Ecommerce Branding & Practices: Five Tips for Success
The lockdown may be all but over, but we are still seeing the lingering impact of it in shopping behaviours. Even though non-essential retail has been open again for over a month, in-store footfall is still down by two thirds of what it was this time last year – and online sales have skyrocketed.
Ecommerce has never been more lucrative, nor has it been more competitive. As customers increasingly shop from the comfort of their own homes, it’s vital that you step up and offer the best experience possible if you are to get the positive reviews and recommendations necessary for success. Here at The Printed Bag Shop, we’ve been operating as an online business for over 12 years and have learned a thing or two along the way. So, we thought we would share our five tips for ecommerce branding practices that will set you up for success.
1. Communication is Everything
Offering clear, quick and friendly communication with all potential customers has a massive impact on your sales. We don’t just mean when you’re having a direct conversation with your customer – everything you write on your website or platform is for them to read. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and think about all the questions they might have before buying your product, then answer them on your website or the listing itself. Don’t make people have to go to any effort to find the information they need – make it obvious and easy to find.
Tip: If you are easy to contact directly – whether that’s by phone, live chat or email – your customers will be able to get answers to any specific questions as well as anything you haven’t thought of yet.
2. Show Off Your Products
People want to know exactly what it is they’re buying, and the better your photography illustrates the product, the more likely people are to be happy with their purchase. Your product imagery should be eye-catching and show everything of importance about your product, including the size, shape, colour and any special features.
Tip: You don’t need to hire a professional photographer to shoot every product you sell; use a good quality camera (even mobile phone cameras these days can take a pretty good shot) and shoot in natural light where possible to get accurate colour representation.
3. Organise Your Shop
You wouldn’t expect an untidy and disorganised shop on the high street to be raking it in, and the same applies for your online platform. Making your store easy to navigate will do wonders for your ecommerce branding – it’s all about ensuring your customers have positive associations with your brand.
Tip: Most ecommerce platforms are very user-friendly but if you haven’t got to grips with them yet, it’s worthwhile paying someone who knows what they’re doing to organise your online store for you in the meantime. It’s much harder to come back and rearrange everything later when you’ve expanded your product range.
4. Get Your Branding Right
How you brand your online company will directly affect what audience you attract and how your business is perceived. Everything your customers see, from your name to the colours and imagery used on your platform, should tell the story of your business. This will allow customers to connect with you on a personal level, even when there’s no physical shop where they can meet you.
Tip: Use custom ecommerce packaging materials such as printed mailing bags and custom printed boxes so that when your customer receives their purchase, they remember exactly where it came from. This can help build positive associations with your brand and ensure repeat purchases.
5. Ask for Feedback
Would you buy a new product or from a new company online without reading reviews first? We didn’t think so. Most of your customers won’t mind spending a couple of minutes leaving a review, they might just need a reminder (and an incentive such as a discount off the next order doesn’t hurt). After your customer has received their purchase, send a thank you email and include a link to your chosen feedback system so they can easily write their review.
And sure, bad reviews aren’t nice to receive but if you take them as a learning opportunity, they are incredibly useful. Use any negative reviews you receive to assess your product and customer service. Were their issues a one-off incident or could they affect other customers too? What improvements could you make to ensure it doesn’t happen again?
Prepare for a Boost in Online Sales!
If you ask us, the preference for ecommerce over in-store shopping is here to stay – the lockdown has merely acted as a catalyst for a change that was a long time coming. So, whether you’re one of the many new online start-ups, a bricks and mortar shop turning to the internet for the first time or an established ecommerce retailer, it’s worthwhile taking this time to assess your business and give it the best chances for success.
If you would like help with custom ecommerce packaging, The Printed Bag Shop can help. We will guide you step-by-step through the process, offering professional ecommerce packaging design services and high-quality printed packaging materials. Contact us today to talk about your business’s needs.