Entering the realm of e-commerce can feel like embarking on a thrilling adventure into the digital marketplace. The idea of having endless possibilities and being able to start your own business is definitely appealing. Even though e-commerce is exciting, there are risks involved. Knowing these pitfalls can make the difference between success and failure in your e-commerce journey. This article will help you fix these mistakes and start a path toward effective content marketing.

1. Your Content Doesn’t Align With Your Audience

The non-alignment of your content with the user's intentions may hinder your content marketing strategies aimed at generating leads. It's important to recognize that even if your high-quality, informative content reaches your target audience, individuals within that group may be at different stages of the customer journey. One person might be thinking of ways to solve their problem, while another person might already have figured out a solution and is looking for the best partner to work with. To get people interested in your content, you need to tailor your message to meet the needs of both groups. If you don't do this, your chances of converting are lower.

Each piece of content ought to be tailored to correspond with its respective stage in the conversion funnel. In order to gradually guide users towards the decision to submit a form, it is imperative to consider:

●       Creating a conversion funnel for your content and assessing whether your existing content caters to the needs of users at each stage (e.g., problem identification, solution presentation, and insights into how your company addresses specific issues, ideally supplemented with case studies).

●       Establishing connections between your content, both within the same funnel stage and across subsequent steps. This process involves identifying which content piece corresponds to a particular stage of the conversion funnel.

The AIDA model - Attention, Interest, Desire, Action

The implementation of the AIDA model on landing pages has the potential to enhance lead generation efforts. For example, if you are a software house that specializes in mobile applications, your content assets may include a blog post that explains the benefits of working with a software house for a specific case, a video that shows an employee explaining the implementation process, and a case study that shows. By linking guest posts and articles that address similar user needs, as well as a call-to-action button at the end of each article, you make it easier for potential leads to explore more information on your website.

2. Ineffective Marketing Strategy

One of the biggest mistakes sellers make is thinking they can come up with marketing ideas by accident. In reality, digital marketing requires careful planning and constant testing. The majority of fledgling e-commerce businesses are still learning. To succeed, a comprehensive strategy that includes customer acquisition and retention is essential.

A digital marketing initiative needs a clear approach and defined success metrics. Without these foundations, it'll be hard to refine strategies and look at past performance. Your marketing strategy will naturally evolve as you experiment with new approaches and gain deeper insight into your target audience.

3. You're not sure which parts of your content marketing plan are working and which ones aren't.

Not keeping track of how well your content marketing is doing is a big mistake. Surprisingly, many companies overlook measuring their marketing efforts' effectiveness. It is difficult to determine if your content is achieving the desired outcomes without assessing how it performs. Content marketing success is determined by conversion numbers and rates. Start by analyzing the user behavior on your website, such as time spent, pages visited, and elements focused on. This fundamental analysis offers valuable insights into the user engagement of your website.

Also, think about how your content affects the lead capture process in the conversion funnel. Even if some pieces of content don't lead to sales, they are important for getting people interested in your business. If your investment in content marketing hasn't yielded expected results in lead generation, you may be making one or more of these mistakes.

Focus on accurate data analysis

Keep track of things like how many times someone buys something, when they buy it, how long they stay on the website, how many times they leave, how many times they leave, how much they spend on something, and how many products they buy. This information can tell you when customers are most likely to shop, so you can schedule newsletter distribution accordingly. It can also tell you how many items a customer usually has in a shopping basket, so you can see which items are most popular and which are less popular.

4. You don’t promote both direct and indirect conversions

Another common mistake people make with content marketing campaigns is not promoting both direct and indirect conversions. Indirect conversions may include actions like subscribing to a newsletter, downloading premium content such as an e-book, or accessing special offers, while direct conversions involve submitting forms via web pages.

Ensure that all your content includes clear calls-to-action and links between different types of content. Consider implementing pop-ups and exit pop-ups on your website to encourage users to stay longer or to download an e-book in exchange for their email address to enhance customer engagement potential. Additionally, complement your content with remarketing campaigns tailored to your target audience, presenting ads that encourage both direct and indirect conversions. This will lead to increased lead generation.

Boosting Conversation With call to Action Buttons

The call-to-action button is a crucial component of your website, newsletter, and other marketing tools. It serves to prompt the desired customer action. Its goal is to get people to click on it without using tricks like clickbait. So, the CTA button should be clear, relevant to the intended action, and compelling to click. It should be prominent upon page opening, striking a balance between visibility and subtlety, neither overly flashy nor too inconspicuous, and distinct in color to stand out. Use language that is concise and straightforward.

CTA buttons facilitate actions such as newsletter sign-ups, purchases, or visits to product pages, effectively enhancing conversion rates and driving increased sales. Remember that you can use CTAs on different websites without any restrictions.

5. You are neglecting personalisation

Ignoring personalization is a missed opportunity. It is essential to personalize the shopping experience to foster customer loyalty and encourage repeat purchases. Tailor product recommendations based on customer activity to make them feel valued and special, and consider offering discounts on their initial purchases to incentivize new customers.

For returning customers, it is advisable to align recommended products with their previous purchases to enhance their shopping experience and generate additional sales. Research indicates that implementing personalization, particularly in online purchasing support, can boost conversion rates by up to 20 percent. A lack of personalization in marketing may lead to the loss of up to 38 percent of customers.

6. SEO Isn’t Your Main Focus

Running an e-commerce business requires SEO optimization because it can significantly impact visibility, traffic, credibility, competitiveness, cost-effectiveness, and long-term success. By making your website easier to find by search engines, people can easily find your products or services online. This can help you get more visitors and make more sales. Also, appearing higher in search engine results can make your brand more credible and trustworthy, giving you a competitive edge over other e-commerce businesses. Furthermore, search engine optimization is a cost-effective marketing strategy that can deliver long-term results, as once your website is optimized, it can continue to attract organic traffic without the need for ongoing investment.

To enhance your success, consider investing in search engine optimization. Here's what to prioritize:

●       Keyword Research: Utilize tools like Ahrefs, Marketing Miner, or Google Search Console to identify relevant keywords frequently used by customers.

●       Visual Appeal: Optimize graphics with high-quality images and illustrations, ensuring they are accompanied by descriptive ALT tags for accessibility.

●       Unique Content: Avoid duplicate content to prevent potential penalties from search engines, prioritize unique and relevant content to maintain visibility.

●       URL Optimization: Craft concise and descriptive URLs that include relevant keywords and accurately reflect the product or service being offered.

●       Meta Descriptions: Enhance your meta descriptions with relevant keywords to improve visibility in search engine results and attract potential customers.

●       Product Filters: Incorporate filters to cater to individual customer preferences, facilitating seamless navigation based on criteria like color, height, or size.

●       Customer Reviews: Encourage and showcase authentic product reviews from satisfied customers to build trust and credibility, fostering connections with both new and existing customers.

7. Your Website Lacks Optimization for Mobile Devices

You've probably accessed your online store via your phone only to find that the page wasn't properly tailored and looked messy on your mobile device. When building or updating a website, it's important to consider elements that might affect mobile browsing. Why is this important?

The majority of web traffic comes from mobile devices, and their user experience has a direct impact on interaction and conversion rates. With the increasing prevalence of smartphones and tablets, more users are accessing websites on mobile devices than ever before. If your website is not optimized for mobile, visitors may experience usability issues like slow loading times, distorted layouts, or difficulty navigating. A negative perception of your brand can lead to higher bounce rates and lower conversion rates. A mobile-optimized website improves user engagement, increases time spent on site, and ultimately improves conversion rates. Hence, addressing the absence of mobile optimization is imperative for enhancing the efficacy of your website and guaranteeing a favorable user experience across all devices.

Check if your site is suitable for mobile users

Lighthouse is a freely available, automated tool designed to enhance the quality of web pages. It can be used to look at any website, whether it's open to everyone or requires an account. The tool provides audits on various aspects, including performance, accessibility, progressive web applications, and SEO.

You can initiate Lighthouse assessments via Chrome DevTools via the command line, or by utilizing it as a Node module. Simply provide Lighthouse with the URL of the web page you wish to audit. A series of tests and a detailed report detailing the page's performance will follow. By reviewing the failing audits, you can identify areas for improvement. A reference document explains the significance of the audit and provides suggestions for resolving any issues.

8. You Don’t Diversifying Content Effectively

It is a common mistake to fail to vary the types of content to engage potential leads. When you start creating content, you need to connect it with your target audience. It's possible that your reliance on video content on platforms like YouTube doesn't resonate with your audience. In these situations, even if your content is good, it won't get new customers. Study the market to find out who your potential customers are and customize your online promotion.

Similarly, concentrating your content marketing efforts solely on one channel is limiting. In the realm of B2B marketing, it's unlikely that a user will reach out to you after encountering your content for the first time. Usually, to get users' attention, you need to interact with them on many different platforms and in different ways. But you don't have to create completely different content for each platform. Implement a content distribution strategy and repurpose existing material in various ways, implementing periodic content enhancements to maximize its potential.

When aiming to generate leads through content marketing, it's essential to prioritize several key strategies:

• Enhancing content for search engine optimization (SEO), including internal linking, optimizing keyword density, and utilizing attributes like alt, title, and meta tags. Additionally, consider enriching content with supplementary formats such as graphics or video.

• Engaging in external linking practices, which involve linking to selected articles from reputable industry domains and participating in guest blogging opportunities.

• Publishing content in platforms frequented by your target audience, such as dedicated groups, Quora, or industry-specific publications, in addition to your social media profiles.
  

• Investing in paid content promotion to target individuals who share common characteristics with your existing customer base, such as demographics, industries, positions, interests, or geographical locations.

• Implementing regular newsletter distributions and actively building a database of contacts interested in your industry to maintain ongoing engagement and nurture leads over time.

9. Complicated Checkout Procedure

A top-notch product consistently delights consumers, but a faulty or clumsy checkout procedure can halt the customer journey before it even begins. Before it begins, if the checkout process is complicated, many people mistakenly think that getting to the checkout cart is easy. According to studies, it has been observed that approximately 70% of the initial online shopping carts are abandoned. There are many reasons for this, like customers looking at things in person, saving things for later, or being scared of shipping costs. However, one of the primary reasons for cart abandonment is often the complexity of the checkout process, which fortunately can be easily overcome.

To improve purchase completion rates on your website, consider the following strategies:

●       Allowing customers to check out without mandating account creation

●       Requesting only relevant and necessary information during checkout

●       Implementing automated address shortcuts

●       Adopting a single-page checkout system for simplicity

●       Displaying shipping costs early in the process

●       Providing a clear returns policy before checkout

●       Prioritizing a mobile-friendly design for accessibility

It's important to note that some website hosting platforms may limit customization options for the checkout page, so it's advisable to consider this when selecting a hosting provider.

Pro Tip: Make checkout a one-step process. If necessary, provide the option of creating an account with social media or Google credentials. Take into account the ease of use for mobile users, who may encounter difficulties in entering details solely with their thumbs.

10.  You Have Blog Just Because Everybody Has

It is essential to have a blog for your business. Does content marketing help you sell? The purpose of maintaining a blog is undermined by the common practice among other businesses.  It's crucial to recognize that well-crafted blog posts play a significant role in driving website traffic and boosting conversion rates.

Quality content enables you to:

●       Enhance brand visibility

●       Achieve prominence in search engine results pages (SERPs)

●       Establish domain (and topical) expertise

●       Foster customer trust and loyalty

●       Provide tangible value to your audience

It's possible for a brand offering hair oil to tackle itchy scalp issues to opt for live streaming platforms like Instagram. Through these channels, they can educate their audience on managing hair fall issues through lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep, and exercise, while also offering a 20% discount on their website.

This approach, known as selling by bridging the 'knowledge gap' involves educating customers about their concerns rather than solely promoting products. By implementing this strategy effectively, the company can continue to drive sales without relying on a traditional blogging strategy.

Are you running an e-commerce project, but the conversion rate is still too low? Do you feel like your business social media profiles are only visited by you and your team? Don't know what you're doing wrong? We have advice - we will be happy to help you take care of your business holistically. We are waiting for you at DP MEDIA.