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  • E-Commerce Marketing in 2021: 5 Strategies That Can Help

    E-Commerce Marketing in 2021: 5 Strategies That Can Help

    According to an IBEF report, India’s e-commerce industry can surpass the US and become the second-largest in the world by 2034.

    While the e-commerce boom is pretty much evident in India, running an online store successfully amid the ever-growing competition is no easy feat. On the one hand, you have established marketplaces like Amazon that are consistently pouring hundreds of crores to boost its presence in India, and on the other hand, you have a constant stream of new entrants to the industry.

    While there are many different ways to boost your e-commerce business, a solid marketing strategy is something that could deliver lasting results. If you are working on your e-commerce marketing strategy, here are five tips that can help you drive more sales in 2021-

    1. Get Going with SEO

    According to a Wunderman Thompson Commerce report, more than 50% of online shoppers begin their product search on search engines like Google. Even if you have the best of products that you are selling at great prices, people won’t come to your store if they cannot find you in search results.

    One of the most effective ways to bring more traffic to your online store is still the good-old SEO or Search Engine Optimization.

    You can identify and target keywords/phrases so that when someone enters those keywords/phrases while performing a search, your online store or pages rank higher in the search results.

    2. Use PPC for Quick Traffic Boost

    SEO is a strategy to improve your organic rankings in search results. While it sure is very effective, the process is time-consuming as you’ll be competing with hundreds of other online stores. A faster alternative is to use PPC (Pay Per Click) ads. For instance, you can use Google Ads to advertise your products above the search results.

    While you work your way through establishing your store in SERPs (Search Engine Ranking Pages) through SEO, you can use PPC to get a quick boost in traffic.

    This could lead to more awareness and even improved sales.

    3. Optimize for Voice Search

    In 2021, you can no longer avoid voice search optimization. According to an Oberlo report, around 34% of the mobile users in India now use voice search.

    With the rising popularity of voice assistants like Google Assistant, Apple Siri, Microsoft Cortana, and Amazon Alexa, voice search is only expected to become more popular in the country.

    You can modify your SEO strategy to ensure that you also optimize your website and product pages for voice search. For instance, you can optimize for long-tail keywords that are generally used in voice searches.

    4. Be Active on Social Media

    As per a Statista report, there are more than 400 million social media users in India in 2021.

    If you are not active on popular social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter, you’ll definitely lose a great opportunity to engage with your target consumers.

    You can use these platforms to communicate with the customers, launch new products, announce promotions, and even offer customer support.

    Moreover, platforms like Facebook now also allow social commerce where you can directly sell your products on Facebook without requiring the customer to visit your website.

    5. Start Upselling

    In most cases, it makes more financial sense to upsell products to a customer rather than finding new customers.

    Upselling is the process of selling a more premium version of the product a customer is interested in purchasing from your online store. The upsell recommendation can be slightly more expensive so that it generates more revenue for you.

    But ensure that you do consider the price range of the customer before upselling. For instance, someone who wants to spend Rs. 5,000 on a smartwatch would mostly not be interested in purchasing a smartwatch worth Rs. 20,000.

    A recommendation of a better smartwatch in the range of Rs. 5,000-6,000 with better features or quality might encourage them to make the recommended purchase. 

    E-Commerce Marketing to Boost Your Online Store in 2021

    While the e-commerce industry in India sure has great potential, it is very easy for an online store to get lost in the sea of e-commerce platforms that are rising with every passing day. And with marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart infusing more capital, things are only expected to become more competitive.

    A solid e-commerce marketing strategy is something that can help you stand apart from the crowd. Use the tips discussed in this post to boost your online presence and grow your sales in 2021. Partnering with a reputed digital marketing company is another great way to get a headstart and achieve your digital goals.

  • 5 Reasons Why Your Business Must Sell Online

    5 Reasons Why Your Business Must Sell Online

    E-commerce has been one of the most consistently growing industries in India. According to a PwC report, the Indian e-commerce market will surpass $100 billion by 2022.

    The rising smartphone penetration, availability of cheap internet services, and the increasing acceptance of all things digital are some of the top reasons that have created an environment that complements the e-commerce boom in the country.

    While consumers are not entirely abandoning brick-and-mortar stores, online shopping is turning into a preferred choice, especially among young netizens. Sooner or later, businesses will have to adopt the hybrid offline and online model to remain competitive and comply with customer expectations.

    If you are still thinking about whether or not your startup, small business, or famous brand should start selling online, here are 5 reasons that suggest you definitely should-

    1. Your Customers are Online

    The pandemic has had a significant impact on how Indian consumers shop. With most offline stores shut for several months due to the lockdown, online became the go-to shopping destination. According to a Shopify report available on Business Insider, 86% of Indians have adopted online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    While physical retail is expected to regain a decent portion of customers once the lockdown is over, most would continue to prefer shopping online. If you are not selling your products or services online, you’ll end up losing a lot of business.

    2. Boost Offline Sales

    Selling online can also help you improve your offline sales. According to a report by RAI and LitmusWorld, 75% of the consumers shopped online during the festive season in 2020. But 66% of them also agreed to shop from standalone stores, and 37% agreed to shop from malls. While digital has turned into the primary mode of discovery, many consumers still prefer offline purchases.

    By optimizing your online store and working on your digital marketing strategy, you can get closer to the potential customers during the discovery phase. No matter if they want to purchase online or offline, with an online store, you can ensure that you are present where your target customers are.

    3. Make Your Business More Accessible

    Unlike the internet that is available 24×7, your offline store only works for fixed hours during a day. Moreover, customers need to travel to your location to shop from your store. You can eliminate this time and geographical limitation by selling online.

    No matter if it is day or night or whether a customer lives close to your store or in any other city or state in the country, they can access your online store and purchase your products.

    Not only this, but with an online store, you can also sell your products to people across the world. While most online stores in India do not commonly prefer international shipping, the internet does offer this possibility as well.

    4. Embrace New Ways to Market Your Business/Products

    Your online store can also be a very powerful marketing tool. You can use digital marketing and other strategies like SEO (Search Engine Optimization), social media marketing, email marketing, and more to rank higher on search engines and reach more potential customers.

    The digital strategies pave the path for innovative ways to engage with consumers. This level of innovation is mostly missing with conventional offline strategies.

    5. Reduced Costs

    Offline stores also come with a lot of operational expenses, like rent, staff salaries, and more. If you want to expand your business by maybe opening another store or expanding your existing store, it’d mean a significant investment and higher fixed operational expenses as you’ll need more space and staff.

    By switching this physical expansion with the internet, you can significantly reduce these expenses. The savings can be invested to market your online store to reach more consumers.

    Time to Get Online is Now

    While many businesses want to start selling online, it is often a decision that they prefer to take some time in the future. But with the Indian e-commerce industry all set to achieve newer heights and hundreds of businesses going online, a delay will only make things more challenging and competitive for your business. If you want to expand your business and remain competitive, now is the right time to begin your digital journey. Partnering with a reputable digital marketing company can provide you with a headstart in this endeavour. 

  • E-Commerce Boom? Yes, But What About the Competition?

    E-Commerce Boom? Yes, But What About the Competition?

    As stringent lockdowns across India forced brick-and-mortar stores to remain shut for most of 2020, online platforms became the go-to shopping destination. Unlike offline stores, e-commerce platforms were allowed to operate after the initial 3-month lockdown in most parts of the country.

    From purchasing food, grocery, medicines, mobile phones, appliances, fashion to personal care products, popular online platforms were the only option for shoppers.

    E-Commerce Boom in India

    Boosted by this change in shopping behaviour, the country’s e-commerce sector recorded one of the highest growth in order volumes ever.

    According to a report by Unicommerce available on The Hindu, e-commerce order volume increased by 36% in 2020 Q4 compared to the same period in 2019. More importantly, Tier II and Tier III cities accounted for almost 90% of the volume growth. Even brand websites reported an extraordinary growth of 94% in order volumes compared to 2019 Q4.

    But the impressive growth of this sector in the country also poses some severe challenges regarding competition, especially for startups and small online stores.

    Current State of E-Commerce Competition in India

    While the likes of Amazon and Flipkart are the flagbearers of the Indian e-commerce industry, there are more than 20,000 e-commerce platforms in India. And the numbers are rising consistently. Brands have also started working on D2C strategies and launching their online stores to sell their products directly to the consumers online.

    For instance, reputed Indian brands like Haldirams, Marico, and Whirlpool launched their online stores amid the lockdown.

    Moreover, as e-commerce is expected to have a bright future in India, the likes of Reliance and Tata have also made their digital debut. Reliance launched JioMart and partnered with Facebook and WhatsApp while Tata Group purchased a 68% stake in BigBasket, a leading online grocery store. 

    Fortunately, startups and smaller e-commerce platforms don’t have to beat giants like Amazon, Flipkart, or JioMart for tasting success. A few time-proven tips are all that you need to set your foot in this fiercely competitive e-commerce industry in India.

    Tips for Tackling the E-Commerce Competition

    Here are a few tips that can help-

    1. Start with a Competitor Analysis

    To beat the competition, you first need to ensure that you are in the competition. One of the easiest and effective ways to do this is to learn from your competitors. This will not only help you anticipate shifts in the market and find new trends but also provide a detailed overview of the common barriers in your niche so that you can make informed decisions.

    Try to learn more about their marketing, pricing, shipping, social media strategy, website design, and the type of customer experience they want to offer.

    2. Find a Unique Value Proposition

    As an online seller, you don’t really have to re-invent the wheel or offer a never-seen-before product. Just ensure that there is a unique value proposition attached to it. One of the top reasons businesses struggle with the competition is their lack of focus on how they can differentiate themselves from others.

    This unique proposition can be regarding your product’s- quality, manufacturing, packaging, or your website design, mobile app, delivery, customer support.

    3. Work on Your Brand Identity

    Your brand identity should be something that your target audience could relate to. Consumers now have hundreds of different online stores to shop from. In this crowded marketplace, your brand identity is something that can set you apart. This whole process of identifying the purpose behind what a business does and how it conveys the same to the audience impacts customer perception.

    The more positive the customer perception is, the higher will be the probability of the customers to continue having a lasting relationship with a brand.

    Edging Past Your E-Commerce Competition

    The crowded e-commerce field shows that there is a significant demand among Indian consumers to shop online. While this definitely makes the field more exciting, it also makes it hyper-competitive. And with customers having multiple platforms to shop from, it is very challenging for them to stay loyal to a particular brand or store.

    The best way out for you is to focus on the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and use the same to your benefit. Do not sacrifice product quality or website experience, as modern consumers expect nothing but the best in this regard.

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