Tag Archive for: e-commerce

Generation Z Marketing Strategies

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Gen Z now makes up 26% of the population and comprises 48% of the total media audience. Their spending power is estimated to be between $29 and $143 billion, without taking into account their influence on household spending. They are a formidable consumer demographic, but the generation gap leaves some marketers struggling to successfully reach them. 

It is true that conventional digital marketing strategies rarely work and there has yet to be a complete consensus of which methods are most effective. But experts are starting to come together to compile their best recommendations and guidelines for successfully marketing to Generation Z. 

 

Highlight Social Awareness 

This generation has a heightened awareness of issues plaguing our society and the rest of the world. They know that what’s occurring now has the ability to strongly impact their futures. Which is why if they discover that a company is engaging in objectionable practices, they will avoid doing business with them at all costs, while making it widely known. Conversely, brands that are positively contributing to society or the environment have the opportunity to be strongly supported by Gen Z. As individuals they have varying beliefs, but they share a number of ideals such as inclusivity, multiculturalism, social justice, environmental awareness, and anti-capitalism.

A great example of a company that has done this is TOMS Shoes. For every pair of shoes purchased, they donate another pair of shoes to a child in need. These are the kinds of campaigns and practices that this generation looks for before fully getting behind a brand. 

 

Focus on Mobile Platforms 

75% of Generation Z selected a mobile phone or smartphone as the device they use most. This means strategies aimed at desktop users are no longer effective, especially when it comes to eCommerce web designs. A study performed by Google revealed that Gen Z mostly uses smartphones to make online purchases, and highly prefer online shopping in general. This means all web designs must be mobile-friendly, the checkout process needs to be simple, and content must be created with mobile devices in mind. Voice search is something else to keep in mind, as its use is on the rise with Gen Z. So it’s important to produce website content which conforms to patterns from everyday speech.

 

Be Personal and Relatable 

Generation Z was raised on the internet, they’ve seen everything there is to see. Which means using traditional sales ad and blatant customer manipulation attempts will fail miserably. Aggressive ad copy should be replaced with relatable and relaxed language. They will only pay attention to ads that are directly related to personal needs and desires. They expect retailers to offer a more personalized experience based on the customer’s shopping habits and preferences. This can be accomplished by creating targeted landing pages, publishing content aimed at the right buyer personas, and giving personal replies to messages on social media.

 

Use Each Social Media Platform Differently 

Social media has been a part of Generation Z’s entire lives. They’re highly aware of what each platform is best for and use each reflectively. Which means you can’t advertise to them in the same way on every platform. Response Media’s study reveals that Gen Z: 

  • Showcase their aspirational selves on Instagram
  • Share real-life moments on Snapchat
  • Get the news on Twitter
  • Glean information from Facebook

Instagram is also most used for brand discovery, with 45% of teens using it to find new products. And YouTube is used most for shopping recommendations, followed by Instagram, then Facebook. These are all things that should be closely kept in mind when conducting social media campaigns, sharing content, etc. 

 

Create Quick, Effective, and Visual Content 

It’s a common misconception that Gen Z has an outrageously short attention span, 8 seconds to be exact. In reality, they actually possess a sophisticated filter that comes from growing up surrounded by a deluge of information. So yes, you have very little time to convince them that your content is worth their time, but if it is, they can focus (or binge) long enough to complete in-depth research on any topic. 

Additionally, 71 percent of 13 to 17 year olds spend more than three hours a day watching online videos. But that doesn’t mean you can throw any video advertisement in front of them and they’ll pay attention. On average, Generation Z clicks “Skip” on skippable video ads after only 9.5 seconds. It all stems back to growing up in an information overload environment. This means you need to start focusing on only giving them the most necessary and important material. 

 

Final Thoughts 

When it comes to marketing to Generation Z, the most important thing is to forget all the misconceptions. They are not a generation of unintelligent, short attention spanned, detached kids that are dooming digital marketing for the rest of the generations. Every new generation of consumers means shifting marketing tactics and best practices in order to continue driving revenue and growing as a brand. When you execute your digital marketing strategy correctly, Gen Z can bring in major revenue, their own as well as revenue from their parents. They care about social responsibility, authenticity, and personable customer experiences. Brands have the opportunity to start engaging with socially active, highly motivated young people. They want to connect with companies, lead a following, or even become loyal brand ambassadors. Generation Z presents a new challenge that may just not seem worth it to some, but they offer the opportunity for huge payoffs with a little bit of work and understanding. 

 

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The Ultimate Marketing Strategy for Your E-Commerce Company

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Many e-commerce companies cower in fear of its industry leader, Amazon. In just a few short years this online retailer has grown to gather nearly $178 billion in 2017.

Through several key strategic moves such as its recent acquisition of Whole Foods, Amazon has been able to successfully eliminate or minimize the impact of its competition. This wild success leaves many within the e-commerce industry to wonder where exactly they fit.

Fortunately, changing consumer purchasing patterns are helping to provide and even bigger market for all online retailers. But how exactly does a small e-commerce company successfully compete in this type of fierce environment?

Niche Market Strategy

Many e-commerce companies have found a solution with a niche marketing strategy. This type of strategy focuses on an unmet or underserved need of consumers. Since the need is not being met appropriately, these niche brands are providing services that do just that!

Many would assume that a company as large as Amazon would have it all, right? Wrong. Brands like Boxed, Brandless, and Dote are all filling in this needs gap, and as a result that have each seen pretty remarkable results.

Boxed

Boxed works to deliver bulk consumer goods without any sort of a membership fee. This company recognized that urban consumers struggle to purchase in bulk because of a lack of transportation.

Many people living in large cities do not own or regularly use a vehicle, instead opting for public transportation. This makes it impossible for such travelers to lug home bags upon bags of products.

Boxed perfectly caters to this need by providing large amounts of bulk goods delivered right to your door in a conveniently short amount of time. By carving out this specialized section of the market, Boxed has been able to enjoy substantial profits after finding ways in which they can reduce damage rates to packages, according to Adweek.

Brandless

The company Brandless has been able to achieve many of the same positive results by implementing its own unique niche marketing strategy. Brandless primarily operates as a company that provides complete honesty and transparency to their customers.

Brandless carries thousands of products that do not have any association with a particular brand. This generic packaging and advertising cuts significant costs and allows consumers to bypass the usual marketing jargon and head straight to the actual product and its contents.

This strategy is effective for two reasons: it saves money and it makes the consumer feel more informed and aware of the products they are purchasing. Such abilities have been incredibly popular with the Millennial generation.

Dote

This company specifically targets young women by creating a “mobile mall” that they can shop through using their phone. This single platform combines apparel from more than 130 retailers, which allows consumers the ability to shop through thousands of different items all at once without having to travel to each individual website.

Dote has succeeded in creating a personal and comprehensive experience for their users, and it is all easily accessible to boot. Consumers have become so enthralled with Dote that according to Adweek, they visit the app an average of 3.9 times a day.

Conclusion

All of these brands have achieved greatness, even in the wake of powerful e-commerce giants like Amazon. The key is to differentiate in any meaningful way that you can. While this may not necessarily be the one and only strategy, it does seem to be quite effective.

For more information on marketing strategy, please visit the Onimod Global news page! Our content creation specialists regularly publish new content relating to current industry events and trends.

4 Effective E-Commerce Strategies to Boost Your Local Business

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In the competitive world of E-commerce business, organizations are always trying to find tricks and strategies to increase online visibility and stand out from the crowd. Implementing effective E-Commerce strategies is becoming an essential factor for local businesses, and this trend will likely continue with the increasing number of online consumers. So the question becomes: How can local businesses utilize E-Commerce strategies to drive traffic and ultimately increase business?” This post will explore some of those E-commerce tactics that will benefit local businesses.

Major focus on website
Many brick & mortar businesses often times struggle when it comes to investing in a professional website with E-commerce capabilities. However, local businesses must realize that they will likely experience far more visits to their website than the actual storefront. It’s also important to point out that most in-store consumers will actually visit a business’s website prior to entering the store. According to a survey in 2016 conducted by Google, it was found that “58 percent of consumers visited a retailer’s website or mobile application before making an in-store purchase.” Moreover, the importance of E-commerce websites for local businesses is huge, and the investment is most likely worth it in the long run.

Don’t ignore 3rd party listings
Having an E-commerce storefront is a great starting point to drive business. However, 3rd party sites such as Amazon, Ebay, Google Shopping, and many others present a massive opportunity for local businesses to further increase online visibility of products. Although 3rd party organizations obviously take a share of your profit margins, the likelihood of selling a larger quantity of products greatly increases. According to the same 2016 Google survey mentioned previously, “37 percent of consumers visited a non-retailer website before an in-store purchase.” Therefore, the importance of having local business listings on 3rd party E-commerce sites should not be overlooked, as the potential for growth is huge.

Don’t hide important information
It’s clear that consumers typically spend time online before the point of purchase, so providing clear information is essential. A study from the Market Track found that “80 percent of consumers compared prices and product reviews online before buying offline.” However, some local businesses are worried that posting prices and reviews online could have a negative effect on sales and traffic. Not posting prices or reviews is seen as a red flag for many online consumers, therefore many shoppers may put your business out of consideration if important information is missing.

Personalization still key
Regardless of other E-commerce factors, personalization is crucial when it comes to driving traffic and increasing long term sales. In today’s digital world, online visitors enjoy personable experiences catered to their interests and needs. Specific examples of personalized marketing strategies can include remarketing ads, email newsletters, and social media interaction. In the end, personalization marketing helps build strong, lasting customer relationships that will in return generate the possibility of brand loyalty.

Contact Us
For more information regarding digital marketing expertise, visit the Onimod Global Website. We provide weekly news updates on the latest in the world of digital marketing. Enjoy!

4 Statistics That Should Impact Your 2018 Online Marketing Strategy

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2018 will be a critical year in terms of marketing with all of the constant changes happening within the industry. Therefore, having the right marketing strategy in place will ensure that your organization doesn’t fall behind in 2018. The importance of online visibility in today’s digital world should never be overlooked, and it’s an aspect that many businesses lack. Listed below are four marketing statistics from various sources that will help shape your marketing strategy for the year ahead.

1. Repeat E-commerce spenders spend twice as much as new customers
Customer loyalty is huge, and it’s no surprise that repeat customers are far more likely to purchase more from your business. According to an article from Neil Patel, the “average E-commerce spending of repeat customers is $52.50 compared to $24.50 for new customers.” Moreover, effective E-commerce strategies will be crucial in 2018 and being able to generate solid customer relationships will most likely result in revenue increases.

2. The number of advertisers using Facebook is now over 3 Million
Facebook is an extremely effective digital marketing channel, and if utilized correctly it can greatly increase the ROI for your business. Investing plenty of time and money to the social media giant should definitely be a component of your organization’s marketing strategy, as it will pay off in the long run. According to a report from Statista, “the number of active users on Facebook worldwide has now reached 2.13 billion.” Another interesting Facebook fact found by WordStream is that “the average cpc on Facebook across all industries is $1.72.” Ultimately, there’s a reason that Facebook now has over 3 million advertisers, as the platform can be very rewarding for you business if used correctly.

3. Over 90% of shoppers’ purchase decisions are influenced by social media
It’s no surprise that social media is important when it comes to potential consumers and what influences their purchase decisions. A study from Iron Paper found that “approximately 93% of purchase decisions are influenced by social media, and that 90% of users trust peer recommendations.” Businesses that have caught on to this trend have seen increases in sales and overall ROI. It should also be noted that image focused platforms like Instagram and Pinterest offer a huge opportunity for businesses to showcase products/services to help influence purchase decisions.

4. 87% of internet users own a smartphone
The overwhelming usage of smart phones has revolutionized the entire advertising industry. Mobile marketing is not the future, it’s happening right now. The Global Web Index found that “87% of all internet users own a smartphone” and that “there are 9 new mobile users added every second.” Therefore, there must be a major focus on mobile responsiveness in any marketing strategy. It’s essential regarding your organization’s website in terms of user friendliness and ranking higher in search engine results.

Contact Us
If you’re business is in need of digital marketing expertise this year in 2018, Contact Us at Onimod Global. Check out Our Work and see what digital solutions we have to offer! We look forward to hearing from you!

Optimizing Ecommerce Shopping Carts for Search and the Google Merchant Center

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Many organizations with Ecommerce websites are concerned with how well their products are ranking organically on Google, Bing and Yahoo. That is, without any assistance from paid advertising networks. There is no doubt that these rankings are incredibly important to the organization and their product’s success, but it is not the only factor to consider.

It is all too common to get swept up in organic search rankings and ignore other ecommerce-related platforms like the Google or Bing Merchant Center. The Google and Bing Merchant Centers help organizations by uploading their products and immediately transforming them into Shopping ads. All of these add up to generate more and more exposure for your products. These efforts also combine to create better rankings through Google, which can definitely lead to big results on your sales.

 

Data Feeds

The only way to have your products listed in Google and/or Bing Shopping is to create an XML data feed file. As defined by Google, a feed is, “a file made up of a list of products which use groupings of attributes that define each one of your products in a unique way.” Basically, it is a single file that organizes all of your product listings in a way that allows you to the display your products in the Google Shopping network through the Adwords platform.

 

Creating A Feed

Creation of a data feed is very technical. First, you want to make sure that you are using a feed format that is supported by Google or Bing, such as text (.txt) and XML (.xml). Once you have chosen your preferred format, you will then use the Merchant Center add-on and provided feed template to build out your product listings.

It is still critical to pay close attention to the attributes chosen to describe your products. All of the best guidelines are provided by Google via the Product data specification. These specifications will direct you in finding the most relevant ways to describe your products.

 

Supplemental Data Feeds

There are also supplemental feeds that may be added at this point in the data feed creation process. Supplemental feeds help to provide additional data that can be combined with existing data in the primary feed.

The supplemental feed reinforces the primary feed, and works to ensure that your product listings are displaying all of the most relevant information possible to users searching for products like yours. The more relevant your listing, the more positive attention it will receive from Google.

 

Conclusion

Good organic rankings on Google are important to every business. Ecommerce companies can better their product listings in more than just this one way. It is important to remember that the Google Merchant Center also has an impact on the ranking of Shopping ads and even organic listings.

The more that any organization can integrate themselves and their products and services with Google, the better. By creating and implementing a data feed through the Google or Bing Merchant Center, Ecommerce vendors can give themselves a leg-up on the competition, and help themselves to achieve better rankings and sales through the major search engines.

Will My Organic Rankings Suffer If I Don’t Have a Blog?

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A blog can be a major investment, but the SEO benefits can make it worth the effort. Read more

How to Create Digital Marketing Plan for Start-Ups

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Having a strong online presence has become a necessity for businesses of all sizes.

You just launched a startup and need to get your brand in front of as many eyes as possible. The problem is you are not just competing in your industry, you are competing with the millions of other marketing messages that consumers are bombarded with every day. What’s an entrepreneur to do?

Statistics show that more than half of consumers turn to the internet for information before making purchases:

  • Data reveals 67 percent of consumers are influenced by online reviews (Moz)
  • 54 percent of online buyers read online reviews before purchase. (Marketing Tech Blog)
  • More than half (54 percent) of online purchasers said they had read online reviews prior to hitting the buy button, while 39 percent of consumers who made purchases in-store did so, according to a study from customer ratings and review firm Bazaarvoice Inc. (Internet Retailer)

Fortunately, there are a few digital marketing tips for startups we wanted to share:

  1. Use your starting position as a baseline to measure your overall progress against.
  2. Determine your startup’s goals; ensure these goals are specific, measurable and realistic.
  3. Identify your customers.
  4. Study your competitors.

To start, it is important to set up a website for your startup if you haven’t already. Whether you hire someone to design and create your website or choose to build your own is up to you. However, it is often more cost-effective for a startup owner, especially one with a low budget, to build a website. From smaller websites for start-up to multi-language sites across the globe, Onimod Global has a perfect website for every budget.

Once you have your website set up, you’re ready to take the next steps to develop your digital marketing strategy:

    1. Implement perfect SEO (Search Engine Optimization) by researching keywords and building links.
    2. Create relevant content and use content marketing to attract potential clients as well as satisfy Google for ranking purposes.
    3. Consider email marketing to share the content you have created on your website.
    4. Use social media marketing to boost your startup’s online presence and increase traffic to your website
    5. Analyze your results to determine where you are seeing success — and make changes in the areas where you are not.

Onimod Global are here for you every step of the way as you build your company. We are Digital Marketing gurus with expertise in multipl-digital channels.

Contact us today and find out why we’re the best choice for launching your new business to where it needs to b this 2017.

8 Fun & Noteworthy Digital Marketing Stats From This Week

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The last several days provided an array of digital marketing data points, with figures aplenty about consumers’ search habits, mobile habits, social platforms, bad ads, chat bots and more.

The following eight stats particularly got our attention.

1. Santa Claus = “totally a dog person”
SLI Systems studied more than 5.5 million consumer searches on ecommerce sites during the four weeks leading into the holiday seasons, and it found dogs are more than twice as likely to receive gifts from their owners than cats. Purr-ty surprising, huh?

2. Insta-success
On Thursday, Instagram revealed it now has 600 million users. The photo- and video-sharing app has been on a rapid growth trajectory, adding 100 million accounts in just the past six months. Check out this six-year timeline to see its quick ascent in the digital realm.

3. Publishing anarchy in the U.K.
KPMG’s recent survey of 2,000 Britons found that 49 percent of them expect to download ad blockers in the next six months. Forty. Nine. Percent.

4. Irrelevance sucks, AGAIN
Speaking of bad ads, Fiksu DSP released a study on Thursday, most notably reporting that 77 percent of consumers are likely to delete an app if they repeatedly receive an irrelevant ad. It’s the second week in a row we’ve highlighted such a stat about brands’ lack of relevance.

5. Yikes, Yahoo!
With its Verizon merger at risk, this had to be a painful admission: Yahoo said Wednesday that more than 1 billion user accounts were breached in August 2013. The hack appears to be separate from the 500 million account breach that Yahoo reported this September, and it follows a history of security problems for the digital company.

So, Yahoo has 1.5 billion accounts? While there are obviously individuals with multiple accounts, just for fun, let’s imagine every user only has one: That calculates to 20 percent of the world’s population.

6. The potential marriage, by the numbers
This year, according to new eMarketer numbers, Yahoo will get $2.98 billion in total digital ad revenue worldwide, or 1.5 percent of the global digital ad market. In 2017, Yahoo’s net worldwide digital ad revenue is expected to grow to $3 billion, per eMarketer, but its market share will drop to 1.3 percent. Meanwhile, the researcher estimated Verizon garnered $1.41 billion in digital ad revenue worldwide this year, or 0.7 percent of the global ad market.

7. Ever-expanding web of influence
Meanwhile, new research from Conductor concluded that 80 percent of marketers plan to ratchet up their investments in 2017 when it comes to online marketing, SEO and content. The study’s results suggest that digital’s years of growth will continue for at least one more.

8. Chatty folks
According to a [24]7 study, roughly 29 percent of consumers stated that chat is their preferred method to contact a retailer when shopping online, making it the most popular channel of customer service over phone and email.

Bonus stat: the smartphone era
Hey, we’re not done! A Forrester Research study commissioned by SteelHouse revealed that 3 out of 5 marketers said they would prefer a single platform for media buying.

Double-bonus stat: Hey Phelps, you rule
OK, we have one more. Adweek creative editor Tim Nudd has selected Under Armour’s “Rule Yourself” spot, starring Olympic swimming great Michael Phelps, as the Ad of the Year. It has been viewed on YouTube 11.6 million times. Check it out below.

H/T Adweek

Helping Users Fill Out Online Forms

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A lot of websites rely on forms for important goals completion, such as completing a transaction on a shopping site or registering on a news site. For many users, online forms mean repeatedly typing common information like their names, emails, phone numbers or addresses, on different sites across the web. In addition to being tedious, this task is also error-prone, which can lead many users to abandon the flow entirely. In a world where users browse the internet using their mobile devices more than their laptops or desktops, having forms that are easy and quick to fill out is crucial! Three years ago, we announced the support for a new “autocomplete” attribute in Chrome, to make form-filling faster, easier and smarter. Now, Chrome fully supports the “autocomplete” attribute for form fields according to the current WHATWG HTML Standard. This allows webmasters and web developers to label input element fields with common data types, such as ‘name’ or ‘street-address’, without changing the user interface or the backend. Numerous webmasters have increased the rate of form completions on their sites by marking up their forms for auto-completion.

For example, marking up an email address field on a form to allow auto-completion would look like this (with a full sample form available):

<input type="email" name="customerEmail" autocomplete="email"/>

Making websites friendly and easy to browse for users on mobile devices is very important. We hope to see many forms marked up with the “autocomplete” attribute in the future. For more information, you can check out our specifications about Label and name inputs in Web Fundamentals. And as usual, if you have any questions, please post in our Webmasters Help Forums.

H/T: Google Webmaster.

How Your e-Commerce Businesses can get the Most out of Facebook

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Sites like Etsy, Amazon and eBay have made it easier than ever to open an online store and jump on the e-commerce bandwagon. Now advertising on Facebook is essential for success in today’s e-commerce market. For many online merchants, Facebook is more than a tool to drive sales, it’s a platform to market and sell products, build brand identity and interact with customers. But where and when do you start to place your ads? Who are you targeting and how do you succeed in reaching them successfully? Read more