The main goal of any B2B or B2C website should be to drive more traffic and generate more leads. The creation of new, interesting and remarkable content to any website will make it more attractive to both visitors and search engines alike. eCommerce blogs have a side goal that is equally as important as driving traffic and generating leads: revenue created from online sales.3 Easy ways to increase your online sales through your blog include:
1. Text and Picture Links to Products and Categories.
Before you even start writing a blog post, stop and think about what which categories and products you most want to sell through that post.
- What product category are you focusing on?
- Which product pages do you want to see an increase in traffic to?
- Why would someone be interested enough to click to that product or category page?
Keep these goals in mind when crafting your blog post. Be sure that you include text links to your product and category pages throughout your blog posts in key areas. You should include a text link to your product or category page earlier in the blog post while showing a picture linking back to the product or category page either in the blog sidebar or further down the page.
2. Make your blog interactive with Rich Media.
One of the biggest challenges facing eCommerce stores is the inability for an end-user to pick up and touch the product that they are looking at online. A buyer from your store can’t pick up and try on the hat that you are selling online. They can’t try on the jeans that they are considering to purchase. There have been many attempts to solve this problem, many of them effective. As technology evolves, so does the way we can present our products. The introduction of YouTube only 5 short years ago as changed the way we can sell and present our products in a more interactive manner.
Take advantage of rich media channels like YouTube by videotaping demonstrations of your products. Have a couple of models (you can always ask your employees to model – they will be flattered!) to demonstrate ways to use your products.
Checkout 3rd Power Outlet store owner John Lawson (@ColderICE) demonstrating how to fold his bandanna's that he sells through his store. Notice that the video has over 150,000 views!!
Follow these steps to add video demonstrations of your products in your blog:
- Upload Product Demonstrations to YouTube.
- Optimize your Product Demonstrations for YouTube SEO.
- Write a blog post specific to your product / category. Example titles include:
- “Unbelievable Results -- ‘XYZ Jeans’ Make You Skinny”
- “How to Pick The Proper Lure for Trout Fishing”
- Include your product demonstration video in the article.
- Make sure that you have a link to the product immediately under the video
3. Use Call to Action Buttons.
Include call to action buttons at the end of your blog posts as well as in your blog sidebar to help increase online sales. Call to action buttons are images used to attract traffic to website pages that ussually request specific actions to be taken. These buttons can literally link to any page, but the best ones will link to pages with specific purposes.
- Include relevant call to action buttons at the end of blog posts. These can be as simple as "Learn More About This Widget" or "10% Off Coupon For This Widget." Your goal should be to include a relevant call to action at the end of every blog post.
- Include top and bottom of the funnel call to action buttons in your blog sidebar.
- Top of the Funnel offers are more educational than promotional and should also include less commitment from the visitor. Some examples are"Download the Widget Guide" and "Subscribe to Widget Blog." These offeres should be included at the top of your blog sidebar.
- Bottom of the Funnel offers are more promotional than education and require commitment from the visitor. Some examples are "Get VIP Membership for 20% Off a Future Order" and "Save 20% When Buying Today"
