s about the customer. High quality photos, clear CTAs, on-brand copy showing some personality, and a user-friendly website all affect lead cultivation as well. Additional elements like customer testimonials, product reviews, and authoritative and informational eCommerce content marketing all encourage this strategy.
Take your eCommerce website to the next level in sales by cultivating those leads. This digital marketing approach serves a more long-ranging purpose than popping a quick sale. Partner with an experienced Toronto digital marketing company to help support long-term growth, momentum, and consistent sales increases. Ask yourself, what does your customer want to see in an eCommerce site? If you know, here’s your opportunity. Let's join us today!
