Mastering Ecommerce Marketing: Essential Strategies and Tools for Success

Ecommerce marketing is a method that encompasses the strategies and tools customer facing businesses use to promote and drive their online sales. They use digital channels like social media, search engines, content, and email marketing to enhance brand visibility, improve online shopping experience, attract more visitors and convert them into customers. 

It has become essential as without this, your online marketplace will be difficult to find for the target audience. 

Ecommerce marketing Initially focused on basic online ads, but now it has evolved into a sophisticated ecosystem featuring omnichannel approaches, data-driven strategies, and personalised shopping. Marketers are also using advanced tools like AI, automation, and influencer partnerships to stay competitive. 

So, if you want to get a comprehensive view of what ecommerce marketing entails, this blog is a perfect place to start. 

What is Ecommerce Marketing?

Before diving into the strategies it is necessary to carefully take a look at what ecommerce and ecommerce marketing means and how it differs from traditional forms of marketing. 

Ecommerce or Electronic Commerce is the process of selling or purchasing products online and ecommerce marketing is the practice of implementing promotional strategies to guide traffic to one’s online store and convert the new traffic into customers and retain them. 

Not only online shopping stores use this practice but wholesalers, sellers of digital products (for example, software, e-books, audio, video courses, etc.), online auctions, subscription-based businesses, online marketplaces and crowdfunding platforms are also part of ecommerce. 

Nowadays, fewer people prefer traditional commerce which involves in-person commercial transactions for every product and service. They are moving towards ecommerce as it is less time taking and more convenient. 

How to Develop an Ecommerce Marketing Strategy for Your Business? 

You need to have a strong ecommerce strategy if you want to increase your sales of your ecommerce store. However, as there are myriads marketing strategies, knowing how to create an ecommerce marketing strategy for your business is the key. 

You can follow the steps below to craft an ecommerce marketing strategy: 

1. Define Your Goals 

You have to have a clear outline of your goals before you can create a marketing strategy for that. Here are some marketing goals you may have: 

• Drive traffic to your site 
• Increase a specific number of new customers each month 
• Boost the number of repeat customers
• Improve your overall revenue 
• Extend your product lines 

After making your comprehensive one-year goals clear you should strive to get more and more granular with your aim. For example, if your goal is to increase the number of repeat customers, you can specify that you want to increase the number by 100 each month. 

2. Identify Your Target Market 

You have to identify your target audience after you have made your goals clear and specific. Once you know your ideal customer you will have insights to optimize your marketing campaign. 

You can conduct a survey if you already have an audience and if you do not yet have an audience, consider finding out the following demographics: 

• Location
• Interests
• Age
• Gender
• Job
• Income
• Buying Behaviour
• Marital status

3. Conduct Competitor Research

The third step is pointing out your competitors and finding their strengths and weaknesses which will give you opportunities to fine tune your campaign and potentially increase sales. 

Go through your competitors’ websites and note down what products they are selling, how they promote their products, how detailed the product descriptions are, if they use blogs, how often they post, and so on. You can also use tools to check and analyse their traffic and where the traffic is coming from. 

You have to remember that this process does not end here. Regularly monitoring what your competitors are doing is necessary to make changes accordingly and stay competitive. You can follow your competitors on social media, sign up for newsletters, and go through the buying process to understand the user experience they are offering. 

4. Regulate Pricing and Positioning 

It is essential to put a lot of thought behind your product pricing as it is super easy for customers to compare prices. 

Now that you have a solid idea of who your target audience is along with their preferences you may have an easier time on pricing and positioning your products. 

5. Determine Your Marketing Tactics and Strategies 

To hit your sales targets you have to choose the appropriate marketing channels and proper strategies and tactics for that platform. If you know what activities can help you fulfil your marketing objectives and goals you can easily choose the proper channel. 

For example, if you are a B2C ecommerce store, investing in social media ads may help you reach your sales targets. 

If you have come up with a conversion funnel, determining which marketing channel is going to bring the optimum results for each stage will be easier. For example, during the awareness-building state, SEO is going to play a pivotal role and throughout the interest and desire stage, email marketing is going to keep maintaining the engagement of your leads. 

6. Create Your Martech Stack 

Think of a martech stack as a combination of applications that are customised to your marketing endeavours. If you want to build a martech stack for your online store you have to find the applications and tools that help you manage marketing activities and lets you automate tasks on the marketing channels you want to be on. 

To make your martech stack robust you should choose applications that provide extensive features. For instance, besides the ecommerce platform itself, a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and a Marketing Automation Platform (MAP) application will help you develop the base for your marketing activities. You can even leave out social media management and email marketing software if you have a full-feature MAP. 

11 Ecommerce Marketing Strategies for Your Business 

Now that you are ready to act, take a look at these strategies that can help you develop your own ecommerce marketing plan. This should set your business apart from your competition, attract new customers, strengthen the brand, and increase revenue over time.

1. Search Engine Optimization

For any ecommerce company launching a website is a first step. However, it is not enough to ensure that your customers can find your brand easily. To become increasingly visible, you have to have help from a marketing team who can optimise the website for search engines. 

By updating your website with high-quality relevant content that helps your target audience solve their problems. Alongside, by performing a host of on-page and off-page practices, marketing teams can up your SEO game. 

A competent SEO strategy can help your business reach not only increased visibility but also build brand awareness, provide positive CX, generate leads, convert more visitors into customers, and so on. Consult with SEO experts or look for the right ecommerce marketing services that focus on SEO best practices and you cannot but rank higher and for more relevant keywords. 

2. Start a Content Marketing Programme 

This one goes hand in hand with the first one, as content marketing is essential to connect with your customers online. To rank higher in the SERP and connect with your target audience you can consider blogging at predetermined intervals. 

If you are already creating excellent content you should actively feature it on your online store. If you are not blogging you can consider other types of content too: 

• Create guides and long-form content to help your customers use the products you offer more effectively. 
• You should also consider guest posting on other blogs and websites to spread awareness and generate backlinks which is a crucial element in SEO. 
• Starting a podcast is also a good idea as it allows you to share your expertise and build a board and strong community. 

If you want to do all that and get good at the basics you should learn how to create the best SEO blogs for your business. 

3. Leverage User Generated Content 

Generating social proof is a crucial part of any ecommerce marketing and User Generated Content (UGC) is an effective way to do it. When prospective customers will read or view content they will see that people just like them are buying your products regularly it will give them a confidence boost to do the same. 

UGC can take many forms, for example, reviews, comments, videos, photos, and social media posts can be effective UGC. You can also get better control over the UGC by paid UGC practices that involve brand collaborations, affiliate marketing, influencer marketing, etc. 

You should learn how to use UGC in detail to use it effectively. 

4. Upsell Your Products 

People interested in ecommerce marketing are generally familiar with the practice of super-sizing orders. It is an example of upselling which means pushing a slightly more premium product or service than the one a customer was originally searching for. 

For many businesses cross cross-selling or upselling is more remunerative than gaining a net new customer. Successful ecommerce businesses understand that customers may need more evidence to acknowledge that they might be better off with a premium or upgraded version of an original product, or they may even not know that a premium product is available. 

For example, ask yourself if one of your products has features that are slightly better than the other ones? Or if a segment of your products is a better solution for a problem than the other segment. If that is the case your marketing team can emphasise that in the right places and inspire the customers to upgrade. 

5. Think Local 

If you think that only brick-and-mortar businesses can jump on local movement you are mistaken. To increase online sales many online retailers are also adapting their ecommerce marketing to take a local approach. 

To start with that, you should run a promotion for a location where you can identify a considerable concentration of customers. Take a look at their buying patterns, spending behaviour indicators, inclination towards products, and so on and time your promotion considering seasons and local events. 

6. Run PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Campaigns

PPC advertising stands as the cornerstone of online marketing strategies for businesses of all sizes. This practice, rooted in data-driven insights and known for its scalability, can earn you $8 for each $1 spent according to Google’s conservative estimates. 

These ads strategically occupy digital real estate across search engines, websites and social media platforms, effectively targeting consumers ready to make purchases, thereby often outperforming organic marketing efforts in driving sales. 

Among the leading platforms for PPC campaigns are Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

For ecommerce brands, Google Shopping ads are particularly popular as you must have seen it yourself whenever you have searched about any product (for example, ‘watch for men’) on Google it shows ads that detail various related products. 

On the other hand, Facebook ads cover both Facebook and Instagram and they come with a variety of ad formats that can target specific personas to showcase your products. 

One of the major advantages of PPC advertising is its ability to reach highly specific demographics. Advertisers can select exactly who sees their ads and customise the format to fit their goals. Additionally, retargeting options enable you to reconnect with users who have previously engaged with your site or ads, nudging them to return and make a purchase. 

7. Opt for Influencer Marketing 

Influencer marketing offers a powerful strategy to boost your ecommerce presence. By partnering with popular social media personalities, you can tap into new audiences, enhance brand visibility, and drive sales. This approach is particularly effective for connecting with potential customers who align with your brand’s style and values.

Think about how often you have seen an influencer on Instagram sporting an outfit or product that caught your eye and made you want to buy it immediately. Influencer promotions streamline the buying process and turn interest into purchases quickly. 

With platforms like Instagram and TikTok increasingly incorporating social commerce features, shoppers can make purchases directly through the app which minimises friction in the customer journey. 

This seamless integration not only shortens the sales cycle but also allows brands to capitalise on impulse buying. Leveraging the credibility and reach of trusted influencers to guide purchasing decisions is an opportunity you should not miss. 

8. Design Your Online Store Optimally 

A poorly designed online store can drive potential buyers away and that is why you should know what exactly makes a store poorly designed. Common issues include difficult-to-read fonts, a lack of clear value propositions, or confusing navigation. All of this can make your site appear untrustworthy. 

Even if you have already addressed these areas, design flaws might still be present. For instance, have you crammed too many items onto one page, or have you categorised products properly? Have you found the right mix of text and visuals to keep shoppers engaged?

Apart from these changes, you should take inspiration from successful ecommerce sites like Outdoor Voices, where products are neatly categorised which makes it easy for shoppers to navigate. A clear menu and a robust search function allow customers to find exactly what they are looking for with ease.

9. Improve Your Email Campaigns 

Email campaigns, being very effective, always stay among the top digital marketing channels. However, it does not mean simply collecting email addresses. You need to send valuable emails consistently to make the channel effective for ecommerce. 

For example, you can send a welcome email immediately after a customer makes a purchase, or offer free gifts and exclusive promo codes. Regular newsletters can keep subscribers informed about product tips, new discounts, etc. 

It is also a good idea to express your appreciation to your highest-value customers with personal notes and gather feedback from visitors who do not buy, to get ideas on how to improve their experience.

10. Optimise for Mobile 

According to Google, the majority of traffic comes from mobile devices and if your site is not optimised for mobile new visitors are 5 times more likely to exit your site. Therefore, a key tip for ecommerce marketing is to ensure your website performs well on all devices, particularly smartphones. 

Prepare the layout so that mobile users do not have to zoom in to perform any crucial tasks like adding to cart, etc. Making your product photos appear faster is also crucial for mobile optimisation. 

11. Sell on Marketplaces 

Marketplaces like Amazon and eBay offer global reach and can significantly boost brand visibility. It taps into the loyal marketplace shoppers who prefer buying from a channel familiar to them. However, these marketplaces come with significant fees and other considerations.

For ecommerce brands, it is best to use these marketplaces as a supplement to your own online store. You can list a selection of bestsellers, craft engaging listings that highlight your brand and include branded inserts. This should encourage customers to shop directly from your online store.

What are the Benefits of Hiring an ecommerce Marketing Agency?

Running an ecommerce business can be complicated as it needs a strong and constant grasp of all products or services. If you hire an ecommerce marketing agency you can better handle your side of business by delegating the marketing tasks to experts. 

Here are some of the benefits of working with an ecommerce marketing agency: 

1. Expertise Across All Areas 

From SEO to ad campaigns, an ecommerce marketing agency can offer specialised personnel for each of the aspects of your strategy. This will ensure faster problem-solving and more effective execution than an in-house marketing team with limited resources. 

2. Access to Advanced Tools and Technology 

Marketing agencies use the latest industry data and tools to create customised and effective campaigns for your business. 

3. Cost-Efficiency 

You can save on marketing tools, employee benefits, and salaries by not hiring full-time staff and getting an agency that offers a team of experts at a fraction of the cost. 

4. Proven Results and Efficiency 

As agencies have gathered experience from working with diverse clients they are more likely to use tested strategies that offer more effective outcomes. 

5. Fresh Perspective and Agility 

Agencies, unlike an internal team, will not overlook any flaws in the strategy and therefore find new opportunities and also put more emphasis on staying current with digital marketing trends which will help your business stay competitive. 

What Ecommerce Marketing Services Can Benefit You?

With so many potential strategies to accomplish your primary goal of generating more revenue, it is imperative to work alongside an ecommerce marketing agency that knows which channels and strategies will work best for your online business. 

Here’s a quick overview of essential ecommerce marketing services: 

1. Ecommerce SEO

It aims at boosting your visibility on Google by implementing SEO strategies most fitting for ecommerce. By focusing on elements like detailed product pages and fast load times it helps convert organic traffic into consistent revenue. 

2. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Whether conversion means purchasing a product, filling out a form, with ecommerce marketing campaign you can optimise your conversion rate. 

3. Ecommerce Web Design & Development

Excellent web design and development are necessary to improve your sales. This service aims at creating custom mobile-responsive sites that make the buying process well-organised and smooth-running for your customers. 

4. Email Marketing

It is a good idea to use email marketing to reduce abandoned carts. You can improve your sales, promote new products, and more, with professional copywriting and custom strategies included in this service. 

5. Amazon Marketing & Advertising

It aims to help you launch, improve, and sell products efficiently on Amazon.com and quicken your business growth on that platform with the agency’s advertising and marketing knowledge. 

6. Walmart & Target Plus

This service will help you set up and manage your store and expand beyond Amazon and into platforms like Target+ and Walmart and reach a broader audience. 

7. Ecommerce PPC

Ecommerce PPC entails increasing your sales with targeted PPC ads on search engines like Google and Bing. 

8. Content Marketing

This service provides you with strategic content like blog posts and long-form guides to drive consistent revenue. The agency will manage the entire content creation process from strategizing to crafting the content and publishing it. 

How to Select the Right Ecommerce Marketing Agency in India? 

Choosing the right ecommerce agency is essential for your business growth. Follow the steps below while choosing an agency you will work with: 

Step 1: Check Offered Skills

Determine whether you need a full-service agency or a specialist and check what skills the agencies are offering. For instance, full-service agencies handle various aspects like marketing, UI design, and site optimisation. Comparatively, specialists focus deeply on specific areas like business rebranding or landing page redesign. 

Step 2: Align With Your Business Goals

Identify your goals such as improving brand awareness, boosting search rankings, or enhancing user experience and decide between a full-service or specialist agency that aligns with your needs.

Step 3: Look for an Excellent Portfolio 

Review portfolios or case studies to understand the agency’s experience and success with clients. A detailed portfolio will indicate how the agency’s strategies have impacted similar businesses.

Examine how well the agency has met past client goals. Check if they have a history of achieving results in areas relevant to your business.

Step 4: Communicate With the Agency of Your Choice 

Schedule meetings to evaluate how they communicate. Ask about what tools they use, how they develop timelines, what KPIs they track to determine results. This ensure that the agency’s approach aligns with your needs.

Step 5: Consider Your Budget

Understand the costs by discussing pricing with the agency. Consider your budget, the project’s scope, and industry competitiveness to select an agency within your financial range.

What are the Best eCommerce Marketing Companies?

Here’s a list of some of the best ecommerce marketing agencies in India:

1. Obelisk Infotech

Obilesk Infotech offers a wide array of services including Local SEO, Organic SEO, PPC, Social Media Marketing, Website Design, and Paid Ad Campaigns. 

2. SEO Yodha

SEO Yodha works closely with clients to grasp their unique requirements and craft customised SEO strategies that go perfectly with their business goals.

3. NMG Technologies

NMG Technologies offers an extensive range of services, including UI/UX design, web development, Advanced SEO, E-commerce website development, Data-driven Content Marketing, Pay-per-click (PPC), Content Writing, Digital PR, Link building, and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO). 

4. Conversion Perk

Conversion Perk offers ecommerce marketing services such as Advertising, providing marketing advice, Amazon Marketing, Marketing Automation, SEO, and Social Media Marketing.

5. Elatre Creative Marketing Agency

Elatre Creative Marketing Agency offers key ecommerce marketing services like creating custom digital strategies, running ad campaigns, SEO, Web Development, Email Marketing, Amazon Seller Services, Analytics and Reporting, and Content Marketing.

These are only a few among the many skilled marketing agencies India has to offer. Conduct thorough research and communicate with agencies to outsource your ecommerce marketing. 

Why Should You Go for Ecommerce Marketing Automation?

If you want to maximise your marketing spend, work more efficiently, and reduce manual tasks ecommerce marketing automation is essential. 

Here’s how it can benefit you: 

1. Save Time and Simplify Workflows

Automating repetitive tasks reduces the need for extensive operations teams and cuts down on manual work which allows you to focus on more impactful activities.

2. Ensure Consistent, Cross-Channel Engagement

As customers interact across multiple devices and platforms, automation is essential for maintaining a cohesive and personalised experience at every touchpoint.

3. Minimise Human Errors

Automations reduce reliance on concentration and memory which results in fewer mistakes and more consistent processes.

4. Maximise Marketing ROI

Automation tools help deliver personalised product recommendations, content, and messages to the right audience at the right time. This increases conversion rates while optimising your marketing budget.

5. Deliver Contextual Message Timely

Automated workflows enable real-time responses, such as purchase confirmations and event reminders which improve the customer experience.

What Tools You Can Use for Automating Your Marketing Efforts?

Here is a list of tools that you can easily integrate with popular CMSs and ecommerce platforms. Using these tools you can implement automation strategies across channels: 

1. Insider

Channels:  Web, Web Push notifications, Mobile Apps, Email, WhatsApp, SMS, Google Ads, Facebook Messenger, TikTok, Facebook Ads.

Key Features: Cross-channel campaign automation, A/B testing, customer touchpoint personalization, 360-degree customer profiles.

2. Klaviyo

Channels:  Email, SMS.

Key Features: Automates email and SMS, creates real-time customer profiles, builds signup forms, and more. Offers powerful customer segmentation and top-tier campaign management features.

3. ActiveCampaign

Channels:  Email.

Key Features: Automates email campaigns, tracks on-site behaviour, build landing pages, and integrates with CRM and lead scoring for sales.

4. Omnisend

Channels:  Email, SMS, Web Push notifications.

Key Features: Automates email and SMS campaigns builds forms and pop-ups, and retargets users via social media ads and web push notifications.

5. Drip

Channels:  Email, On-site.

Key Features:  Creates custom on-site experiences, automates email and on-site marketing. Also supports omni channel campaigns that you can set up via integrations with other tools.

6. Mailchimp

Channels:  Email.

Key Features: Automates email campaigns designs landing pages, and optimises copy with AI.

By using ecommerce automation tools your business can become more efficient and boost sales by offering personalised shopping experiences to your old and new customers. 

Takeaway 

Ecommerce marketing is essential for driving online sales and standing apart as a business in today’s competitive digital landscape. By understanding and implementing the right strategies like content marketing, SEO, and email marketing you can build and improve your brand visibility and increase conversions. 

Whether you are starting out or looking to refine your approach, a solid ecommerce marketing strategy, expert guidance and support of the right tools are essential for sustained growth and success.