In e-commerce, managing a blog offers many advantages: improvement of referencing, increased sales, buyer loyalty, etc.
To be an effective means of communication, because it allows you to easily exchange information with your buyers, the blog is also a powerful tool to improve your online store's income since it offers you two opportunities: retain your existing customers and introduce your business to new customers. But running a blog can also be very beneficial for the SEO of your e-store. To develop a good SEO strategy, visit SEO services in Lahore.
The question may seem strange because if you have started reading this article, you must already have a pretty good idea of what it is all about. However, a little reminder will not be too much to set the context.
We can cite as an example ... the page on which you are currently. This is the blog section of our site, and you will find our articles there about the world of the web and e-commerce in particular. In some cases, an entire site is a blog, like the eCommerce Blog (but don't click right away, there is plenty of interesting stuff to read next).
Before answering this question, I will ask you to rethink a situation that you have already experienced. You must have gone to a household appliance store one day to buy an appliance, no matter which one. There you have certainly had to deal with two categories of sellers: the one who is content to read the card placed next to the demonstration copy and the one who pushes you towards the cash register with the cardboard of the model that he recommends before you've even finished explaining why you came to his store. In general, in these 2 cases, it is likely that you did not enjoy your shopping experience, maybe even that you left without the device for which you came. In any case, you did not get the service you expected.
· For an e-merchant, blogging brings many marketing benefits
· In terms of marketing, the blog brings many advantages to e-merchants
Before buying online, each customer goes through a buying journey. He gets information, compares products and their prices, places his order, and "consumes" his purchase. Before the purchase, he may need additional information (opinions from other customers, details from the seller, etc.). After the purchase, he is also likely to continue interacting (request for advice on use, creation of an attachment to the brand, etc.). This is where the blog comes in and becomes a powerful tool to set you apart from your competition.
Have an effective communication tool
The blog will allow you to transmit a large amount of information to your visitors: launch of a new range of products, participation in a trade show, the opening of a new delivery service, etc. You will be able to keep them informed of all your news.
It is complementary to your e-store, in the sense that this type of editorial content is often quite poorly managed by e-commerce CMS. They are not suitable for conveying this kind of information to customers.
The articles you write on the blog can also be used to feed your social networks. You write an article on the blog, and then you share it on different platforms.
A blog allows a merchant site to offer its news to customers
First of all, the blog is the perfect tool to communicate the merchant site's news to customers.
The effectiveness of the blog is also because it allows for providing more information and quality information. You can present the same elements as on your site but from a different angle.
Even if you choose to start a blog, your business is still selling online, and your income comes from orders placed on your e-shop. In addition to these marketing and communication aspects, the blog also serves as a lever for growth.
Therefore, "inject" some commercial content into your articles, which will encourage your customers to buy or buy more. While this shouldn't be your only motivation, the goal is to convert some of the time and energy you spend on blogging into revenue.
Promote your products and services, explain to the people who will read your articles why they should buy from you rather than from your competitor (who perhaps does not have a blog to develop his pitch), ...
But do it in a subtle way to avoid appearing too aggressive or intrusive. The blog must continue to give the feeling of being a "non-mercantile" framework. Besides, its atmosphere must differ from that of the e-shop. Do not forget that the visitor came there to read, get information, discuss,… If he feels that you are in the process of making publicity, you risk losing his confidence.
Your editorial content can be enhanced with elements highlighting your e-shop and its products
There are many ways to keep the business side of blogging low-key. One of them consists of alternating editorial content and product placements. If you are writing a dossier on a seasonal product (ex: sunscreen), start by addressing the general aspects (the evolution of the product over time), then develop the point-by-point theme (the different products by type of skin, by age, etc.) then finish by including a list of recommended products (containing links to the store's item sheets) in the conclusion of the article.
Much more than the e-store, the blog is also the place where you go to talk about yourself and the life of your business. For example, you can express points of view, share your favorites, announce an event (e.g., a reward obtained, the opening of a point of sale, etc.). Addressing your readers personally will create a more direct link with your target audience.
This link will also go in both directions. Visitors will be able to use the comments to give you their own opinions. Some will take the opportunity to ask you questions or express their satisfaction (and therefore a form of recognition of your work). Others will communicate their expectations to you (which will allow you to identify new business opportunities ). These exchanges will have the effect of creating a community effect, which will lead to customer loyalty. As for the answers you provide to your prospects, they will encourage them to order on the e-shop.
The bond of trust created with the blog's readers will allow you to reach a targeted clientele
Your blog must, above all, be a space where you talk about what excites you: your job. And it should be for people who share that passion with you. Mails must also show that you are competent in this area, in that it offers you the possibility of acting as a prescriber or influencer. This position will make your audience receptive to your communication rather than that of your competitors.
We've just seen how to get blog readers to visit your online store, but we haven't covered the previous step: getting people to read your blog. We are not talking about your existing clientele or your community. The idea here will be to see how you will use the blog to introduce your merchant site to new customers.
You know the general principle of search engines' operation: they provide a list of results that correspond to the keywords used for the search. So your goal will be to write articles containing the terms that your customers will use during their research so that your links stand out among the 1st results. Is the title and summary of the article catchy? Congratulations, you have just won a reader and, therefore, a potential customer.