The Internet is a wonderful place. You can use it to find pretty much anything you need these days—from mittens for your French bulldog, to copycat recipes of your favorite restaurant dishes. But our ability to access endless amounts of information with the click of a mouse has a downside. Information overload is real, and it causes people to “tune out” from all the noise. So as a retailer, how do you get them to tune in?
Content strategy is a powerful tool for marketing your business and driving sales by allowing you to stand out from your competition. Offering quality products and targeted services is a no-brainer, but many ecommerce businesses drop the ball when it comes to creating compelling content.
Here’s why content matters: When a customer visits your website for the first time, they’re making a snap judgement on how your site stacks up to the countless number of competitor sites out there. Your website content and design will play a large role in establishing this trust, so it’s important to get it right. Here are a few strategies for creating solid content to increase traffic, build consumer trust and drive sales:
- Invest in Quality Images
Customers often want to see what you’re selling. And they prefer to see it in a visually-appealing way. So invest in high-quality images to accompany your content. Combining beautiful, well-placed images with useful content is a killer combo that’s sure to grab attention. Need proof? Check out this case study from Visual Website Optimizer showing the effect of image size on sales.
- Educate More than You Sell
The purchase process is complicated enough for many consumers. Sarah knows she wants a to buy natural dog food, but doesn’t know poultry-free from vegetarian and is intimidated by all of her options. When you offer valuable guidance like how-to videos, user tips, product demos, and informative blog posts on your website, you become an authority in your industry. Advance Auto Parts’ library of educational videos on vehicle maintenance is a great example here. Buyers are more likely to trust you when you offer useful content that isn’t just a sales pitch. Put them at ease with clean, simple content that guides them through the buying process. You can even include links to relevant products.
- Bring the In-Store Experience Online
When customers visit your store, they get a memorable experience through personal interactions and store aesthetics. Overcome the virtual barrier by creating content people can connect with. What are your business values? How did your company get its start? Who are the people making it all happen? Storytelling is a powerful way to build your brand online—use it to your advantage to create positive experiences.
- Don’t Ignore the Details
Consistency is key to establishing your site’s voice and engaging visitors. Everything from your mission statement all the way down to your product descriptions should be well-written. The product descriptions often seal the deal during the buying process, so don’t skimp on your content here. Good product descriptions include:- Relevant copy that targets the unique wants and needs of your customers
- Product features and benefits, including issues or problems the product solves
- Keywords–include these in your URL, headings, subheadings and alt image text to improve SEO
- Bulleted lists for better readability
Keep the conversation going by continuing to offer relevant, share-worthy content. Not only will you become a trusted source of authority in your industry, you’ll also generate sales by attracting new and repeat customers.